Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Pittsburgh Penguins Extend GM Jim Rutherford for Three Years

Jim Rutherford

The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that general manager Jim Rutherford has signed a three-year contract extension. This contract will secure his position through the 2021-22 season.

Penguins Announce Jim Rutherford Extension

Rutherford, who has been with the Penguins for five seasons, will extend his stay in Pittsburgh for another three years. Originally from Beeton, Ontario, the 69-year-old is now on his 25th year as an NHL General Manager. His resume includes 20 years as general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes. Rutherford managed the Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup in 2006. The team also made it to the Cup Final in 2002 and advanced to the Eastern Conference Final in 2009 under his direction.

Rutherfords Success with Pittsburgh

Rutherford has found massive success with the Penguins since his arrival. In a joint statement released by the teams co-owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle, both men expressed their admiration and appreciation of him,  saying “We think Jim Rutherford is one of the best general managers in all of sports and, during his tenure in Pittsburgh, arguably the best GM In the NHL. His goal every year is to win the Stanley Cup, and that kind of commitment to excellence is what drives us all. Jim is already a big part of Penguins history with back-to-back championships, but his goal is to achieve even more, and we want to help him do that. We appreciate his continuing dedication to the Penguins.”

After building the team up to a top-four regular season record in 2016, he oversaw their successful run to the Stanley Cup. As a result, Rutherford became the only general manager to lead multiple teams to Cup titles since the 1967 NHL expansion. In 2017, the Penguins would win their second straight Stanley Cup.

Known for his aggressive execution of high profile trades, Rutherford has proven that he can successfully reinvent teams. Rutherford’s skill allowed the Penguins to acquire  Phil Kessel, Patric Hornqvist, Justin Schultz, and Carl Hagelin. He also promoted Mike Sullivan to head coach in December of 2015.

Rutherford ranks eighth in NHL history in wins by a general manager with 850. After leading the Penguins to their 2016 Stanley Cup, Rutherford was awarded NHL General Manager of the Year.

 

Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images

Jackalyn Crea

Jackalyn Crea

Share:

More Posts

Send Us A Message