There is breaking news from the Vancouver Canucks as their president of hockey operations, Jim Rutherford, steps down. It will not be immediate, however. He will transition to an advisory role after the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. He will no longer be taking care of the day-to-day operations of the team. The Canucks are still in the process of finding their new general manager, and now have another vacant role.
Credit Image: © Alex Cave/ZUMA Press Wire
“We feel very strong that we’re getting a good player… Number 3 is still going to be a great building block for the Vancouver Canucks.”
🗣️ Jim Rutherford meets with the media following the NHL Draft Lottery to discuss picking 3rd, the search for a General Manager and more. pic.twitter.com/pJa2LIn4CQ
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) May 6, 2026
Rutherford Announces Transition to Advisor
Following the results of the NHL Draft Lottery, in which the Canucks will have the third selection in the draft, Jim Rutherford announced the transition to the media. This news follows the firing of general manager Patrik Allvin on April 17, 2026, as well as a season where the team finished in last. Rutherford was initially hired as team president and interim general manager in December 2021.
As for the future of the front office, Rutherford said that he has not decided whether the incoming GM will also assume the President role, or if two people will fill those roles. The general manager search is also now down to “five good candidates”, according to Gary Mason, a columnist for The Globe and Mail. Pierre Dorion and Ryan Johnson were two of the names still in the mix, but Mason followed up later in the day that Dorion would likely not become the GM. Rutherford also told Canucks reporter Olivia McDonald that there are now five finalists for the GM job. “We interviewed a lot of people here over the last two weeks,” said Rutherford. “It’s been narrowed down to five guys. We’ve had in-person interviews with them. We continue to talk to these people. We don’t have a deadline.”
Update: the Canucks have narrowed their GM search down to five good candidates. Dorion is one but would be wrong to characterize him in any way as a front-runner. Ryan Johnson is still in the mix as well.
— Gary Mason 🇨🇦🇺🇦 (@garymasonglobe) May 5, 2026
Jim Rutherford Steps Down as POHO in Vancouver
Rutherford’s time as president will officially come to an end after June 27, 2026, the second day of the NHL Entry Draft. From now until then, we can expect a decision on the new GM to be made, as well as the potential new president of hockey operations. Stay tuned.
Main Photo Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
