Jim Rutherford is going to continue to run the Vancouver Canucks as the president of hockey operations for years to come.
The team announced a three-year contract extension for Rutherford on Friday afternoon.
It’s been quite the turnaround for the club since the Hockey Hall of Famer took over the reins of hockey operations in Vancouver. When Canucks Owner Francesco Aquilini flew to Carolina to speak with him, Rutherford called the meeting “impressive” and that once he got the full support from his wife and kids, Vancouver became his next destination.
“We were thrilled when Jim told us he was up for the challenge,” said owner Francesco Aquilini. “He came here with a vision and an unwavering commitment to make this team competitive again.”
Rutherford knew that it would be a big challenge to get the Canucks back into contention but if this season is any indication, things are headed in the right direction.
“We feel good about the progress we’ve made,” said Rutherford. “We also recognize we still have our challenges ahead. We, as a hockey operation, our off-ice group is something we've really strengthened, and we feel good about that.”
While Rutherford is content with the 2023-24 season so far, he can not be satisfied at this point in the year. The bar has been rising since he joined the Canucks and as the leader of hockey operations, Rutherford plans on keeping those high standards.
“We're realistic, but our goal is to always aim high,” said Rutherford. “When you put a group together, you need them to come together as a team – not as individuals, which our team has done. And now, they've performed well and we're going to get into a stretch of the season where the games get even harder. There are no easy games when you've done as well as we have in the first half. Teams come in and bring their A-game every night. We probably see number one goalies every game we don't get back-up goalies much. But our team has passed every test from the start of training camp to now and now they'll just get new tests as the season progresses.”
Winning a championship is the ultimate goal for Rutherford. Hoisting the Stanley Cup is what everyone in hockey is playing for but he knows that a lot of things need to go right in order to accomplish that incredible feat. Along with some good luck, you need to be disciplined and structured to be the final team standing.
Rutherford has been there and done that three times
He’s experienced the mountain top and he’s experienced not quite making it there as well.
It’s about building a contender through a solid process and Rutherford believes the players are buying into the team concept here in Vancouver. He believes the hockey club is on the right road to be able to accomplish its goals.
“Vancouver is exciting when you're winning. I've been here long enough now to meet a lot of fans and a lot of people get feedback from them. Winning here would be very special. I’m starting to realize what it means to Vancouver Canucks fans.”
Rutherford meshes well with General Manager Patrik Allvin and he believes that the next step will be getting a contract extension for Allvin. There are going to be discussions internally about the hockey operations group but the president has been able to observe the group for the last two years and sees the work that is being done to make this team back to a contender.
There’s a big focus on the AHL club and the work that Ryan Johnson is doing in the AHL along with the development staff. That development staff is also now spread out throughout Canada, the United States, and Europe with the addition of Mike Komisarek, Mikael Samuelsson and the continued work from Chris Higgins.
This contract extension wasn’t something that happened overnight. The two sides have been talking for a while now, trying to find the right time to sign a new deal.
“This has been chipped away for a long time,” said Rutherford about his contract extension. “I've had a good working relationship with Francesco and he lets me do what's necessary on the hockey side, but he's there when we need him and he gives us what we need to be successful. But we talked different times and I think it's almost like this extension has been talked about from the time I signed the [initial] contract.”
If you wonder if Rutherford is still having fun, the answer is technically no.
But the president is getting plenty of joy in the progress made by his management team, coaching staff, players, and everybody in between.
“Fun is not the right way to describe our jobs because it's a really hard job,” said Rutherford with a laugh. “I enjoy the challenge and what I really enjoy is seeing how the players have bought in to not be individuals but instead, being a team together. We have a team here. I enjoy watching the progress made by each individual – from Patrick starting out as a new General Manager to where he is today. Rick Tocchet and his coaching staff evolving, and especially the players and the growth they’ve made. When I got here, there were a number of good players, but I always felt that there was more to give. I've now seen it, I’ve seen them give more and I'm really proud of our people.”
Rutherford will be around for at least three more seasons but he doesn’t have a timeline for when he will call it a career. When asked if he just loves this game and loves his role, Rutherford was stern with his answer but shared a laugh along the way.
“Obviously I am otherwise I wouldn't keep doing this,” said Rutherford when asked about being in love with hockey. “I thought I was retiring when I when I left Carolina. Then I went to Pittsburgh, which I thought was going to be for two years. It was seven. I came to Vancouver, I thought for two years and now it looks like it's at least five. So I don't think there's any use of me starting to speculate. As long as I'm healthy and I contribute. I guess I'll just keep going to work.”
