Retirement? Canucks President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford Opens Up On His Future with Vancouver

After a little less than two weeks of waiting for a decision on Rick Tocchet's future behind the bench in Vancouver, the organization announced yesterday that he would be not returning as head coach and is seeking opportunities elsewhere in the National Hockey League.

Shortly after Rick Tocchet's decision was made public, Jim Rutherford met with reporters to discuss the news and the team's upcoming search for a new head coach.

During his media availability, Jim Rutherford was asked about his own future with the organization following his fourth season, third full campaign, with the Vancouver Canucks.

Rutherford told reporters that he hasn't thought much about his future, but he's not planning on leaving down, saying that he's not comfortable with the job he's done thus far and that they have a lot of work to do in order to make this a playoff team next year and beyond.

Rutherford, 76, joined the Vancouver Canucks in December 2021 when he was named interim General Manager & President of Hockey Operations following the firing of Jim Benning just a few days prior.

A little less than two months later, Rutherford remained as President of Hockey Operations, but his time as interim General Manager came to an end after the club hired Patrik Allvin.

During Rutherford's tenure in the Canucks front office, Vancouver has made it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs one, which came last year as they were one win away from their first Western Conference Final since 2011.

To say there's a lot of work that needs to be done is an understatement as this summer, Vancouver needs to find a top-six forward to replace Brock Boeser (if he does leave), a second line centerman to replace J.T. Miller, who was traded in January, and possibly another bottom pairing defenseman.

The club also needs to find a way to get top prospect Tom Willander signed, with reports suggesting that the two sides are only separated by $200,000.

It's going to be a busy summer for Patrik Allvin and Jim Rutherford, and Vancouver Canucks fans are hoping that they'll do all they can to get this club back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2026.