Heartbreaking news hits Jim Rutherford and the Canucks after emotional decision
Jim Rutherford is stepping back. The Vancouver Canucks president of hockey operations told reporters Tuesday night he'll move to an advisory role after this year's draft.
It closes the door on a tenure that started with a playoff run and ended in a 32nd-place finish.
The Canucks went 25-49-8 this season for 58 points. Worst record in the league. A -100 goal differential that tells you everything about how the year unraveled.
- NHL News
Rutherford took the job in December 2021 and brought in a new vision, a new coach, and a new identity. By April, that identity was nowhere on the ice.
Adam Foote was handed the bench last May. His first full season behind the Canucks bench produced a 9-27-5 home record, the kind of number you don't see often in a market this loud.
So now ownership has to decide what comes next. A new president, a draft to navigate, and a roster that bled goals all year. Where do you even start?
Pettersson and Boeser headline a roster the next president inherits
Elias Pettersson finished with 15 goals and 36 assists in 74 games. The 27-year-old centre carries an $11.6M cap hit and a -30 rating that will follow him into every offseason conversation.
Brock Boeser scored 22 times and went minus-48. Jake DeBrusk led the team with 23 goals but ended at minus-31. The top six produced. The defensive structure didn't.
Filip Hronek logged all 82 games and put up 49 points from the blue line. He was the only regular skater near a positive impact in a season where the team allowed 316 goals.
In net, Kevin Lankinen finished with an .875 save percentage across 47 appearances. Thatcher Demko was limited to 20 games. The crease never stabilized.
Rutherford's exit timeline is tied to the draft, which gives the Canucks a small window of continuity before the next voice takes over. Whoever that is inherits a cap sheet that doesn't bend easily.
The advisory role keeps him in the building. It does not keep him in charge. Vancouver fans have heard the next-step language before, and they're still waiting to see what it actually buys them.
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YESTERDAY
MAY 5, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Nathan MacKinnon | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Gabriel Landeskog | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Martin Necas | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Brett Kulak | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Marcus Johansson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Kirill Kaprizov | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Valeri Nichushkin | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Nicolas Roy | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Brent Burns | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Ross Colton | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Ryan Hartman | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Daemon Hunt | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nazem Kadri | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Brock Nelson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Danila Yurov | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Mats Zuccarello | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nick Blankenburg | - | - | - | |
| Matthew Boldy | - | - | - | |
| Jack Drury | - | - | - | |
| Brock Faber | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||