From franchise heroes to data experts, here are some possible candidates for the leadership role.<\/p>\n
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Published Apr 19, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 17\u00a0minutes ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 5 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n Patrik Allvin is out<\/a>. Jim Rutherford says the next Canucks GM will need to be a person who can take over all the hockey decisions and, it seems, truly serve as Rutherford\u2019s successor<\/a>.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events.Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account.The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events.Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account.The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an Account<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cI want the new GM to make all hockey decisions,\u201d Rutherford declared Friday, before suggesting he\u2019s also considering his own future and dialling back his involvement. \u201cMy focus is on getting a GM and getting through the draft. And when I do that, then I I will think a lot more serious about what makes sense (for him).\u201d Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Or something like that.<\/p>\n Above all, the Canucks need to decide what they want to be. What\u2019s the vision? What will the culture be about? When are you winning the Stanley Cup? 2034? What\u2019s the organization going to look like a decade from now?<\/p>\n Let\u2019s consider a few options \u2026<\/p>\n The return of the Conquering Hero<\/p>\n One dream among Canucks fans is that the guy in charge when things were last truly good could come back.<\/p>\n Listen: In hockey, you never say never, but this is a fanciful idea. Mike Gillis knows very well what it\u2019s like to work for the Aquilinis and it\u2019s extremely doubtful he\u2019d want to do so again. He disagreed with ownership on the direction of the team and ultimately was fired for it.<\/p>\n Canucks Report<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n In the past, he\u2019s said he\u2019d be interested in a \u201cforward-thinking\u201d scenario if he were ever on the hunt for\u00a0another hockey executive job. Since leaving the Canucks in 2014, he\u2019s travelled the world, learning from other sports franchises. He\u2019s consulted with the NHLPA. He has spoken with a few teams \u2014 the Penguins, Panthers and Senators, for sure \u2014 about taking on a role there, but that has yet to materialize.<\/p>\n Now, the Leafs are interested, and he\u2019s apparently a strong candidate to be president there.<\/p>\n The Canucks? It\u2019s not impossible, but it\u2019s whatever is right next to impossible.<\/p>\n Other ex-Canucks<\/p>\n Laurence Gilman is in Columbus, where Don Waddell brought him in as a vice-president. He\u2019s been in the mix for a few GM jobs before, and is well-regarded around the league.<\/p>\n After Gillis, he would likely be the most well-received familiar hire in Vancouver.<\/p>\n But two others with ties to the past are also worth mentioning: Judd Brackett and Eric Crawford.<\/p>\n Both have been very successful in identifying talent. Both would be assistant GMs with other teams. They certainly know the game, how to value players and have a head for what teams need.<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Notably, both Minnesota and Montreal take a data-centric approach to looking for prospects.<\/p>\n Is it 1999? Want one of these guys?<\/p>\n Historically, NHL hockey has pulled most its GMs from a pool of guys who know the sport and get along with people already in the game.<\/p>\n The current version of this group is populated by names like Peter Chiarelli, Rob Blake, Mark Bergevin and Dale Tallon. (Tallon, of course, is already on the Canucks\u2019 payroll.)<\/p>\n But Rutherford is looking for a guy who has his eyes on the future. Do any of these names suggest \u201cdata oriented\u201d?<\/p>\n The AGMs<\/p>\n Rutherford, we understand, is always interested in looking at the next wave of hockey leaders. Many of them are currently assistant general managers.<\/p>\n So we\u2019re talking about guys like Bill Scott in Edmonton and Ryan Hardy in Toronto.<\/p>\n These are the guys who know the CBA in and out, who deal with contracts and have seen how the business operates.<\/p>\n The Canucks\u2019 own Ryan Johnson is in this club too; Rutherford is a well-known admirer of his and Johnson is already a candidate.<\/p>\n Being GM would be a big step up for some of these up-and-comers, but at some point you\u2019ve just got to find out if they\u2019re ready.<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The data heads<\/p>\n Rutherford said that analytics matter. Knowing how to draw in data from all sources in your decision-making is vital, he\u2019s said.<\/p>\n And so we look at a group of people working for teams in data-focused roles. The step up to GM would be a big one, and managing people is an important part of the job that none of these folks have much experience in, but they do have good minds for the game.<\/p>\n This group of people includes Tyler Dellow in Carolina, Alexandra Mandrycky in Seattle and Sam Ventura in Buffalo: Creative thinkers, all. Probably not yet ready for all the managerial bits a GM needs to know, but in terms of the big-picture question that GMs need to be ready to answer \u2014 What\u2019s the plan here? \u2014 they\u2019ll have that on lockdown.<\/p>\n The agents<\/p>\n Teams that have hired ex-agents to the GM role have a solid track record. Gillis is obviously the best example, but look at Kent Hughes in Montreal, or Bill Zito in Florida, or even historically Pierre Lacroix in Colorado.<\/p>\n Could someone like Dan Milstein, Todd Diamond or Craig Oster be convinced to cross the aisle?<\/p>\n They obviously know the scene here well. Would they want to come to this stop?<\/p>\n Advertisement 6<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n What about Neil Glasberg, the guy does the executive search but is also an executive agent himself? He certainly knows the people involved.<\/p>\n Finally, the grab bag<\/p>\n The last potential grouping are folks who are in the game. Tom Fitzgerald just left the New Jersey Devils as GM. He\u2019s not quite the 1999-type hire, but the Devils are a bit of a mess, so this would feel a little like a Trelving-style hire.<\/p>\n John and Megan Chayka? Both have strong ties around the league. Both have long experience in using data in their business.<\/p>\n What about someone from the NHL, like Daniel Ages or Julie Grand. Both are senior lawyers with the league itself. They know the CBA inside and out. They know how trade calls work. They have deep respect around the league. Leafs assistant general manager Brandon Pridham was formerly at the NHL\u2019s central registry, so they would be a similar hire. Or what about Pridham himself?<\/p>\n pjohnston@postmedia.com<\/a><\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Canucks Coffee: Was Patrik Allvin too busy for the biggest trade in team history?<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776612315_948_2266643046_302131002.jpg\")
Vancouver Canucks fans want more reasons to celebrate in future seasons. So, what’s the vision? What will the culture be about? Who can take the Canucks back to the Stanley Cup? Photo by Verity Griffin \/Getty ImagesArticle content<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/21.0.2\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-vp.svg\"){kind=logo}
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Rutherford has now been in charge for 4 and a half years. He had first imagined he\u2019d be here for two, serving as a mostly hands-off advisor to a new group of hockey leaders. He picked the team, but, it seems, he didn\u2019t see Allvin or his colleagues across the threshold to self-sufficiency.<\/p>\n![\"Canucks](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/21.0.2\/websites\/images\/newsletters\/icon-vs-canucksReport.svg\"\/){kind=icon}
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Former Vancouver Canucks General Manager Mike Gillis, centre, takes questions from reporters in 2011. Photo by Jonathan Hayward \/The Canadian Press<\/p>\n![\"Vancouver](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776612317_538_png0911nquinn-10_279450948.jpg\")
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