Management Thread Blurst of Times

[lawrence]

When we bring in executives like Jim Rutherford, it often feels like they’re here for a short-term role, not because they have a deep connection to the Canucks. When Rutherford arrived, he essentially started with a clean slate regarding the entire roster. That’s part of why fan polls later showed a strong preference for keeping Bo Horvat over JT Miller at the time. Fans who follow the team closely saw legitimate merit in wanting to retain Bo, who was not only a core player but also our captain.

The problem with hiring outsiders like this is they don’t have the same emotional investment. They’ll try to win, sure, but when things go wrong, it’s just an “oops, my bad” and they move on. Frankly, it’s infuriating. Someone like Rutherford, who’s from Ontario, might even have deeper ties to teams like the Leafs than the Canucks. It’s hard not to feel like these decision-makers are just passing through, collecting paychecks, and shrugging off accountability—meanwhile, Jim’s probably just happy to still be in the league rather than retired.

This franchise deserves better. It’s time to overhaul this management group and bring in people who genuinely understand this team’s identity, its fans, and what it means to build something sustainable here.

 

[Diablo2020]

When we bring in executives like Jim Rutherford, it often feels like they’re here for a short-term role, not because they have a deep connection to the Canucks. When Rutherford arrived, he essentially started with a clean slate regarding the entire roster. That’s part of why fan polls later showed a strong preference for keeping Bo Horvat over JT Miller at the time. Fans who follow the team closely saw legitimate merit in wanting to retain Bo, who was not only a core player but also our captain.

The problem with hiring outsiders like this is they don’t have the same emotional investment. They’ll try to win, sure, but when things go wrong, it’s just an “oops, my bad” and they move on. Frankly, it’s infuriating. Someone like Rutherford, who’s from Ontario, might even have deeper ties to teams like the Leafs than the Canucks. It’s hard not to feel like these decision-makers are just passing through, collecting paychecks, and shrugging off accountability—meanwhile, Jim’s probably just happy to still be in the league rather than retired.

This franchise deserves better. It’s time to overhaul this management group and bring in people who genuinely understand this team’s identity, its fans, and what it means to build something sustainable here.

Identity and brand image is the crux of it all, always. Never having a dedicated Abby type never helped us either.

We hear how Frankie wants to win a cup for his aging father and wont allow a rebuild since the Gillis days. Well, we could have rebuilt 3 times over by now. Gillis was over a decade ago.

We hear today how Frankie might be driving a hard line on contract talks and how he's cheap and wont buy the training facility himself. Well, Benning alone burnt thru about 400,000,000 in salary just to tank by default every year.

I agree with everyone when they say the rot starts at the top.

Unfortunetly we've also exhausted all the true Canucks and most of the alumni. We just drove Cheech out for **** sake.

We've already done the Tlinden thing, we have put Steamer out to pasture, hell the equipment coach also dipped this offseason. Outside help is the ONLY option left at this point.

*Dale Tallon still lurks behind the walls of GM Place so maybe you get your wish soon he must bleed green n blue still right?

Thats why we need to burn it to the ground, let every prospect go thru Abby first, and build a powerhouse that doesnt need to go out and address a different huge hole every offseason because theyre flush in assets top to bottom.

Not a team that FINALLY drafts and develops some D then immedietly has to trade them to patch forward holes.

 

[lawrence]

I’ve never been so discouraged. At least during Benning’s time, when things were terrible, we could still say we had Horvat, Pettersson, Hughes, and Boeser. Those guys were our core, and we could build around them. We should’ve been fine.

Now, it’s literally down to just Hughes and Pettersson—and practically nothing else. Sure, DeBrusk is here for four more years, but this isn’t looking good. Our core has completely fallen apart due to the negligence of an incompetent management group. This is what happens when you hire outsiders to run the team: outright failure. Complete disaster. I don’t even know what they’ll do next or who they have lined up for trades.

I know this draft is weak—I do, I feel it. But if the return is just a Pavel Zacha or Jesperi Kotkaniemi, I’d rather keep the pick. As for free agency? There’s really nobody that interests me except Sam Bennett and Ehlers, who are both unlikely to sign here.

Things are looking terrible, and we have nobody to blame but management: JR, Patrik Allvin, and, of course, ownership—for lacking patience and prioritizing two games of playoff revenue over building sustainably.

 

[Raistlin]

I don't feel that bad honestly. I actually believe EP will rebound under a more offensive coach. But I think my expectation of being a contender is much more scaled back. It will be a truly dark day if Hughes leaves. But I don't believe it's a matter of when, I think it's a 50/50 scenario depending on where Hughes can take this team next year. Having built your own team from ground up is better than joining your brothers team and sitting back. If he can steer a Canadian franchise to cup territory it will be incredibly rewarding and I believe he knows it. The issue is, can this management group create that? I believe Allvin may, but JR, I am voting no confidence.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

I don't feel that bad honestly. I actually believe EP will rebound under a more offensive coach. But I think my expectation of being a contender is much more scaled back. It will be a truly dark day if Hughes leaves. But I don't believe it's a matter of when, I think it's a 50/50 scenario depending on where Hughes can take this team next year. Having built your own team from ground up is better than joining your brothers team and sitting back. If he can steer a Canadian franchise to cup territory it will be incredibly rewarding and I believe he knows it. The issue is, can this management group create that? I believe Allvin may, but JR, I am voting no confidence.

I think it how it stands right now. Unless something rather unlikely happens, Hughes is as good as gone.

 

[Raistlin]

I think it how it stands right now. Unless something rather unlikely happens, Hughes is as good as gone.

It's not a bad team even with EP going at half speed the past year. Missed the playoffs by 4 wins all the while losing like 14 times in OT. Allvin must pull a rabbit out of his sleeve this summer to get that 2C though. Also, Vancouver is chok full of beautiful 20 somethings, Quinn just have to give them a chance. Worked for Drai.

 

[Brookbank]

Rutherfraud went on the 100% hockey podcast with John Shannon. Even going on a podcast like that as an acting GM of a Canadian team is just a stupid idea.

He thinks he's still in Carolina. Go on a podcast to get some publicly for the team.

 

[Oliewud]

i would just like to reinforce that ANYBODY still defending this management and clown show, you're the reason why we have such an awful franchise

we're the laughing stock of the league because of your inability to identify incompetence.

NO ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THESE JOKERS BECAUSE THE SHEEP KEEP BUYING IT.

WE HAVE AN 80 YEAR OLD DINOSAUR RUNNING A KARDASHIAN DRAMA SHOW ALL YEAR LONG AND YOU GUYS LOVE IT LOL

 

[lawrence]

I don’t even want to know where to start, but there have been some red flags. For us, Jim Benning was so bad that we were just happy with anything. Now, it’s clear this new management group is a circus of a clusterf***, and Jim Rutherford (JR) is acting like an entitled, clownish mess.

Let’s start with the coaching. Bruce Boudreau was loved by the fans, yet they fired him to hire someone else. Under Boudreau, at least Pettersson and Kuzmenko were on pace for near-40-goal seasons. Nobody wanted him gone, but management axed him anyway.

Fans didn’t want the "Lotto Line" split up, but management insisted on keeping them separated.

Fans didn’t want injured players rushed back, yet they kept forcing Elias Pettersson to play through issues.

Elias Pettersson openly said he didn’t want to negotiate a contract during the season, but management pressured him into it. That’s bizarre—we’ve had plenty of Canucks sign extensions in the offseason. Yet again, management forced a signing and alienated a star player.

We wanted Bo Horvat extended, but they prioritized re-signing JT Miller first, directly ignoring the fanbase’s wishes.

They’ve somehow botched Brock Boeser’s contract situation.
They’ve failed to sign prospects for unclear reasons.
They’ve failed to keep JT Miller content (though I blame Miller too).
A year later, we’re still in the dark about what’s actually wrong with Elias Pettersson. we still don't know whats wrong with him, heck Jim "thinks" Eliass has gone back to Sweden? you don't know where the f he is? are we trying to get him to heal from whatever injury so he can train for a full summer and be back by October?
Now they’re struggling to sign a 1st-round draft pick, for God-knows-what reason? are you f in kidding me? 200k? F off!

Jim Rutherford continues to embarrass himself—and the franchise—through the media.

1st Example: He openly speculated that Quinn Hughes “might want to play with his brothers,” implying it could complicate re-signing him. Fact: Quinn Hughes never said this. Yet delusional Jim planted the idea publicly.

2nd Example: He told the media he called Quinn after Rick Tocchet decided not to return as coach but “never got a call back.” Why air this publicly? It makes the organization look weak and desperate.

3rd Example: He then said, “We own Quinn Hughes for another 2.5 years, and if we can’t sign him, something needs to be done.” STFU, Jim! Whatever leverage Patrik Allvin had is now gone. You’re alienating Canucks fans, and we all know Jim Rutherford is a Leafs fan at heart! he doesn't give a shit about the Canucks. again hes just here for a gig, rather then a retirement home. He has nothing to lose, what are they going to do with him if he fails? he just gets fired. Remember his reaction when we beat nashville last year in the playoffs? Dude was stoned! thats all. We need a new management team right now before things get worst!

 

[MarkusNaslund19]

i would just like to reinforce that ANYBODY still defending this management and clown show, you're the reason why we have such an awful franchise

we're the laughing stock of the league because of your inability to identify incompetence.

NO ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THESE JOKERS BECAUSE THE SHEEP KEEP BUYING IT.

WE HAVE AN 80 YEAR OLD DINOSAUR RUNNING A KARDASHIAN DRAMA SHOW ALL YEAR LONG AND YOU GUYS LOVE IT LOL

Sir, this is a Wendy's...

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

The bad PR and toxic shit started plauging this franchise in the Gillis era. Torts was not a Gillis hire and there was a clear deviation in philosophy in 2013.

The Benning era was a continuation of wonky bullshit.

You got a sense JR and Allvin came in with a plan in 2022 but it's all since gone to absolute hell.

There is one common denominator. We can go through many more coaches and GMs but it's hopeless unless the owner stays in his lane.

Jim Rutherford has stopped giving a f***. Something clearly happened behind the scenes and he's completely checked out. There is no easy way out for the owner. The most sensible thing would be to relieve JR of his duties but that would probably kill all rapport with the OBC and league executives.

 

[Oliewud]

I don’t even want to know where to start, but there have been some red flags. For us, Jim Benning was so bad that we were just happy with anything. Now, it’s clear this new management group is a circus of a clusterf***, and Jim Rutherford (JR) is acting like an entitled, clownish mess.

Let’s start with the coaching. Bruce Boudreau was loved by the fans, yet they fired him to hire someone else. Under Boudreau, at least Pettersson and Kuzmenko were on pace for near-40-goal seasons. Nobody wanted him gone, but management axed him anyway.

Fans didn’t want the "Lotto Line" split up, but management insisted on keeping them separated.

Fans didn’t want injured players rushed back, yet they kept forcing Elias Pettersson to play through issues.

Elias Pettersson openly said he didn’t want to negotiate a contract during the season, but management pressured him into it. That’s bizarre—we’ve had plenty of Canucks sign extensions in the offseason. Yet again, management forced a signing and alienated a star player.

We wanted Bo Horvat extended, but they prioritized re-signing JT Miller first, directly ignoring the fanbase’s wishes.

They’ve somehow botched Brock Boeser’s contract situation.
They’ve failed to sign prospects for unclear reasons.
They’ve failed to keep JT Miller content (though I blame Miller too).
A year later, we’re still in the dark about what’s actually wrong with Elias Pettersson. we still don't know whats wrong with him, heck Jim "thinks" Eliass has gone back to Sweden? you don't know where the f he is? are we trying to get him to heal from whatever injury so he can train for a full summer and be back by October?
Now they’re struggling to sign a 1st-round draft pick, for God-knows-what reason? are you f in kidding me? 200k? F off!

Jim Rutherford continues to embarrass himself—and the franchise—through the media.

1st Example: He openly speculated that Quinn Hughes “might want to play with his brothers,” implying it could complicate re-signing him. Fact: Quinn Hughes never said this. Yet delusional Jim planted the idea publicly.

2nd Example: He told the media he called Quinn after Rick Tocchet decided not to return as coach but “never got a call back.” Why air this publicly? It makes the organization look weak and desperate.

3rd Example: He then said, “We own Quinn Hughes for another 2.5 years, and if we can’t sign him, something needs to be done.” STFU, Jim! Whatever leverage Patrik Allvin had is now gone. You’re alienating Canucks fans, and we all know Jim Rutherford is a Leafs fan at heart! he doesn't give a shit about the Canucks. again hes just here for a gig, rather then a retirement home. He has nothing to lose, what are they going to do with him if he fails? he just gets fired. Remember his reaction when we beat nashville last year in the playoffs? Dude was stoned! thats all. We need a new management team right now before things get worst!

this is spot on. we have a senile old man running the circus right now.

dark times

 

[HairyKneel]

I feel like I already went through that when they traded Bure...

But you are right. This will be the same kind of dark place as a Canuck fan.

You don't recall 1984-1988? Far darkest days ever and it aint' even close.

PHD- Pride, Hustle snd Desire. All 6 K at the PNE hoping Albert from the Crappy Tire Commercial would save the team.

Then a strapping Irishman made them relevant

 

[FilHronek Orchestra]

You don't recall 1984-1988? Far darkest days ever and it aint' even close.

PHD- Pride, Hustle snd Desire. All 6 K at the PNE hoping Albert from the Crappy Tire Commercial would save the team.

Then a strapping Irishman made them relevant

It's like acerbic Brook Ward.