Jim Rutherford is not in the mix for the Red Wings’ front-office opening, and for Detroit fans, that’s a development that should land as a relief.
With Steve Yzerman stepping down as general manager, the Red Wings are suddenly sorting through what comes next at the top of the hockey-operations ladder. The search has already sparked plenty of speculation about whether Detroit will chase a familiar NHL name or go in a different direction. Rutherford had surfaced as a possibility, but that chatter appears to be over.
On a recent episode of The Sheet podcast, Jeff Marek said he’s heard Rutherford is not part of the Red Wings’ process to find a new head of hockey operations.
That matters because Rutherford is hardly some unknown quantity. He’s been around the league forever, won Stanley Cups with the Hurricanes in 2006 and the Penguins in 2016 and 2017, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a team builder. He also has a Detroit connection of his own: before his executive career, he played goalie for the Red Wings.
In 10 years with Detroit, Rutherford went 97-165-43 with a 3.69 goals allowed average and a .876 save percentage in 314 games, including 305 starts.
Still, even with that background, he didn’t look like the cleanest fit for what the Red Wings may need right now. Some fans would probably prefer a fresh voice with no ties to the organization, and Rutherford’s most recent run in Vancouver did not exactly strengthen his case.
Hired by the Canucks in 2021 as president of hockey operations, Rutherford oversaw a stretch that brought limited success. Vancouver made the playoffs only once, in 2023, and got as far as the second round before being eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers.
After that, things unraveled. The public friction between J.T.
Miller and Elias Pettersson became a major storyline, and Rutherford told the media the two could not be on the same team anymore. Then came the decision to trade defenseman Quinn Hughes this past season.
The Canucks finished dead last in the league and still failed to win the NHL Draft Lottery.
Rutherford also signed Pettersson to what may be one of the worst contracts in hockey, an $11.6 million annual cap hit that runs through the 2031-32 season. With Pettersson’s production having fallen off sharply, that deal has become a tough one to move for meaningful value.
So while Rutherford’s name carried the weight of his Hall of Fame resume and his Stanley Cup rings, his Vancouver tenure left plenty to question. For now, he’s out of the picture, and the Red Wings’ search for their next front-office leader continues.
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