Vancouver Canucks name Ryan Johnson general manager and Sedins co-presidents
The Vancouver Canucks have appointed Ryan Johnson as their new general manager and named club legends Daniel and Henrik Sedin as co-presidents of hockey operations on Thursday following a dismal season.
The former development coach takes over from Patrik Allvin, who was dismissed in April after the Canadian franchise finished with the worst record in the NHL.
Meanwhile, the identical twins will succeed Jim Rutherford, with the 77-year-old stepping down post-draft to become an adviser and alternate governor.
Both Swedish icons spent their entire playing careers on the west coast and initially joined the front office in June 2021.
Rebuilding after a tumultuous era
These major boardroom changes are designed to forge a new path for a franchise that has endured a spectacularly challenging 18 months.
Expectations were high after former head coach Rick Tocchet led the squad to within one game of the Western Conference finals during the 2023-24 campaign.
However, the subsequent season was derailed by injuries, severe inconsistencies, and a highly publicised rift between star forwards J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson.
The internal friction culminated in the American centre being traded to the New York Rangers, while the Swedish forward remained following his lucrative contract extension.
Roster overhaul and draft focus
Tocchet subsequently departed to guide the Philadelphia Flyers, leaving Adam Foote to take the reins of a struggling roster.
Further massive structural changes followed, notably the blockbuster trade that sent captain Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a package including Marco Rossi and multiple draft assets.
A slew of other veterans, including defenceman Tyler Myers and forward David Kampf, were also shipped out prior to the trade deadline.
Despite finishing bottom of the league standings, the Pacific Division side lost the draft lottery and will select third overall behind the Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks.
The newly appointed executive trio now faces the monumental task of rebuilding the team utilising their five picks in the first three rounds of the upcoming draft.