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Smart hires!
Got my pick.
That is all

Hockey Widow wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2026 2:25 pm A few things that I noted:

I don't have your rose coloured glasses

https://www.canuckscorner.com/forums/vi ... 40#p614940

Seems Rutherford has cleaned out his office and at the completion of the draft will make Vancouver is secondary home and return to the east for a more permanent home. So sticking close some of the time to make himself available. Perhaps this is just a nice way to fire the guy.

Twins were asked who they reported to and the emphatically said ownership, not JR. So I think all his talk about leaving soon caught up to him in the last two weeks.Once he announced he would relinquish the POHO after the draft the search changed from a GM search to a JR replacement first. Once the twins said yes, they were then given their first duty, hire the GM.

Hockey Widow wrote: ↑Fri May 15, 2026 4:19 am Seems Rutherford has cleaned out his office and at the completion of the draft will make Vancouver is secondary home and return to the east for a more permanent home. So sticking close some of the time to make himself available. Perhaps this is just a nice way to fire the guy.

Twins were asked who they reported to and the emphatically said ownership, not JR. So I think all his talk about leaving soon caught up to him in the last two weeks.Once he announced he would relinquish the POHO after the draft the search changed from a GM search to a JR replacement first. Once the twins said yes, they were then given their first duty, hire the GM.

It's almost like there's no plan at all

Hockey Widow wrote: ↑Fri May 15, 2026 4:19 am Seems Rutherford has cleaned out his office and at the completion of the draft will make Vancouver is secondary home and return to the east for a more permanent home. So sticking close some of the time to make himself available. Perhaps this is just a nice way to fire the guy.

Just putting the old plough horse to pasture... until the glue factory comes calling. No need to take him out back with the shotgun while everyone's around admiring the new creatures in the barn.

A few things I've listened to today on podcasts etc.....

1. Dahli (on Halford & Brough) related that despite the internal hiring, the Canucks learned a great deal about their own organization from the wide search and fairly in-depth interviews with multiple candidates that ultimately landed on Gold and RJ as finalists.....primarily they learned that they are multiple steps away from having a first-class, Cup contending, organization, and that was not just on the ice. So while they may not have ended up with outside eyes sitting in the big chair, they definitely go outside eyes and assessment and came away recognizing that they have sweet fuck all. Their NHL roster is dead last in the league in terms of talent, their AHL roster is also piss-poor, their prospect cupboard is poorly stocked, their culture is brutal, and their coaching staff lacking. Much of this likely was what ownership finally needed to hear.

2. Daniel was in studio with Halford and Brough today. Primarily reiterating what was said yesterday, but candid about where him and Henrik (and RJ as well) are at. Recognizing that they are new to this, that they have a ton to learn, but that they refuse to cut corners and will do their very best just as they did as players. That they expect criticism from fans and media, and that they can't let that sway them from staying the course in regards to the plan forward.....woulda been nice if he had expounded on that plan, but he didn't. Regardless of what anyone (talking to myself here too) thought of them as players, you have to respect them, if not like them, as people. They were second to none when it came to putting in the work and I am confident they will do that in this role. If they suck at it, they suck at it, and as Dank said, then the will find that out but they won't know if they don't try.

3. Multiple people who were around the team with them as players lauded their leadership and character. Specifically speaking to their willingness to be the ones in front of the camera after a loss, but also that they were the first to let the other guys get out in front of the camera to talk about a win. Everyone repeated what has been long known about their preparation and dedication to the organization and the city. While Trevor was the face of the team from the time he was drafted until his retirement (albeit with that 4.5 year gap), he was not the face for AIG as the owners, Hank and Danny are those guys, and they strike me as the type who don't BS. They are diplomatic, but when they talk about Frankie and the organization it's different. They will be a good barometer on how much of what we (and the media) speculate about regarding Aquaman as an owner.

4. Brough made the comment that this was the first time in 10 years that the front-office was coming out like this going into the draft and summer where the message was NOT about competing for the playoffs. That caught my attention. When RJ said that next year (even the next few) is not going to be about wins and losses, but about culture, development, and being a competitive team, most of us rolled our eyes and balked at the use of "competitive". Taking the word at face value, we should remember that you can compete and get absolutely blown out by a superior opponent, and that's ok. You didn't quit, you lost while giving it your very best. That is a culture that has been missing for a decade in Vancouver.

As Daniel said today, talk is cheap, now it comes down to actions. So we will see. But I figured I would throw in a bit of positivity for a change.

Aquaman was looking for another yes man. Maybe he has learned?? Like I said yesterday, it was the first time I have heard him utter rebuild, and he did so several times. Now does he believe it? Does he have the patience? Will he listen to the twins whereas in the past he has failed to listen to hockey minds? Failed to listen to Linden? If the next few years are rough does he go back to his MO and start talking to people behind the twins back and getting ready to replace them once he has found another yes man? In 2-3 years does he forget today?

Time will only tell.

I admit I grab my rose coloured glasses pretty quickly. It is the optimist in me I guess. But I feel like this could be good. Don't fuck up the draft. We need players in every position so please just go BPA regardless of position.

Hockey Widow wrote: ↑Fri May 15, 2026 9:05 pm I admit I grab my rose coloured glasses pretty quickly. It is the optimist in me I guess. But I feel like this could be good.

That's good HW. Yin needs its yang or vise versa. There's been nothing but a crapload of bitchin' and moaning here, a sprinkle of positivity is refreshing.

Gonna need it wherever we can get it because we're in for another five years of hell. The hope is if all done right we'll come out the other side glorious.

Some outside perspective from someone we don't really like, but kind of interesting just the same..

"A vegan who doesn't like the gym"...anyone surprised?

I can imagine how well he meshed with your more shall-we-say 'conservative/macho types' in the room (cough cough - Miller - cough). I remember reading in Petey's pre- and post-draft coverage that he stuck up for immigrant kids in school. Take it for what you will, but would anyone really doubt that he was Mr. Woke in the room - which I can imagine would have landed weirdly at best in an NHL dressing room even these days.

Frank speculated on the negative energy/attitude Petey allegedly effused, and again this is nothing new to us who have seen his Eeyore act on the ice and the bench the last handful of years. Maybe RJ was throwing an indirect shot at Petey with the "challenge them to be the best teammates they can be" quote?

Hadn't really heard much about a 'frosty' relationship between Petey and the Twins, but the results would point to it. To me that may be the most damning indictment of Petey if true. This kid has unreal skill, perhaps enough to rival the Twins, and he has all the access in the world to their experience and advice to get to their level - and he just fucked it off to-date, if the allegations are true.

Ship his soy-loving ass out already.

Lancer wrote: ↑Sat May 16, 2026 6:50 am "A vegan who doesn't like the gym"...anyone surprised?

I can imagine how well he meshed with your more shall-we-say 'conservative/macho types' in the room (cough cough - Miller - cough). I remember reading in Petey's pre- and post-draft coverage that he stuck up for immigrant kids in school. Take it for what you will, but would anyone really doubt that he was Mr. Woke in the room - which I can imagine would have landed weirdly at best in an NHL dressing room even these days.

Frank speculated on the negative energy/attitude Petey allegedly effused, and again this is nothing new to us who have seen his Eeyore act on the ice and the bench the last handful of years. Maybe RJ was throwing an indirect shot at Petey with the "challenge them to be the best teammates they can be" quote?

Hadn't really heard much about a 'frosty' relationship between Petey and the Twins, but the results would point to it. To me that may be the most damning indictment of Petey if true. This kid has unreal skill, perhaps enough to rival the Twins, and he has all the access in the world to their experience and advice to get to their level - and he just fucked it off to-date, if the allegations are true.

Ship his soy-loving ass out already.

I didn't think RJ was being all that indirect myself, Lancer.

The stuff about him not getting along with the Sedins has been circulating for at least the past few months.

To me, he's just not the team sports type of guy at all. Weird that he got into hockey instead of, say, snowboarding.

It would be like having Greta Thunberg on the team. Poor JT.

We should lean right into this. Make him captain, have Greta drop a puck, make that other Sheila from Seattle the coach.

No idea if any of this holds salt or not but...

Imagine being Hank and Dank with all the skill in the world and talked about as top picks for some time pre draft year.

Then they come into the league as pudgy little dough boys who can not skate good enough to make it.

So they "grind" it out on Grouse and in the gym, bust their asses improving their skating and enhancing their skill set and turn themselves into HoF'rs.

Then this entitled fuck comes into their realm and pisses his talent away by being a little cunt.

How many conversations and pep talks have they had with their countryman in an effort to push him to excel?

And we get the BS we see out of the punk.

Of course they would be disappointed and disillusioned.

This is actually a great test for the twins at the commencement of their (and RJ's) regime.

See if they have the gonads (and the managerial skill) to offload the little loaf.

What Higgy said

I feel like some of us have been vindicated with all this finally coming to light to the public. The vague "toxic timeline" of the outgoing PoHo cannot be interpreted any other way.

When you have the Sedins in a development role but you can't reach a handful of guys who just won't listen to anyone but their agent... well, toxicity in a team environment is one way to describe a personality. Loud and brash is probably more accepted in the pro sports than quiet and scheming, whether the average person likes it or not.

“That obsession to get better has been missing in this organization for a long time. It’s been one of my biggest critiques over the last number of years is our best players aren’t obsessed with getting better.

“We need to reestablish that culture of obsession of getting better every day, and being challenged, and not taking it personally… I feel like that hasn’t been around here for a very long time.”

This happens when children are coddled all their lives and told they're the best by everyone around them. Worse is when adults continue to capitulate to these now grown-ass children.

“If we’re into year four, five, six, seven, and we’re still talking about preparation and your practice habits, it’s time to get rid of those guys. Like, straight up. That’s too long. Now that’s a character issue.” (The money quote)

“I’ve looked at players in the lights of their eyes — I didn’t see it with a lot of guys. I didn’t see the fierceness. It’s hard to describe, when you look into somebody’s eyes as a competitor, you know what those predator eyes look like… Those are hard to get, but those are the guys we need to find,”

Oh noes! Higgins is suggesting an unsafe workplace. Meanwhile, AIG continues to be the most toxic environment in the league.

Let's just compare the best teams of this franchise and this, one of the worse teams in league history. Those had dangerous levels of "toxicity" you can recover from. This has lethal levels that wipes everything out.