Canucks hire Patrik Allvin as first permanent Swedish GM in NHL history

Patrik Allvin is officially the new general manager of the Vancouver Canucks.

Allvin, who has spent the past 16 seasons working with the Pittsburgh Penguins as assistant general manager and in various scouting roles, was officially named the Canucks’ general manager on Wednesday.

With the hire, the 47-year-old Allvin becomes the first permanent Swedish GM in NHL history, having previously served as an interim GM for two weeks with the Penguins in 2021 following Jim Rutherford’s departure.

“I am pleased to welcome Patrik and his family to Vancouver,” said the now-Canucks president Rutherford in a statement. “Patrik and I worked together for seven years, and I believe he will be an excellent General Manager. He has won three Stanley Cups and has experience at all levels of hockey operations. He is intelligent, works hard, makes strong decisions and I believe he will help us build a winning team in Vancouver.”

Outside of his tenure with the Penguins, Allvin played professionally as a defenceman from 1995-2002 in the ECHL, IHL, and Swedish leagues, before becoming a scout with the Montreal Canadiens.

The hire was initially rumoured on Tuesday, first reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger.

“I am grateful and humbled for this opportunity and want to thank Jim and the Aquilini family for their belief in me,” said Allvin. “Leading an NHL team in Canada is an honour and building a championship team in Vancouver is our goal. Jim has assembled a diverse and talented hockey operations group in Vancouver, and I look forward to working closely with all of them as we build a team that fans will be proud of and will ultimately compete again for a Stanley Cup.”

Allvin is expected to meet the media later today.