Rutherford still waiting for Hughes to return his call after Tocchet leaves Canucks
Vancouver Canucks President Jim Rutherford is never afraid to speak his mind.
The 76-year-old executive has earned a well-deserved reputation for being honest with the media. His bombshell interview with The Globe and Mail‘s Gary Mason earlier this year confirmed the J.T. Miller-Elias Pettersson feud and he was similarly honest today when speaking after news broke Rick Tocchet is leaving the Canucks.
In the aftermath of Tocchet’s departure, one of the biggest storylines is how the decision affects Quinn Hughes. The Canucks captain was an outspoken Tocchet fan and wanted him back next season. With just two seasons left on his contract, any move that makes the star defenceman less likely to re-sign will be heavily scrutinized.
When asked if he’d gotten the chance to talk with Hughes about Tocchet leaving, Rutherford didn’t hold back. He started with a light-hearted comment before being honest about the strong relationship between coach and player.
“I hope he’s playing golf because he usually returns my calls right away, and I called him within half an hour after I talked to Rick. So he hasn’t called me back yet,” said Rutherford at Rogers Arena today. “Knowing how he feels about the coach and that he’s a sensitive guy, I would suspect that he feels like I do. We’re disappointed. But knowing the maturity of Quinn, he will make the adjustment necessary.”
“But they did have a very strong relationship, a very good one, and Quinn had a lot of respect for him and Tocch had a lot of respect for Quinn, so there will definitely be an adjustment there.”
Rutherford scared Canucks fans by mentioning Hughes wants to play with his brothers just a few weeks ago at his year-end press conference. He’s not afraid to make headlines.
The Hughes comment wasn’t the only light-hearted moment Rutherford had during his lengthy press conference today. When asked why coaches should want to sign with the Canucks over other NHL job openings, he was quick on his feet with a response which elicited laughter from across the room.
“Because they like where we practice,” said Rutherford.
The Canucks futile search for a practice facility has been going on for more than a decade. The lack of practice facility was reportedly one of the reasons Tocchet decided to leave, and has been a consistent storyline year after year. Rutherford then provided a serious answer, highlighting some of the organization’s positives.
Rutherford’s honest approach differs from that used by many other executives around the league. He’s not afraid to joke about hard topics, and it’s certainly unique around the NHL.