Canucks Promotes Stan Smyl to Vice President

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The vaporizer continues to rise.

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A week after his brief tenure as interim general manager ended when Jim Rutherford was named interim president and general manager, Stan Smyl was promoted to vice president of hockey operations.

Earlier this week, Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini announced that when he named Smyl as interim general manager, he wasn’t sure if Rutherford would come to the team.

Aquilini has come under fire for using Smyl, who has played or worked for the Canucks since 1978, as an accessory during a press conference 11 days ago, where he was named interim general manager following the firing of Jim Benning.

At the time, it seemed like Smyl would be in charge for quite some time while the owner searched for a new president; But just three days later, Rutherford was hired as president of hockey operations and acting general manager as well.

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But since his hiring, Rutherford has mentioned Smyl more than once as someone he hopes to be a key adviser in the effort to turn the Canucks into more than just a team with hope in the playoffs.

Assuming his voice carries the weight his title suggests, this is a great moment for the former Canucks captain, who retired as a player in 1991. He has worked as an assistant coach, minor league coach, scout and development coach at the 30 years since then, and he has earned a reputation for being a true worker, whose knowledge has proven to be useful when requested by senior managers on the team.

Under Mike Gillis, his voice was very strong as he advocated hiring collegiate free agents, most notably Chris Tanev.

But in recent seasons, especially once Trevor Linden was removed as president in July 2018, his role had dramatically diminished, to the point where Benning and his former assistant general John Weisbrod weren’t even talking to him, despite their formal title as principal advisor. .

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Now, with Rutherford, he sits down at the table again.

According to the Canucks, Smyl will “work closely” with his new boss on everything related to hockey operations, from player decisions to internal operations.

“Stan has been a critical piece of this team for decades, and we are pleased that he will assume this role,” Rutherford said in a statement provided by the team. “Additionally, Henrik, Daniel and Ryan are key parts of our leadership team. We still have some additional roles to fill, but confirming these positions today is a big step for us. “

Rutherford also confirmed that Daniel and Henrik Sedin will remain as special advisers to the general manager, and Ryan Johnson will continue as senior director, player development and general manager for the Abbotsford Canucks.

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