It sure doesn’t sound as though former Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim Rutherford is done with hockey. The 72-year-old Hall of Fame executive left the Penguins abruptly back in January and it felt as though it could be the end of an illustrious front office career. However, it didn’t take long for speculation to mount that Rutherford wanted to get back into the management game. Now, his interest is official. PBI Sports Agency has announced that they now officially represent Rutherford, who is looking for new “NHL management opportunities.” The GM and President of the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes for 20 years and GM and Executive Vice President of the Penguins for another seven, not to mention considerable time spent in the OHL, there are few in hockey with as much front office experience as Rutherford. If he wants a new job in the league, PBI shouldn’t have a hard time finding him one.
- San Diego Gulls assistant coach David Urquhart is moving to the college game and returning to his old stomping grounds. The Anaheim Ducks’ affiliate has announced that Urquhart has accepted the head coach position at McGill University, where he was an assistant for four years before joining the Gulls in 2018. Urquhart also played at McGill and was one the rare four-year Canadian collegiate players to go on to have an extended pro career, playing three seasons in the AHL and another three in Italy. While USports pales in comparison to its American counterpart, the NCAA, McGill is one of its most highly regarded institutions and based in a high-publicity area in Montreal. While Urquhart’s move was clearly impacted by loyalty to his university, it could also lead to greater heights in his career, especially if he finds success in his first head coaching position.
- The NHL is loosening it’s COVID Protocol restrictions as it relates to fans. With many playoff teams having already received permission from local authorities to host increasing amounts of fans, the league is moving forward with improving that spectator experience. The NHL has announced that, beginning in the second round, fans will no longer be required to wear masks at games. Individual teams may still enforce a mask mandate if local health policies insist, but the league will no longer do the same. Additionally, the glass behind the penalty boxes and benches, initially removed to allow for more breathing room for teams, can also be removed if teams are 85% vaccinated. This will be the case for most remaining American teams.
While JR helped the Pens with 2 cups he was extremely disappointing beyond that considering the talent he had on the roster. The entire organization as a whole has been a failure and sadly wasted a majority of Crosby and Malkin’s careers
TJECK109, is this post for real?
No it’s a joke just like how the Pens have been since their last cup
Yeah two cups in the salary cap era! He’s a real loser! Man I’d hate to not have won two cups..sorry Sid not HOF worthy!
I mean how do you advance past the weekend first round of the playoffs just once since you last won the cup? Goes out and gives picks away for guys like Zucker. He made some good deals as well but he’s ultimately responsible for the team and it’s been a joke
Shero won one and went to another and did nothing after that. Bowman in Chicago. Look at the last 3 years alone. Swept by islanders. Knocked out by an inferior Canadians team and then this season. It’s a flat out joke not to make it through at least 1 round
Except for my two winning lottery tickets, I’ve been very disappointed in my luck. ;p
Would you rather win two Cups followed by seasons of early playoff ousters or be like the Preds and never win the Cup and get ousted in the first round? I’ll trade with you any day. :/
Don’t be a Yinzgrate.
I think it goes both ways. The majority of the important pieces were courtesy of the previous regime, but he was able to put the finishing pieces on it, which the old front office couldn’t do for almost a decade. Saying that, I do think he is pretty overrated.
Really when you have 2 of the best players in hockey to build around? Man you must have zero expectations in life
The Oilers currently have two of the best players in the game and can’t win a playoff round. It’s not as easy as it may seem.
How did they waste their career???? 3 cups and 4 conference titles. Oilers are what wasting looks like with McDavid and Drasitil. Not the Pens. And they actually made some pretty good moves to add Zucker, Kapanen and Carter to supplement the offense. Unfortunately letting Flower go has hurt them long term but hindsight is 20/20. Every GM would have chosen the younger Murray given the circumstances.
It continues to amaze me how hockey fans are willing to accept also rans who flame out in an embarrassing fashion while football fans in the same city have different expectations. The pens have been an embarrassment the last 4 years. Plain and simple.
You are an idiot. Why is there different expectations between the Steelers, Pens and Pirates in Pittsburgh? You will accept an embarrassing post season from the pens the last 4 years and turn around and want people fired from the Steelers. Yinzers are so dumb they are ignorant to their own hypocrisy
Making the playoffs is still pretty respectable and Pittsburgh when was the last time they missed the playoffs? Man I wish the oilers were making the strides pitty made back in the day. They definitely are a dynasty (albeit starting to come to an end) and have been a dominant team for well over a decade. Hats off to that organization. Been my 2nd fav team. Love Sidney. Sad to see them slowly fizzle out but they have been a legitimate powerhouse. Edmonton has the two best (Leo is up there anyways, McD is indisputable in my opinion) and yet it’s a feat to make the playoffs for us. Wish we had built what the penguins had!
It continues to amaze how someone can bash the only team to go back to back this century (plus another title). Every team goes through cycles like this after a cup. But guess what? They are still making the playoffs even if it they keep going out in round 1. Kings and Blackhawks both became irrelevant. Pens are at least in the dance.
I suspect that one day we will, but who knows…we may never know the real story why Rutherford quit.
If I had to guess, I’d say someone made him mad/insulted him randomly one day and he quit out of spite. And if not for that impulse, he’d still be here.
All he did here was win 2 Cups back to back and try his best to win each year since, all while retooling on the fly and adding good young players like Marino, Kapanen, Joseph, Matheson and McCann BUT he didn’t win the Cup every year so clearly he’s a senile old dolt who knows less about hockey than every single fan.
Ok but in Pittsburgh you have the Steelers who do the same thing year after year and everyone wants everyone fired cause they can’t win a playoff game despite the talent. Pens get embarrassed by the islanders in a sweep and then a Montreal team that was garbage and its well he tried. JR is given way to much credit and not enough scrutiny
You are citing the statements of other irrational Yinzgrates regarding the Steelers to defend being an irrational Yinzgrate regarding the Penguins.
If someone thinks that anything less that a Cup every year is a failure, then that someone is a preening blowhard.
No team has had more success in the NHL for the past 15 years than the Pens but it’s still not good enough for the Yinzgrates.
I don’t expect a cup every year, but advancing past one round of the playoffs at least once in 4 years should not be such an impossible task. They are a 3-11 in the past 3 playoffs. It’s beyond unacceptable. Especially the sweep vs the islanders and the debacle vs the Canadians. This team has failed miserably
I wonder how is the prospect pool of the Pittsburgh Penguins? Must be really thin?
Razor thin. Poulin arguably their top prospect, Nathan Legare…it’s going to be a cliff dive when they blow it up…
I have no idea why fans want to be mediocre after the Crosby era ends.
Being mediocre usually means staying mediocre.
Being awful is the path back to greatness.
Sadly for fans you are correct. Typically don’t get the stars in mid first round…unless you’re Tampa bay and every round there’s a star waiting…