Chapter 1: What is the Vancouver Canucks' approach to their GM search?
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I'm doing fine.
Chapter 2: How is the Canucks' leadership structure changing?
I'm covered in cedar needles, so I'm a little uncomfortable. But I'm always a little uncomfortable when I'm talking to Draft. I never know what he's going to hit me with. But, yeah, this is a yard day.
Spectacular weather for a yard day. It is truly spectacular weather. It's fantastic. I'm loving it. I'm glad you are too, IMAC.
let's see what holes you dig on this radio hit. Yeah.
Let's see which holes you've already dug. You covered them and you're waiting for me to step covered with tree branches. Yeah, exactly.
Let's start with the easy stuff.
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Chapter 3: What implications does Ryan Johnson's future have for the Canucks?
Is there anything new you're hearing? What's your reaction been as the conversation around this Canucks process and based on what you're hearing, the process itself has unfolded this week to find the next Vancouver Canucks general manager?
Well, the process itself... they're casting a wider net than what I thought they would do. You know, I've heard they could interview as many as 15 and it might even be more than that. And that's obviously to sort of vet the candidates and get down to their short list. But I thought it was interesting this week, you know, Elliot Friedman reported they'd asked to speak to Shane Doan.
I think that's interesting because to me, and I'm sure you guys have spoken about this for a couple hours already, But to me, it indicates that they're maybe thinking beyond just this general manager's job and what the future is going to look like without Jim Rutherford as well. And that might be a near future. Like we might have an entirely new regime shortly after the draft or this summer.
Yeah, a little more substantive their search than what I thought. You know, they have Brian Johnson internally, but obviously they have to see, you know, who's available and seek some intel.
But I thought they might have, you know, just because it's Jim Rutherford and because he knows everybody in hockey, I thought he might just have, you know, four or six or maybe eight people in mind that he wanted to talk to. But the net is broader than that.
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Chapter 4: Why is the Canucks' GM search process different this time?
One thing that we've talked about a lot on this show, iMac, is and other people have mentioned this as well. Right. But if you look at the prior history of hiring senior level roles for the Canucks, it tends to be a very, very quick process. Maybe they already have a candidate in mind and then and then they do it this time seems to be very different. And I think that's great. Right.
That they are taking a longer time to do more of a search and talk to different people. Do you have a sense of maybe why the approach this time has been different? What's driven them to kind of take a little bit of a different tactic than we've previously seen under this ownership group?
Well, I would say the fundamental difference is that this search is being led by the head of hockey operations for the Canucks. I mean, when Rutherford hired Alveen, that was, of course, after Francesco Aquilini hired Rutherford. And as far as we know, I'm sure Aquilini talked to at least a couple other people. But he had in mind that he wanted Jim Rutherford and went in and recruited him.
So he had his guy in mind.
Chapter 5: What role does Jim Rutherford play in the Canucks' GM search?
When he hired Mike Gillis, Aquilini, as far as we know, Gillis was his only candidate. He was put on to Gillis by... a couple of uh friends and and a couple of people in hockey and he talked to gillis and and hired him um i'm trying to think who's in between well in between was was trevor linden and and trevor linden i think was a lot like rutherford where ownership knew they needed
a big name and they needed to change the narrative about them and their team. And so they went out and they just hired Trevor. So this is different because this is, this is Jim Rutherford.
And it's even obviously different than four, four and a half years ago or four years, whatever it is, four years and three months after he, when he hired Alvin, because at that time it was just Jim choosing his GM and, And now we know that it's Jim with Francesco Aquilini choosing the next GM. But Rutherford is the guy who's leading that.
And to me, that's maybe why this process is different than a lot of the others.
The Rutherford involvement here is fascinating to me. Obviously, he alluded to the idea that potentially after the draft, he may consider walking away. And yet I feel like in over the course of the last week. That's almost become something that's now assumed by people in the market and maybe even assumed by people internally.
And I don't know if that's I don't know if we should be leaping there that dogmatically.
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Chapter 6: How does the hiring of Shane Doan signal a shift in the Canucks' strategy?
I'm curious to know your thoughts on this.
Yeah, well, I don't think dogmatically is the right word, so I'll correct you there. As if it's just done, you know what I'm saying? One nothing, one nothing for me. And so far, I haven't stepped in a hole. I think you're right, even though I've just corrected you on dogmatic. I think you're right that there seems to have been a shift here in a presumption that this is going to happen.
And, you know, I'm part of that shift. I have a different view on Rutherford's future now than I did last Friday when he did his press conference. But I do think it all depends on who they decide to hire as a GM. if they're going to hire Ventura or Ryan Johnson or another in a string of first-time GMs. And that's all this franchise seems to have had, right?
Like if you go back, you know, people talk about, well, if you've had a first-time GM, maybe the next one should be an experienced guy. Well, maybe, but that's not what this organization has done. They've first-time GM after first-time GM.
Chapter 7: What factors could lead to Ryan Johnson staying with the organization?
But I think if it is another first-time GM, I certainly could see a scenario where Rutherford stays another year and is available for next season for the first-time GM, and then he leaves in the summer of 27. But I do think it's possible if they hire someone with experience, And, you know, it's it's possible they'll hire a couple of guys here in in succession.
I don't think they'll do it at the same time. I don't think we're going to have a press conference where we're meeting a new president and a GM. But, you know, Rutherford said on Friday that at one point, I can't remember the exact quote, but one point said maybe a couple of people. Because he started off saying if the right person is running the team and then he said maybe a couple of people.
So I think things could happen quickly here. But I agree with you, Thomas, that this isn't automatic that Jim is riding off in the sunset back to Raleigh the day after the draft or the day after free agency this summer. I think it all depends on who they end up hiring.
What did you make of the multiple lists reports this week, iMac?
Sounds organized, you know, like my wife loves lists. She's tried to encourage me since we got married to make lists, make a list of this, make a list of that.
Have you tried making a rival list when she makes a list? Cause I promise you her reaction will be different.
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Chapter 8: What are the potential consequences of the Canucks' GM decision?
Yeah, no, I haven't. I've so far resisted the list because I know that I just, I'd end up forgetting where I put the list anyway. So, um, No, I don't. Honestly, I don't make too much out of it other than and I was being sort of facetious, but it sounds like a methodical way to go to put people in different categories. And you have this category in this category in this category.
And then if there's three categories or maybe there's two, but there is a certain sensibility about it that if. If you're undecided whether you want an experienced guy or you want a first-time guy, then decide who's the best of each and then make your pick. It's basically a bracket, right?
Like who's the best of the new GM guys and who's the best of the experienced GM guys and then who do we want? Other than that, I don't make too much. I don't put too much into it other than... Again, I think we have to look a little bit beyond just the general manager position. So maybe out of those different lists, they end up hiring two different people.
Am I asking for too much? Yes. No, am I asking for too much? Well, not in life. I'm getting that. I think it's important to ask for too much in life. I want to encourage all our audience to do the same.
You're way ahead in life, Thomas. I don't blame you for wanting more, but you seem to have it all. Well, thank you, man.
As do you. We're all pretty lucky. Yeah, you got to aim high. Oh, yeah. You got to aim high. I want to encourage all our listeners to aim high. I know I just got made fun of for it, but very seriously, aim high. Ask for things you don't deserve, please. But back to this conversation. Am I asking for too much? When it's like, okay, so the Canucks are launching a search for a general manager.
And we suspect that the general manager is going to be the first priority. And then we think that it's possible that they will need a president of hockey operations or some sort of figure in the event that Jim Rutherford leaves. And all of this makes me just wonder, like... Why aren't you hiring a head of hockey operations to replace Jim Rutherford, who can then build out his own staff?
Am I asking too much to just once want this organization to do things in a manner that seems like orderly and conventional?
Yeah. No, no, I don't think you're asking for too much. But I would say this, and I don't know why they're doing it this way, because, you know, Francesco would have to talk on the record to somebody in the media and I don't think he does a lot of interviews. But I think they, ownership, obviously still have a lot of confidence in Jim Rutherford. Otherwise, he'd have been fired, right?
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