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Canucks name first female assistant GM

JOSEPH RUTTLE POSTMEDIA

Jim Rutherford promised to cast a wide and diversified hiring net. On Monday, the Vancouver Canucks ‘ president of hockey operations and interim general manager delivered by hiring Émilie Castonguay as the club’s assistant general manager.

Castonguay becomes the first female AGM in team history and continues the hockey operations department re-shape after John Weisbrod and Chris Gear were fired last month.

Rutherford has also completed interviews to fill the vacant general manger position and is close to naming a successor to the fired Jim Benning.

Pittsburgh AGM Patrik Allvin is considered the GM front-runner. Two years ago, Rutherford promoted Allvin to his current Penguins position after the smart Swedish hockey mind started as a European scout and methodically worked his way up the organization ladder. Allvin gained the trust of Rutherford by running the amateur scouting side for years and currently handles the club’s salary cap and collective bargaining agreement issues. And Rutherford likes to work in a GM mentorship role which ownership favours.

Castonguay joins the organization from Momentum Hockey, where she became the first female National Hockey

League Players’ Association certified agent in Canada in 2016. She represented numerous players at all levels including the NHL, American Hockey League, Major Junior and internationally. She was also drawing interest from the Montreal Canadiens.

“Émilie has extensive experience, is driven to succeed, and has a strong reputation in hockey for her intelligence and work ethic,” said Rutherford, who reportedly approached three-time Olympic hockey medallist and Hockey Night in Canada commentator Jennifer Botterill about consideration for the position. “She will play a lead role in player contracts and negotiation, managing the collective bargaining agreement, and her voice will be heard in all aspects of hockey operations. She will be a key member of our leadership team and we are pleased to welcome her to Vancouver.”

Said Castonguay: “It is an honour to join the Vancouver Canucks and I am grateful to Jim (Rutherford) and the Aquilini family for the opportunity. The Canucks have a passionate fan base and an exciting young team with a bright future. I can’t wait to help build a winning organization that continues to grow and challenges for championship.”

Castonguay, who was named one of the 25 most powerful women in hockey by Sportsnet in 2020, played four years of NCAA Division 1 hockey at Niagara University, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance in 2009. She won a National Scholar Athlete award for her success both on the ice and in the classroom.

Following her studies at Niagara, she earned a law degree from l’université de Montréal in 2012 and is a member of the Quebec Bar Association.

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2022-01-25T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-01-25T08:00:00.0000000Z

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