Canucks Army - News, Roster, Scores, Schedule

Tortorella fined $100,000 and Vegas forfeits a second round pick as NHL comes down hard on Golden Knights for breaking media regulations

David Quadrelli — Sat, 16 May 2026 00:30:40 GMT

Well, that’s a pretty steep penalty.

Following their game six win over the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night, the Vegas Golden Knights did not make John Tortorella available to media, and according to The Athletic’s Jesse Grenger, also declined to open their dressing room after the game. Instead, Vegas brought out Shea Theodore to a side room to speak, along with Mitch Marner and Brett Howden, who spoke at a podium.

On Friday afternoon, the NHL brought the hammer down, fining head coach John Tortorella $100,000 and forcing the Golden Knights to cough a second round pick. The NHL sent out the following statement on Friday:

“The National Hockey League announced today that, as a result of flagrant violations of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Media Regulations following Game 6 of their Second Round series against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday, May 14, the Vegas Golden Knights will forfeit a second-round pick in the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft.

In addition, Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella has been fined $100,000.

The imposition of these penalties comes after previous warnings were issued to the Club regarding their compliance with the Media Regulations and other associated policies.

Vegas has been offered the opportunity to appeal these penalties to the Commissioner’s Office. That appeal would be held in person next week in New York.”

The NHL CBA and league media regulations impose (supposedly) strict contractual obligations on players to remain available to the media. For post game media in particular, players must be available for interviews following the game’s conclusion. No player is (supposed to be) allowed to be excused from their designated media access duties without explicit approval from both the League and the NHL Players’ Association.

And “in extreme cases of structural non-compliance,” the NHL can impose massive organizational penalties, including the forfeiture of NHL draft picks. As far as we can tell, Vegas is the first NHL team to actually have to forfeit draft capital as a result of breaking the NHL’s media regulations.

A second-round pick is certainly a high price to pay for a team that only has a third, fifth, sixth, and seventh-round selection in this year’s draft. Like most contending teams, Vegas doesn’t have a ton of future assets as it is, so losing out on a second-round pick will certainly hurt them.

Vegas has appealed the league’s decision. Shortly after the news release , the Golden Knights put out a statement saying that they were aware of the league’s decision but, somewhat fittingly, wouldn’t have any further comment.

Vegas will take on the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after beating the Anaheim Ducks in six games.

Sponsored by bet365

Ryan Johnson says the Canucks don’t have any untouchable veteran players

Jeffrey Kennett — Fri, 15 May 2026 23:55:35 GMT

The Vancouver Canucks are still in the early stages of plotting a long-term direction under new general manager Ryan Johnson, but one thing is clear: no one is off the table.

Johnson joined Sportsnet 650’s Canucks Central on May 14 and addressed the organization’s willingness to make difficult personnel decisions as the Canucks attempt to get younger and replenish their prospect pool through additional draft capital and assets.

When asked whether the club still has “untouchable” veterans within its leadership group, Johnson suggested the organization is prepared to evaluate every option moving forward.

“There’s nothing off the table, if it fits into the vision, and we all align that this is something we should consider, there’s nothing that we wouldn’t do,” Johnson said. “If it fits into the right steps that we’re trying to take here to inch along and do this the right way, it’s going to be something we’ll consider.”

Johnson’s comments come after months of debate surrounding the availability of Vancouver’s veteran core following another season outside the playoffs. Since the departure of Quinn Hughes, defenceman Filip Hronek had frequently been identified by former president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford and coach Adam Foote as a key piece of the Canucks’ long-term plans. Hronek’s presence within the leadership group and influence inside the dressing room also led to speculation that he could eventually become Vancouver’s next captain.

Shah specifically referenced Hronek during the interview as an example of a player many previously perceived to be untouchable within the organization. Johnson, however, stopped short of committing to any player being exempt from evaluation as Vancouver continues mapping out its future trajectory.

Instead, the incoming executive emphasized flexibility and patience as the Canucks try to accumulate younger talent and long-term assets.

With Vancouver facing a shallow prospect pool compared to several Pacific Division rivals and limited draft capital after 2026, Johnson’s comments represent a notable philosophical shift. As an organization often criticized for clinging too tightly to its veteran players, even the willingness to consider a previously unlikely move is what many Canucks fans have spent years calling for.

Sedins eager to improve Canucks’ community relations, want people ‘proud to be Canucks fans again’

Lachlan Irvine — Fri, 15 May 2026 21:33:54 GMT

The rise of Daniel and Henrik Sedin as the Vancouver Canucks’ new co-presidents of hockey operations is about a lot more than changing the team on the ice. It’s also about repairing the relationship between a hockey club and the province it serves.

The Sedins and new general manager Ryan Johnson will have their work cut out for them, as rebuilding the Canucks into a Stanley Cup contender will require patience and smart decision-making over the next few years. But changing the culture around the organization off the ice is something the new-look front office can give immediate attention to and requires a serious reset for a franchise in desperate need of one.

Community initiatives were a pillar of the Canucks organization throughout the 2000s and 2010s. It wasn’t uncommon for players to make regular visits to the Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, the BC Children’s Hospital, or be out and about at various community events across British Columbia on their off days.

The Sedins, in particular, are no strangers to being active community members. It was something instilled in them by former Canucks GM Brian Burke after he drafted the twins in 1998.

“When we flew into the city, Brian Burke told us that this was the number one organization in the league when it comes to community involvement,” Daniel told reporters on Thursday at their introductory press conference.

Christmas visits, pumpkin carving with the kids at Halloween, handing out newspapers on the street for Raise-a-Reader Day — you name it, and the Sedins and their Canucks teammates were always there. That expectation was passed down from team to team, player to player, front office to front office for quite some time. But sometime after the COVID-19 pandemic, that involvement dropped off, and visits to local hospitals and community events became far and few between.

Whether it was due to employee turnover during the early 2020s, leadership issues in the Canucks’ locker room, or some combination of the two, the significant drop-off was felt locally. And it’s affected the club’s standing with citizens as good neighbours, with patience wearing thin for both the on-ice and off-ice product over the last half-decade.

The Sedins have undoubtedly noticed that trend and fully expect to restore that core belief under their leadership. Taking part in club-mandated events is one thing, but going out of the way to be involved locally on your own time is another. That connection between a team and the city goes a long way to establishing lifelong fans, provides an avenue for people to see a more human side of their favourite players, and gives Canucks the opportunity to grow and become a part of a city’s cultural fabric in a more meaningful way. Henrik and Daniel have done all of those things.

“We need to get to that point, we should be the number one organization in the NHL when it comes to community involvement, and we’re going to ask our players to do a lot,” Daniel said. “I think it’s so important for us as players when we did those things. I think it puts perspective in life. I think fans will respect you might have a bad game here and there, but if you’re out, you do the work in the community, I think they can certainly buy into what we’re trying to be.”

“That’s a big part of the connected piece as well,” Henrik added on. “We’ve got to bring that back, and just to have the people in the city and this province to be proud to be Canucks fans again, and that’s part of it.”

Regret-rospective: The disastrous legacy of the OEL/Garland trade

Stephan Roget — Fri, 15 May 2026 19:35:42 GMT

The Vancouver Canucks’ 2025-26 season went so comically poorly that at various points, we almost expected to hear a record scratch and hear someone say to the camera, “You’re probably wondering how we got here.”

That question is usually rhetorical, but less so with the Canucks. Their supporters have a pretty darn good idea how the team got where it is today, and it involves a series and sequence of unfortunate decisions. Going back over those bad choices, with the acknowledged power of hindsight, is the purpose of the Regret-rospective series. And today, we cover perhaps the most regrettable move in recent franchise history.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s name has been in the media a lot lately. He’s had an excellent run since being bought out by Vancouver, winning a Cup with the Florida Panthers in 2023-24 and then continuing to play as a top-four defender for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was just named the captain of Sweden’s entry at the 2026 World Championships. The word on the street was that the Leafs were asking for a first-round pick back for OEL at this most recent deadline. While they did not have their price met, it’s a fine demonstration of how this player has turned around his own value from the point at which the Canucks were literally willing to pay him to leave.

And they’re still paying him, by the way. OEL’s buyout is still on the books for next year’s 2026-27 campaign at a $4.77 million cap hit. That’s more than the Maple Leafs are paying him to actually play for them. The cap penalty drops to $2.13 million for the next two years after that, then disappears.

OEL’s buyout penalty, among other lingering costs for departed staff, has been floated as one of the financial burdens currently placed on the Canucks that may have affected their ability to negotiate with potential new managers.

In other words, Ekman-Larsson was a costly mistake that remains one mistake today, three years after his departure. But the disastrous legacy of the trade that brought him to Vancouver in the first place goes a lot farther than just a buyout.

The full trade saw the Canucks send to Arizona the final years of contracts for Jay Beagle ($3 million), Antoine Roussel ($3 million), and Loui Eriksson ($6 mArizona, as well as the already-slotted ninth overall pick in the 2021 draft, and the Canucks’ own second round pick in 2022 and their seventh in 2023.

In return, they got back Ekman-Larsson, with six years remaining on an $8.25 million AAV contract that Arizona would retain 12% of, and Conor Garland, a pending RFA at the time.

The dumping of Beagle, Roussel, and Eriksson could have been seen as a positive. But each of those players only had the 2021-22 season left on their deals. That was a season in which the Canucks missed the playoffs by a considerable margin, so there was little gained from the extra cap space. Especially since the incoming salaries of Ekman-Larsson and Garland quickly eclipsed the $12 million in cap space gained. The rest of any space was given to names like Nate Schmidt, Jaroslav Halak, and Tucker Poolman, all busts in Vancouver.

In retrospect, the Canucks would have been far better off eating the final year of the Beagle, Roussel, and Eriksson contracts and walking into 2022-23 free and clear of any onerous deals.

For a time, the acquisition of Garland was seen as a saving grace in this trade. And Garland certainly had more success than OEL in Vancouver. Whereas OEL had probably the two worst seasons of his career as a Canuck, Garland immediately put up a career-high 52 points and then maintained that 50ish-point average all the way through his four full seasons in Vancouver. That fell apart in this final 2025-26 campaign, but it was a good run until then.

Unfortunately, it was not a run that did much for the Canucks at the end of the day. Garland only played 13 playoff games in Vancouver, all of them in 2024, when he scored a paltry five points.

Aside from that, the real legacy of Garland is the second contract he signed with the Canucks. This contract was a six-year, $6 million AAV extension that still hasn’t kicked in yet (it begins in 2026-27), and has now more or less been admitted as an ill-fated attempt to convince Quinn Hughes to stick around.

That contract, combined with Garland’s shoddy numbers this past season, has absolutely tanked his trade value. The Canucks managed to get a 2028 second-round pick and a 2026 third-rounder back for Garland. And given how Garland only scored seven points in 21 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets thereafter, it’s starting to feel like the Canucks traded him just before his value tanked even farther.

At least, then, the Canucks have something to show for this portion of the trade. They got less than nothing out of the cap space they dumped; they got such a negative impact from OEL that they’re still paying for it, but at least Garland ultimately yielded a couple of draft picks.

Of course, that really pales in comparison to the picks the Canucks gave up in the first place. We can forget about the seventh rounder. It was eventually flipped to the San Jose Sharks and used on someone named Yegor Rimashevsky, who remains a long-shot prospect.

The 2022 second-rounder had more inherent value. The Coyotes wound up flipping that pick to Minnesota for the RFA rights to Jack McBain. The Wild used the pick on forward Hunter Haight, who ranks somewhere on the periphery of their top-10 prospect list.

McBain, meanwhile, has gone on to play 316 games for the Coyotes/Utah Mammoth since then, and has developed into a rough, tough 6’4” centre with 30-point potential and some serious pugilism skills. At 26, he’s a player the Canucks could very much use on their current, rebuilding roster, and he’d certainly be more welcome in these parts than the likes of OEL and Garland.

But all that doesn’t hold a candle to the lost potential of trading the ninth overall pick. The Coyotes famously used it on Dylan Guenther, who has since scored 91 goals and 183 points in 227 NHL games across four seasons (and five points in six playoff games as of this year). At 23, he’s a genuine young star in this league and has put himself on the radar for Team Canada opportunities as early as the World Cup of Hockey in 2028.

He’s not only a player who would have provided superior production to Garland in four of his five seasons with the Canucks, he’s also someone who would have held considerable value for them moving forward. At 23, Guenther wouldn’t just be ideally situated to be part of the rebuild; he’d be considered a central piece. Guenther would be the best forward on the team, now and into the future, and might be neck-and-neck with Zeev Buium and Tom Willander as the team’s overall top player asset prior to the 2026 Draft.

And, sure, getting retrospective over draft picks is always a little questionable, and some of the names that went directly after Guenther in the draft were less impressive, like Tyler Boucher, Cole Sillinger, and Isak Rosen. But then again, this trade happened on the day of the 2021 Draft. Guenther was a fairly slam-dunk pick at ninth overall at that point, and several pundits had already predicted that the Canucks would take him there – if they were lucky enough to still have him available. Thus, it’s a little more valid than it usually is to say that the Canucks lost out on Guenther, specifically, when they traded the ninth overall pick.

That’s a gap in their asset management that they still haven’t filled. That, more than the buyout, more than the Garland extension, is the most disastrous part of the disastrous legacy of this trade. And the Canucks are going to feel that missed opportunity, working to make up for it, long after OEL is fully off the books in a couple of years.

Sponsored by bet365

Canucks will pick 24th overall in the 2026 NHL Draft after the Wild and Ducks eliminated from playoffs

Tyson Cole — Fri, 15 May 2026 16:14:04 GMT

After the last two nights of results on the ice in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Vancouver Canucks now know where their second first-round pick (the Minnesota Wild’s) will slot in for the 2026 NHL Draft.

With the Minnesota Wild losing on Wednesday in Game 5 to the Colorado Avalanche, and the Anaheim Ducks getting eliminated in Game 6 by the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday, the Wild’s first-round pick will land at 24th overall. Vancouver acquired Minnesota’s first-round pick in mid-December when they traded their captain, Quinn Hughes. Along with that first-round pick, the Canucks acquired Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, and Liam Öhgren – three U24 players who made strong impacts on their roster throughout the season.

In Game 5, the Wild got off to a blistering start when Marcus Johansson scored just 34 seconds into the contest. By the end of the first period, trade deadline acquisition Nick Foligno potted a pair of goals to give the Wild a 3-0 lead heading into the first intermission. Then things took a turn.

The Avalanche made a goaltending change at the break, and that sparked them. Parker Kelly got them on the board in the second period, and they outshot the Wild 9-3 but still trailed by two after two. The third period was more of the same, with the Avalanche controlling most of the play, but they couldn’t pull themselves back to within one until the under four-minute mark from Jack Drury. Then, with the goalie pulled, Nathan MacKinnon picked the top corner to tie the game with under two minutes to go.

NATHAN MACKINNON TIES IT UP LATE ‼️ pic.twitter.com/hl46yS5Ja2

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 14, 2026

The game would go to overtime, and the Avalanche carried all of their momentum into that extra frame. Martin Necas, who shared postgame that he wasn’t even supposed to be on the ice at the time, found Brett Kulak with a wide-open net to eliminate Quinn Hughes and the Wild.

BRETT KULAK ENDS THE SERIES 🚨 pic.twitter.com/RpBoVSqzbl

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) May 14, 2026

Fast forward to Thursday for Game 6 of the Golden Knights-Ducks series, and this one was not as close. Mitch Marner opened the scoring with a ridiculous between-the-legs, partial breakaway goal just over a minute into the game. We’re talking about potentially the goal of the playoffs thus far.

MITCH MARNER OPENS THE SCORING IN GAME 6 WITH AN UNREAL MOVE 🤩 pic.twitter.com/k28iLmZ4Ky

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 15, 2026

Like the Wild, the Golden Knights walked into the first intermission with a 3-0 lead, with a Brett Howden shorthanded goal and a Shea Theodore power play goal. Like the Avalanche, the Ducks pulled the game back to within two with a Mikael Granlund power play tally.

However, unlike the Avalanche, the Ducks weren’t able to claw their way back. In fact, it was the Golden Knights’ Pavel Dorofeyev who lit the lamp twice to win the contest 5-1.

We now have the top-24 of the draft order for the 2026 NHL Draft confirmed.

Toronto Maple Leafs
San Jose Sharks
Vancouver Canucks
Chicago Blackhawks
New York Rangers
Calgary Flames
Seattle Kraken
Winnipeg Jets
Florida Panthers
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
Columbus Blue Jackets
St. Louis Blues (Detroit Red Wings)
Washington Capitals
Los Angeles Kings
Washington Capitals (Anaheim Ducks)
Utah Mammoth
San Jose Sharks (Edmonton Oilers)
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Boston Bruins
Vancouver Canucks (Minnesota Wild)
Seattle Kraken (Tampa Bay Lightning)
New York Rangers (Dallas Stars)
Calgary Flames (Vegas Golden Knights)
Buffalo Sabres

Picks 25-31 are still to be confirmed based on the results of the Montreal Canadiens-Buffalo Sabres series.

If the Canadiens can wrap up the series on home ice in Game 6, the order will be:

25. Seattle Kraken (Tampa Bay Lightning)
26. New York Rangers (Dallas Stars)
27. Calgary Flames (Vegas Golden Knights)
28. Buffalo Sabres

The final four teams of the Montreal Canadiens, Vegas Golden Knights, Carolina Hurricanes, and Colorado Avalanche are seeded based on the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Finals results. As a punishment for the Pierre Dorion move made in 2021, the Ottawa Senators were stripped of their first-round pick, but pleaded hard enough to get it back this season. However, that pick is locked in to be 32nd overall.

10 takeaways from the Sedins and Johnson’s introductory press conference

Tyson Cole — Fri, 15 May 2026 04:29:53 GMT

The Vancouver Canucks held a press conference on Thursday to announce Henrik and Daniel Sedin as Co-Presidents of Hockey Operations, and Ryan Johnson as the 13th General Manager in franchise history.

Here are 10 takeaways from the availability.

Sure sounds like ownership is on board with the rebuild…for now

Francesco Aquillini led off the press conference with an opening statement introducing his new hires, but he also took the time to address the fanbase.

“To our fans, we appreciate that this rebuild will require patience. But we will ice a team that competes hard every night. Rebuilding and competing hard are not mutually exclusive. … We are 100% committed to rebuilding the roster into a championship-calibre team. … Daniel, Henrik, and Ryan, you have the full support of ownership. We will provide you with all the resources you need to succeed.”

Later in the press conference, Daniel shared that he and Henrik have 100% autonomy to do whatever they want to help improve this organization. So, it sounds like ownership is actually on board and understands that to get back to where they want to be, they will need to take their time to get this right.

While all of this is nice to hear, we’ve been down this road before. We’ve heard this same message, and it hasn’t necessarily followed suit. Will this time be different now that it’s two of the best Canucks of all time? I sure hope so.

Fixing the culture is at the top of their list

Culture has been a massive talking point over the last two seasons, but it sounds like those issues date back further than that. When the Sedins were leaders of the team, you would rarely hear about locker room issues. But over the last few years, that has been lost, a locker room rift divided two superstars and played a hand in the rebuild the team finds itself in today.

That is priority number one for the Sedins: to bring back that Sedin mentality. “We’ve got to show up every day and lead by example,” Henrik said. “Culture is huge. You can not win without it. That’s impossible. You can not be sustainable without it. … For us, the culture piece is our main thing to fall back on over the next little bit here.”

Johnson shared a similar sentiment:

“I think anybody that has worked with me, alongside me, players that have played with me, they understand there’s some real non-negotiables. Before we talked about wins and losses or getting to that point, the environment will be first and foremost. That will be very clear.

“The environment is something that I will establish now as I’m talking to players, not in September. They’ll be very aware that when they walk into this facility in September, that they’ve got to make a decision of who they want to be as a player and who they want to be as a person and a teammate. And they’ll know that. We will establish that very, very quickly.”

The players have spoken about how the culture shifted after the NHL Trade Deadline. Now with the Sedins and Johnson at the helm, they’ll find those bad apples and address them.

They aren’t going to rush this process

For many fans, this was going to be a big worry. It wasn’t too long ago that fans heard Jim Benning continuously preach that they could turn this around in two years. This organization has failed to commit to a proper rebuild and instead has tried to accelerate the process to help them get back into contention. And, well, that’s never worked, and rarely does it ever result in a Stanley Cup.

So, hearing Johnson say he doesn’t want to rush the process, and that he wants to build through the draft, is a breath of fresh air after the handful of re-tools, hybrid, whatever you want to call it, fans had to deal with over the last decade.

“I think to put any type of timeline on [the rebuild] is unfair to the process,” Johnson said. “It’s more about building the environment first. It’s making sure the staples are there; the things that we believe in. Creating a safe environment where players can improve, can make mistakes, and can have resources. We’re going to do this step by step, and we’re not going to race through it. We’re going to be strategic with everything we do. We’re going to be aligned with everything we do. So that we know, as a group, we’re sticking to the vision that was talked about in May of 2026.”

While there isn’t a timeline on the process, Henrik mentioned that the fastest way to get through this stage is to actually go slow.

“To do this as fast as possible, we have to be very careful and go slow. I think that’s the fastest way to get to where we want to be. We’ve got the full support from ownership. They’re putting in and giving us all the resources to do whatever we want and need to make this as fast as possible, but to not do it too fast.”

We aren’t saying we don’t believe them, but they can say this now. What happens when they sniff a little bit of success and some of their high draft picks start to crack the lineup and make an impact? Will they cave and try to fast-forward the process? That’s where teams actually stunt their rebuild. However, with some of the other candidates reportedly saying they could turn this situation around quickly, it doesn’t sound like Johnson was one of them after what he said today.

The chain of command revealed

At first, we knew the Sedin twins were getting bigger roles, but we didn’t know they would jump all the way from Player Development to Co-President of Hockey Operations. We were a little unsure about who would report to whom among them and Johnson, but that was clarified at the press conference.

Johnson will report to the Sedins. Henrik and Daniel will report to ownership. But with how often all three of the new regime talked about being aligned in the decision-making process, it sounds like it will be a full committee.

Still evaluating the coaching situation

After Patrik Allvin was fired, Jim Rutherford said that the next General Manager will decide the future of Head Coach Adam Foote. When asked for his assessment of Foote and whether they will make a coaching change, Johnson said it was unfair to judge Foote based on the circumstances he dealt with last season, but that they will evaluate all departments in the coming days.

Johnson brought in former teammate and current Abbotsford Canucks Head Coach Manny Malhotra, and by all reports, the two are very close. So, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the new regime want to appoint its own head coach. But the time may be ticking, considering the Toronto Maple Leafs – where Malhotra served as an assistant coach for four years – are also looking for a new bench boss.

Elias Pettersson needs to come into camp prepared

There are a ton of flaws on the roster that the Sedins and Johnson are inheriting. But the biggest question mark is what to do with their underperforming star, Elias Pettersson.

Making a trade of this magnitude would be a massive move to make – one that I’m not sure they want to rush. However, after two straight seasons of not coming into training camp prepared for the year, the Sedins and Johnson mentioned Pettersson’s preparation coming into next year will be the biggest thing they’re looking for:

“With Elias, we’ve been through this as players,” Daniel shared. “You’re going to have some really good seasons, you’re going to have some tough seasons. We’ve found that after a long career, looking back, our best seasons we had, we were well prepared. That is everything you can control. It’s how hard you work in the summer, mentally ready to get when training camp hits. I think that’s the one message to him: preparation.”

Johnson wants to ease the pressure on Pettersson and give him a clean slate with no expectations heading into next year, in hopes of getting the most out of him:

“Here’s my initial thought on Elias: I want to wipe away all the expectations that may exist in him,” Johnson said. “Just like the rest of our hockey club, not just our players, but our staff. We’re asking them to come into September the most prepared that they could be. For our players, it’s going to be physically and mentally to make a decision.”

We’ll have to wait and see what Pettersson we see in September. Will he come in ready to play? Will he have put forth the needed effort and training to spark a bounce-back? Or will we see him get off to a slow start for the third year in a row? If that’s the case, I’m not sure how long his leash will be with the new management group.

There’s hope in this roster

The Canucks are in a slightly different situation than most rebuilding teams. Thanks to the Quinn Hughes trade, the Canucks already have a few promising pieces to start a rebuild. Do they have that true difference maker to push you over the top? Not quite. But they aren’t completely starting from scratch – at least not according to the Sedins.

Daniel and Henrik shared that they saw something to be hopeful and excited about over the last quarter of the season.

“To be honest, I think the last 15-20 games last season, I was extremely excited when I left the rink after games because I saw something special happening with that group,” Daniel said. “So I think there’s a lot of good people in that room that want to do well for this organization. That gave us all hope.”

“When you left those games, how many fanbases would have the wave going around the rink in the last game of the season after such a bad season,” Henrik said. “I think [the fans] saw something that changed, and that’s why we’re very excited going forward.”

These quotes should mean something to fans, considering they were on the ice nearly every day with the players working with them. The biggest worry for me is that now that they’re upstairs, they won’t have that same impact for the players on the ice. We’ll see who they bring in to replace them in player development.

Johnson shoots down the “not cutthroat enough” narrative

There were some reports during the hiring process that ownership did not believe Johnson was “cutthroat enough” to make the difficult decisions required in this role. But Johnson quickly put that narrative to rest:

“I think it’s a little bit of a false narrative,” Johnson said. “One thing I do do is create a space in between, that eventually I have to let people know that I don’t want them to perform well because it looks good on me; I want them to perform well because I have their best interest [in mind]. Then, it allows me to create a safe space of conversation.

“It creates a space for me to then make those difficult decisions and to be able to say, ‘We talked about this, I’m moving you out because you didn’t understand.’ So, I think it’s a false narrative because I’m empathetic, I can’t make tough decisions. But people that work alongside me know that that’s far from the truth.”

Sedins outline the entire process

The Sedins shared what this entire hiring process was for them.

Once they received and accepted ownership’s offer as Co-President of Hockey Operations, the Canucks’ GM search was down to two: Evan Gold and Johnson. But that didn’t stop them from doing their due diligence, as they asked about the previous candidates to get a full grasp of their options, including Gold and Johnson.

They were involved in the final two interviews with Gold and Johnson and shared that they spent a day with each candidate. They gave Gold high praise, but after a few days to mull it over, they ultimately decided that Johnson was the right guy for the job.

The Sedins mentioned they were given 100% autonomy, and it appears they actually had it, as they made the final big decision about who they wanted as GM.

Getting back to community involvement

We touched on what the Sedins’ leadership meant to the Canucks locker room back in their playing days, but what they did for the community was just as vital to them becoming so beloved in the market. Over the last few years, we really haven’t seen a ton of community involvement out of this version of the Canucks. But according to Daniel, that’s about to change.

“Looking back, 26 years ago, when we flew into this city, Brian Burke told us that this was the number one organization in the league when it comes to community involvement,” Daniel said. “We need to get to that point. We should be the number one organization when it comes to community involvement. We’re going to ask our players to do a lot. I think it’s so important for us as players that we did those things. It puts perspective in life. Fans will respect it. You might have a bad game here and there, but if you’re out, you do the work in the community, they can certainly buy into what we’re trying to be.”

There were a lot of things that Canucks fans can take positively from this press conference. They said the right things, and they emphasized not rushing this process and building a positive environment at the forefront of their hockey operations. Now, it’s time to see if they can back up their words with their actions leading up to one of the biggest drafts in franchise history.

You can watch the full press conference below!

What do you think, Canucks fans? What were some of your takeaways from Thursday’s press conference with Daniel and Henrik Sedin and Ryan Johnson? Let us know in the comments below!

Sponsored by bet365

‘Preparation’ the key word once again as Sedins and Johnson discuss Elias Pettersson

David Quadrelli — Fri, 15 May 2026 02:10:32 GMT

We’ve heard it from Jim Rutherford, Patrik Allvin, Rick Tocchet, and Adam Foote. Basically, everyone of significance within the Vancouver Canucks organization has used the word “preparation” when discussing Elias Pettersson’s struggles over the last two years.

First it began with Pettersson’s proclamation that knee tendinitis prevented him from preparing for the 2024-25 season properly. The organization’s talking heads never really seemed to buy that, and since then, Pettersson’s preparation has been a talking point for a growing list of individuals.

Today, that list added three names to it: Co-President of Hockey Operations Daniel Sedin, along with General Manager Ryan Johnson.

“Here’s my initial thought on Elias,” began Johnson. “I want to wipe away all the expectations and that may exist in him, just like the rest of our hockey club. Not just our players, but our staff — we’re asking them to come September the most prepared that they could be. And for our players, that’s going to be physically and mentally ready to make a decision. To jump to any conclusion… no, I’m looking forward to talking to him and just letting him know that that’s what’s important to me out of the gates. And like I just said, I’ll reiterate again, I’m going to challenge these guys to be as good as teammates that they can for each other. And if we commit to those little things, everybody’s going to be better for it, him included.”

Daniel Sedin drew on he and Henrik’s own experience as players when discussing Pettersson’s struggles.

“We’ve been through this as players, exactly what he’s been through,” said Daniel, who, along with his brother, struggled to build off of solid rookie campaigns for their first few seasons in the NHL. “You’re going to have some really good seasons, you’re going to have some tougher seasons. What we found after a long career looking back is that the best seasons we had, we were well prepared.

“That is everything you can control. It’s how hard you work in the summer, [you’re] mentally ready to go when training camp hits. So I think that’s the one message to him, is preparation. And like I said, we had some bad seasons too, and those times, we maybe didn’t prepare the way we should have.”

Pettersson was clearly frustrated after another season in which he struggled to produce points, and where on many nights, he looked like a passenger rather than a play-driving top-line centre the Canucks are paying $11.8 million yearly to. His fall off has come with many theories from fans, but the one thing anyone around the Canucks seems to agree on regarding this subject is that Pettersson needs to put himself in a better position to succeed by putting in the work off the ice.

Instant Reaction: Sedins and Johnson speak as new era of Canucks management begins

Tyson Cole — Thu, 14 May 2026 21:36:57 GMT

On Thursday morning, the Vancouver Canucks called a press conference for 1 PM to make a major announcement. That major announcement was the Canucks hiring of Daniel and Henrik Sedin as Co-Presidents of Hockey Operations and Ryan Johnson as General Manager.

If you missed the livestream, here are our instant reactions to what was said:

Francesco Aquillini’s opening statement

Aquillini started by thanking the previous regime for their work and acknowledging the hardships they faced, which he described as “unexpected personnel challenges”. He also shared that once Jim Rutherford wanted to “accelerate his timeline away from the day-to-day duties”, Aquillini went back to Henrik and Daniel and asked if they would fill that role as Co-Presidents of Hockey Operations. It was nice to see ownership step back and allow the team’s Presidents to make their own decisions.

Sedins confirmed it was their decision between Johnson and Gold

In his opening statement, Aquillini mentioned that once the Sedins accepted the role of President of Hockey Operations, they were the ones who made the decision on the next GM. When they were appointed, it was between Johnson and Evan Gold. They were part of the final two interviews with both candidates and shared that they spent a day with each before coming to a decision in favour of Johnson, as they believe he can guide this organization to a “better place”.

Culture is going to be a big part of this rebuilding process

During the Sedins era of Canucks hockey, the culture was always sky-high. As leaders, they believed in culture and community work, which has been lacking in Vancouver for some time now. And with them now in the President’s role, they are looking to turn that back around. “Culture is huge. You can not win without it. That’s impossible,” Henrik said. That’s what the Canucks need after years of chaos.

No timeline on this rebuild

Johnson said all the things you want to hear with regard to this question. He believes it’s unfair to the process to impose a timeline for the rebuild. Building from the ground up with a strong environment that allows players to make mistakes, grow from them, and be better for it. As long as they follow through with what they’re saying, that’s something this team so desperately needs.

Will evaluate the status of Adam Foote

Once a new front-office regime is hired, evaluations are conducted throughout the organization. In his exit meetings, Rutherford said it would be up to the next GM to decide on Head Coach Adam Foote. When asked about potentially making the coaching change, Johnson described it as “unfair” to evaluate Foote’s work last season, given the injuries they dealt with, the goaltending, and the drama around the group. New regimes typically like to pick their guy, and Johnson knows the top internal candidate, Manny Malhotra, better than most.

Elias Pettersson

When asked about their struggling star, Elias Pettersson, Johnson wants a fresh start. He wants to wipe away any expectations and come as prepared as possible for next season. The Sedins shared their experiences, saying they went through good and bad seasons, but their best seasons came when they entered the year prepared. Preparation was the big talking point around Pettersson, as we’ve heard about before.

To watch the full press conference below:

Canucks name Ryan Johnson new GM; Daniel and Henrik Sedin as Co-Presidents of Hockey Operations

Tyson Cole — Thu, 14 May 2026 20:27:25 GMT

Nearly a month after letting go of former General Manager Patrik Allvin, the Vancouver Canucks have found the next regime that will lead them through their rebuild.

On Thursday, the Canucks called a press conference to officially announce the hiring of Ryan Johnson as the organization’s next General Manager, making him the 13th GM in franchise history. In the same announcement, the club appointed Daniel and Henrik Sedin as Co-Presidents of Hockey Operations.

Johnson, 49, has been in the Canucks organization for the past 13 years. He was first hired as a Development Coach for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons. Johnson worked his way up to Assistant Director of Player Development for another two-year stint before earning a big promotion to Director of Player Development for the Vancouver Canucks and General Manager of the AHL’s Utica Comets.

He served in those roles for the following five years, helping the Canucks uproot their American League team from Utica to Abbotsford for the 2021-22 season. Johnson was then promoted in the NHL from Director of Player Development to Special Assistant to the GM for two years before being elevated to Assistant General Manager in 2024-25. Later that season, Johnson’s work building the roster helped the Canucks organization capture their first Championship, winning the Calder Cup in 2024-25.

Under Johnson’s leadership after the move from Utica five years ago, the Abbotsford Canucks have had four 39+ win seasons, a 191-134-19-12 record. The 2025-26 season was the organization’s first losing season in its five-year history.

Johnson’s Canucks roots run deeper than just his work in the front office. The Thunder Bay, Ontario native played the 2008-09 and 2009-2010 seasons with the Canucks, providing a defensive-centre role for the bottom-six. Through 120 games over those two years, Johnson scored three goals and 11 assists for 14 points.

The Canucks’ search came down to Johnson and Boston Bruins assistant GM and Providence Bruins GM Evan Gold. Conflicting reports had Gold pegged for the job on Monday, while others said it was premature to appoint one at that time.

Vancouver pulls off a move similar to what the Toronto Maple Leafs did, naming a new GM and bringing in a pair of franchise legends, Daniel and Henrik Sedin, as Co-Presidents of Hockey Operations.

Daniel and Henrik were drafted second and third overall in the 1999 NHL Draft. The twins went on to spend their entire 17-year NHL careers with the Canucks. Henrik leads the organization with 1,070 points in 1,330 games, while Daniel is second on that list with 1,041 points in 1,306 games. Their trophy cases are filled with two Art Ross Trophies, two King Clancy Trophies, one Ted Lindsay Award, one Hart Trophy, and six NHL All-Star selections. The twins had their jerseys retired in 2020 and were first-ballot Hockey Hall of Famers in 2022.

The Sedins took three years away from hockey after retiring in 2018, but joined the Canucks Hockey Operations as special advisors to the General Manager in 2021. The following year, the twins transitioned to new roles in player development and have served in that role with the organization since today’s announcement.

Canucks: A quick reminder on how to tell the Sedin twins apart

David Quadrelli — Thu, 14 May 2026 17:45:34 GMT

With the Vancouver Canucks just hours away from announcing their new management group — which we expect will be led by co-Presidents of Hockey Operations Daniel and Henrik Sedin and General Manager Ryan Johnson — we thought now was as good a time as any to remind everyone how to tell the new identical faces of the Canucks’ franchise apart.

The last time Daniel and Henrik were the faces of the Canucks’ franchise, they were players. This obviously made it far easier to tell them apart. They wore different numbers. Henrik 33, Daniel 22. Henrik wore the C for most of his time as a Canuck, while Daniel had an A on the front of his jersey. There were even more intricate on-ice tells as well. Their skating styles were a bit different. They held their sticks differently while sitting on the bench. Daniel held his blade up, while Henrik held his blade down.

But the next time you see them — and presumably every time you see them for the foreseeable future — they will be either in suits or polo shirts while addressing the media.

That’s going to make it harder, so we’re here with a quick reminder and handy guide on how to tell the Sedin twins apart. First, a refresher.

This is Daniel.

This is Henrik.

They are first-ballot inductees to the Hockey Hall of Fame. They are also identical twins.

How to tell Daniel and Henrik Sedin apart

Off the ice, there are a few key ways to quickly tell the Sedins apart:

First is their head shape. Henrik’s head is more round than Daniel’s is, and his forehead is a bit more pronounced.

Second is their hairlines. Henrik has a bit more of a widow’s peak than Daniel does, and honestly, anytime I’ve passed by them at Rogers Arena in recent years, this is the first thing I look for.

Thirdly is their jawlines. Daniel has a more angular, narrower face with a sharper jawline than Henrik’s.

Finally, Henrik is right-handed, and Daniel is left-handed (in both golf and writing, obviously, both players were left-handed as hockey players). So if you ever see them on the golf course or signing any ceremonial contracts, keep an eye out for that.

Now let’s put what you just learned to the test.

A Sedin twin pop quiz

Here are some more recent photos. Can you tell who is who?

Both photos courtesy of Tav Morrison, CanucksArmy.

Are you ready for the answer?

If you guessed Henrik for the first photo and Daniel for the second photo, you’d be correct.

Now let’s make it a bit more difficult, so that you’re not left confused if you ever see a blur of earth tones ripping past you on the Grouse Grind.

Vancouver Canucks legends Daniel and Henrik Sedin run up the Grouse Grind | via Canucks on YouTube

Ready for the answer?

Henrik is in the front, while Daniel is trailing behind (but only slightly).

Look at the jaws people!

We hope this has been a helpful refresher for you and that you’re not confused about who is talking when you watch the livestream of Thursday’s press conference at 1 PM Pacific from Rogers Arena.

Canucks Army - News, Roster, Scores, Schedule

Tortorella fined $100,000 and Vegas forfeits a second round pick as NHL comes down hard on Golden Knights for breaking media regulations

Ryan Johnson says the Canucks don’t have any untouchable veteran players

Sedins eager to improve Canucks’ community relations, want people ‘proud to be Canucks fans again’

Regret-rospective: The disastrous legacy of the OEL/Garland trade

Canucks will pick 24th overall in the 2026 NHL Draft after the Wild and Ducks eliminated from playoffs

10 takeaways from the Sedins and Johnson’s introductory press conference

Sure sounds like ownership is on board with the rebuild…for now

Fixing the culture is at the top of their list

They aren’t going to rush this process

The chain of command revealed

Still evaluating the coaching situation

Elias Pettersson needs to come into camp prepared

There’s hope in this roster

Johnson shoots down the “not cutthroat enough” narrative

Sedins outline the entire process

Getting back to community involvement

‘Preparation’ the key word once again as Sedins and Johnson discuss Elias Pettersson

READ NEXT: Sedins and Johnson speak as new era of Canucks management begins

Instant Reaction: Sedins and Johnson speak as new era of Canucks management begins

Canucks name Ryan Johnson new GM; Daniel and Henrik Sedin as Co-Presidents of Hockey Operations

Canucks: A quick reminder on how to tell the Sedin twins apart

How to tell Daniel and Henrik Sedin apart

A Sedin twin pop quiz

READ NEXT: Canucks news and notes: New management to be introduced Thursday afternoon; Klimovich not headed for KHL, says agent