The Vancouver Canucks have announced that franchise icon Stan Smyl will transition out of his role in the team’s hockey operations department into a new position as a community and business ambassador with the club.

Smyl, 65, first became a member of the Canucks organization in 1978, when the team selected him with the No. 40 overall pick in that year’s NHL Amateur Draft. The 5’10” winger made his NHL debut with the club in 1978–79 and spent his entire career in Vancouver, collecting 262 goals and 673 points in 896 games.

The Canucks named Smyl their full-time captain in the summer after their 1982 Final appearance. He helped the team reach the Stanley Cup Final in 1982 as a player and in 1994 as a coach, although the team lost both times. The Canucks retired Smyl’s No. 12 jersey in 1991.

Smyl spent the eight seasons immediately after his retirement as an assistant coach with the Canucks. He then moved on to coach the franchise’s AHL affiliate for four years before joining the Canucks’ NHL front office in 2004.

With 45 consecutive years in the organization under his belt, Smyl is the longest-serving Canuck in franchise history.

“When I moved to Vancouver in 1978, I could not have imagined the positive journey it would become over the next 40-plus years,” Smyl said in a release on Friday. “This team and community have meant everything to me and my family. We are truly grateful for all of the relationships and experiences we have shared together.”

After being released by the Arizona Coyotes in September, former Canucks prospect Olli Juolevi is set to join Timrå IK in the Swedish Hockey League.

The club announced the signing on Thursday. Juolevi, 25, is coming off an underwhelming 2022–23 season in which he managed 14 points (one goal, 13 assists) in 38 American Hockey League games with the San Diego Gulls.

Juolevi attended Coyotes training camp on a professional tryout opportunity but was cut loose after the team’s main NHL roster players returned from their trip to Australia to play in the NHL Global Series.

The Canucks originally selected Juolevi with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. The former London Knights defenceman has appeared in just 41 career NHL games with Vancouver, Florida, and Detroit, collecting two goals and three points.

The Canucks are actively working the phones in pursuit of making another trade before the start of the 2023–24 regular season, Vancouver hockey insider Rick Dhaliwal reported Thursday.

Dhaliwal mentioned the prospect of the Canucks making a move in conversation with Don Taylor of Thursday’s edition of Donnie & Dhali – The Team on CHEK TV.

“I’m just saying to you right now, Donnie, the Canucks are working the phones,” Dhaliwal said. “They have work to do with the roster, they’re always trying to get better.

“The Canucks haven’t claimed anybody on waivers as of yet, Don. I do believe they’re working the phones and I do believe they’re trying. They’ve got work to do with this roster and I think they know that, and I think they’re working the phones right now.”

Dhaliwal went on to speculate that the Canucks might go after another right-handed defenceman, with rookie Cole McWard currently pencilled in to play on the top pairing with Quinn Hughes to start the season. As previously covered on CanucksArmy, Dhaliwal indicated that the Canucks are one of “4-5” teams interested in procuring the services of Ethan Bear for the 2023–24 season.

The Canucks have already made one trade of note leading up to the 2023–24 season, sending winger Tanner Pearson and a third-round pick to the Montreal Canadiens on September 19 in exchange for goaltender Casey DeSmith.