James Earl Rutherford (born February 17, 1949) is a Canadian former professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as goalie or netminder) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their own team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays ...

and executive. He is the president of hockey operations of the

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. The Canucks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conferenc ...

of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

(NHL). Prior to his position with the Canucks, Rutherford held the same position with the

Hartford Whalers The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its 25-year existence in Hartford, Connecticut. The club played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972 until 1979, and in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1 ...

Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Con ...

for almost two decades, assuming the position in June 1994 and stepping down from that position in April 2014. He then joined the

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), E ...

as general manager, having been named to that position on June 6, 2014, and resigning on January 27, 2021, citing "personal reasons". Rutherford has won the

Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...

three times as a general manager, with the Hurricanes in

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

and with the Penguins in

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

and

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

Playing career

Rutherford played in the NHL from 1969 to 1983; the majority of his career was spent with the

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

, but he also spent time with the

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...

, and

Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The Kings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. ...

. As a goaltender Rutherford won 151, lost 227 and tied 59 games. Rutherford retired as a player in 1983 at the age of 33.

Post-playing career

Prior to serving with the Penguins as general manager, Rutherford was the president and general manager, as well as a part-owner of the

– known as the

until 1997 – having joined the franchise in 1994 and helping build the Hurricanes team that won the

. Later he helped build the Penguins team that won the

and again in

Rutherford was one of the pioneers of the popular trend of ice hockey goaltenders decorating his mask in 1976. Initially, a friend painted a pair of red wings at the temples of Rutherford's mask without his permission. Because he did not have time to get another fitted mask before game time, he reluctantly wore the decorated mask on the ice. On June 23, 2016, he won the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award. In 2019, Jim Rutherford was inducted into the

Hockey Hall of Fame The Hockey Hall of Fame () is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) records, memorabilia and National Hockey Le ...

. Rutherford resigned from his post as general manager of the Penguins on January 27, 2021, for personal reasons. On December 9, 2021, Rutherford was named president of hockey operations and interim general manager of the

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

References

External links

*
Jim Rutherford's Day with the Stanley Cup
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rutherford, Jim 1949 births Living people Adirondack Red Wings players Canadian ice hockey coaches Canadian ice hockey goaltenders Carolina Hurricanes general managers Detroit Red Wings draft picks Detroit Red Wings players Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Fort Worth Wings players Hamilton Red Wings (OHA) players Hartford Whalers executives Hershey Bears players Hockey Hall of Fame inductees Ice hockey people from Simcoe County Los Angeles Kings players National Hockey League executives NHL first-round draft picks National Hockey League general managers New Haven Nighthawks players Pittsburgh Penguins executives Pittsburgh Penguins players Stanley Cup champions Toronto Maple Leafs players Vancouver Canucks executives Windsor Spitfires coaches People from New Tecumseth Aurora Tigers players 20th-century Canadian sportsmen