The Vancouver Canucks have been one of the busiest teams in the NHL over the past few weeks, with newly appointed president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford continuing to build out his supporting staff.
That’s exactly what Rutherford did on Monday afternoon, with the Canucks making a significant splash in hiring Emilie Castonguay to serve as assistant GM.
“Émilie has extensive experience, is driven to succeed, and has a strong reputation in hockey for her intelligence and work ethic,” Canucks president and interim GM Jim Rutherford said. “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.”
With her appointment, Castonguay now becomes only the second woman to ever hold the role of assistant GM in an NHL front office after Angela Gorgone paved the way with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks for one season in 1996-97.
This news is not entirely surprising.
Castonguay has been mentioned in executive searches within hockey for quite some time. The Montreal-native was, until her hiring today, the only female player agent to be certified by the NHLPA, with the likes of Canadian hockey icon Marie-Philip Poulin and 2020 first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere headlining her client list. As a player, Castonguay played four years of NCAA Division I hockey at Niagara University.
Now, Castonguay will enter a front office that is currently on a warpath when it comes to adding dynamic talent. Just last week, the Canucks hired former analyst and The Hockey News contributor Rachel Doerrie to join their analytics department, joining other cutting-edge minds such as Ryan Biech and Miles Hoaken to create a truly enviable team. Castonguay’s extensive experience on the business end of hockey, and her law degree from the University of Montreal, make her more than qualified to help usher in a new era of Canucks hockey.
Things are happening in Vancouver. And it should make Canucks fans exceedingly happy.
