The Vancouver Canucks appear to be narrowing down the choice for one of their top hockey positions.
Ryan Johnson is emerging as the leading candidate to take over hockey operations for the Canucks, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on the Fan Hockey Show on Tuesday.
“There’s momentum going behind Ryan Johnson in Vancouver,” he said. “I’ve been hearing a lot about that over the last hour or two that the momentum is getting behind him, and we’ll see where that takes us over the next few hours. But I’m starting to think that Ryan Johnson has a good shot at being the next head of hockey operations there.”
Johnson has been with the Canucks organization since 2013, most recently serving as assistant general manager to Patrik Allvin, who was fired last month. President of hockey operations Jim Rutherford is stepping down this summer, hence the need for a replacement.
Johnson, 49, won a Calder Cup with the Abbotsford Canucks during his time as general manager in the 2024-25 season.
He previously served as player development consultant and director of player development before he was elevated into his AGM role. Johnson’s time with the organization has spanned three general managers — Allvin, Jim Benning and Mike Gillis.
One of his first acts of business would be to prepare for the 2026 NHL Draft, where the Canucks, selecting third overall, will have their highest pick since 1999.
