Canucks President Takes Subtle Dig at Elias Pettersson

Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford did not hold back when asked about the star forward's outlook for the 2025-26 campaign, taking a dig at his subpar season last year compared to his peak.

Rutherford addressed Pettersson’s preparation while offering a blunt assessment of last season.

“I can just tell you what I’ve heard,” Rutherford said. “I didn’t go visit him, but I know he put the work in. And we also know that he didn’t a year ago. Success comes from preparation, and I believe all of our players have worked very hard this summer. So the test starts tomorrow, that’s why we have camp and why we play the games.”

While Rutherford’s comments highlighted a lack of effort in 2024–25, new head coach Adam Foote offered a more optimistic comment.

Foote praised Pettersson for his offseason commitment, noting that he excelled in fitness testing and participated in a leadership reunion along with teammates Thatcher Demko and Quinn Hughes.

“Petey coming over, that commitment, having those conversations, open book, he wants to continue to grow,” Foote said. “Obviously, we’ve seen maturity throughout, and he did very well in his testing.”

High Stakes for Elias Pettersson in Second Season of $92.8M Deal

The Canucks signed Pettersson to an eight-year, $92.8 million contract last year, making him central to their long-term plans. The forward’s downturn in production and the off-ice distractions he caused left management frustrated.

Rutherford’s pointed remarks clearly underscored that the pressure is now fully on Pettersson and that he must deliver and return to his peak production to justify his contract.