Seravalli: Derek Clancey becomes Canucks assistant general manager’s target

Jim Rutherford has only been in office for a few days as president of hockey operations for the Vancouver Canucks, but he is getting closer to his first front office hiring.

Sources tell Daily confrontation that Rutherford has targeted Calgary Flames professional recruiter Derek Clancey to fill one of the vacant Assistant GM positions in Vancouver.

Clancey, 52, was hired in Calgary last summer. He has spent the previous 15 years with the Pittsburgh Penguins organization. He was originally recruited as a Professional Recruiter in 2007 by then-General Manager Ray Shero. Rutherford inherited Clancey as professional recruiting director and then promoted him in 2019 to director of player personnel after becoming a trusted advisor on transactions and signings.

The Quidi Vidi, Newfoundland native left the Penguins following Rutherford’s resignation last season.

Clancey is set to become one of three potential assistant GMs in Vancouver – all with different roles, voices and hockey backgrounds. This trio would report to the CEO who has yet to be hired, and all four will work under the tutelage of Rutherford, who will guide in addition to the mentor.

Additionally, Rutherford will draw on the insight and opinion of current Canucks front office advisers including Stan Smyl, Hendrik and Daniel Sedin, as well as Abbotsford Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson.

Sources say Rutherford is in active conversation with other candidates, although none are as advanced as Clancey.

The Canucks improved to 5-0-0 under new head coach Bruce Boudreau on Tuesday night, while cautiously navigating yet another Covid-19 outbreak with four players added to protocol in the past 24 hours, including Luke Schenn, Brad Hunt, Juho Lammikko and Tucker Poolman – who was taken out of the game after Vancouver was told of his positivity.