Canucks President Jim Rutherford chops up the team on Sportsnet 650 radio

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Jim Rutherford has been pretty plain-spoken since he was named president of hockey operations for the Vancouver Canucks.

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And on Monday it wasn’t much of a surprise to hear him speak frankly about his team. are planning to start a road trip.

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You need at least three wins, or you’ll fall further behind in an already lengthy playoff chase.

Speaking to SportsNet 650 on Monday afternoon, Rutherford again expressed displeasure over how his team started the season, how the team’s systems were set up and the players’ own work ethic. did.

“I didn’t like training camp, and like training camp it continued early into the season,” he said.

The modern NHL is set for high-energy play. A comeback will happen, he said.

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“But the fact that it has happened as many times as the Canucks in this short period of time is a big concern and something needs to be fixed,” he added.

Asked by Postmedia after his appearance to explain a little more about the “poor camp” comment he previously referred to, Rutherford spared no punches.

“You’ve seen games and practices. There’s not enough drive and tempo to prepare for a five-game road trip. And have the structure in place to make it easier for players to play in all conditions,” he replied. I was.

Rutherford admitted earlier this season that when he was hired by Canucks chairman Francesco Aquirini last season, he understood head coach Bruce Boudreau’s contract was only through the end of last season. contained a reciprocal option year, Boudreau opted not to vacate it and the Canucks also decided to continue.

However, Rutherford again refused the opportunity to give the coach his endorsement.

He said the looseness with which Budreau’s Canucks played last year was unsustainable and the team needed to play more structured given the team’s manpower.

He credited Thatcher Demko with playing offensively focused 2021-22 Canucks near the playoffs.

Asked candidly by 650 host Satiar Shah whether Boudreau was the right coach for this imaginary structure, he did not answer in the affirmative.

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Boudreau, he said, is ultimately responsible for how the lineup is set up.

He also called for players to take more responsibility themselves.

“We need to hold our players more accountable,” he said. “We have to take the necessary steps to get the player’s attention.”

He said they tried to make a lot of deals over the summer, but the prices paid by Capspace or other teams always beat them.

Practice rinks — “We are continuing to work to locate practice facilities,” Rutherford confirmed to 650. The team finding a permanent practice base is something he’s been talking about since last season. The practice rink has long been a priority, at least for the former management regime and both Mike Gillis and Trevor Linden. The Rogers Arena in the redeveloped Plaza of Nations, but the deal was scrapped in early 2020 for reasons nobody on record said.

pjohnston@postmedia.com

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