Canucks make their official GM decision as franchise icons take bigger roles

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Skyler Walker
May 14, 2026  (12:00)

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Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Ryan Johnson now steps in as Vancouver Canucks GM, with Adam Foote behind the bench and a front office that just changed shape in a big way.

The club promoted Johnson from assistant general manager on Thursday, then elevated Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin to co-presidents of hockey operations.

The move lands a new chain of command in place before the afternoon press conference.

This is not a quiet title swap.

Vancouver just handed the roster keys to an internal voice while pushing two franchise icons into the top layer of hockey decisions.

That matters because the Canucks did not need cosmetic change.

They needed direction after finishing 25-49-8 and sliding to the bottom of the Pacific Division.

They also finished with a -100 goal differential, which tells you how much work sits on Johnson's desk before next season's puck drop.

The timing is sharp, too. Foote is still early in his run as head coach, with his hiring date listed as May 14, 2025. One year later, the front office above him has been reset.

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That's the real angle here. Vancouver did not go outside the organization for a splash hire.

The Canucks stayed in-house and bet that Johnson already knows where the blue line, the bottom six, and the cap sheet need the hardest push.

The Sedins' promotion adds even more pressure to that setup. Their names bring instant weight in that market, and now every roster call will carry a lot more public heat.

Johnson won't get much runway.

A team that allowed 316 goals does not have the luxury of easing into summer business.

And this decision ties the whole operation together. Foote handles the bench. Johnson handles the roster. Daniel and Henrik Sedin sit above the process and shape the bigger hockey vision.

That can work if the messages stay aligned from the locker room to management. If they don't, the noise around this team will get loud in a hurry.

Vancouver's press conference was set for 1:00 p.m. PDT, and the questions are already obvious. What changes fast, who stays in the core, and how aggressive will Johnson be right out of the gate?

The Canucks just unveiled a new GM. Now comes the hard part: proving this front-office shuffle is the start of a real turnaround, not just a cleaner org chart.

Previously

The Edmonton Oilers have completed another firing after Kris Knoblauch was relieved: Stan Bowman is not done

Martin St-Louis confirms a risky Game 5 decision that could haunt the Canadiens

The real reason why the Oilers fired Kris Knoblauch quickly comes to light

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1 HOUR AGO   |   70 ANSWERS Canucks make their official GM decision as franchise icons take bigger roles Did the Canucks make the right call by handing Ryan Johnson the GM job ?

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