Jim Rutherford’s Sudden Resignation
— Shocked, stunned, mystified, it is all above for the entire Penguins organization on Jim Rutherford abruptly stepping down as General Manager on Wednesday morning.
One high ranking Penguins source best described Rutherford quitting as ‘pettiness’. What has stunned most in the organization is just the way Rutherford up and quit.
To put it frankly, the 71 year old decided out of the blue he is just done with the organization. There was no outreach from Rutherford on sticking around in an advisory role until the season is over or anything to that matter, sources say.
I’m told top Penguin officials are just left stunned even more so from the standpoint that reasons they feel Rutherford might have quit for were really just lower level type disagreements that the Penguins saw as being fixable after talking things out. Jim, though, had no interest in that.
Minutes after the stunning news of Rutherford’s resignation was announced, Rutherford was already putting it out there to his media pals that this doesn’t mean he’s retiring by any means and that after the season when his contract expires, he would likely be open to considering another GM or executive role elsewhere.
So how did the Rutherford resignation come about so abruptly without any warning?
Not even Team President David Morehouse who is extremely close with Rutherford on a personal level, was given a truly specific reason by Rutherford, sources say.
But, here are the myriad of issues that built up between Rutherford and members of the organization over the last 10-14 days:
— The Mike Sullivan – Jim Rutherford relationship was heading towards a collision course, high ranking sources say. Again not on a personal level between the two, but at a professional level. Rutherford is said to have been extremely frustrated and agitated with coaching decisions made by Mike Sullivan just even a couple games into the season. Multiple sources say Rutherford was livid at the decision To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
Rutherford is sensitive to people who criticize his personnel moves, overboard emotional after losses and last week during the Capitals two game series, members of the coaching staff feared a To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”! Buffalo was in the works, something that was going to be seen as being nothing more than Rutherford trying to send an unnecessary message to his team and piss off some specific people, namely MTo read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
The bigger story isn’t the deteriorating Coach/GM relationship that was eventually going to come to a head, it’s the push back Rutherford started get from Team President David Morehouse for really the first time in Rutherford’s tenure. Rutherford has always had full rein and there were some cracks evolving in the relationship, more so than ever realized prior to the news coming down. On a personal level, the two were said to have been great, on a professional level Rutherford was starting to get questioned from Morehouse and ownership to a lesser extent.
There were more and more signs emerging among the two they were no longer aligned on the present and immediate future on the direction of the team like they had often been for so many years.
Whispers last week are those above Rutherford had started the process amongst themselves of having dialogue (with one particular name of interest) on the need to start thinking/exploring a succession plan at GM, yet, multiple league sources insist Rutherford QUITTING is not believed to be contract extension related. He wasn’t going to be pushed out the door at seasons end.
MORE BUZZ
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— An interesting wrinkle, a strong sense on Wednesday that Mario Lemieux had become more interested in consulting on decisions of To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
— Penguin ownership have always been against buyouts and giving the green light to buyout Jack Johnson was seen as an embarrassment to them. Add in paying Nick Bjugstad the sum they are now not to play for them and it doesn’t sound like those above Rutherford have been thrilled with the Jason Zucker trade that took on some significant dollars.
— [hide] Morehouse & Co are said to have [/hide] hated the Patric Hornqvist trade at the time and that feeling [hide] isn’t going away anytime soon. As one Penguins source joked, ‘Mario knows a crap player [Mike Matheson] when he see’s one’. It wasn’t the Penguins style at the time to step on Rutherford’s toes and block the trade. [/hide]
Npl must be happy hos Obama doesn’t care plan is back
This isn’t a hard fix.. – find out where ownership is on malkin or Lettang (make plans accordingly) – If they re saying no to moving them…use other assets to make some moves to get better -If they agree to move one of them..make that move.. – You have Marcus Pettersson – You have Chad Rudwhedel – You have Jusso Rikola – You have Zack Aston Reese – Maybe you move Zucker if it helps bring a dman – There is the dreaded number one pick…if it is the right player then move it. .Most of these picks never pan… Read more »
Why don’t they let this assistant guy who has been with the organization for 12 years finish the season…He certainly will know the team better than someone new..
Wonderful, Peter Chiarelli is on the Pens GM list… ugh!
Who was in net tonight?
Jim Rutherford.
Sounds about right !
Sheary with 2 goals tonight. The Pens should sign him.
It’s a must. And make zeroTool happy
Funny how all these X Penguins do well elsewhere….Connor Sheary 2 goals tonight, Nick Bjugstad just scored his 2 goal tonight versus the Kings, Justin Schultz got his 2 goal the other night, all out scoring our $9.5 million dollar center.. #71
Listening to Brian Lawton and the others on NHL tonight they think you could trade Malkin (get a good return) and still be competitive….I agree upper penguins management doesn’t…
lackluster 4-1 loss saw this coming so many D out.
e do have annick Weber for this weekend and hopefully dumoulin gets back sooner than later
NOT
Im hearing that JR wanted to get rid of Letang and was willing to attach a first rounder with him. Ownership asked him to do the impossible and trade him straight up for value.
A motorized traffic cone should be about equal.
Something happened for Rutherford to resign 7 games in………………….
Good job ZeroTool’s idol beta male sock boy trudeau. Gave away 636million to teens between 15-17 years old
2000$ a month.
Sockboy making sure to buy his future votes
No one cares.
Letang on the ice for yet another goal… but sam can tell us how big his taint is
So Sully called JR one of his best friends and had nothing bad to say at all… sounds like another D Bs special
I think Moore house, Lemieux and Burkl are stubborn on moving Malkin or Letang….
stupid…one needs to go…
Hopefull the interim can calm things down..We are 4-2-1 tied for second throughout the mess…
Although dumo out tonight, Weber can’t make it until the new york series, I smell a regulation loss coming…
Dumo is out for weeks. Letang may have play “defense.”
Letang play defense ha !
D – is there anything to what Dunlap said about JR wanting to trade Letang but ownership said no?
I’m all for trading him at this point. He is a chicken with his head cutoff in his own end. 87! Should be the only one who is off limits.
I agree man. 87 should be only untouchable
I agree with this but I doubt Letang was in play. If Letang or Malkin move, unless it’s a one for one for another aged star we are likely not seeing anything unless the Pens are looking like they’ll miss at the deadline
Probably not
Vegas game cancelled.
Dumo out week to week
Fuck… his value is dropping. He was solid as hell but seems to take awhile to get into the swing post injury and he’s hurt often
Playing with Letang is rubbing off on him.
agreed Dump making some uncommon mistakes playing with the Le traffic cone.
GM brings in players. Coach uses them how he sees fit in his system. GM should keep his mouth shut. He should have left two yrs ago.
Yessir
Holy shit what an indictment… sad it had to go this way. It was at least a year too late
Just like when you take the car keys away from senile old people when they start driving on the wrong side of the road, Mario should have taken pappy’s GM keys away a couple years ago.
What a cesspool