Vancouver Canucks hire Émilie Castonguay as assistant GM, making her second woman in NHL history to hold the title

Émilie Castonguay, a player agent, has been hired as an assistant general manager by the Vancouver Canucks, becoming only the second woman in NHL history to hold that title.

Castonguay, 35, is the first woman to serve as assistant GM in the franchise’s history. She follows Angela Gorgone, who was promoted to assistant GM of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in 1996, as the only women to be hired as assistant general managers in the NHL.

“Émilie has extensive experience, is driven to succeed, and has a strong reputation in hockey for her intelligence and work ethic,” said Jim Rutherford, Vancouver’s president of hockey operations and interim general manager. “She will play a lead role in player contracts and negotiation, managing the collective bargaining agreement, and her voice will be heard in all aspects of hockey operations. She will be a key member of our leadership team and we are pleased to welcome her to Vancouver.”

Rutherford appeared determined to hire a woman as his assistant general manager. Among the other candidates for the job were Jennifer Botterill, currently a commentator for Sportsnet; Jayna Hefford, formerly the commissioner of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League; and Angela Ruggiero, who was a member of the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee.

Castonguay joins the team from Momentum Hockey, where she was the first woman to be certified by the NHL Players’ Association as a player agent in 2016. Her most prominent client was Alexis Lafreniere, who was selected No. 1 overall by the New York Rangers in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.

“It is an honor to join the Vancouver Canucks and I am grateful to Jim and the Aquilini family for the opportunity,” said Castonguay. “The Canucks have a passionate fanbase and an exciting young team with a bright future. I can’t wait to help build a winning organization that continues to grow and challenges for championship.”

Rutherford was hired by the Canucks in December 2021 after the team fired general manager Jim Benning. He is one of only two general managers to win Stanley Cups with different franchises, capturing the championship with the Carolina Hurricanes (2006) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (2016, 2017).