Canucks hire Émilie Castonguay as Assistant General Manager

The Vancouver Canucks continue to make ground-breaking changes in their front office.

On Monday morning, Hockey Operations President and interim General Manager Jim Rutherford announced that the organization has hired Émilie Castonguay as an Assistant General Manager.

Prior to joining the organization, Castonguay spent over seven years with the Momentum Hockey Agency, where she primarily worked as a sports agent for players in the NHL and AHL, as well as Junior and International levels.

Outside of representing players, Castonguay also served as Director of Legal Affairs & Hockey Operations, Vice President and Managing Partner within the agency, which makes her an extremely valuable addition to the front office team.

"“It is an honour to join the Vancouver Canucks and I am grateful to Jim and the Aquilini family for the opportunity. 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.”"

According to Thomas Drance of The Athletic, Castonguay’s main responsibilities within the organization will focus around cap management and contract negotiation, two areas that she is already very familiar with.

Castonguay previously represented former Canuck forward Antoine Roussel, landing him his current four-year, $12 million deal that is set to expire this season.

The announcement of Castonguay’s hire also came shortly after Rutherford spoke to insider Rick Dhaliwal on Monday morning, stating that the General Manager search could also be wrapped up by the end of this week.

Before joining Momentum Hockey, Castonguay played four years of NCAA Division 1 hockey at Niagara University, where she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance in 2009.

Castonguay was also the recipient of a National Scholar Athlete Award for her academic and athletic achievements, and went on to secure a law degree from l’Université de Montréal in 2012. She is a current member of the Quebec Bar Association.

More importantly, Castonguay has officially become the first Assistant General Manager in franchise history.

This isn’t the first time that Castonguay has shattered the glass ceiling, becoming the first female NHLPA Certified Agent in Canada back in 2016, while also being named one of the 25 most powerful women in hockey by Sportsnet in 2020.

What are your thoughts on Castonguay’s new front office role? Make sure to drop a comment below!