NHL executives are often cautious in press conferences, not wanting their words to be taken out of context. That was not the case with Vancouver Canucks President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford yesterday at his end of season media availability. Speaking yesterday about his star defenseman, Quinn Hughes, Rutherford casually dropped a hypothetical in response to a reporter's question. Rutherford's speculative statement should send shockwaves through the league office, and result in significant sanctions against the Canucks organization.
Discussing Quinn Hughes's future in Vancouver, and his stated desire to play with his brothers, Jack and Luke Hughes, both under contract with the Devils, Rutherford stated, "He (Quinn Hughes) has said before he wants to play with his brothers. That would be partly out of our control. In our control if we brought his brothers here.”
Many, including Rutherford himself, rightfully pointed out immediately that Rutherford’s comments constituted tampering under NHL By Law 15. The President of Hockey Operations for one NHL team mused to the press about wanting to acquire two specific players currently under contract with another NHL team as a strategy to retain his star player when he becomes a free agent. This isn't subtle interest whispered through back channels; this is a blatant, public declaration linking the acquisition of another team's assets to his contract negotiations.
The league, under Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, put all 32 teams on notice just this past November regarding its tampering by-laws. Concerns over deals prompted this reminder, apparently struck before the official start of free agency last summer. This included Tyler Bertuzzi letting slip that the Chicago Blackhawks had contacted Nick Foligno earlier than allowed. Daly explicitly reminded teams that the league intended to strictly enforce these rules, outlining potential punishments including hefty fines up to $5 million and, crucially, the forfeiture of draft picks.
If the NHL is serious about upholding the integrity of contracts and preventing teams from publicly undermining each other's rosters, it cannot let this slide with a mere slap on the wrist. The precedent set by Daly's November warning demands action. Fining the Canucks is a start, but the league must "throw the book" at the Canucks, which should include the forfeiture of draft picks. Given the direct nature of the tampering involving multiple Devils players, the league could, and arguably should, go further by awarding those forfeited picks, or perhaps financial compensation, directly to the New Jersey Devils organization whose players were publicly targeted.
There's often talk of "soft tampering" in pro sports contracts; discreet conversations with agents before free agency officially opens, calculated leaks to the media to gauge interest. While technically against the rules, these actions often operate in grey areas. What Rutherford did was throw subtlety out the window for a Jackson Pollock-esque splash of black-and-white.
The Vancouver Canucks messed up when they mentioned the Hughes brothers. They should pay directly to the New Jersey Devils for their mistake.
This is not the first time the Canucks organization has faced scrutiny over tampering allegations. In 2016, then-General Manager Jim Benning's public comments acknowledging interest in soon-to-be unrestricted free agents Steven Stamkos and Milan Lucic resulted in a $50,000 fine from the league. That relatively light punishment, however, involved players on the verge of free agency, not players under another team’s control for several years to come.
Compounding the seriousness of Rutherford’s offense is the timing. Rutherford made these comments just one day after the Devils began their Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the Carolina Hurricanes. While the Canucks' season is over, Rutherford ensured that Luke Hughes would almost certainly face questions from the media about the Canucks' interest and his brother's future plans. This introduces an unnecessary external distraction into the Devils' locker room at the most critical time of the year. It could also force other players and Devils management to address speculation when their focus should be solely on their playoff opponent.
Devils fans possess a long memory regarding perceived injustices from the league office. The handling of the Ilya Kovalchuk contract situation remains a sore spot. The league rejected the Devils’ initial long-term deal, citing cap circumvention, and subsequently fined the Devils $3 million and stripped them of a first-round draft pick (later returned, but at the end of the round, diminishing its value). While the Devils arguably pushed contract boundaries common at the time, they were made an example of. Rutherford's comments represent a far more direct offense- actively interfering with another team's roster construction and player relationships. If the league punished the Devils so severely for contract structuring, surely public tampering warrants a strong response. Perhaps this is the moment for some long-awaited karmic retribution for New Jersey.
The small silver lining in all of this for the Devils is that Luke Hughes, having just completed his entry-level contract, is not eligible for an offer sheet this summer. This prevents a scenario where Vancouver could attempt to force New Jersey's hand with an inflated offer sheet designed to lure Luke away. However, Rutherford's comments highlight the necessity for the Devils to secure Luke Hughes to a long-term extension as soon as possible, rather than settling for a short bridge deal that would leave him vulnerable to a potential offer sheet next year.
The NHL has stated its intention to crack down on tampering. Jim Rutherford and the Canucks have provided the league with a golden opportunity to prove they meant it. Failure to impose significant sanctions, including forfeiting of draft picks, would render Bill Daly's November warning hollow and signal that blatant tampering is permissible, so long as it's done brazenly enough.