Canucks’ Granato shifts from assistant general manager to adviser role

VANCOUVER — Cammi Granato is changing roles within the Vancouver Canucks’ front office. General manager Ryan Johnson announced Friday that Granato will work as a senior amateur adviser after serving as assistant general manager for parts of five seasons. Former president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford, who stepped down from his role in May, hired Granato in February 2022 after the women’s hockey icon became the NHL’s first female scout with the Seattle Kraken. Granato was the captain of the U.S. women’s hockey team that beat Canada to win gold at the 1998 Nagano Olympics. In 2010, the 55-year-old from Downers Grove, Ill., and Canada’s Angela James became the first women inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. The Canucks have undergone wholesale changes in the front office, hiring Johnson as GM along with franchise icons Henrik and Daniel Sedin as co-presidents of hockey operations after finishing last in the overall NHL standings last season. “After taking some time to reflect on things, I feel this is the perfect time to transition into a new role with the Canucks,” Granato said in a statement. “I have had some very thoughtful and meaningful discussions with RJ and my family about my position within the organization. Helping on the amateur side is something I am extremely passionate about, and I am thrilled to continue working with our hockey operations department on that front. I have great confidence in our front office leadership group and love their vision and the direction they are taking with the team.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2026. The Canadian Press