Former Penguins' GM Jim Rutherford Explains Why He Left Pittsburgh

Former Pittsburgh Penguins general manager, Jim Rutherford, finally disclosed his decision to leave the organization back in January of 2021. At the time, Rutherford cited personal reasons behind his decision. Others speculated it may have been due to health concerns around COVID-19 or even a more sinister motive - his desire to trade one of either Evgeni Malkin or Kris Letang. Some reports suggested a falling out between Penguins president/ CEO at the time, David Morehouse, and Rutherford.

The primary reason Rutherford provided during and interview on Wednesday was mental health surrounding COVID-19. Rutherford said, "The way I would describe it is I wasn't mentally as strong as I should have been to be myself and continue to do that job. I was starting to react to things differently than I normally would, which led to where I got to. I was working on a regular basis, just as hard as if I was in the office because I was on the phone every day. But at the same time, that period of my life and my family's life was difficult. It certainly had an effect on me — had an effect on all of us, but had an effect on me that led to my decision."

Rutherford further explained that his decision had nothing to do with other members of Penguins' leadership. He emphasized how much he enjoyed his time in Pittsburgh, "I have nothing but good things to say about them. But I can tell you, I'm not mad at anybody. It's actually the opposite. I'm thankful for the way I was treated by Mario [Lemieux], Ron [Burkle] and David [Morehouse]. It's not a hard-feelings thing from my point of view."

Rutherford has adjusted to his fresh start and new role as President of Hockey Operations with the Vancouver Canucks. Since he is not the GM, he has more time to spend with his family and in the community. In the time between Pittsburgh and Vancouver, Rutherford comments, "I got away from the game and got away from the pressure. We spent time in Pittsburgh, then we ended up moving back to Carolina. Just got rejuvenated because we got back to normal as a family. We got out. We started doing what we normally do, and things got back to normal. I started to feel better about everything."

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