Penguins’ Jim Rutherford Named a Finalist for the NHL General Manager of the Year Award

The National Hockey League announced that Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford is one of three finalists for the NHL General Manager of the Year Award.

This award is presented annually to recognize the work of the league’s general managers. Voting for this award is conducted among the 30 club general managers and a panel of NHL executives, print and broadcast media.

The winner will be announced at the NHL Awards Show on June 22 at the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas.

Rutherford is the third member of the Penguins’ organization who is a finalist for a major award, joining captain Sidney Crosby (Hart Trophy) and Pascal Dupuis (Masterton Trophy).

Rutherford, who is in his second season as Pittsburgh’s GM, dramatically altered his club’s complexion beginning last offseason and continuing throughout the regular season. The result was a fourth-place finish in the NHL’s overall standings, and a current spot in the Eastern Conference Final.

Heading into Game 3 of the conference finals between the Penguins and Lightning, 10 of the 23 players who have skated for the team during the playoffs have been acquired by Rutherford, including four of the team’s top-five postseason scoring leaders, Phil Kessel, Nick Bonino, Patric Hornqvist and Carl Hagelin.

The biggest splash of Rutherford’s offseason last summer …

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