Patrik Allvin deservedly among finalists for NHL GM of the Year Award
By Paul Taylor
The Vancouver Canucks and their fans are understandably still reeling from the devastating game seven loss on Monday night to the Edmonton Oilers. A season where they continually proved the critics wrong finally came to an unsatisfactory end, albeit in large part due to several unfortunate injuries/absences.
Still, the organisation can hold their collective heads high, with this really feeling like the start of something special in Vancouver. And Rick Tocchet was duly rewarded on Wednesday after helping the Canucks record the third most points in team history, by being named NHL Coach of the Year.
The positive vibes continued on Thursday morning, as Patrik Allvin was named as one of three finalists for the General Manager of the Year Award. As per the Canadian Press via Sportsnet, the other two finalists are Jim Nill of the Dallas Stars and Bill Zito of the Florida Panthers, whose teams are both still in the playoffs.
Little time for Allvin to make his mark with the Canucks
Hired in January 2022 as the 12th general manager in Canucks team history, Allvin also has the distinction of being the first ever Swedish GM in the history of the NHL. In the short time he's been in charge he has revitalised the organisation, this season helping them win their first division title since the 2012-13 campaign.
The 49-year-old is the second general manager in Canucks history, to be nominated for the award. Mike Gillis was previously named General Manger of the Year for 2010-11 after the Canucks went all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, before losing in seven games to the Boston Bruins.
Clearly the Canucks have a lot of faith in Allvin, with them signing him to a three-year contract extension at the beginning of this year. As per NHL.com's Kevin Woodley, at the time he gave some insight into his thinking and plans for the future, when he said: "Hopefully the window of success is just starting for us here. You don't want to have a one-year hit."
Canucks' top 5 games of the 2023-24 regular season. dark. Next. Canucks' top 5 games of the 2023-24 regular season
When you consider some of the moves Allvin made prior to and during the 2023-24 season, such as adding Carson Soucy, Pius Suter, Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm, it seems clear the Canucks are in safe hands. The winner of the award, which is named after Hall of Famer Jim Gregory, will be announced on June 10.
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