The Carolina Hurricanes have extended the contract of General Manager Jim Rutherford. Rutherford is the only G-M the franchise has had since moving to North Carolina 14 years ago.
The tenure of many professional sports general managers can be measured in months. But Rutherford has been at the helm of the franchise for 18 years – the second longest tenure in the National Hockey League.
In that time, the Hurricanes have a winning record overall, have hosted an NHL All-Star game, and won a Stanley Cup in 2006.
It’s a remarkable run of success for a so-called small-market franchise that competes against richer and more traditional hockey powers like Boston, Montreal, and Detroit.
Rutherford’s new contract will keep him in charge until 2016.
