The contracts of Blues Assistant Coaches Claude Julien and Mike Weber will not be renewed. stlblues.me/3ONSEC6 #stlblues
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NHL Notebook: Patrik Allvin fired as Canucks GM, Quinn Hughes was almost a Red Wing, and more
Photo credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Apr 17, 2026, 18:00 EDTUpdated: Apr 17, 2026, 18:58 EDT
Following last night’s 6-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, the Vancouver Canucks have fired general manager Patrik Allvin, Jim Rutherford announced.
Allvin was hired by Rutherford in 2022, and was the general manager for the organization when the Canucks faced the Oilers in a well-contested seven-game series in 2023. The two seasons since, however, have not been nearly as successful for the hopes of late spring hockey in Vancouver.
Amidst Allvin’s time with the team, he faced a lot of bumps in the road. The J.T. Miller debacle, Hughes not wanting to re-sign, and now the ghosting of Elias Pettersson. Among these events, losing Vasily Podkolzin to the Oilers for a fourth-round pick, to later give Edmonton a fourth-round pick for Evander Kane, was another tough look on the Canucks’ behalf.
Podkolzin has spent much of his time in Edmonton on the wing of Leon Draisaitl, while Kane has been healthy-scratched for multiple games to end the Canucks’ disastrous season.
CanucksArmy’s David Quadrelli reported that Rutherford’s job as president of hockey operations is likely to remain safe, as he will be heading the search for the next general manager of the team.
The Canucks finished the 2025-26 season with just 58 points, solidifying them as the worst team in the NHL. Their 25-49-8 record represents a dramatic falloff from the team that won the Pacific Division two years ago.
As they head into the off-season, preparing to rebuild, the next general manager will have a large role to fill in guiding this team back to one that the fans can get behind.
Hughes refused to sign long-term with Red Wings
Quinn Hughes was almost traded to the Detroit Red Wings before he told Steve Yzerman that he had no intention of signing long-term with the Michigan-based club.
Dylan Nazareth of CanucksArmy wrote about the news that was released by Keith Gave on X.
The Canucks and Red Wings had come to an agreement that would have seen Hughes head to Detroit. Gave reports it was a “done deal,” but only on the condition that Hughes agreed to signing a long-term extension in Detroit, which Hughes allegedly declined to do when he spoke directly with Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman. At that point, the deal was off, which led to Hughes’ move to Saint Paul.In follow-up posts, Gave confirmed his information came from a source “within the (Red Wings) organization.” Hughes wouldn’t have been eligible to extend with Detroit until this summer, but with permission from the Canucks organization, he was able to discuss contracts with the Red Wings. Gave reports the contract at play was “seven figures long term,” and would have made him the “highest paid” Red Wing “by a fair margin.”
Gave also speculates that the reason why Hughes declined to sign long-term with the Red Wings was due to the defenceman wanting to join his two younger brothers in New Jersey, as there have been rumours about this occurring for years.
Currently Hughes is with the Minnesota Wild, who traded him for Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, and a 2026 first-round pick. At this time Hughes is not eligible to become a UFA, meaning that the Wild will still maintain his rights heading into 2026 free agency.
Since the acquisition of Hughes, the Wild have a 27-14-7 record and have clinched the playoffs for the 11th time in 13 seasons — they’ve only missed in 2019 and 2024 since 2012. The team is yet to win their first cup in franchise history and hopes that the addition of a superstar defenceman will provide an antidote for their long-time ailment of getting eliminated in the first round.
Whether he signs long-term with the Wild, or elects for a one-year deal to lead him into his 2027 UFA year will be the talk of the town in Minnesota this offseason. For now, though, the club’s sights are set on their upcoming playoff run.
St. Louis shakes things up in their coaching staff
The St. Louis Blues are seeking a change to their organization as they opt not to renew the contracts of assistant coaches Mike Weber and Claude Julien.
The St. Louis Blues fell one place short of the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference this year. They held a 37-33-12 record that was simply not good enough for an organization that has substantial young talent in Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas, Phillip Broberg, and Dylan Holloway, among others.
As they head into their offseason, the outlook for the club remains hopeful for the next season. However, this is not without some staffing changes behind their head coach, Jim Montgomery.
“I would like to thank Claude and Mike for their contributions during their time with the organization,” general manager Doug Armstrong said in a statement, via a press release. “With their contracts set to expire this summer, we wanted to give them the opportunity to move on to the next chapter of their coaching careers while we work to building a coaching staff that is best suited to lead our team moving forward.”
Julien was an NHL head coach for eighteen years, beginning with the 2002-03 season, when he was with the Montreal Canadiens. In his long-standing tenure with the league, he also served as head coach in New Jersey, Boston, and, until Friday’s announcement, St. Louis. During the shortened 2020-21 season, he was let go from his second run around with the Habs, and he remained as a free agent until the Blues signed him to be an assistant coach in June 2024.
Weber’s addition to the team was in the summer of 2023, after he had spent three seasons as an assistant coach of the AHL’s Rochester Americans. His role with St. Louis was his first NHL job since his playing days as a defenceman for the Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals.
Other events around the league:
- The Oilers are among eight teams to have cap overages going into the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs
- Pezzetta placed on waivers by the Toronto Maple Leafs
- Former hockey blogger, Sunny Mehta, hired by Devils as new general manager
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Breaking News
- NHL Notebook: Patrik Allvin fired as Canucks GM, Quinn Hughes was almost a Red Wing, and more
- Oilers hometown kids Dach and Savoie heat up at the perfect time before the playoffs
- Oilers one of eight teams to have confirmed cap overages for 2026-27 season
- Oilers round one playoff schedule: Game 1 begins Monday with Michaels, DeBrusk on the call
- Oilers recall goaltender Calvin Pickard from AHL Condors