| Round | Overall |
| 1 | 10 |
 |
 |
Left-hand catcher
Pre-Draft Statistics
| Year | Team | League | GP | W-L-T | GAA | SO | SV% | ||
| 1966-67 | Aurora | Jr. C | 30 | -- | 2.10 | - | n/a | ||
| 1967-68 | Hamilton | OHA | 11 | 7-1-0 | 2.32 | 0 | n/a | ||
| 1968-69 | Hamilton | OHA | 50 | 24-20-2 | 3.35 | 3 | n/a |
Pre-Draft Notes
Won Memorial Cup with Montreal (loan) in '69. ... 1968-69 OHA All-Star 1st Team.
Player to Executive
After his playing days ended Rutherford began working with Detroit businessman Peter Karmanos, who was actively involved in promoting the growth of hockey in Michigan. He joined Karmanos in 1983 as the Director of Hockey Operations for the Compuware Sports Corporation. He then took over the Windsor Spitfires (OHL) team after Karmanos purchased it in 1984 and ran it through the 1987-88 season when he left to help Karmanos work on getting an OHL team in Detroit. He took over the OHL's new Detroit Compuware Ambassadors team in 1990 and remained part of the organization until 1994. Throughout this time in the 1980s and early 1990s, Karmanos and Rutherford's KTR group worked toward a goal of purchasing an NHL team. They pursued the Red Wings and Penguins before acquiring the Hartford Whalers in June 1994. Rutherford ran hockey operations for the franchise for the next two decades, and he played a big role in relocating the team to Carolina (as the Hurricanes) in 1997.
ABOVE: Rutherford on first days as Penguins' general manager.
| MORE RUTHERFORD VIDEO | ||
| • 2013 Interview | • First Painted Mask | • 2011 Interview |
| • On Player Safety | • On Team Building | • Thanking 'Canes Fans |
| • On All-Star Game Draft | • Tough Talk in Carolina | • 2011 Interview |
Career Vitals
| First contract: | 1969 |
| Debut: | October 23, 1970 (Detroit at Buffalo) |
| Final NHL game: | November 7, 1982 (Detroit at Boston) |
| Retired: | 1983 |
| Stanley Cup: | 2006 |
| Numbers worn: | 30, 1, 27, 29 (Detroit); 1, 29 (Pittsburgh); 1 (Toronto); 29 (Los Angeles) |
Career NHL Statistics
Teams: Detroit,
Pittsburgh, Toronto, Los Angeles.
Years: 1970-1982. Playoffs: 1972-1981
| Regular Season | |||||
| GP | W-L-T | GAA | SO | SV% | |
| 13 years | 457 | 151-227-59 | 3.65 | 14 | n/a |
| Stanley Cup Playoffs | |||||
| GP | G | A | TP | PIM | |
| 3 years | 8 | 2-5 | 3.82 | 0 | n/a |
| Complete statistics available at NHL.com | |||||
Career Highlights
Combined with Gerry Gray to help Hamilton post OHA's lowest-goals-against average in 1967-68. .. Loaned by Hamilton (OHA) to Montreal (OHA) for the 1969 Memorial Cup tournament and went 6-0 as team won championship, but did not play in finals. ... Led OHA with three shutouts for Hamilton in 1968-69. ... Shut out Chicago 2-0 on Feb. 24, 1973, to snap Black Hawks' streak of 263 games without a shutout. ... Tied Pittsburgh record (since broken) with 20 wins in 1972-73. ... Tied NHL record (since broken) for assists by a goaltender in one season with four for Pittsburgh (1) and Detroit (3) during 1973-74 season. ... Won Detroit Hockey Writers Association Award as team MVP for 1973-74 season. ... Tied own NHL record (since broken) for assists by a goaltender in one season with four for Detroit during 1974-75 season. ... Recorded three consecutive shutouts for Detroit in 1975-76 (Dec. 31 vs. Washington, Jan. 3 at Toronto, and Jan. 8 vs. Minnesota), tying Glenn Hall for team record that still stands. ... Played on Team Canada squad that finished fourth at 1977 World Championships in Vienna, Austria. ... Had two assists in Detroit's March 22, 1978, game vs. Atlanta. ... Became first Detroit goaltender to record two assists in one period with two in the first period of Detroit's on Feb. 18, 1979. ... Recorded Detroit's only shutout of the 1978-79 season, beating Montreal 1-0 in the season finale on April 8, 1979. .. Was No. 1 goalie for Team Canada squad that finished fourth at 1979 World Championships in Moscow. ... Named OHL Executive of the Year and Canadian Hockey League Executive of the Year with Detroit (OHL) in 1992-93. ... Named OHL Executive of the Year with Detroit in 1993-94. ... Was President and General Manager of Carolina team that went to 2002 Stanley Cup Finals. ... Named Hockey News Excutive of Year with Carolina in 2001-02. ... Named Hockey News Executive of Year with Carolina in 2005-06. ... Named Sporting News NHL Executive of Year with Carolina in 2005-06. ... Named Triangle Business Journal (N.C. business publication) Executive of Year for 2005-06. ... Named Ontario Minor Hockey Association's All-Time Executive on the 2009 OMHA All-Time Greats team.
Life Outside the NHL
Full Name: James Earl Rutherford
Nicknames: "Roach", "Rut"
Other Post-Draft Teams: Fort Worth (CHL); Hershey (AHL); New Haven (AHL); Adirondack (AHL)
Career Beyond Hockey: Retired from
NHL to take job as director of hockey operations for Compuware Sports
Corporation and begin a decades-long association with Peter Karmanos.
Significant Injuries
Missed remainder of the 1972-73 season with strained ligaments in knee, an injury suffered during Pittsburgh's March 10, 1973 game vs. N.Y. Rangers.
Transaction History
June 8, 1971 -- Claimed by Pittsburgh from Detroit in NHL Intra-League Draft. Jan. 17, 1974 -- Traded by Pittsburgh with Jack Lynch to Detroit in exchange for Ron Stackhouse. Dec. 4, 1980 -- Traded by Detroit to Toronto for Mark Kirton. March 10, 1981 -- Traded by Toronto to Los Angeles for future considerations (1981 fifth-round pick -- Barry Brigley). Sept. 13, 1982 -- Signed with Detroit as an unrestricted free agent following release from Los Angeles.
Non-Playing Career
|
MANAGEMENT CAREER Named Windsor (OHL) general manager in May 1984 and held position through 1987-88 season. ... Named Detroit Compuware Ambassadors (OHL) President and General Manager upon team's founding in 1990, was with team when it was renamed the Detroit Junior Red Wings, and remained in that position until June 28, 1994. ... Named Hartford President and General Manager on June 28, 1994, relocated with the team to Carolina in 1997, became a part-owner in November |
2011, and served as president until
June 6, 2014. ... Named Pittsburgh general manager on June 6,
2014, and currently holds this position. COACHING CAREER Took over as Windsor (OHL) head coach in 1986-87 season and held position through end of season. ... Took over as Detroit (OHL) head coach during 1991-92 season and held position through end of season. |
Miscellaneous:
| Selected by Minnesota Fighting Saints in 1972 WHA Draft, the first WHA Draft, February 1972. | Coached goalies at Orr-Walton hockey school during off-seasons of his early playing days. | Had Pittsburgh's only shutout of the 1971-72 season, beating Buffalo 2-0 on his 23rd birthday. | Ran a hockey school in Tecumseh, Ontario, in off-seasons of later playing days. |
| SNAPSHOT '69 | |
| Total Selected: | 84 |
| Forwards: | 58 |
| Defense: | 18 |
| Goaltenders: | 8 |
| Major Junior: | 68 |
| College Players: | 8 |
| Canadian: | 78 |
| Euro-Canadian: | 1 |
| American: | 4 |
| European: | 1 |
| Reached NHL: | 49 |
| Won Stanley Cup: | 10 |
| Hall of Fame: | 1 |
| All-Star Game: | 7 |
| Year-end All-Star: | 1 |
| Olympians: | 2 |
| Picks Traded: | 11 |
| 1969 PICKS BY TEAM | ||
| Boston | Chicago | Detroit |
| Los Angeles | Minnesota | Montreal |
| New York | Oakland | Philadelphia |
| Pittsburgh | St. Louis | Toronto |
OTHERS DRAFTED IN 1969