Cammi Granato named Canucks assistant GM, second woman hired for role

The 50-year-old is the second woman hired as an assistant GM by the Canucks in the past month after Emilie Castonguay joined them Jan. 24. She is the the third woman to be an assistant general manager in NHL history; Angela Gorgone held the position with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim during the 1996-97 season.

“I am honored to join the Vancouver Canucks and the hockey operations leadership group that (president of hockey operations) Jim Rutherford and his team have assembled,” Granato said. “It’s a dream to have an opportunity like this in the city that I call home, and with an exciting young team with championship aspirations.

Granato became the first woman pro scout in the NHL when she was hired by the Seattle Kraken on Sept. 25, 2019. Women scouts in the NHL now also include Blake Bolden (Los Angeles Kings), Krissy Wendell-Pohl (Pittsburgh Penguins), Meghan Hunter (Chicago Blackhawks), and Brigette Lacquette (Blackhawks).

“What a time in sports right now, seeing all sorts of ceilings shattered by women,” Granato told the Kraken website at the time of her hiring. “If I can inspire someone to become a scout or work in an NHL front office, that’s amazing.”

Granato, a forward, was captain of the United States women’s hockey team when it won the gold medal at the 1998 Nagano Olympics. The two-time Olympian played in every IIHF Women’s World Championship from 1990 to 2005 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010. Her brother, Tony Granato, played 13 NHL seasons, coached the Colorado Avalanche from 2002-04 and in 2008-09, and is coach of the men’s hockey team at the University of Wisconsin. Her husband, Ray Ferraro, played 18 NHL seasons.

Granato and Castonguay join the Canucks front office after Rutherford was hired Dec. 9, three days after Jim Benning was fired as general manager. Patrik Allvin was named general manager Jan. 27.

“Cammi is a tremendous leader and has earned the respect of the hockey world,” Rutherford said. “She has a great mind for the game and experience and influence at all levels. In her role, Cammi will oversee our player development department and our amateur and pro scouting department. Cammi’s input will also be included in all areas of hockey operations as we leverage the diverse opinions and experience of our new leadership group to build a winning team.”

Prior to becoming an agent, Castonguay, who was named one of the 25 most powerful women in hockey by Sportsnet in 2020, played four seasons of NCAA Division I hockey as a forward at Niagara University, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance in 2009 and won a National Scholar Athlete award.

“I know our society is changing all the time,” Rutherford said at his introductory press conference. “I would like to see a more diverse staff, if possible. That’s easy for me to sit here and say; you really have to search for that for people that want to do it and are capable of doing it.”