Favorite Named For Canucks' GM Job, Among 5 Finalists

The Vancouver Canucks are taking their time in naming a new general manager, having reached out to a wide variety of eclectic possible candidates.

We're hearing on Tuesday that they've whittled the search down now to five finalists, with two names among that list being Pierre Dorion and current AGM Ryan Johnson.

Update: the Canucks have narrowed their GM search down to five good candidates. Dorion is one but would be wrong to characterize him in any way as a front-runner. Ryan Johnson is still in the mix as well.
— Gary Mason 🇨🇦🇺🇦 (@garymasonglobe) May 5, 2026

But despite was Gary Mason wrote, according to several insiders, Dorion sounds surprisingly like a strong candidate and the frontrunner to get the nod.

As Thomas Drance wrote on Monday in The Athletic:

Vancouver Canucks fans should be taking the prospect of former Senators general manager Pierre Dorion emerging as the next Canucks GM very seriously.
The veteran executive was interviewed in person for the job, according to a report from TSN’s Darren Dreger. That’s a telling indication of Dorion’s standing in this ongoing search, and two sources confirmed to The Athletic that Dorion’s candidacy isn’t just a matter of the Canucks doing due diligence.
That Dorion could legitimately succeed Patrik Allvin as Vancouver’s general manager is, as one league source put it to The Athletic on Monday, “a strong possibility.”

Dorion is a late entry to the proceedings, by all accounts, and essentially "came out of left field," as Drance puts it.

Now another insider, Greg Wyshynski, is also telling us that the former Ottawa Senators GM is an overwhelming favorite to land the job.

"I think he's gonna get the gig, based on things that I've heard... It's trending that way," said Wyshynski.

Why is Pierre Dorion a surprising candidate in Vancouver?

Dorion spent seven years at the helm in Ottawa, before he was fired in late 2023 with the team in a state of significant turmoil and disarray, and hasn't been employed in an NHL front office ever since.

Jason Brough, of the Halford & Brough podcast, isn't overly impressed with the notion of Dorion taking over the Canucks' job.

"I just associate Pierre Dorion with some of the most dysfunctional years in Ottawa under Eugene Melnyk."

"Dorion's body of work in Ottawa leaves a hell of a lot to be desired," agreed Mike Halford, "and there are people that rue the day that he took over from Bryan Murray. Because he inherited a very strong team."

"I still can't believe he's a legitimate candidate, and I will be shocked if he's named the next general manager of the Vancouver Canucks," Brough added.

Sounds like we could have a showdown for Most Shocking & Controversial GM Hiring between the Canucks and the Toronto Maple Leafs.