VANCOUVER, BC - MARCH 20: Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin speaks to the press prior to their NHL game against the Buffalo Sabres at Rogers Arena on March 20, 2022 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Derek Cain / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images)
The Seattle Kraken have hired former Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin as vice president and assistant general manager, and former Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Pascal Vincent as an assistant coach, the team announced on Thursday.
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Allvin, 51, spent four-and-a-half seasons as general manager in Vancouver under Jim Rutherford, who was president of hockey operations for the Canucks. Allvin became the first Swedish general manager in NHL history when Vancovuer hired him in 2022 from the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he served 16 years in the team's front office. Ten of those years came alongside Kraken general manager Jason Botterill.
"As we continue to review our hockey operations this offseason, I’m excited to have Patrik join the team," Botteril said in a statement. He’s a three-time Stanley Cup Champion, GM of the Year runner-up and someone I worked with closely for many years in Pittsburgh. I believe Patrik is a great fit to help us build long-term success, bringing an extensive hockey network and many years of leadership to our group."
Allvin joins Ricky Olczyk, Alexandra Mandrycky and Ryan Janikowski as assistant general managers for the Kraken under Botterill.
"I am grateful for this opportunity and excited to join the Seattle Kraken organization," Allvin said in a statement. "There is a strong commitment to building a winning team and a passionate fan base, and I look forward to collaborating with Jason and the hockey operations staff as we continue building a club capable of sustained success."
Allvin's background mainly lies in scouting, where he's served multiple roles during stops with the Penguins and Montreal Canadiens. He spent four years as a European scout with the Canadiens from 2002-06 before joining the Penguins in the same role during the 2006-07 season. He became director of European scouting, director of amateur scouting, and assistant general manager in Pittsburgh under general managers Ray Shero, Botterill (interim), and Rutherford.
Allvin also briefly served as interim GM of the Penguins in 2021 before leaving to join Rutherford with the Canucks in January 2022. He was a part of three Stanley Cup winning teams in Pittsburgh in 2009, 2016, and 2017.
A native of Falun, Sweden, Allvin played eight years of hockey as a defenseman for teams in the ECHL, International Hockey League, and Swedish leagues before transitioning into a scouting career.
Vincent, 54, joins Lane Lambert's coaching staff after spending the last two years as head coach of the Laval Rocket, the Canadiens' affiliate in the American Hockey League.
"I’m thrilled to have Pascal join our staff," Lambert said in a statement "He comes to our organization with a great deal of knowledge, having been a head coach and an assistant coach at all levels. His experience and track record developing young players and working with veteran players will be a great asset to our organization."
Vincent spent one year as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023-24 after being elevated from an assistant's role when Mike Babcock resigned before ever coaching a game for the team. The Blue Jackets finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference (27-43-12, 66 pts), and had the fourth-worst record in the league, ahead of only the Anaheim Ducks (59 pts), Chicago Blackhawks (52 pts) and San Jose Sharks (47 pts).
Vincent has twice been named winner of the Louis AR Pieri Memorial Award, given to the AHL Coach of the Year. Vincent won the award in 2017-18 with the Manitoba Moose, and won it again with Laval in 2024-25. The Rocket had a league-leading 48-19-5 record for 101 points in his first year back in the AHL.
Vincent served three years as an assistant with the Blue Jackets before getting his one season as head coach, and five years as an assistant with the Winnipeg Jets.
Vincent also won the QMJHL GM of the Year award in 2006-07 and the QMJHL Coach of the Year award the following season with Cape Breton.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Seattle Kraken and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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