Vancouver Canucks president discloses how they fell out of UFA Ethan Bear signing race

The Vancouver Canucks find themselves in a state of disappointment after losing defenseman Ethan Bear to the Washington Capitals. The 26-year-old blueliner, who spent the 2022–23 season with the Canucks, is reportedly on the verge of finalizing a two-year agreement with the Capitals as he continues to recover from offseason shoulder surgery.

Bear's contributions to the Canucks were notable, accumulating 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) while averaging 18:32 of ice time in 61 games during the previous season. Acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes in a trade that sent Lane Pederson to Vancouver, Bear became a steady presence and delivered strong two-way impacts.

His efforts extended to winning gold with Team Canada at the 2023 IIHF World Championships, where, unfortunately, he suffered a shoulder injury.

Jim Rutherford, the President of Hockey Operations for the Vancouver Canucks, expressed disappointment over losing Bear in an interview with Don Taylor and Rick Dhaliwal of "Donnie and Dhali — The Team." Rutherford revealed that the Canucks were optimistic about retaining Bear, with regular communication between General Manager Patrik Allvin and Bear's agent.

Rutherford said:

“Patrik (Allvin) had regular communication with the agent. We thought we were the frontrunners. You go back to last year when we brought him here and nobody in the league really wanted to deal for him. We brought him here and kind of helped him along with his game. Unfortunately, he got hurt. It didn’t make sense to sign him because he was getting insurance money from Hockey Canada because he got hurt at the World Championship, so he was covered that way.

Vancouver Canucks president acknowledges player's "right to choose" another place

Rutherford reflected on the Vancouver Canucks' efforts in helping Bear develop his game since acquiring him last year. However, due to a roster squeeze and the acquisition of Nikita Zadorov from the Calgary Flames in November, the Canucks didn't have much room.

Rutherford continued:

“It got down to the end and there was a little bit of change. I’m sure it’s partly because of money. It’s a little disappointing because we put a lot of work in and we really thought that he was coming back to the Canucks, but he has the right to choose and I take it he chose another place where he feels that it’s best for him.”

While disappointed, Rutherford acknowledged the player's right to make the best decision for his career. The NHL team, currently sitting second in the Pacific Division with a 19–9–1 record.

The Vancouver Canucks will face the Florida Panthers at Rogers Arena on Thursday.