Leslie Rutherford Age: How Old Is Jim Rutherford Wife? Family

Leslie is the lovely wife of Jim Rutherford, who appears to be in her thirties.

She hasn’t officially revealed her age, but after observing her attire and lifestyle, she appears to be in her early to mid-thirties. However, various sources on the internet claim her being of a particular age, but those information doesn’t have enough evidence to support their claim. She has been together with her husband for over a decade and collectively formed a beautiful family of three.

The age gap between the Rutherford couple is evident. Jim is currently 73, while his wife seems to be in her thirties. Due to this fact, many people get surprised after learning about their relationship at first. Som has even criticized the couple, but they are going strong in their lie, dodging all the speculations people make against them.

Leslie wasn’t with her husband during the early phase of his life. Still, she is now one of the primary sources of motivation as he makes important management decisions for big ice hockey teams across USA and Canada.

The couple particularly hasn’t mentioned the beginning of their relationship as they want to keep their personal life away from the limelight. They have a teenage son, so it is evident that they have known each other for at least ten years. Leslie is professionally active as a professional cook. She even met her husband while working at P.F. Chang in the USA. He was fond of Chinese cuisine and often conducted business meetings at the restaurant.

Jim has a teenage son, James Rutherford, who lives with his parents in the USA.

Even by the standards of most dads and sons, Jim and James Rutherford have a close relationship. James, who has been around hockey all his life, was intrigued by playing goalkeeper, the position his father played in the NHL. Like his father, the boy had no advantage from height. He displayed a fiercely competitive nature, much like his father, and it helped that he had access to some of the sport’s top coaches.

For his 35 years as a hockey executive, Jim Rutherford was chosen in the builder category for the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019. He has three Stanley Cup victories to his credit as a general manager, two with the Pittsburgh Penguins and one with the Carolina Hurricanes.

The NHL management planned an excellent video tribute and note from his son for this special occasion. The video message was heartfelt and a unique tribute to Jim’s contribution to the NHL.

Jim was one of the highest-earning players in the NHL and currently earns a handsome income as president of hockey operations of the Vancouver Canucks. His estimated net worth in 2022 is $1 million.

He is the head of hockey operations for the Vancouver Canucks. Before accepting a position with the Vancouver Canucks, Rutherford worked for the Carolina Hurricanes for more than 20 years in a similar capacity. He moved there in April 2014 after beginning work there in June 1994. He was hired on June 6, 2014, and left his position as general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins on January 27, 2021, citing personal reasons.

Rutherford joined the Hurricanes team in 1994 and helped develop the team that won the Stanley Cup in 2006. Before joining the Penguins as general manager, Rutherford served as president, general manager, and a part-owner of the Carolina Hurricanes, formerly known as the Hartford Whalers, until 1997.

Later, he contributed to developing the Penguins squad that won the Stanley Cup twice, in 2016 and 2017. As a general manager, Rutherford has won three Stanley Cups, with the Hurricanes in 2006 and the Penguins in 2016 and 2017.

His achievements are self-evident, but it’s important to note that they have a distinctive style. Many general managers in the NHL operate their organizations like the agency. They act in complete secrecy and with extreme seriousness. But Jim’s nature of work is the opposite of that. With his experience and expertise, Jim has impacted the performance of every team that he is part of. 

Rutherford is one of the most successful managers in current times. Everything he touches turns into gold. He retired from the game as a player in 1983. After being away from the game for a while, he came to show his magic as a manager for Carolina Hurricanes.

Rutherford served as president, general manager, and a part-owner of the Carolina Hurricanes, formerly the Hartford Whalers, until 1997, before accepting the position as general manager with the Penguins. He began working with the Hurricanes in 1994 and contributed to the growth of the Hurricanes squad that won the Stanley Cup in 2006.

He later helped shape the Penguins team, who won the Stanley Cup twice in 2016 and 2017. Rutherford was one of the pioneers of the hockey goalie mask ornamentation craze in 1976. A friend first painted Rutherford’s mask and added two red wings on the temples without Rutherford’s permission.

Since he didn’t have enough time to choose a suitable cover before the game, he reluctantly wore the ornamented mask on the ice. Rutherford won the Stanley Cup three times: once in 2006 with the Carolina Hurricanes and twice with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He received the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award on June 23, 2016. After three years of this achievement, Jim Rutherford was admitted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019. He is one of the most critical assets in any team. However, on January 27, 2021, Rutherford announced his resignation as general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins after serving the team for seven years.

His sudden departure was cited as personal reasons, but later, he revealed in an interview the main reason for that decision was covid-19. He was isolated from his family, which impacted his mental health. However, he couldn’t stay away from the game for much longer. So, Rutherford was appointed the Vancouver Canucks’ interim general manager and president of hockey operations on December 9, 2021.