Abbotsford Canucks General Manager Richard Seeley has seen the AHL evolve over the past decade and is thrilled to be working with the organization he grew up enjoying.
Seeley spent the last eight seasons as the General Manager of the Los Angeles Kings’ minor league team, the Ontario Reign. You’ve seen how a good AHL environment can impact player development, but you know that the AHL is a league that develops more than just players.
You want coaches, trainers, medical staff, and everyone else to do whatever they can to make it to the NHL, and surrounding players with a great support system helps create an environment to win in the AHL.
Seeley’s first step in his role with the Canucks is to check out the entire Abbotsford Canucks organization. You know Ryan Johnson has done a great job down Highway One, and the 2025 Calder Cup Champion banner is proof of that.
“The NHL is not a very developmental league compared to the AHL. So, that’s where we want to make sure we prepare the guys, give them the best opportunity to wear a Vancouver Canucks jersey, and make the transition as smooth as possible. That means aligning both the AHL and NHL clubs in the way they operate and lay the foundation for development and growth,” said Seeley.
Development in the AHL has grown significantly over the past 10 years, as shown by the statistics for the 2023-24 season, where 87% of NHL players played in the AHL.
When asked how to achieve the best results in development at the AHL level, Seeley cited communication. He believes the vacant AHL Head Coach position requires someone who is a good communicator who can build strong relationships with players and staff.
“You can’t increase a player’s ability without creating effective relationships. It’s not something where the coach says, ‘jump’ and the player says, ‘how much’,” said Seeley.
When asked about the most exciting part of his eight seasons as GM, Seeley talked about the growth he saw in the staff and young players, especially the rookies.
Seeley explained, “Seeing a player who developed in the AHL take his rookie legs or score his first NHL goal is one of the most rewarding things when I think about it. Alex Turcotte, for example, got a big hug from Reign teammate Jordan Spence. Taylor Ward and Angus Booth were a couple of guys who scored goals in their own way to find an NHL path to an NHL debut, and understand what NHL players do. what happened behind the scenes to get them there, knowing that the AHL staff played a small part in those guys achieving their dream, puts a smile on my face.”
During his time with Reign, the Los Angeles Kings were at the top of the NHL draft. Seeley has extensive experience developing top prospects and believes that building a strong foundation helps young players succeed at the professional levels.
“We have to build that foundation and try to establish habits that will help them succeed at the next level,” said Seeley.
“They don’t know what to expect. It’s an important time to teach and train these young players. We must focus on building those basic habits so they can succeed but also give them confidence along the way.”
When Sedin and Johnson were announced as co-Presidents and General Managers of the Vancouver Canucks, it immediately caught Seeley’s attention.
“When you listen to RJ, Daniel, and Henrik’s press conferences, you just listen to the way they talk, and it draws you in. There’s not a lot of ‘I’ that comes out, it’s all ‘we’, and I really take those things in, and that makes me happy,” Seeley said.
Seeley is already busy signing and talking with the Sedins and Johnson to gather more information on Abbotsford’s players and staff. He is excited to be back in his home state and is determined to contribute to the Canucks’ road to creating something special for the fans.
