Abbotsford Canucks General Manager Richard Seeley has seen the AHL evolve over the past decade and is excited to get to work with the organization that he grew up cheering for.
Seeley has spent the past eight seasons as the General Manager of the Los Angeles Kings’ minor league team, the Ontario Reign. He has seen how impactful a good AHL environment can be on player development, but knows that the AHL is a developmental league for more than just the players.
He wants coaches, trainers, medical staff, and all others to do whatever they can to make it to the NHL, and surrounding the players with a great support system helps create a winning environment in the AHL.
Step one for Seeley in his role with the Canucks is to take an assessment of the entire Abbotsford Canucks organization. He knows that 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 so much a development league compared to the AHL. So, that's where we want to make sure we prepare the guys, give them the best opportunity to put on a Vancouver Canucks jersey, and make the transition as smooth as possible. That means alignment of both the AHL and NHL clubs on how 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 statistics from the 2023-24 season, in which 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 a good communicator who can build strong relationships with players and staff.
“You are not going to maximize a player’s potential without forming a productive relationship. It’s not a thing where the coach says, ‘jump’ and the player says, ‘how high’ anymore,” said Seeley.
When asked about the most fun part of his eight seasons as the General Manager of the Reign, Seeley cited the growth that you see from staff members and the young players, specifically the rookies.
Seeley elaborated, "Seeing a player who had developed in the AHL take their rookie lap or score their first NHL goal is one of the most rewarding experiences when I think about it. Alex Turcotte, for example, got a huge hug from his Reign teammate Jordan Spence. Taylor Ward and Angus Booth were a couple of guys who scored in their NHL debuts. The different paths the players take to get to the NHL, and having an understanding of what work took place behind the scenes for them to get there, knowing the AHL staff played a small role in those guys realizing their dream, puts a smile on my face."
During his time with the Reign, the Los Angeles Kings were drafting quite high in the NHL draft. Seeley has plenty of experience developing highly touted prospects and believes that building a solid foundation helps young players figure out how to succeed in the professional ranks.
“We have to build that foundation and try to establish habits that are going to help them be successful at the next level,” said Seeley.
“They don't know what to expect. It’s such an important time to teach and coach these young players. We must focus on building those foundational habits for them to be successful but also giving them confidence along the way.”
When the Sedins and Johnson were announced as Co-Presidents and General Manager of the Vancouver Canucks, it immediately piqued Seeley’s attention.
“When you listen to RJ, Daniel, and Henrik's press conferences, you just listen to the way they speak, and it draws you in. There's not a lot of ‘I’s’ coming out, it's all ‘we', and I really pick up on that stuff, and that's exciting to me,” said Seeley.
Seeley has already been busy making signings and talking to the Sedins and Johnson to gather as much information as possible about the players and staff in Abbotsford. He is ecstatic to be back in his home province and eager to help contribute to the Canucks’ road to building something special for the fans.
