Vancouver Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson just found his replacement.

The 49-year-old was promoted last month from his post as Canucks AGM and general manager of the Abbotsford Canucks.

On Thursday, the Canucks announced they had hired Richard Seeley as the new Johnson, naming him Abbotsford Canucks GM and assistant general manager of the Vancouver Canucks.

“Rich is someone I have admired and respected for a long time,” Johnson said in a press release.

“I believe his mindset and mentality will fit in nicely with what we are trying to establish with our organization in both Abbotsford and Vancouver.”

So, who is Richard Seeley exactly? Here are seven things to know about the newest member of the Canucks organization.

1. He’s a B.C. boy

During their general manager search, the Canucks apparently had an interest in hiring people with B.C. ties.

Well, that sentiment turned into a reality with the hiring of Seeley.

The 48-year-old was born in Powell River on Vancouver Island.

2. Never made the NHL but battled the Bruins

Seeley was drafted into the NHL during the sixth round (137th overall) by the Los Angeles Kings in 1997.

While he heard his name called by an NHL team, Seeley never made the show.

However, the defenceman did get to play against an NHL team.

Back in 2010, Seeley suited up for the Elite League Select team, a squad of players from England’s EIHL, where they played the Boston Bruins in an exhibition game.

Seeley and the Elite League Select team lost 5-1 to the Bruins. Tyler Seguin, Zdeno Chara, Brad Marchand, and Milan Lucic scored for Boston in the win.

3. Played pro hockey in five countries

Like many pro players who don’t make it to the NHL, Seeley went on a journey before officially retiring after the 2010-11 season.

The 6-foot-3 defenceman spent seven seasons playing in the AHL before making the trek overseas. Once he was in Europe, Seeley played for teams in Germany, Austria, Croatia, and Ireland.

4. Captained three different teams

Johnson did say that he had a preference for targeting players who had worn a letter on their jersey at some point in their hockey career.

He was speaking about players, but Seeley’s leadership experience surely didn’t hurt.

The left-shot defenceman wore a “C” with three different teams in his career: the Prince Albert Raiders (WHL), Manchester Monarchs (AHL), and Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL).

Seeley also wore an “A” on his jersey with three other teams in Europe.

5. Coached Anze Kopitar’s brother

Did you know that Anze Kopitar had a brother?

Anze’s younger brother, Gasper Kopitar, was never drafted into the NHL. However, he did spend some time in the Kings organization, suiting up for their ECHL for parts of five seasons.

Two of those seasons were when Seeley coached the Manchester Monarchs of the ECHL. Seeley was their head coach for three seasons before being promoted by the Los Angeles Kings to AHL GM.

6. Several Kings players developed under his watch

While Seeley wasn’t behind the bench in the AHL, Johnson stated that he still played a role in the development of young Kings players.

“He is a great communicator, goes to work every day with an open mind, and sets his players up for success by creating an environment that tries to eliminate any excuse that would stop them from making progress,” Johnson stated in a press release.

Players such as Brandt Clarke, Quintin Byfield, Gabriel Vilardi, Matt Roy, Mikey Anderson, Jordan Spence, Sean Durzi, and Alex Laferriere have all graduated from the AHL to the NHL under Seeley’s watch.

7. Led AHL team to playoffs in six straight seasons

The Canucks aren’t hiring the GM of a floundering AHL franchise.

The Ontario Reign missed the playoffs just once with Seeley in charge. That was during his first season on the job in 2018-19.

While Seeley has managed the Kings AHL team for nearly eight years, his role with the Canucks will be the first time he’s been named AGM of an NHL team.