The Jim Rutherford Trophy is given to the best goaltender in the Ontario Hockey League, as voted by coaches and general managers.
Following his playing career, Rutherford joined the Windsor Compuware Spitfires as the general manager of the team from 1984-88, winning the J. Ross Robertson Cup in the 1987-88 season.
He remained in this position as they were renamed the Detroit Junior Red Wings in 1992 until accepting a job promotion to become the general manager, president, and minority owner of the Hartford Whalers in 1994.
He stayed with the club until 2014 before stepping down and selling his shares in the Hurricanes to become the general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Prior to 2020, the Jim Rutherford Trophy was called the Ontario Hockey Goaltender of the Year.