Mike, we had a great team. Why didn't you help it?

[Bodee]

Yes, it could have. It's practically the same thing every Mike Gillis thread has been about since last season even.

[aGENT]

Oh I assure you, this one is much different. If you look at it closer, this thread talks about Gillis' mistakes, not his accomplishments. This thread outlines, in hindsight, what Gillis should have done to make the Canucks a powerhouse team. You really have to learn to read J.R.

[uber_pwnzor]

One of the sickest videos I've ever seen!

[MJDDawg]

Thanks for the video Bodee.

Gave me goosebumps and had this salty discharge coming from my eyes.

Funny watching the Hoff throw haymakers like he was. And Cookie scoring while Jovo is jumping up and down in the penalty box like a kid never gets old. And I'm going to miss you Lui.

[Avicii]

A 5th grader could tell you signing Sturm over Torres was a stupid move. Like what exactly was Gillis thinking? He wants to become a more physical team, he lets our most physical forward walk.. Alright..

Letting Ehrhoff walk was also stupid.

Gillis messed with a winning formula and now he's paying for it with crappy performances and crappy spots in the draft.

[B_a_M]

The fact is he could of modelled the team the same with different players.... he could of brought in a cheaper player that plays like Ehrhoff, Salo, Torres, etc.. Instead of that he's trying to model after the Bruins and the Kings and that's just not the Canucks' play style... The Canucks are built to be a run and gun team and the fact that he's now trying to change their identity is a mistake..

[Monty]

A 5th grader could tell you signing Sturm over Torres was a stupid move. Like what exactly was Gillis thinking? He wants to become a more physical team, he lets our most physical forward walk.. Alright..

Letting Ehrhoff walk was also stupid.

Gillis messed with a winning formula and now he's paying for it with crappy performances and crappy spots in the draft.

[Relfk]

I disagree with that the Canucks were bulid for a run and gun style. AV was always defense first, he did open up to the offensive game more the longer he was the coach of the Canucks but how may times did the Canucks have the lead and he had the team sit back in the third period. That isn't a run and gun style at all.

[B_a_M]

A 5th grader could tell you signing Sturm over Torres was a stupid move. Like what exactly was Gillis thinking? He wants to become a more physical team, he lets our most physical forward walk.. Alright..

Letting Ehrhoff walk was also stupid.

Gillis messed with a winning formula and now he's paying for it with crappy performances and crappy spots in the draft.

[Relfk]

Exactly! The Canucks already have one bad long term contract in Luongo that they are having difficulties getting out of, Gillis should have handed out another bad one to Ehrhoff, everyone would have loved that. Also, he absolutely should have signed Torres as well. Look what he was able to do in the playoffs for San Jose and Phoenix. Playing every shift and not missing any games.

[RWMc1]

Injuries! out of his control.

Changes in style of play and what refs call half way through the season! i.e. holding, hooking, and interference! out of his control.

Lockout and dificulty making trades as a result! out of his control.

Enough with the waaaaaaaah!!

[Tearloch7]

A 5th grader could tell you signing Sturm over Torres was a stupid move. Like what exactly was Gillis thinking? He wants to become a more physical team, he lets our most physical forward walk.. Alright..

Letting Ehrhoff walk was also stupid.

Gillis messed with a winning formula and now he's paying for it with crappy performances and crappy spots in the draft.

[Drouin]

Should have never got rid of Torres and Glass. Those guys did exactly what we wanted them too.

Now our bottom 6 sucks (4th line is embarrasing), our second line is a complete joke, and, our first line is small and predictable.

Injuries to Malhotra and Booth have hurt as well as not having a third line center, however, Gillis has had over a year to fix most all of these issues. While his wheeling and dealing got off to a good start he appears to have become afraid to make a move. Pretty hard when the team is so popular I guess and fans are shelling out craploads of money still for a declining product.

Ever since he failed to plan for what the strike might entail and trading Luongo early last offseason he has painted himself into a corner of usurping the fans money to be part of a 2-3 year holding pattern. Making no important moves this summer will mean the next season is just a complete write off and an opportunity for the Aquilini's to stockpile cash and give MG a year to figure out his final moves.

[Tearloch7]

Exactly! The Canucks already have one bad long term contract in Luongo that they are having difficulties getting out of, Gillis should have handed out another bad one to Ehrhoff, everyone would have loved that. Also, he absolutely should have signed Torres as well. Look what he was able to do in the playoffs for San Jose and Phoenix. Playing every shift and not missing any games.

[SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME]

I think one of Gillis' main mistakes is in how the Canucks' front office was assembled under his regime.

I have no issues with COO Victor deBonis, VP/AGM Lorne Henning, or VP/AGM Laurence Gilman. Nor do I question the non-hockey operations group that includes Carroll, Gardiner, Gear, Jones, Kobus, and Doyle.

All of the above represent, in my opinion, a strong management team and a group of people who are all very good at their jobs.

What I really question is Gillis' refusal to bring in more advisors on the hockey side of the operation.

Gillis' senior advisor is Stan Smyl and I love having the Steamer as part of the front office. But I wish that there were a few more guys with impressive resume--in the specific areas of managing and coaching of NHL teams--who were part of Gillis's advising group.

You look at the Blackhawks and of course there's a nepotism factor, but when Stan Bowman finally got to sit in the big chair as VP/GM in Chicago, he made sure to bring along his dad, Scotty Bowman (the greatest hockey mind in history) to have a management position as a senior adviser.

I think the combination of Gillis being a very smart guy and very creative also makes him vulnerable to a certain degree of hubris. He certainly delegated out many of the management roles to talented people and they have been successful. However, in terms of his own evolution from a player agent to an NHL GM, Gillis refused to hire a veteran guy who's really been there (and been successful), who could sit in an advisory capacity and help Gillis learn the ropes of leading an NHL franchise and help the first-time GM avoid many of the pitfalls that often await new blood in this position.

Quite a few years back, I suggested that the Canucks needed to add some veteran hockey guys (former head coaches, GMs. etc) to their management group as "special advisers" or "senior advisers" to the GM. Smyl is a good hockey man but he's not really considered one of the "great minds" in hockey who are known for running successful teams.

Every year, Hockey Canada grabs unemployed former NHL coaches and GMs to lead Team Canada for international tournaments. Same for various other organizations around the hockey world. That's one pool of talent where the Canucks have missed the chance to make some good hires that would have improved their overall "brain trust." Of course, there are also some guys who aren't in the show any more because the simply suck now. But there have been a handful of guys, over Gillis's term in Vancouver, who could have been hired on to help beef-up the hockey knowledge of this management group.

Of course, Gillis came in as a bit of an outsider and has struggled to get accepted into the old boys' club of NHL GMs (some guys still don't seem to want to deal with MG). So maybe Gillis is a little fearful of bringing in an adviser who has a superior resume and who carries much greater gravitas with the NHL community. Possible that Gillis would feel threatened by having a big-name former GM on the payroll.

I hope that's not the case. I hope Gillis is secure enough to believe he can run this team better than anyone else. And I hope he's not afraid to collaborate (when it's helpful) and isn't threatened by other people's intellects or experience.

Maybe the Aquilinis wouldn't open their wallets to hire "advisers" at 6-7 figures/per?

Personally, I've seen what good advisers can do. Bowman Sr. quietly watched the games from high above the ice surface and took notes and offered strategies during the games and then prepared recommendations to be implemented for the next game(s). If you look for them, you can find archived articles explaining how Bowman helped the Hawks figure out the Canucks (and many other teams) and how big a role "daddy" played in Stan's Cup win. A respected adviser (who's been a head guy in the past) can work PR behind the scenes and discretely voice team objections to the NHL, Dept. of Player Safety, Officials Assoc., other teams' management/coaches, and even the media. Some older guys can't be GMs or head coaches any more but they still carry respect (kind of like an ex-President of the USA in foreign policy). These are valuable guys to have on your side (and many of them would love to have an advisory position--where they're not in the full day-to-day grind of the organization but play a specialized role using their experience and hockey smarts to help identify critical flaws--with their own team and their competition--and then strategize on how to adjust for the best advantage).

Many NHL teams have hired highly impressive hockey people for roles as special advisers and senior advisers and this has helped those teams' management toward the goal of utilizing every advantage they can to be competitive and successful in the NHL.

The Canucks have Stan Smyl. Again, not knocking the Steamer but just making the point that more is needed IMHO.

[Smashian Kassian]

He is the one who helped us become that team.......

[EmployeeoftheMonth]

No it couldn't.

This is as much about appreciating what we had as it is a comment on gillis. The video was to refresh peoples memories because it seems that every 2nd day all our players are being diminished in rep.

[Robongo]

I think one of Gillis' main mistakes is in how the Canucks' front office was assembled under his regime.

I have no issues with COO Victor deBonis, VP/AGM Lorne Henning, or VP/AGM Laurence Gilman. Nor do I question the non-hockey operations group that includes Carroll, Gardiner, Gear, Jones, Kobus, and Doyle.

All of the above represent, in my opinion, a strong management team and a group of people who are all very good at their jobs.

What I really question is Gillis' refusal to bring in more advisors on the hockey side of the operation.

Gillis' senior advisor is Stan Smyl and I love having the Steamer as part of the front office. But I wish that there were a few more guys with impressive resume--in the specific areas of managing and coaching of NHL teams--who were part of Gillis's advising group.

You look at the Blackhawks and of course there's a nepotism factor, but when Stan Bowman finally got to sit in the big chair as VP/GM in Chicago, he made sure to bring along his dad, Scotty Bowman (the greatest hockey mind in history) to have a management position as a senior adviser.

I think the combination of Gillis being a very smart guy and very creative also makes him vulnerable to a certain degree of hubris. He certainly delegated out many of the management roles to talented people and they have been successful. However, in terms of his own evolution from a player agent to an NHL GM, Gillis refused to hire a veteran guy who's really been there (and been successful), who could sit in an advisory capacity and help Gillis learn the ropes of leading an NHL franchise and help the first-time GM avoid many of the pitfalls that often await new blood in this position.

Quite a few years back, I suggested that the Canucks needed to add some veteran hockey guys (former head coaches, GMs. etc) to their management group as "special advisers" or "senior advisers" to the GM. Smyl is a good hockey man but he's not really considered one of the "great minds" in hockey who are known for running successful teams.

Every year, Hockey Canada grabs unemployed former NHL coaches and GMs to lead Team Canada for international tournaments. Same for various other organizations around the hockey world. That's one pool of talent where the Canucks have missed the chance to make some good hires that would have improved their overall "brain trust." Of course, there are also some guys who aren't in the show any more because the simply suck now. But there have been a handful of guys, over Gillis's term in Vancouver, who could have been hired on to help beef-up the hockey knowledge of this management group.

Of course, Gillis came in as a bit of an outsider and has struggled to get accepted into the old boys' club of NHL GMs (some guys still don't seem to want to deal with MG). So maybe Gillis is a little fearful of bringing in an adviser who has a superior resume and who carries much greater gravitas with the NHL community. Possible that Gillis would feel threatened by having a big-name former GM on the payroll.

I hope that's not the case. I hope Gillis is secure enough to believe he can run this team better than anyone else. And I hope he's not afraid to collaborate (when it's helpful) and isn't threatened by other people's intellects or experience.

Maybe the Aquilinis wouldn't open their wallets to hire "advisers" at 6-7 figures/per?

Personally, I've seen what good advisers can do. Bowman Sr. quietly watched the games from high above the ice surface and took notes and offered strategies during the games and then prepared recommendations to be implemented for the next game(s). If you look for them, you can find archived articles explaining how Bowman helped the Hawks figure out the Canucks (and many other teams) and how big a role "daddy" played in Stan's Cup win. A respected adviser (who's been a head guy in the past) can work PR behind the scenes and discretely voice team objections to the NHL, Dept. of Player Safety, Officials Assoc., other teams' management/coaches, and even the media. Some older guys can't be GMs or head coaches any more but they still carry respect (kind of like an ex-President of the USA in foreign policy). These are valuable guys to have on your side (and many of them would love to have an advisory position--where they're not in the full day-to-day grind of the organization but play a specialized role using their experience and hockey smarts to help identify critical flaws--with their own team and their competition--and then strategize on how to adjust for the best advantage).

Many NHL teams have hired highly impressive hockey people for roles as special advisers and senior advisers and this has helped those teams' management toward the goal of utilizing every advantage they can to be competitive and successful in the NHL.

The Canucks have Stan Smyl. Again, not knocking the Steamer but just making the point that more is needed IMHO.

[Tearloch7]

I think one of Gillis' main mistakes is in how the Canucks' front office was assembled under his regime.

I have no issues with COO Victor deBonis, VP/AGM Lorne Henning, or VP/AGM Laurence Gilman. Nor do I question the non-hockey operations group that includes Carroll, Gardiner, Gear, Jones, Kobus, and Doyle.

All of the above represent, in my opinion, a strong management team and a group of people who are all very good at their jobs.

What I really question is Gillis' refusal to bring in more advisors on the hockey side of the operation.

Gillis' senior advisor is Stan Smyl and I love having the Steamer as part of the front office. But I wish that there were a few more guys with impressive resume--in the specific areas of managing and coaching of NHL teams--who were part of Gillis's advising group.

You look at the Blackhawks and of course there's a nepotism factor, but when Stan Bowman finally got to sit in the big chair as VP/GM in Chicago, he made sure to bring along his dad, Scotty Bowman (the greatest hockey mind in history) to have a management position as a senior adviser.

I think the combination of Gillis being a very smart guy and very creative also makes him vulnerable to a certain degree of hubris. He certainly delegated out many of the management roles to talented people and they have been successful. However, in terms of his own evolution from a player agent to an NHL GM, Gillis refused to hire a veteran guy who's really been there (and been successful), who could sit in an advisory capacity and help Gillis learn the ropes of leading an NHL franchise and help the first-time GM avoid many of the pitfalls that often await new blood in this position.

Quite a few years back, I suggested that the Canucks needed to add some veteran hockey guys (former head coaches, GMs. etc) to their management group as "special advisers" or "senior advisers" to the GM. Smyl is a good hockey man but he's not really considered one of the "great minds" in hockey who are known for running successful teams.

Every year, Hockey Canada grabs unemployed former NHL coaches and GMs to lead Team Canada for international tournaments. Same for various other organizations around the hockey world. That's one pool of talent where the Canucks have missed the chance to make some good hires that would have improved their overall "brain trust." Of course, there are also some guys who aren't in the show any more because the simply suck now. But there have been a handful of guys, over Gillis's term in Vancouver, who could have been hired on to help beef-up the hockey knowledge of this management group.

Of course, Gillis came in as a bit of an outsider and has struggled to get accepted into the old boys' club of NHL GMs (some guys still don't seem to want to deal with MG). So maybe Gillis is a little fearful of bringing in an adviser who has a superior resume and who carries much greater gravitas with the NHL community. Possible that Gillis would feel threatened by having a big-name former GM on the payroll.

I hope that's not the case. I hope Gillis is secure enough to believe he can run this team better than anyone else. And I hope he's not afraid to collaborate (when it's helpful) and isn't threatened by other people's intellects or experience.

Maybe the Aquilinis wouldn't open their wallets to hire "advisers" at 6-7 figures/per?

Personally, I've seen what good advisers can do. Bowman Sr. quietly watched the games from high above the ice surface and took notes and offered strategies during the games and then prepared recommendations to be implemented for the next game(s). If you look for them, you can find archived articles explaining how Bowman helped the Hawks figure out the Canucks (and many other teams) and how big a role "daddy" played in Stan's Cup win. A respected adviser (who's been a head guy in the past) can work PR behind the scenes and discretely voice team objections to the NHL, Dept. of Player Safety, Officials Assoc., other teams' management/coaches, and even the media. Some older guys can't be GMs or head coaches any more but they still carry respect (kind of like an ex-President of the USA in foreign policy). These are valuable guys to have on your side (and many of them would love to have an advisory position--where they're not in the full day-to-day grind of the organization but play a specialized role using their experience and hockey smarts to help identify critical flaws--with their own team and their competition--and then strategize on how to adjust for the best advantage).

Many NHL teams have hired highly impressive hockey people for roles as special advisers and senior advisers and this has helped those teams' management toward the goal of utilizing every advantage they can to be competitive and successful in the NHL.

The Canucks have Stan Smyl. Again, not knocking the Steamer but just making the point that more is needed IMHO.

[nuck nit]

"So maybe Gillis is a little fearful of bringing in an adviser who has a superior resume and who carries much greater gravitas with the NHL community. Possible that Gillis would feel threatened by having a big-name former GM on the payroll." Sid is Sid Me is Me

Team suffers but Gillis secures his potbelly and fishing trips.Bout right.