Mike Gillis Team 1040 Interview

[BedBeats™2.0]

I think it's a shot across the bow of ownership by saying it's either me or Torts. Gillis is very conservative and never very forthcoming in his interviews, so to bring this to a head at this point in the season and in such a public way is very surprising and seems to be his line in the sand.

Either way, this confirms to me that our sleezbag owners have been too involved with the running of this team, and that Gillis has had his hands tied with various aspects of running the club (ie. hiring Torts, style of play, taking on money in trades...etc.).

In one fell swoop, he's essentially said that he regrets hiring Torts and chasing a different style of play, while at the same time telling ownership that he's going to run this team his way, and if ownership won't let him, then they should fire him.

This is Gillis going all in at the poker table.

Should be interesting.

Absolutely agree. It was really suprising to hear that from MG.

Good on him too. He isnt the perfect GM. But he has been a Hockey guy all of his life, and it must have been frustrating to have to acquiese to ownership in the last off season and live with it thruout the current one.

I prefer this real drama than the one created by many last season with Lu.

Like sands through the hourglass, these are the off-season days of our lives.

[Westcoasting]

Canucks should hire Maggie the Monkey from TSN for GM. Probably do a lot better with no drama as compared to Gillis

[Blackberries]

Im back on his side a bit with this.

[jj99]

Anybody hear the Gary Mason interview with BMac and Taylor yesterday. Threw out a rumour (wouldn't name who he was having lunch with) that Aquillini's might be setting things up to sell the team......

[Dogbyte]

Gillis has made a few mistakes as GM. But seriously, who hasn't.

Also, If ownership fires Gillis, and retains Torts, they've lost me as a fan for the time being. I hate it (assuming it's true that ownership has meddled) that the owners are meddling with team affairs, that's never a good thing. Leave it to the people who actually know the ins and outs of the business. Enjoy your toy, Aquilinis, but don't get involved in professional hockey operations, when your really only a fan of the game (like the rest of us).

I think, if Gillis was given free reign on how to run this franchise, without ownership meddling...he can get us back to the days where we had tremendous success.

Like the last 2 years? How do people think MG going back to his old ways is beneficial in any sense of the word?

Unbelievable. MG pointing fingers at everyone but himself.

People are so gullible (Gillable). It's like watching House of Cards or something. Look at all the sheep lead to the slaughter. He is lawyering the heck out of everyone here. It's mind boggling.

Callling out a coach that he himself hired because he can't turn his sack of misfits into champions. Lol, it's beyond sad now.

[Tearloch7]

Agreed, i quit listening to CFMI because of the egotistical blowhard and don't listen to Team 1040 in the mornings now......Donny Taylor rules!

[ForsbergTheGreat]

That was a direct shot at Elliotte Friedman then.

However, the Canucks brought it all on themselves. To me the heritage classic was a stage to justify the Luongo trade even though Schneider was already dealt. It's all part of the 'shocking' decline of Canadian teams after they reach the finals these days.

Wondering how low the Canucks have to go before they're finally allowed to rise again. Because this is pretty low.

I think the fans here are getting tired of even great Canucks teams being disrespected and run over by the NHL bus. The NHL should be careful. They need Vancouver tickets to sell in order to subsidize their southern expansion. Vancouver fans aren't like TO, Edmonton and Calgary fans. There's a lot more to do in Vancouver, for starters, even if the Canucks are the only legit game in town. That factor breeds fickle fans just as it does in LA, SJ and Anaheim, who have been very much spoiled by the league as of late.

Empty arenas here = Bad for the league. But here's the real problem for the league: We're smart. We know a Calgary approach to team building/declining when we see it. Yeah, some of us will get our jollies when an old man free agent comes into down to prop up an oldish core, but most of us know that will just prolong the suffering a bit longer.

I think we've suffered long enough. It's time to get some bloody respect from the league. And it's time for the Canucks to get some legit winning-capable players on their team. If that doesn't happen soon, then sorry, but the arenas will start to be quite empty for years and years.

Basically, give us a cup, Gary. We're due.

No it was against Biron who said Lack will "never" be a number 1 goalie in the league.

[BedBeats™2.0]

Unbelievable. MG pointing fingers at everyone but himself.

You might want to listen to the interview.

[Rush17]

MJDDawg, on 03 Apr 2014 - 11:34 AM, said:

I think it's a shot across the bow of ownership by saying it's either me or Torts. Gillis is very conservative and never very forthcoming in his interviews, so to bring this to a head at this point in the season and in such a public way is very surprising and seems to be his line in the sand.

Either way, this confirms to me that our sleezbag owners have been too involved with the running of this team, and that Gillis has had his hands tied with various aspects of running the club (ie. hiring Torts, style of play, taking on money in trades...etc.).

In one fell swoop, he's essentially said that he regrets hiring Torts and chasing a different style of play, while at the same time telling ownership that he's going to run this team his way, and if ownership won't let him, then they should fire him.

This is Gillis going all in at the poker table.

Should be interesting.

Absolutely agree. It was really suprising to hear that from MG.

Good on him too. He isnt the perfect GM. But he has been a Hockey guy all of his life, and it must have been frustrating to have to acquiese to ownership in the last off season and live with it thruout the current one.

I prefer this real drama than the one created by many last season with Lu.

Like sands through the hourglass, these are the off-season days of our lives.

Absolutely agree. It was really suprising to hear that from MG.

Good on him too. He isnt the perfect GM. But he has been a Hockey guy all of his life, and it must have been frustrating to have to acquiese to ownership in the last off season and live with it thruout the current one.

I prefer this real drama than the one created by many last season with Lu.

Like sands through the hourglass, these are the off-season days of our lives.

This sounds 100% accurate. Great way of looking at it. MG needs to stand his ground and take leadership. MG is improving in all areas of his job. I would be severely disappointed if Gillis gets canned over this interview if what we believe is true that owernship has been tie'ing his hands. If not then this is his last ditch effort to keep his gig but. The way he has answered interviews in the past imo shows that he has had his hands tied because he hasn't been able to say clearly what the plan is about anything. Now he is being open and honest; Something that I personally find very refreshing.

Props to Gillis for stepping up. I think he has the skillset to learn from his previous mistakes and become a top tier GM. But I guess time will tell.

[oldnews]

Mentioned those same points in the thread about the user reviewing the Canucks past playoff runs. Though most of everyone in that thread seemed to feel that Hoff is the missing key player for the team right now. And he is not.

Aside from the very unlucky injuries that seem to dog this team, i do not think Torts had enough time to really assess what made the team successful. And it is abundantly clear that MG acquiesced to ownership and Torts about the style of play. Torts had time to suss out what was wrong in his coaching eyes to actually see if he can implement his style. He also failed to do his homework on what the Western teams are all about now. And basically they are larger versions of those earlier Gillis rosters. Identical styles of play

Many people have just crapped on MG, and some of it deserved. But i feel for the guy when i watched some of those games. I bet the Irish in him wanted to punch Frank in the meddling face when the team was just not playing the way he wanted. I know i felt that way seeing all that talent was slowly emasculated offensively by a coach that has always poorly adapted.

The coach is only partly to blame. But he does need to change. As does the roster. Not a wholesale change whatsoever. Just a few tweaks here and there and start meshing in the deserving young guns to be mentored.

I agree for the most part. The one thing I would question is whether Tortorella didn't in fact have time to assess what made the team successful.

One thing that irked me in the interviews he conducted before the Rangers game was his answer to the question of what he thought about the way they were playing. His answer was that he hadn't looked at them at all - was focused on what he's doing with this team. For a guy who so many folks considered superior to AV where making adjustments are concerned, not even looking at the gameplanning and tendencies of your next opponent? Really? Should we really be that surprised, then, when the result is to come out of the first period at a 2-0 deficit?

I also simply cannot accept that a few months before the season is not enough time to grasp the style of hockey the team had employed, or the ways in which the particular players had been utilized.

I can't accept that, and it was one of the only things that really annoyed me in his comments after arriving here. He routinely gave the "I don't know much about these guys" line, "I don't know much about the western conference" - to me that reads as ingenuous on a certain level, and unprofessional on another. He absolutely should have grasped the reality of the compacted Olympic travel and play schedule, etc - and yet decided to go with a 3 line approach pretty much from the get-go, before the injuries really started to hit, went with Edler as his primary shutdown defenseman, underutilized key two way guys... Too many not particularly prudent decisions that cannot be excused as a learning on the job kind of thing. If he in fact didn't know enough about the team or conference, he certainly failed when it came to doing his homework. How much of that is overconfidence or a determination to simply do things his way regardless of the situation he is stepping into, who knows? But in the end, these were issues that even most of us amateur fans on these boards grasped.

Nothing annoys me more than the notiion that a team has to be turned inside out to suit a new coach.

Mike Keenan is the poster cover for that approach, and spent every single last whiff of my patience for that kind of arrogance.

[TOMapleLaughs]

No it was against Biron who said Lack will "never" be a number 1 goalie in the league.

This is why i wanted a direct quote.

Whatever. There are plenty of losers to target in TO in this matter.

[elvis15]

Anybody hear the Gary Mason interview with BMac and Taylor yesterday. Threw out a rumour (wouldn't name who he was having lunch with) that Aquillini's might be setting things up to sell the team......

Which he's debunked today. Talked with Francesco apparently and they have no interest in selling.

[Tearloch7]

Canucks should hire Maggie the Monkey from TSN for GM. Probably do a lot better with no drama as compared to Gillis

Brilliance! .. you should apply

[Honky Cat]

If ownership is meddling ,that would be a serious problem..The next GM would surely be nothing more than a puppet.

[Tearloch7]

I liked it. Pretty straight forward and thoughtful answers.

There are lots of things left in between the lines, like extent of ownership's involvement, but I think ownership knows where Gillis stands.

All will be reviewed and even his position is in jeopardy.

He doesn't see the need or impetus for a separation of his duties into president and gm.

He will run the team the way he thinks is best and changes will be made.

Changes include the coaching systems and objectives with a return to fast, pressuring hockey.

Other coaches have adapted, JT will be given the opportunity to change.

Free agents (and our own RFAs) will be added and the organization will spend to the cap.

It sounded to me like he will not be wasting money on a shallow pool of top FAs, but more selectively like Santo and Richardson.

Money could go to top players acquired by trading.

Kesler is going to be accommodated if indeed he wants out.

Other NTC-holding players (along with all players) are going to have their reviews and tough decisions will be made.

The kids are alright; e.g. Markstrom a good talent that Florida proabably did not develop properly.

Decisions will be made on players, prospects, and picks to exchange for players who can play the way he wants the team to play.

I have always really liked Gillis and still do. I think management would be making a big mistake firing him or overriding his decisions.

I was really surprised Torts was hired and shocked to find he was given a 5 year term (and also recently shocked that he makes the same $$$ as Gillis); this may have been an ownership contract.

After the initial shock, Torts grew on me and I like him, but now he has to change, improve, or use play his "ownership relations" card.

I think he will change.

So, I think MG and JT will stay, change, and make the team change, all for the better.

Agreed . I believe this is what will happen for this year .. one year for both Torts and MG to turn the ship around or sink into the mire

[Boudrias]

Dogbyte;

I agree to an extent. Gillis sounds like a guy under a lot of pressure to justify a challenged roster and game style.

Gillis went to media post the CUP final 2011 and stated that it had become obvious that bigger and tougher was the way the NHL was headed as evidenced by the Canuck treatment by the Bruins. He was going to draft and sign bigger and tougher players to address that issue. Even the signing of Torts was an indication of a more in your face type style. Now Gillis is talking a back to high speed, puck possession style. To be fair he could mean a melding of that approach.

If ownership is to hands on then there could be a problem but somehow doubt that. If ownership was not demanding accountability then I would be more concerned. While I want Gillis accountable I still am willing to wait. No one can deny that Van's prospect depth is at the highest level since the beginning of the org. Ownership spends to the CAP limit each year, the player support is leading edge in the NHL, scouting has been deepened and acquiring a AHL team has huge implications. Fans should stop and reflect what previous ownership did/did not do.

For Gillis to say that the team would 'return' to a style he led the team away from without acknowledging that he was at the helm in the change is confusing. It leaves fans to speculate that either ownership or coaching were initiating changes that he did not agree with. If Torts is the problem then he goes. That done then Gillis gets another season. If Torts is the sole problem then why was the team cratering under AV as well?

[Ashby17]

If ownership is meddling ,that would be a serious problem..The next GM would surely be nothing more than a puppet.

This.

I heard about FA having his hand in the Kesler (or lack of) trade but I wonder what else he has interfered with

[CrazyAL]

The thing with Gillis is it's hard to judge him when it seems ownership is pretty hands on, it's pretty obvious Torts was hired by ownership, so it makes you wonder where else ownership has gone over top of Gillis on hockey decisions.

[Dogbyte]

Dogbyte;

I agree to an extent. Gillis sounds like a guy under a lot of pressure to justify a challenged roster and game style.

Gillis went to media post the CUP final 2011 and stated that it had become obvious that bigger and tougher was the way the NHL was headed as evidenced by the Canuck treatment by the Bruins. He was going to draft and sign bigger and tougher players to address that issue. Even the signing of Torts was an indication of a more in your face type style. Now Gillis is talking a back to high speed, puck possession style. To be fair he could mean a melding of that approach.

If ownership is to hands on then there could be a problem but somehow doubt that. If ownership was not demanding accountability then I would be more concerned. While I want Gillis accountable I still am willing to wait. No one can deny that Van's prospect depth is at the highest level since the beginning of the org. Ownership spends to the CAP limit each year, the player support is leading edge in the NHL, scouting has been deepened and acquiring a AHL team has huge implications. Fans should stop and reflect what previous ownership did/did not do.

For Gillis to say that the team would 'return' to a style he led the team away from without acknowledging that he was at the helm in the change is confusing. It leaves fans to speculate that either ownership or coaching were initiating changes that he did not agree with.

I agree our drafting is as high as ever and we're at the highest level we've ever been but we've also had the highest level of committment from the owners as well. MG has had the power to do whatever he has wanted. MG's story changes from interview to interview but the one that never changes is any culpability on his part. He points fingers at everything else from changing landscape, CBA, AV, Owner, Torts, cap ceiling, refs, NHL Brass, travel, injuries, schedule, the list goes on and on. The thing I can't get by is it sounds like he's trying to claim that he thinks this team is good or something, and somehow people like John Tortorella are conspiring against him. He's been here 6 six years with the mandate to make our team better. When he took over our offence looked like garbage. In 6 years knowing he has had to improve this he's brought in Higgins, Hansen, Santorelli, and Kassian to turn this team into a juggernaught. Terrible. He really seems like a petulent child that always has things go his way and he's upset if they don't.

Also, since MG hired Torts, shouldn't he have known how he was going to coach before he signed him for 5 years? How this can be on anyone's head but Gillis' is absurd to me? Even if Torts isn't playing to the strengths of the team he's coaching how he sees fit. It's not like he came here with an agenda to destroy out team from the inside. If he wasn't the guy AV should have been kept for another year. MG should have done his due diligence, and if he didn't agree with it and was pressured by ownership he should have stood up and said so like a man instead of just collecting a paycheck for total clusterf##k year.

[BedBeats™2.0]

I agree for the most part. The one thing I would question is whether Tortorella didn't in fact have time to assess what made the team successful.

One thing that irked me in the interviews he conducted before the Rangers game was his answer to the question of what he thought about the way they were playing. His answer was that he hadn't looked at them at all - was focused on what he's doing with this team. For a guy who so many folks considered superior to AV where making adjustments are concerned, not even looking at the gameplanning and tendencies of your next opponent? Really? Should we really be that surprised, then, when the result is to come out of the first period at a 2-0 deficit?

I also simply cannot accept that a few months before the season is not enough time to grasp the style of hockey the team had employed, or the ways in which the particular players had been utilized.

I can't accept that, and it was one of the only things that really annoyed me in his comments after arriving here. He routinely gave the "I don't know much about these guys" line, "I don't know much about the western conference" - to me that reads as ingenuous on a certain level, and unprofessional on another. He absolutely should have grasped the reality of the compacted Olympic travel and play schedule, etc - and yet decided to go with a 3 line approach pretty much from the get-go, before the injuries really started to hit, went with Edler as his primary shutdown defenseman, underutilized key two way guys... Too many not particularly prudent decisions that cannot be excused as a learning on the job kind of thing. If he in fact didn't know enough about the team or conference, he certainly failed when it came to doing his homework. How much of that is overconfidence or a determination to simply do things his way regardless of the situation he is stepping into, who knows? But in the end, these were issues that even most of us amateur fans on these boards grasped.

*Nothing annoys me more than the notiion that a team has to be turned inside out to suit a new coach.

Mike Keenan is the poster cover for that approach, and spent every single last whiff of my patience for that kind of arrogance.

I like that breakdown.

I actually had forgotten how often he used the "i dont know much about_____" early in the season (actually even before that).

Its fair to speculate that Stevens was in fact MG's leading candidate. Why not hire a guy from a Western team who has some prior scouted knowledge of the team. Shoulda,coulda,woulda. Though you would think Gully would have had more of an influence in the direction of the team.

But i digress. Torts clearly didnt do enough of the correct homework/scouting when taking this gig.

Im sooooo reaching here, i wonder how much interaction there was, even though MG had been stripped (that is fair speculation) of hiring the coach, with Torts being prepped by management? Its only fair to mention that...but could also support the growing theories about Franks meddling.

MG played ball with ownership on this one experiment, and he regrets it.

-amended edit-

*I hated Iron Mike...and what he does NOT bring to teams. Always the same pattern.

But to balance your addition on a positive sense; look at what Murray did with the Sens a few seasons back. There were so many calls for him to dismantle the team after the Heatley/Cloutsen debacle. But he stayed the course and made a few minor changes and it served them well.*