Scott Mellanby generating buzz as potential Canucks GM candidate

[Drive-By Body Pierce]

 

The Vancouver Canucks still have a general manager, but the speculation about who will be the next person in charge isn’t likely to go away soon.

 

With Jim Benning reportedly in the last guaranteed year of his contract and the Canucks playing as they have been — despite two straight wins against a pair of teams below them in the standings — many people are wondering when ownership will finally make a change.

 

The name generating the most buzz at the moment is Scott Mellanby, who resigned as assistant general manager of the Montreal Canadiens last weekend prior to Marc Bergevin getting fired as GM.

 

Mellanby was also mentioned on Wednesday by Sportsnet 650’s Satiar Shah as the person that’s been “most closely linked” to the Canucks not-yet-vacant GM job.

 

The 55-year-old Montreal native has never been a general manager before, but he ticks a lot of boxes.

 

Mellanby played 1,431 games in the NHL during his playing career, with Philadelphia, Edmonton, Florida, St. Louis, and Atlanta. His first off-ice job was with the Canucks when he was hired as a pro scout by Mike Gillis in 2008. Mellanby spent another year with the Canucks as a senior advisor before leaving for St. Louis where he was an assistant coach alongside Davis Payne, and then Ken Hitchcock.

 

Bergevin brought Mellanby to Montreal in 2012, where he served in the Canadiens front office for 10 years, first as the director of player personnel, and then as assistant general manager from 2014 to 2021. Mellanby also served as assistant general manager of the AHL’s Laval Rocket from 2018 to 2021.

 

The Vancouver Canucks still have a general manager, but the speculation about who will be the next person in charge isn’t likely to go away soon.

 

With Jim Benning reportedly in the last guaranteed year of his contract and the Canucks playing as they have been — despite two straight wins against a pair of teams below them in the standings — many people are wondering when ownership will finally make a change.

 

The name generating the most buzz at the moment is Scott Mellanby, who resigned as assistant general manager of the Montreal Canadiens last weekend prior to Marc Bergevin getting fired as GM.

 

“I’m hearing Mellanby’s name a lot more in the last 24 to 48 hours,” Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK reported today. “Not saying they’re going to hire him, but it certainly seems like there’s interest there from the Vancouver Canucks.”

 

Mellanby was also mentioned on Wednesday by Sportsnet 650’s Satiar Shah as the person that’s been “most closely linked” to the Canucks not-yet-vacant GM job.

 

The 55-year-old Montreal native has never been a general manager before, but he ticks a lot of boxes.

 

Mellanby played 1,431 games in the NHL during his playing career, with Philadelphia, Edmonton, Florida, St. Louis, and Atlanta. His first off-ice job was with the Canucks when he was hired as a pro scout by Mike Gillis in 2008. Mellanby spent another year with the Canucks as a senior advisor before leaving for St. Louis where he was an assistant coach alongside Davis Payne, and then Ken Hitchcock.

 

Bergevin brought Mellanby to Montreal in 2012, where he served in the Canadiens front office for 10 years, first as the director of player personnel, and then as assistant general manager from 2014 to 2021. Mellanby also served as assistant general manager of the AHL’s Laval Rocket from 2018 to 2021.

 

Elliotte Friedman reported on Hockey Night in Canada that Mellanby had his eyes set on the GM job with the Habs, and that Bergevin recommended him as his successor. But when it became clear the Canadiens were going in a different direction, Mellanby decided to leave.

 

Mellanby has been linked to numerous GM jobs in the past. The Habs reportedly gave the Edmonton Oilers and Minnesota Wild permission to speak to Mellanby in 2019, and did the same for the Florida Panthers in 2020.

 

Mellanby was rumoured to be a candidate for the GM job in Pittsburgh earlier this year, but decided not to take any job interviews because he was happy in Montreal according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA.

 

Is this finally the right fit?

 

Perhaps Mellanby’s brief experience in the Canucks organization gives him a leg up, as there would be at least some familiarity with team owner Francesco Aquilini.

 

 

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/scott-mellanby-potential-canucks-gm-candidate

Edited December 3, 2021 by Drive-By Body Pierce

[singing chef]

Need some clarification here please.  The article states "With Jim Benning reportedly in the last guaranteed year of his contract......", however other sources indicate he is signed through the 2022-2023 season.  Which is correct ?  Perhaps he's signed through the end of this season with an option for 1 more year following - yes/no ?

 

Thanks.

[Junkyard Dog]

He started his off-ice career in 2008-2010 in Vancouver for two years as a pro scout then senior advisor before moving on to assistant coach the Blues for a couple years then got his gig with the Canadiens as director of player development for two seasons and finally became AGM from 2014 till he resigned several days before Marc Berg was fired.

[Drive-By Body Pierce]

13 minutes ago, singing chef said:

Need some clarification here please.  The article states "With Jim Benning reportedly in the last guaranteed year of his contract......", however other sources indicate he is signed through the 2022-2023 season.  Which is correct ?  Perhaps he's signed through the end of this season with an option for 1 more year following - yes/no ?

 

Thanks.

That's the good question! I am not sure either.

[YEGCanuck]

As I recall Mellanby's father also has a long history of involvement with the NHL. Scott definitely deserves consideration assuming the Canucks search for another GM. 

[MattJVD]

24 minutes ago, singing chef said:

Need some clarification here please.  The article states "With Jim Benning reportedly in the last guaranteed year of his contract......", however other sources indicate he is signed through the 2022-2023 season.  Which is correct ?  Perhaps he's signed through the end of this season with an option for 1 more year following - yes/no ?

 

Thanks.

His contract goes to the end of the 2022-2023 season, but if he is terminated early he only recieves the salary for up to the end of the 2021-2022 season. This is the last 'garunteed' year of salary for JB.

[PhillipBlunt]

Another first time GM?

[Jester13]

Can we please hire experience this time around with coaches and GM? Gillis, Benning, Green, etc., are not going to get it done. We need experience. Full stop.

[Gurn]

Need experience, how about these guys?

Mike Milbury

Tim Murray

Mike Keenan

 

 

[stawns]

18 minutes ago, Jester13 said:

Can we please hire experience this time around with coaches and GM? Gillis, Benning, Green, etc., are not going to get it done. We need experience. Full stop.

Mellanby has no more experience than JB did

[Outsiders]

Canucks aren't firing Benning. I think they will instead bring in an experienced POHO

[PhillipBlunt]

The last time I tried to generate a buzz

[Coconuts]

Sounds interesting, but my preference would be someone who's shown they can capably fill the GM role in the past, someone with experience

 

Key word being capably 

[Zhukini]

18 minutes ago, Outsiders said:

Canucks aren't firing Benning. I think they will instead bring in an experienced POHO

Benniings hanging on by a thread lol. 

 

Canadian NHL Gm jobs were meant to be temporary and lost. The fact that he's manufactured 8 years here is incredible.

[Junkyard Dog]

I wouldn't mind considering him for an AGM spot. 

 

Not many experienced guys out there but if we're going to have to have a AGM graduate I would rather it be from a solid organization like the Avs AGM than a AGM from a bottom team.

 

Also if we're going to have to have an AGM like that I would want a solid President.

[butters]

you took the bait!

[butters]

Just now, butters said:

you took the bait!

*aforementioned buzz may only be among the writer of this article and those who read it

[tas]

12 minutes ago, Coconuts said:

Sounds interesting, but my preference would be someone who's shown they can capably fill the GM role in the past, someone with experience

 

Key word being capably 

those guys are generally employed already. 

[Rubik]

1 hour ago, gurn said:

Need experience, how about these guys?

Mike Milbury

Tim Murray

Mike Keenan

 

 

exactly... i don't really understand people on CDC obsessing over experience. like it's a guarantee for anything... sometimes "inexperienced" guys work out, sometimes they don't. mike sullivan has coached the bruins for two seasons in the mid 00s, second one was a complete disaster, then with his next head coach gig 10 years later, he wins back-to-back stanley cups. ken hitchcock coached for 22 years in the NHL. he won his only cup in his third full season. david poile has been in the league for over 40 years, no cups.

 

you just have to have the right pieces, imo it doesn't really matter if those are "experienced" pieces or "inexperienced". you just need the right mix. but we obviously hasn't found it yet, se wee need some new blood, no denying that. we came the closest in 2011, but wasn't that also gillis' first stint as a GM, starting in 2008? i know that most of that core was already there, but still. my point is, experience is overrated.

Edited December 3, 2021 by Rubik

[48MPHSlapShot]

Meh.