Looking Back At Mike Gillis' Tenure As Vancouver Canucks General Manager A Decade After His Firing
Gillis was the Canucks general manager for six seasons, winning the Jim Gregory NHL General Manager of the Year in 2011.
Photo by Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports - Looking Back At Mike Gillis' Tenure As Vancouver Canucks General Manager A Decade After His FiringA decade after his firing, Mike Gillis still remains one of the best general managers in Vancouver Canucks history. Gillis, who took over prior to the 2008-09 season, helped construct two Presidents' Trophy teams while guiding Vancouver to the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. With today being the anniversary of his firing from the Canucks, here is a look at his time as Vancouver's general manager.
Gillis joined the Canucks on Apr. 23, 2008, after the Canucks decided to part ways with Dave Nonis. After missing the postseason, Gillis decided to make some substantial changes, electing not to re-sign Markus Näslund and Brendan Morrison. Gillis also brought in Pavol Demitra and Mats Sundin as the Canucks, leading Vancouver to a 100-point season. After beating the St. Louis Blues in the first round, the Canucks fell to the Chicago Blackhawks in round two but gained valuable experience in the process.
After another successful season in 2009-10 that once again ended in a second-round exit at the hands of the Blackhawks, Gillis got to work assembling arguably the best team in franchise history. He signed key free agents in Manny Malhotra, Dan Hamuis and Raffi Torres while also signing Chris Tanev out of the NCAA. During the season, Gillis would also make some intelligent trades, bringing in Chris Higgins and Maxim Lapierre, who would become pivotal pieces in Vancouver's run to the Stanely Cup Final. After recording a league-high and franchise-high 117 points during the regular season, Gillis would win the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year award before watching his team make it all the way to Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.
After two more successful seasons that included Northwest Division crowns, the Canucks struggled in Gillis' final year with the organization. The 2013-14 saw Vancouver miss the postseason for the first time since Gillis took over, as the Canucks aged out of their competitive window. Gillis would eventually be fired on Apr. 8, 2014, with the club naming Jim Benning as his successor on May. 23, 2014.
In 455 regular season games with Gillis in charge, Vancouver posted a record 260-144-51. The Canucks also won five straight Northwest Division championships while also winning the Presidents' Trophy twice. During those six years, multiple players were also recognized with individual awards, including Henrik Sedin, who in 2010 became the only player in franchise history to win the Hart Memorial Trophy. While his time in Vancouver was short, he played a substantial role in arguably the most successful period in Canucks history.
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