Could Vancouver Canucks bring back Gillis and Gilman to finish what they started?
Vancouver Canucks fans have been here before.
As the Canucks embark on yet another search for a general manager, and most likely a president of hockey operations as well, familiar figures are floating around as potential candidates. And, it’s a reunion that most Canucks fans would embrace.
Could the team actually bring back Mike Gillis, Laurence Gilman, or both?
Hold your breath if you’ve heard this one before.
Back in 2021, after the Canucks fired Jim Benning and John Weisbrod, NHL insiders were reporting that Gillis and Gilman were in the mix to come back and save the Canucks.
TSN’s Darren Dreger reported back in 2021 that Gilman “is definitely in the mix” for the Canucks then vacant GM posting. His colleague, Pierre LeBrun, then added to the intrigue.
āPerhaps Mike Gillis and Laurence Gilman could be brought back in their old Canucks roles, although elevated, Gillis as president and Gilman as GM,” he said.
Here we are, more than four years later, and the idea is just as intriguing.
Could the Vancouver Canucks finally bring back Mike Gillis? (Anne-Marie Sorvin/USA TODAY Sports)
Gillis and Gilman helped usher in the most successful era in Canucks franchise history, using all of the tools at their disposal to offer a first-class atmosphere for players, along with forward-thinking ideas like internal salary caps. It culminated in them building a team that won back-to-back Presidents’ Trophies and came within one win of the Stanley Cup.
Of course, it wasn’t all perfect. Just look at their drafting record, or the Roberto Luongo captaincy choice.
But of all the candidates out there for the Canucks, it’s hard to argue that there’s a duo more qualified for the job than Gillis and Gilman.
Why Gillis and Gilman could return to Canucks
Again, this is a scenario that seems unlikely for the Canucks, but there are a couple of reasons to believe that this could happen.
The goal has changed
Since he was sacked by the Canucks in 2014, Gillis has gone on the record saying he wanted to make trades earlier that season that would have signalled a clear rebuild for the Canucks, something that never occurred due to an organizational decision.
While the organization wasn’t keen on a rebuild at the time, clearly, the goal has changed.
It took multiple star players requesting trades from the team in J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes, but the Canucks are now undoubtedly in a rebuild.
Now that they’re finally here, 12 years after Gillis suggested the idea, it does make you wonder if this ideological difference between Gillis and the Canucks could be put to bed.
Interest in similar jobs
We wouldn’t be talking about Gillis or Gilman joining the Canucks if neither had interest in the roles.
However, it’s not as if either person is retired.
Gillis was reportedly in the running for a management position with the Toronto Maple Leafs. As of Friday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Gillis is still in the running; however, it seems less likely now that he’ll take a job with the Leafs. Of course, things could always change.
Laurence Gilman has been working in the NHL ever since leaving the Canucks. Back in January, he joined the Columbus Blue Jackets as VP of hockey operations.
As The Province‘s Patrick Johnston laid out recently, Gilman has a plethora of expertise that he could bring to a management role. With Gillis stating before that he would prefer the president of hockey operations gig, it would make Gilman a perfect candidate to be general manager, whether in Vancouver or elsewhere.
Time heals wounds
The big question in all of this is: could the Canucks, Gillis, and Gilman let bygones be bygones and work together again?
Back in 2019, Gillis’ name was floating around as a replacement after Trevor Linden mutually parted ways with the club. That prompted Francesco Aquilini to respond to the rumours, saying he hadn’t contacted Gillis and he had “no plans to do so.”
That was seven years ago now. Has time healed wounds since then?
There are some obvious hurdles before a reunion makes sense, but that might not quell the thirst among Canucks fans to see this reunion happen. Heck, one fan even started a petition to bring back both Gillis and Gilman.
But, until Gillis takes the Toronto job, or we hear from the associated parties that this isn’t going to happen, the idea of it is something many Canucks fans will be dreaming about.
Because really, wouldn’t you like to see Gillis and Gilman finish what they started?