Craigslist posting for GM of hockey team..

Haha! This was cute. The header for a Craigslist job posting from April 15, 2008 reads: General Manager Needed for NHL Team (Vancouver)

Our client is currently seeking a G.M. for their NHL team. The team name can not be disclosed but it's located in Downtown Vancouver. The ideal candidate will have:

- High school or equivalent education
- An ability to evaluate Swedish hockey
- A preference for offensive before defensive hockey styles
- A fondness for commercial travel
- His/her own car
- A desire to succeed.

If you believe you would be an ideal candidate, please respond with your resume. We will be hiring before the NHL draft so please have your potential draft picks included with your resume.

* Location: Vancouver
* Compensation: Based on Experience
* Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
* Please, no phone calls about this job!
* Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

Has the axe finished falling?

Nonis' firing sure suprised everybody. There'll probably be a change in other management and coaching too.. along with the players themselves. I think things would have been different had we won again. I do wonder as to how everything really came about. In the busines world of PR spin, the public is always left wondering. Was the dismal end just the excuse the 'confirmed' owner of the Canucks needed to finally put one of his chosen in or was it really for the sake of exciting hockey and not the bottom line? (I imagine that millions were lost as profits because we didn't make it to the playoffs)
I liked Nonis. He had good hockey knowledge and respected the fans, players and owners. I thought that he was a good balance to everyone's conflicting interests. But here's one opinion by Tony Gallagher. He's not mincing words with this article in today's Province entitled "Quinn hangover is finally fading". A couple of interesting snippets:

...And Nonis at times was even more Quinn than the man himself, he a study in caution, careful not to rock the boat while building what he believed to be an outstanding organization. Like so many execs in sports management these days, he seemed to be working as much on sticking around and working on his RRSP than on improving the team...

..Where the Aquilini family will take this is anyone's guess, but you know by their actions this week and their activity in their other businesses that they're used to risks... And it hardly seems to be about money, because it would have been far more frugal to keep Nonis in place. Changes are costly in this business and if the new GM talks at any length with his players, new coaches are going to be necessary as well and the good ones don't always come cheaply..

EDIT: Oh my god, after posting this, I just read Cam Cole's article in the National Post. Take a gander.

Don't want to deal with the future of the Canucks? Me neither.

Thursday's game had me in tears. I think if I'd been at home watching the Calgary game, I would have been bawling then too. Instead, Rock Band and friends kept me from witnessing the game deteriorating from a 4-1 Calgary score to a dismal 7-1. (Un)fortunately, I missed the whole fan tribute to Linden. Anyway, here are the good parts.. with Canucks players' commentary. Have your tissues ready!



It's a media hayday right now, feasting on what went wrong, who to blame, what changes are going to come and what lies in store for Linden, Naslund and Morrison. Isn't it a little too soon to be delving into those sore areas? Shouldn't everyone be allowed some healing time first?

Ohlund could've played in the playoffs

Snippet on Jamieson's article on Ohlund:

Had Vancouver been able to win a few of those games and make the postseason, minute-munching defenceman Mattias Ohlund would have been ready to get back in the lineup.

Ohlund missed the final 12 games of the season following arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips from his knee.

It's anyone's guess how much the Canucks' back end missed his down-low coverage and crisp first pass, but you can bet it was significant.

"My knee is good," said Ohlund on Sunday, as the Canucks cleared out their lockers at GM Place.

"Had we been in the playoffs, I would have played. I've skated a few times already, and it's fine."

... Ohlund said he was approached Sunday by Swedish hockey officials about playing for his country at the upcoming world championships, but he declined.

Congrats A on winning Daniel Sedin's jersey!

A, a fellow Canucks blogger won two tickets and Daniel Sedin's jersey off his back. Details and pictures are on her blog post. If the families of Markus Naslund and Trevor Linden are present, can you conclude anything like Scott Oakes tries to in the HNIC interview (below)? They're probably all in the same boat of not knowing but 'better to seize the moment if it's the last'.

If you missed the Trevor Linden Hockey Night in Canada interview after the Calgary game.. Part 1 and Part 2 are posted by trekkie604.

And lastly, thanks cdc for putting up a "We miss you Mattias" video.

One last hurrah for the Canucks of 2007/08

The last game against the Oilers was deflating and defeating and devastating and demoralizing but expected. I can't help but wonder if things might have been different if Hansen was put in the lineup.

Tonight is just one for show and for closure. A big hug for all the players. You did what you could with what you had.

Waaa!

Argh! A 4-2 loss against the Avs puts us once again on the outside, looking in. I have a headache from all this seesawing. Not to mention us losing Taylor Pyatt to an undisclosed injury. I'm going to bed.