And so it begins...
The Vancouver Canucks finally pulled the trigger on wholesale changes on Sunday, dismissing Jim Benning and John Weisbrod on the management side and Travis Green and Nolan Baumgartner from the coaching department.
Here's the statement from the team, which went out at 10:30 p.m. PT — about five hours after Elliotte Friedman opened the floodgates with word that Bruce Boudreau was coming in.
Am I allowed to puff out my chest for suggesting that Boudreau was the type of coach that would be attractive to Canucks ownership in
this blog a couple of weeks ago?
He has a reputation for turning around underperforming teams, and for getting clubs to the playoffs. And after years of coaching players like Alexander Ovechkin and those high-flying Anaheim Ducks teams, he knows how to let his offensive horses run.
This is such an interesting turn of events. Can new hands on the wheel point this club in a different direction? Or do the roster construction issues run so deep that player changes will need to be made before the club can find success?
For more on Boudreau and the lay of the land, please check out this story that I posted on Sunday for Forbes:
Meanwhile, there's a game tonight. And Boudreau is on the ice with the team for the morning skate.
Here's the first look at the lines. As Brendan Batchelor often says, don't put too much stock in the order — that Garland-Pettersson-Podkolzin combo at the bottom is certainly intriguing.
Juho Lammikko gets a new lease on life, drawing back in after five healthy scratches. And Travis Hamonic returns.
Boudreau won't speak to the media until shortly before game time, at approximately 4:15 p.m.
Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini will also hold a rare press conference. He and Stan Smyl have a press conference scheduled for 3:30 p.m. PT.
If you missed it, Smyl has been named the Canucks' interim general manager — after a lifetime with the organization. Now 63, Smyl had 673 points and 1,556 penalty minutes in 898 games with the Canucks over 13 seasons. He served as team captain from 1982 to 1990, and his No. 12 hangs in the rafters at Rogers Arena.
Since his retirement, Smyl has worked in nearly every aspect of hockey operations, starting as an assistant coach, then becoming an AHL head coach before becoming the team's director of player development in 2005, then a senior advisor in 2008. He has survived multiple regime changes, and now gets his shot at top job — even if it's only on an interim basis.
Ryan Johnson, who already had a full plate as Abbotsford GM and the Canucks' director of player development, also gets a new title as interim assistant GM. Sunday's press release also mentions that "Chris Gear, Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Doug Jarvis and others on the team" will help support Smyl and Johnson "while the search for new Hockey Operations leadership has begun."
The moves should quell the chanting and booing and jersey tossing at Rogers Arena, for the time being. And Boudreau will get a legitimate crack at winning his first game in Vancouver, since the Los Angeles Kings are on a back-to-back following a 5-1 win in Edmonton Sunday thanks to three late power-play goals after a Connor McDavid boarding major and game misconduct (never thought I'd write those words!)
Jonathan Quick got the win in Edmonton, so expect Cal Petersen to get the start against the Canucks.
I don't think I've said this for awhile: enjoy the game!
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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