Discussing the Vancouver Giants, And the State of the WHL
Dimitri Filipovic
October 10 2012 10:05AM
A few weeks back, our very own Jeff Angus laid out a few options for Canucks fans that were in desperate need of hockey to watch and follow this fall. I was in complete agreeance with him on this. Seemingly, the best option was the Vancouver Giants, who play in an easily accessible location, and have rather affordable ticket prices. And there's also the fact that Western Hockey League hockey can be really fun to watch.
Unfortunately, whoever took our advice has been left with a relatively sour taste in their mouth, as the Giants have sluggishly started out the season with a 2-5 record. I still think there are plenty of reasons for optimism, but it's not the start that you would have ideally liked to see. Especially with the opening they have in Vancouver hockey circles, given the state of the NHL.
I reached out to Cody Nickolet, who has his finger on the pulse of the WHL as much as anyone, to discuss what fans should be expecting of the Vancouver Giants going forward, and the general state of the league.
Click Past the Jump to Read our Discussion.
Headshots October 9th
Dimitri Filipovic
October 09 2012 03:10PM
Headshots are a Canucks Army feature where we link to the day's freshest news, and other assorted Canucks web-goodies. If you've written a blogpost, produced a tribute video, birthed a clever .gif into existence, or have a hockey related cause you'd like to see promoted in this space - please e-mail Thom at thom.drance@gmail.com.
The Top 10 Transactions Of The Mike Gillis Era: Part 2
Dimitri Filipovic
October 08 2012 03:11PM
Last Friday, I began to count down the Top 10 transactions of the Mike Gillis era (2008-current). We got through numbers 10 through 6, and as could have been expected, none of them were earth-shattering moves. Sure, some of them may prove to have been fairly significant in the grand scheme of things, but there's nothing there that you'll be telling your grandchildren about as you bounce them on your knee.
Today, we'll get to the meat of it all. The following are the five best moves - trades, signings, decisions, and strategies - that Mike Gillis has brought to the table during his tenure as general manager of the Vancouver Canucks.
Click Past the Jump to Read More.
The Top 10 Transactions Of The Mike Gillis Era: Part 1
Dimitri Filipovic
October 05 2012 10:20AM
Flash back to April of 2008, which saw the Vancouver Canucks miss out on the postseason for the second time in three years. There were strong assets in place, but changes needed to be made. The team replaced then general manager Dave Nonis, with Mike Gillis - a player agent, with no prior managing experience.
What ensued has been a glorious, and beautiful partnership that no Canucks fan can complain about. The team is currently in the midst of the greatest run in franchise history. Have there been some hiccups along the way? Sure. And maybe there's a list that encompasses those blunders coming next week (that's what we in the industry call a tease, folks).
But today, I'll be counting down the Top-10 transactions - which includes signings, draft picks, trades, and even choosing to employ certain personnel as part of the management team - of the Mike Gillis era, starting with numbers 10-6.
Click Past the Jump to Read More.
Headshots October 4th
Dimitri Filipovic
October 04 2012 02:58PM
Headshots are a Canucks Army feature where we link to the day's freshest news, and other assorted Canucks web-goodies. If you've written a blogpost, produced a tribute video, birthed a clever .gif into existence, or have a hockey related cause you'd like to see promoted in this space - please e-mail Thom at thom.drance@gmail.com.
