Press Conference (Today) at 12pm

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herb
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Re: Press Conference (Today) at 12pm

Post by herb »

ODB wrote:Did anyone really expect Gillis to step up to the mic and lay it all out 48 hours after being eliminated? Fuck people, this is the real world. You wonna play, turn on your xbox. Bunch-o ten year old's here or what? What kind of well thought out game plan would you expect by 12:00 today? Changes will be made... good! Now let’s wait and see what happens. :drink:

Seconded. As I said earlier:
Gillis has a big job ahead of him, and I don't expect to hear a comprehensive plan one business day after the Canucks were pushed out of the playoff emergency exit. I do want to hear that this BS has to end, and he will make the necessary changes to put this team back on track.
This press conference was only the first step of many. Some highlights:
- "When you look at this season, it has been a terrible season for us"
- Team needs to get younger.
- Schneider and our D are in their prime (hinting at forward changes?).
- Luongo almost certainly will not be here in the fall.
- Gillis will present a plan to ownership next week, and then go from there.
- "Changes have to be made, and we're going to make them."
- Gillis wants to add to the core, change the look of the team to get bigger and younger (this is the hard part).
- Needs to develop guys at the NHL level.
- Hasn't spoken to Alain yet. He is a good coach, blah, etc.
- Not sure if Raymond has played his last game as a Canucks.
- Basically a "no comment" on buying out Ballard and Booth.
- He has tried trading draft picks, and signing offer sheets. Hasn't worked and he has to try something new now to make a "bold move".
- Traded a lot of draft picks because team was chasing a Cup. This needs to change.
- Schroeder likely needs surgery.
- Schneider's injury was a groin pull/strain.
- Bieksa did not want to discuss his injury. He could discuss it, but didn't want to.
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Per
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Re: Press Conference (Today) at 12pm

Post by Per »

SKYO wrote: "MG playing the short season card. Well played."
Well, if they hadn't been swept by the sharks, the season would have been longer! :evil:
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Hockey Widow
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Re: Press Conference (Today) at 12pm

Post by Hockey Widow »

I just listened to the entire press conference and I have to say I thought MG handled it well. Of course he wasn't going to go into the detail we the rabid faithful, or faithless depending upon perspective, would want. I mean he can't come out and say yes he is firing so and so and yes this player is done or that player has no heart or whatever.

He accepted responsibility when asked if he shared the blame. He said yes or course. He owned that his job is to get the players into the organization to help the team win.

He didn't blame injuries or reffing but did acknowledge the problems the team faced.

All in all I thought it was a good end of season presser. What I liked, and yes proof is in the pudding, was how he said it was time for a re-set. Not to blow up the core but to make significant changes to support the core. And he acknowledged that significant changes may include some of the core.

I liked how he said every part of the organization will be evaluated including his own performance.

He did sound bitter towards the league and how the change they promised after the last lockout is now gone and the league is resorting back to dump and chase clutch and grab. He acknowledged that he built the team to play a certain style and after another disappointing year it is time to admit it wasn't a one off but now a trend and that it is time to re-evaluate the plan and re-set the plan.

He all but said Luongo is done. The decision to play Cory was the coaches decision but he didn't not disagree. Said Cory said he was ready and wanted the net.

I liked the presser. Not the same old excuses and promises about sticking to the plan but a clear message that the plan needs to change. I like how he wants to address it now and not wait for the core to age out and no longer be the core. I like how he said the organization has no choice but to get younger players in the line up and get them up to speed as NHL players.

Or course he has to now show me he means it. My biggest fear was/is that he continues to over evaluate the players and gets stubborn about making changes, like Calgary or Toronto did. I think Toronto changes when Burke and Nonis took over.
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Re: Press Conference (Today) at 12pm

Post by Meds »

ODB wrote:Did anyone really expect Gillis to step up to the mic and lay it all out 48 hours after being eliminated? Fuck people, this is the real world. You wonna play, turn on your xbox. Bunch-o ten year old's here or what? What kind of well thought out game plan would you expect by 12:00 today? Changes will be made... good! Now let’s wait and see what happens. :drink:
No shit.

The fact that he went on about the review process, said changes have to be made, then made mention that he and his management staff would meet with Aquaman to discuss their conclusions and how they want to move forward.....nowhere in there did he mention Vigneault other than to say he hadn't spoken with him yet.

He struck me as being just a bit more abrupt than normal in his refusals to comment when asked about Vigneault.

I'm dismayed that he seems so happy with the defense.
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Re: Press Conference (Today) at 12pm

Post by Lancer »

I haven't seen the presser in totality, but having seen some clips, read the posts here and the news coverage from it I was encouraged by what I saw.

Agreed, he wasn't going to show his cards too much, but at least he admitted that change needs to happen. My only concern is that great, he wants the team to get younger, bigger and grittier - well so is most of the rest of the league. Easy to say that that's what he wants to do, but I think doing it in time to make a difference next season will be a TALL order.

At least Gillis had his moment of clarity and admitted his team has a serious problem. Hopefully he can find help.
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Re: Press Conference (Today) at 12pm

Post by sagebrush »

While watching Gillis' presser, it occurred to me.

This must be how it feels when someone blows smoke up your ass.

It's time to walk the walk.
Less Canucks embarrassment please.
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Re: Press Conference (Today) at 12pm

Post by Hockey Widow »

Lancer wrote:
At least Gillis had his moment of clarity and admitted his team has a serious problem. Hopefully he can find help.
This was the key part to me. He has always defended the core and said we are only a bold move or two away, and he was almost right. But I wanted to hear him acknowledge that there is a problem that needs fixing and he did that. Now what he means about significant changes need to be made and what I mean by that may be two different things :mrgreen: I didn't want a Sutter saying things like if we were in the East we would be in the playoffs or we have the most 20 goals sores on any team and that sort of shit. I wanted him to acknowledged that there is a problem and it is more than cosmetic and it needs to be addressed.
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Re: Press Conference (Today) at 12pm

Post by tantalum »

I don't think you can ask for much more from a season ending press conference.

I wanted to see an admission from management and players that the season was not OK. We heard that "terrible" is what the GM said.

I wanted a recognition that some fairly substantive changes need to be made. We heard that as well.

Now some are interpreting Gillis' remarks as needing to play defensive hockey. I don't think he necessarily meant that. I think what he was getting at was the same thing he said after the Boston loss. The league changed how they officiated games in that series and it has continued for the last two years. Interference, clutching, grabbing, cross checking etc are no longer being called. As such you need to have guys that are better suited to get to the dirty areas and fight through that interference. On order to be more successful at this the canucks need to add size and especially to the wings of the top 6. They can't have Raymond up there. And I would argue you want Higgins down on the third permanently and perhaps Hansen (though I have a feeling hansen may be trade bait along with Burrows and Edler). The move for Kassian was one step in adding size. Gillis will continue to add size but at the same time trying not to remove skill or speed from the lineup. If that can be managed then the team can be successful no matter how the game is called.
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Re: Press Conference (Today) at 12pm

Post by Chef Boi RD »

Gillis can talk the talk

...and that is pretty much all he can do. We will learn real soon what he really is made of. Put up or shut up! :rockin:
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Re: Press Conference (Today) at 12pm

Post by FAN »

Typical Gillis press conference. Doesn't really say much. Uncommittal on a lot of things. Nice to see him not make too many excuses. Sounds like he's open to the idea of AV being back but there's no guarantee this time. Sounds like Raymond will be gone. Doesn't sound like AV is all that high on Schroeder. I am hopeful that Gillis will come through with his "reset". He's begun to make some changes already, although I'm not convinced that it's the right changes just yet.

Of interest to me:

1) It sounds like Gillis is open to the idea of trading a player with an NTC and will not be hampered in doing so. This is a far cry from saying he will not ask a player to waive his NTC. Instead he's now added "if we are unhappy with a player" to the small list of conditions that would pave the way to a trade of a player with an NTC.

2) Most concerning to me is Gillis' relationship with ownership. Gillis made it sound like ownership can and may make changes to Gillis' plan. Obviously owners can meddle if they want to, but it sounds like Gillis didn't get a carte blanche from ownership when he signed his extension?
tantalum wrote: Interference, clutching, grabbing, cross checking etc are no longer being called.
Except against the Vancouver Canucks.
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