Alain Vigneault

WHEN MIKE GILLIS WAS NAMED THE NEW GENERAL MANAGER OF THE VANCOUVER CANUCKS HE STATED…
THE DECISION ON WHO COACHES THIS TEAM WILL BE THE MOST IMPORTANT HE MAKES…
A MONTH LATER AND IT’S CLEAR…GILLIS MEANT EVERY WORD…
LAST WEEK GILLIS AND HEAD COACH ALAIN VIGNEAULT MET 5 TIMES…
THAT’S 5 TIMES IN A WEEK…
WE’RE NOT TALKING ABOUT GOING FOR COFFEE…
THESE WERE LENGTHY INDEPTH MEETINGS WHICH LASTED FOR HOURS…
OVER THE NEXT TWO DAYS VIGNEAULT WILL BE IN LAS VEGAS FOR EVEN MORE TALKS…
THESE ARE PART OF THE CANUCKS ANNUAL MEETINGS…
GILLIS NOW SAYS BY THE WEEKEND A FINAL DECISION WILL BE MADE ON THE FATE OF VIGNEAULT…
WHAT EVER THE DECISION… IT’S IN EVERYBODY’S BEST INTEREST TO MOVE FORWARD AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE…
IF THE CANUCKS PASS ON VIGNEAULT…THEN THE QUESTION BECOMES…WHO’S THE NEW BOSS???
THERE ARE A BUNDLE OF FORMER HEAD COACHES LOOKING FOR WORK…
THE LIST INCLUDES…PAT QUINN…PAT BURNS…JOEL QUENNVILLE…PAUL MAURICE…RON WILSON…AND BOB HARTLEY…
THE PROBLEM IS…
THERE ARE AT LEAST 6 OTHER TEAMS ALSO LOOKING…
THE CANUCKS CAN GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION AND BRING IN A ROOKIE HEAD COACH…
ON THE TOP OF THAT LIST…CRAIG HARTSBURGH…KEVIN DINEEN AND SCOTT ARNEIL…
AS FOR VIGNEAULT…THE GOOD NEWS IS…THIS IS VERY MUCH A SELLERS MARKET…
HE’LL EITHER GET AN EXTENSION HERE WITH THE CANUCKS OR SIGN WITH ANYONE OF A HALF A DOZEN OTHER TEAMS…
KEEP IN MIND…LESS THAN A YEAR AGO VIGNEAULT WAS NAMED THE NHL COACH OF THE YEAR…
IN MANY RESPECTS…THE WHO IS NOT AS IMPORTANT AS THE HOW…
THIS SEASON THE CANUCKS NOT ONLY MISSED THE PLAYOFFS…BUT FINISHED WITH THE 24TH OFFENCE IN THE NHL…
THEY ALSO DID NOT PRODUCE A SINGLE PLAYER WITH 30 GOALS…
IT COST GENERAL MANAGER DAVE NONIS HIS JOB…
IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS…ALAIN VIGNEAULT WILL FINALLY KNOW WHETHER OR NOT HE’S ANOTHER VICTIM OF THE “BLAME GAME”…