Mike Gillis

Lore & Background

Gillis played junior hockey for the Kingston Canadians from 1975 to 1978, scoring 132 points in 111 games. He was drafted fifth overall by the Colorado Rockies in 1978. After parts of three seasons with the Rockies, he was traded to the Boston Bruins for Bob Miller during the 1980–81 season. He played for the Bruins through 1983–84, also spending time in the AHL with the Baltimore Skipjacks and Hershey Bears. He retired from playing in the summer of 1984. After retiring, Gillis coached the Queen's University Golden Gaels in 1985–86, then earned a law degree from Queen's University in 1990 and became a player agent. His clients included Pavel Bure, Markus Näslund, Bobby Holík, and Mike Richter. In 1997, he successfully sued former NHLPA executive director Alan Eagleson for $570,000 over stolen disability insurance. Gillis was named general manager of the Vancouver Canucks on April 23, 2008. He made significant moves, including signing Mats Sundin, extending Alexandre Burrows, re-signing the Sedin twins to identical five-year, $30.5 million deals, and signing Roberto Luongo to a 12-year, $64 million extension. He traded for Christian Ehrhoff and acquired Keith Ballard and Dan Hamhuis. The Canucks won the Presidents' Trophy in 2010–11, and Gillis received the NHL General Manager of the Year Award. The team reached the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, losing to the Boston Bruins in seven games.

Reader's Guide

Gillis's tenure as Canucks general manager was marked by aggressive free-agent signings and key trades that built a Presidents' Trophy-winning team. His decision to sign the Sedin twins just before free agency and lock up goaltender Roberto Luongo to a long-term deal stabilized the franchise's core. The acquisition of Christian Ehrhoff addressed a need for a puck-moving defenseman, and the additions of Dan Hamhuis and Manny Malhotra strengthened the roster. However, the team fell short in the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals against the Boston Bruins, a series in which the players most instrumental to the run—the Sedins, Ryan Kesler, Alexandre Burrows, Alexander Edler, Luongo, and Cory Schneider—were already in the organization when Gillis took over. His time as GM also involved tampering incidents with the Toronto Maple Leafs and a fine for criticizing officials during the 2011 playoffs. Gillis's legacy includes winning the first NHL General Manager of the Year Award, but the ultimate championship eluded his constructed roster.

Did You Know?

• Gillis was drafted fifth overall by the Colorado Rockies in the 1978 NHL entry draft.
• He scored 113 points in 74 AHL games with the Baltimore Skipjacks in 1982–83.