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It's good bet Canucks’ Vigneault will learn fate soon 
BEN KUZMA
Canwest News Service
VANCOUVER— The coaching fate of the Vancouver Canucks’ Alain Vigneault will be determined by the end of this week in the most ironic of locations — the gambling heartland of Las Vegas.
With Canucks management and scouts assembling in the Nevada city for their annual meetings, new general manager Mike Gillis said Tuesday that Vigneault has been summoned from his home in Gatineau, Que., to face further scrutiny over the next two days.
While Gillis doesn’t consider himself a gambler, it’s a safe bet that he hasn’t decided to go all in or fold his cards on Vigneault. After five productive and lengthy meetings with the bench boss in Vancouver to see if the pair share a similar philosophy, the GM hasn’t offered the coach a contract extension.
“No,” Gillis said from Las Vegas. “I don’t think you can read anything into this at this point. We’d like to reach a conclusion around the weekend and in the next couple of days have a much firmer idea.”
With a year left on his contract, it’s not a stretch to suggest that Vigneault would want more security if retained by Gillis. And as coaching vacancies crop up — the latest being in Colorado and San Jose to join a list that includes Toronto, Ottawa and Florida — it would be in Vigneault’s best interest to be in the hunt for those openings as soon as possible if he’s no longer employed by the Canucks.
Vigneault has said he won’t comment on the process until a conclusion is reached. And Gillis hinted there’s much ground to cover with Vigneault and that he’s no closer to a decision than he was a week ago.
“Absolutely — of course we want to resolve it, but I don’t want to rush to make a mistake,” added Gillis. “There are a lot of factors and it’s complicated. We’re well along in the process and I’m very comfortable that the process will play itself out.”
If money is a factor in the Vigneault decision, Gillis could opt for AHL coaches Kevin Dineen or Scott Arniel or former NHL coach Craig Hartsburg. They would come cheaper than Joel Quenneville. Without a contract for next season, the Avalanche coach was asked to take a pay cut in Colorado before stepping down Friday.
Another factor is the defence-first system Vigneault has coached and his ability to adapt to a more up-tempo approach favoured by Gillis, owner Francesco Aquilini and unrestricted free agents like Markus Naslund and Pavol Demitra.
In his season-ending address, Vigneault defended his defensive style as one that is common throughout the NHL. Still, the Canucks finished 24th in offence with 213 goals — down nine from the previous season — and their power play was ranked 18th at 17.1-per-cent efficiency. It was 17.2 per cent in 2006-07.
Dave Nonis was replaced as general manager by Gillis, Vigneault and his coaching staff remain in limbo and everybody is questioning the style of play.
It’s now up to Gillis to determine if the NHL’s coach of the year in 2006-07 will be his coach for another year in 2008-09.
“Given the circumstances, the job was well done,” he said of Vigneault. “The question is if it will continue to be done.”
(Vancouver Province)
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14/05/08
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