The axe has swung hard on the Vancouver Canucks.
First it was president/general manager Mike Gillis losing his job, then this week it was John Tortorella's neck on the block after a tumultuous one-season reign as head coach.
Both paid the ultimate price for a losing season on the ice for the underachieving Canucks, who missed the playoffs for the first time in six years.
Defenceman Dan Hamhuis has enjoyed most of his four seasons playing in his home province for the Canucks but there's no doubt the 2013-14 season was a nightmare. Tortorella''s firing Thursday was an inevitable ending, with Gillis already gone.
"When coaches and GMs are getting fired it's obviously the sign of a tough year and it's always easier to move those guys than 24 players," said Hamhuis, from his home in Vancouver. "But it's certainly a reflection on the players too, and I think we all take responsibility for that
"It's unfortunate. Torts is a very good coach in a lot of ways and unfortunately it's just individuals and not the team, we just weren't able to put a good year together. The first half of the season we did quite well but the second half, I think everyone on the team was frustrated individually."
The Canucks (36-35-11) finished 12th in the Western Conference, eight points out of a playoff spot. Team management responded by firing Gillis April 6, then replacing him three days later with Canucks legend Trevor Linden. Linden is already putting in place a change in culture and Hamhuis is convinced that will pay off in a big way for the team next season.
"I see a lot of changes going on around the organization and it will be exciting to see where Trevor takes us," said Hamhuis, who played 79 games in 2013-14, collecting five goals and 17 assists for 22 points. "I've known Trevor for quite awhile and he's just a quality guy. He's a great people person, he's got great judgment and he hasn't been out of the game that long [5 1/2 years] as a player and he's going to do some great things. Working in the community was huge for Mike Gillis, something I really respected, and I know that's huge for Trevor too and he'll continue with that.
"We know we have a very good team and with the summer off to get our minds straightened out and maybe a player or two, we're not in a rebuild mode by any means. We've got a very good team and I think we're a couple moves away from a championship team."
Hamhuis played four seasons for the Prince George Cougars from 1998-2002 and on Thursday officially became part-owner of the franchise after WHL governors approved the sale of the team.
Drafted 12th overall in 2001 by the Nashville Predators, in 2002 Hamhuis was the WHL's top defenceman and player of the year and played on two world junior teams for Canada, winning bronze in 2001 and silver in 2002. In February, he added Olympic gold to his medal collection in Sochi. The six-foot-one, 209-pound native Smithers played in five of the six Olympic tournament games, including Canada's 3-0 win in the final against Finland.
"It was a lot of fun, even aside from winning, it was just an amazing experience being at the Olympics and being with all the other athletes - it's something I'll never forget," said Hamhuis. "To be able to win gold with the group of guys we did just really topped it off."
