Dave Nonis named General Manager of the Vancouver Canucks, NHL quoted from canoe.ca below: Nonis new Canucks GM VANCOUVER (CP) -- As a kid growing up near the old Pacific Coliseum where the Vancouver Canucks used to play, Dave Nonis dreamed of being a member of the NHL team. But Nonis admitted he struggled with the decision this week when Canuck owners asked him take over the job of general manager from Brian Burke. "I spent the last couple of nights with Brian," Nonis told a news conference at GM Place Thursday where he was officially introduced as the Canucks ninth general manager. "The person who was most positive was Brian. Without his blessings I couldn't have gone forward with it. "I am very excited about it. It's not the way you envision things happenings. But that's part of the business and we're going to do a very good job here." Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment, who own the Canucks, announced Monday they were not renewing Burke's contract. Nonis had to stop and collect himself several times when talking about Burke. He was on the verge of tears when he thanked Burke, who didn't attend the announcement, "for the opportunity he gave me and the friendship he's shown me." Nonis, 37, spent the last six seasons working with Burke as Vancouver's senior vice president and director of hockey operations. He negotiated the player contracts, helped design the budget that transformed the Canucks into a profitable franchise, and understands the collective bargaining agreement. Nonis also spent time working with Burke at the NHL's head office in New York, where he was part of the committee that negotiated the collective bargaining agreement with the players and was involved in salary arbitration. While he was Burke's protege and friend, Nonis has his own ideas on how the team should be run. "I'm my own person," said Nonis, who has an MBA from the University of Maine. "I'm going to make sure I'm going to do the things that I think are right. It's not about trying to live in someone else's shadow. I'm going to go forward. We're not looking to tread water. We're looking to improve." Along with Nonis, Steve Tambellini has been appointed vice-president and assistant general manager. Tambellini formerly held the title of vice-president of player personnel. Dave Cobb will continue in his role as chief operating officer. He will assume some of the duties as president which Burke performed but will not have the title of president. Associate coaches Jack McIlhargey and Mike Johnston have also agreed to three-year contract extensions. Head coach Marc Crawford had already had his contract extended three years. One of the most asked questions around Vancouver this week is why was Burke's contract not renewed. Stan McCammon, president and chief executive officer for Orca Bay, still wouldn't give a definitive answer. He refused comment when asked to explain the difference between Burke and Nonis. "I'm not going to compare the two," said McCammon. "They are both very capable people, both in terms of their hockey skills and their people skills." Canuck captain Markus Naslund said "it's disappointing" Burke was let go but didn't want to speculate on why. "I don't have the answers for that and I'm not going to get involved in commenting," said Naslund. Crawford said he's glad the decision to hire Nonis was made quickly. He also said he didn't want the general manager's job. The Canucks won the Northwest Division title this season with a 43-24-20-5 record but lost to the Calgary Flames in the first round of the playoffs. With Burke as general manager Vancouver made the playoffs the last four years but advanced past the first round just once. At the end of the season, Burke said it may be time to change the core of the team. Nonis agreed. "I would expect there will be some changes," said Nonis. "Our goal is to improve the team so we have a better record in the post season." Nonis also must petition the NHL to re-instate Todd Bertuzzi, who was suspended after attacking Colorado's Steve Moore in a March 8 game. Bertuzzi could also face criminal charges from the incident. A Vancouver native, Nonis joined the Canucks in 1990s initially working on corporate contracts, computer scouting and team services. He was a defenceman for the Burnaby Blackhawks of the B.C. Junior Hockey League from 1982 to 1984 before attending the University of Maine, where he was captain for two seasons and graduated in 1988. Nonis played one season professionally in Denmark, then returned to Maine in 1989 to serve as a graduate assistant coach to head coach Shawn Walsh