There are a number of questions raised by the firing of Dave Nonis but, while much remains unclear, there's one which now hangs over this franchise like a large, dark cloud: Given the Aquilini family's track record, and given what's just happened to Nonis, is there a competent hockey man out there who'll work for the Canucks?

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Francesco Aquilini pulled the trigger on Dave Nonis as Canucks GM Monday.

Photograph by : Gerry Kahrmann, Province, Files

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In light of the last three and a half years, this is a fair and reasonable question. The Aquilinis, one supposes, are qualified to do many things -- build condos, sell condos, sell more condos -- but they're as qualified to run a hockey team as they are to perform open-heart surgery. Since they took over the Canucks, they've also demonstrated that time and time again, and the Nonis fiasco is simply the latest act in an ongoing farce.

"I couldn't feel more sorry for [Nonis]," said Brian Burke, the Anaheim Ducks' GM, Nonis's closest friend and an interesting character in this drama. "He will be OK and he will make his mark on this game. But this is his first experience with that silent sniper that gets all of us and it's a crappy part of this job."

It also couldn't have been handled more crappily by the Aquilinis but, at this stage, what would you expect?

Nonis's firing seems to be a panic move based on the Canucks' late-season collapse. The former GM believed he and the Aquilinis were on the same page when the organization refused to pay the big prices demanded for the most coveted players at the trade deadline.

Apparently, the brothers have since changed their minds.

But this is also part of a larger pattern of impulsive, erratic leadership which has haunted the Canucks since the Aquilinis appeared on the scene.

When Burke was fired following the '03-'04 season, for example, the brothers hadn't officially taken over the franchise, but they were kept in the loop by Orca Bay CEO Stan McCammon and the firing was made with their approval.

They also believed Nonis was the man to lead the organization forward -- you may remember the ridiculous story leaked at the time that Burke was fired because Orca Bay was deathly afraid they were going to lose Nonis.

Again, it seems the Aquilinis have since had a change of heart about the future of the organization, but the fun doesn't stop there.

Speculation became rampant Monday night that the move would clear the way for, ta-da, Burke's return to Vancouver and, all things considered, that story is just goofy enough to have some merit.

If you're laying odds, however, Burke has about a 20-per-cent chance of returning to Vancouver. Yes, he still has a great deal of affection for this city and yes, his wife, CBC's Jennifer Mathers, still has a career here.

But a lot of things would have to change before Burke came back. And that's because the Aquilinis have left the distinct impression the Canucks are being run as a business investment whose sole purpose is to make money and not to win the Stanley Cup.

When Burke was fired, for instance, one of the senior management positions in the hockey department was never filled. Both Nonis and Steve Tambellini moved up a spot and what used to be a three-man operation became a two-man team, which saved a fairly hefty salary.

Francesco Aquilini also thought it would be a keen idea if he served as the team's president in the first season after the lockout and, when that didn't work out, the brothers relented and hired a professional in Chris Zimmerman.

Want more?

Well, Nonis and head coach Alain Vigneault didn't have a great deal of NHL experience when they were hired, which meant they weren't expensive. The Canucks' coaching staff features one man who came to Vancouver with meaningful NHL experience, associate coach Rick Bowness.

This year the Canucks were also under the cap all season and, given the way this franchise has been supported by this market, that is extraordinary.

So what does all that add up to? This season the Canucks missed the playoffs by three points. Would have one $2-million player made up that difference? How about another solid hockey man in the front office? How about an experienced coach?

We may never know but, today, we know a good man lost his job, and the pity here is Nonis couldn't fire the owner.

ewilles@png.canwest.com