Mike Gillis is out as the president and general manager of the Vancouver Canucks. Air Max 270 Mens Canada . After helping the Canucks to five straight Northwest Division titles, Gillis saw the team miss the playoffs this season for the first time in six years. TSNs Farhan Lalji has been told that Trevor Linden will be named the Canucks president on Wednesday. Lalji also added via Twitter that, "Im also told there is a buyout provision in Gillis contract whereby the Canucks only need to pay half of the $8 million remaining on his deal." He added that there is a similar provision in head coach John Tortorellas deal if he also gets let go at some point. Canucks chairman and governor Francesco Aquilini will discuss the move further in a news conference that can be seen live on TSN2, TSN.ca and TSN GO on Wednesday at 1:30pm et/10:30am pt. "On behalf of my entire family, I would like to sincerely thank Mike Gillis for his hard work and the many contributions he made on and off the ice during his tenure," said Aquilini in a statement on Tuesday. "The Vancouver Canucks had success under Mikes leadership, and we nearly reached our ultimate goal; but I believe we have reached a point where a change in leadership and new voice is needed. "I also want to thank our fans for their support for the Vancouver Canucks through a difficult and frustrating season. We havent met their expectations or ours. We are committed to bringing the Stanley Cup to Vancouver for our fans and we will continue to do everything possible to reach that goal." After losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2011, the Canucks have won only one playoff game in the two following postseasons. The Canucks 2013 playoff exit led to the firing of head coach Alain Vigneault and the signing of former New York Rangers head coach John Tortorella to a five-year contract. Gillis has very publicly been dealing with his goaltending situation in recent years. Cory Schneider was named the starting goalie going into the 2012-13 season after the team was unable to trade Roberto Luongo and his long-term contract. Schneider, however, was traded to the New Jersey Devils at the 2013 NHL Draft, putting Luongo back in the starters role for the 2013-14 season. But the struggling Canucks would finally deal Luongo prior to this seasons Mar. 5 trade deadline, sending the 35-year-old back to the Florida Panthers and leaving unproven Eddie Lack as the starting goaltender down the stretch. Gillis received the General Manager of the Year Award in 2011 after the team set a franchise record with 117 points in the regular season and won the Clarence Campbell Bowl as the Western Conference Champions. After a 2011-12 season that saw the Presidents Trophy-winning Canucks upset by the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Gillis was signed to a contract extension. Nike Air Max Motion Canada . -- Oakland Athletics starting pitchers Jarrod Parker and A. Nike Air Max 95 Canada . -- James Harden scored 31 points, including 25 in the second half, and the Houston Rockets dug out of a double-digit, first-half hole to beat the Orlando Magic 101-89 on Wednesday night. http://www.clearanceairmaxcanada.com/ . This weeks topics include his take on the Kevin Pillar incident, All-Star snubs, the firing of Padres general manager Josh Byrnes and more.ST. LOUIS -- Jeff Fisher has never been afraid to buck a trend, draft a troubled player or grant a second chance. The coach of the Rams stuck with Adam "Pacman" Jones and Kenny Britt when he was at Tennessee, despite their off-field problems. Britt is now reunited with Fisher in St. Louis. Fisher recently rehired Gregg Williams, the defensive co-ordinator who was given a one-year suspension by the league for the bounty scandal with the Saints. It was not a surprise that it was Fisher who helped Michael Sam make history as the first openly gay player drafted by an NFL team. "He is an amazing leader, and even better, hes a better man," said Wade Davis, the head of an advocacy group for lesbian and gay athletes. Davis currently is doing some work with the NFL. "He looks at everything from all angles and hes not afraid to take on a challenge." The 56-year-old Fisher deflects any praise for being a trailblazer, insisting it was simply a football decision to upgrade one of the NFLs top pass rushes by taking Sam at No. 249. "In our world, nobodys going to agree with what you do 100 per cent of the time because everybody has opinions, and thats fine," Fisher said. "Im concerned about whats going on in the building, with the staff and players, the direction were headed. Thats always been the case." At least on the field, Fisher can relate to the challenge for Sam. He also was a seventh-round pick, the fourth wheel of a star-studded Southern California secondary that featured Ronnie Lott, Dennis Smith and Joey Browner. He then carved out a career playing under Mike Ditka for a Super Bowl winner in Chicago and is entering his 19th season as an NFL head coach. Lott, a Hall of Famer, recalls Fisher smoothly making the switch from wide receiver to cornerback. "To me, its easy to play wide receiver because you know where youre going," Lott said. "Having to react, respond and do it with confidence and knowing youre not going to win every play, thats the mindset on defence. The determination he had then has stayed with him." Not long after Sam came out in February, Fisher said hed have no problem having him on the team, that this was an age of diversity. Turns out it wasnt just talk. Several picks before the Rams took Sam, Fisheer broached the subject with owner Stan Kroenke and general manager Les Snead. Nike Air Max 360 Canada. Ditka said he wasnt surprised it was Fisher who stepped up when every other team was backing away from Sam. Ditka, who once traded all his draft picks to land Ricky Williams, called it a "pretty gutsy move." Players have fallen in lockstep with their coach on the question of picking Sam. Defensive end Chris Long called it a "football move" and so did linebacker James Laurinaitis. "I dont think it was courageous," Laurinaitis said. "I think its a calculated move by the organization. ... If you have the opportunity to draft a guy that you think is extremely productive and maybe you had a higher grade on him than where he is, you go ahead and take that. I think football-wise, it was a very smart decision." Fisher wouldnt say how far Sam slid on the Rams draft board. The coach joked that divulging that information might affect Sams rookie contract. Titans broadcaster Thom Abraham remembers Fisher in 2009 after Tennessees 0-6 start removing his sport coat, tie and shirt at the podium of a civic function to reveal a Peyton Manning jersey underneath. The punch line: "I just wanted to know what it felt like to be a winner." "Picking Sam did not surprise me one bit," Abraham said of Fisher. "Hes confident in his ability to be out front, and almost represent the NFL." Sam has had several off-season workouts and more practices are on tap this week with the veterans. Long said Sam was working hard and former Missouri teammate, receiver T.J. Moe, said the team viewed Sam simply as someone trying to make it in the NFL. "He is on the team. Theres a 90-man roster, it doesnt go 89 and then Michael Sams over there, this is the gay team, this is the straight team," Moe said. "Michael Sam is on this team and hes treated just like anybody else." And if Sam struggles, nobody that knows Fisher well doubts the coach will have any problem cutting him loose. "He doesnt like doing that part of it," said Brad Hopkins, a former Pro Bowl offensive tackle who played his entire NFL career under Fisher. "But he knows it has to be done, and that you cant make everybody happy." ' ' '