Gerry Sillers

“Driller” was born and raised in Saskatoon where he played junior for the Blades with his longtime buddy Bobby Schmautz. He moved west to attend Simon Fraser University and turned pro with the Western League Canucks in 1968-69. He played four seasons with their NHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans of the AHL, a team for which the flamboyant Don Cherry both played and coached. He also played briefly with Portland of the WHL. Following his playing career, he became an enthusiastic member of the Canucks alumni organization and, in 1989, became its president, a post he still holds. As the association’s leader, Sillers attends all meetings of the NHL Alumni Association and is a tireless worker for the local chapter. The Canucks Alumni numbers some 100 card-carrying members and is often upheld as the best organization of its kind in the NHL. Much of that credit goes to Sillers, who recently retired as vice-president and controller of a local wood manufacturing facility.