The Vancouver Canucks will be looking for a new general manager after the team announced Monday night that Dave Nonis won't be coming back next year.

During Nonis' three seasons at the helm of Vancouver's National Hockey League franchise, the Canucks made it to the playoffs in only one year, said Canucks chairman Francesco Aquilini in a statement.

"As owners we made a commitment to deliver the kind of hockey our fans deserve," said Aquilini. "It's not acceptable to our fans or to us as owners that our team isn't in the playoffs.

"Our search begins today for a new general manager, and our focus going forward is on a winning season in 2008-09," said Aquilini.

The news comes after a disappointing hockey season where the Canucks were on track to make the playoffs -- and then collapsed in the late season.

But Nonis also took the team to a record in 2006-2007 and pulled off one of the biggest trades in NHL history when he traded forward Todd Bertuzzi for goalie Roberto Luongo.

"From a fan reaction sense, I understand the decision, but from an operations sense it's the wrong move," said CTV's sports anchor Perry Solkowski.

"He's been handcuffed with contracts that he inherited, but this summer was his chance to make his mark on the team," Solkowski said.

"But in the end it's not his team and we found that out today," he said.

Nonis was promoted from his post as senior vice-president and director of hockey operations in 2004 to become the team's ninth general manager.

He replaced outgoing general manager Brian Burke.

Burke went on to be the general manager of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, who are facing the Dallas Stars in the first round of the playoffs.

The Canucks finished the 2007-08 season with a record of 39-33-10.

Canucks fans told CTV News that they felt it was time for a change.

"I think it had to come, and things were going downhill," said one man to CTV News.

But others said they're not sure that this will help.

"I don't know how much this is going to improve the team," another man said.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Perry Solkowski