Former NHL players respond to Canucks' treatment of Bruce Boudreau.

The story surrounding Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau has truly gripped the attention of hockey fans around the world but unfortunately things seem to keep getting worse and worse, day after day.

A metaphorical guillotine has been hanging over Boudreau's head for several weeks now with rumors that he could be fired at a moment's notice, but in spite of the ugly rumors Boudreau has continued to face the media admirably each and every day and continues to perform his duties as the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks.

Although Boudreau himself has not spoken out against the treatment he is currently receiving at the hands of the Canucks, it would appear that former players from the National Hockey League are now taking up that mantle and have begun to speak on his behalf.

This week former Boudreau disciple Andrew Cogliano, who played for many years under Bruce Boudreau in Anaheim, expressed his thoughts on the matter and was very supportive of his former coach. Cogliano didn't slam the Canucks in any way, but it was clear from his words how he felt about the situation.

"I don't know what's going on here, but I love Bruce," said Cogliano of his former coach. "I think he's a great man. He cares about players, he cares about his team, and he's a good coach. I have my thoughts on what's going on here with him on a personal level, and I don't think it's warranted. He's done a good job throughout the league. We had a lot of success in Anaheim and I actually attribute a lot of my success in the league to him. So I owe him a lot. I love him. I think he's a he's a good person. He's a good coach. And I think he'll come out on top of all this."

Former NHLer Ryan Whitney however wasn't so kind to the Canucks. On Friday Whitney took to social media to blast the Canucks for their treatment of the veteran head coach, going so far as to call the whole thing a complete disgrace.

"I’ll say again… the fact Vancouver hasn’t fired Boudreau and is trotting him out there every day making him answer questions is a complete disgrace," said Whitney via Twitter. "Zero respect for a guy who has been in the game for 40 years."

This situation appears to be far from over, so don't be surprised if more players come out of the woodwork to defend the beloved Boudreau before it is all said and done.