Dave Nonis played his minor hockey with the Burnaby Minor Hockey Association, moving up the ranks and playing on the association’s top rep teams as a strong defenceman. In 1982-83 he jumped to the Junior A Burnaby Bluehawks before attending the University of Maine where he served two seasons as captain of the hockey team, leading them to back-to-back NCAA championship tournaments.

After playing one year professionally in Denmark he returned to Maine and earned his MBA before joining the Vancouver Canucks in a corporate and administrative capacity. He eventually directed all areas of the Canucks hockey operations before being named the ninth, and youngest ever, at the age of 37, general manager of the Canucks in 2004. Nonis pulled off one of the biggest trades in franchise history by acquiring Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Roberto Luongo from the Florida Panthers in June 2006.

After his departure from the Canucks he joined the Anaheim Ducks as senior advisor of hockey operations and in January 2013 was named senior vice-president and general manager of Toronto Maple Leafs, a position he held for two years. 

Nonis then was hired by the Anaheim Ducks as a special assignment scout and consultant to the team’s general manager, Bob Murray. He was promoted to assistant GM in 2019 before being let go in February 2022. He was subsequently hired in March 23 by the Calgary Flames as senior vice president of hockey operations and assistant general manager.