How Passionate are Canucks Fans?
Entry posted by Larenzo
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In a poll conducted Tuesday by Team 1040 Radio, 40 per cent of Vancouver Canucks fans polled said they would give up sex for a year if the team won the Stanley Cup.
Canucks fans celebrate a goal during Game 3 of the Western conference semifinals May 5th, 2010 at GM Place
The poll was a crossover from a recent English poll that suggested that 12 per cent of soccer fans would give up sex for a year if the Three Lions won the World Cup. Neither of the polls indicated the percentages as broken down by gender, but I assume it's safe to say that the majority would be male. Regardless, the number is quite impressive when you think about what's at stake. Personally, having followed the Canucks faithfully for 28 years, and hoped, laughed and cried along with them every step of the way, I still don't know that I would wager a year without sex. I don't think my fiance would appreciate me placing that kind of bet either. It kind of makes me wonder if they're engaging in the same activity...
The beauty of polls like this is that no one will be held responsible to carry out the parameters of the wager. With that in mind, let's follow through on my promise to take a look at the personnel that will (or will not) help Vancouver reach the Holy Grail.
Pavol Demitra gets one off from his knees during Game 6 at GM Place. Surely, that will be the last game he wears a Canucks jersey (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)
Pavol Demitra:
Age: 35
Cap Hit: $4,00,000
Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
Stats (Games, Goals, Assists, Total points)
28 games 3-13-16 +3 rating
Playoffs: 11 games, 2-4-6 +2 rating
Pavol Demitra turned out to be another Canuck Free Agent experiment gone awry. Based on The Province (newspaper) reader response, it's easy to see that fans are quite unhappy with the return on investment for the streaky Slovak. Paul from Vancouver wrote: "Don't answer the $4 -million call from the dreadful Demitra Experiment". At least with Mats Sundin, there was a certain level of commitment and grit that was displayed for the monumental amount of cash he received. But Demitra never really hit his stride in Vancouver, save for the two week period of the Olympics in which he led the tournament for points. Elvis sightings will be more frequent than Demitra sightings in Vancouver after July 1st, I can assure you of that.
Kyle Wellwood grimaces while Steve Bernier tries to beat Antti Niemi while in the butterfly position. Will Wellwood get looks from other teams as an Unrestricted Free Agent?
Kyle Wellwood:
Age: 27
Cap Hit: $1,200,000
Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
Reg. Season: 75 games, 14-11-25 +6 rating
Playoffs: 12 games, 2-5-7 -1 rating
Wellwood showed he knows when to turn up the compete level. CBC Analyst Jim Hughson commented a couple of times about Wellwood's speed in the playoffs. For two years running, the diminutive center has saved his best hockey for the playoffs, and gave the Canucks an additional dimension on their checking line. With excellent stick-handling abilities, and good vision on the ice, the Canucks will probably make an offer in the same ballpark as the previous one. The only question is whether he'll accept or not; may get a longer look from other clubs, which could push his value up somewhat.
Antti Niemi makes a pad save against Ryan Johnson in the first period of Game 6... Will Johnson wear the blue, white and green again?
Ryan Johnson:
Age: 33
Cap Hit: $1,150,000
Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
Reg. Season: 58 games, 1-4-5 -4 rating
Playoffs: 4 games, 0-0-0 -2 rating
Having played playoff hockey myself while suffering from a serious injury, my heart really went out to Johnson this post-season. He was listed as a late May return from his broken foot, but managed 4 games with the Canucks in Round 2. Probably motivated by the Canucks lack of success on the penalty kill, it was obvious Johnson returned too early. The Thunder Bay, Ont. product had a tough time being reinserted smack in the middle of the playoffs. But nobody questions his heart, and though he's not a shoe-in, one would think the Canucks will try to get him back in the fold for similar money.
With Mason Raymond's breakout season, one has to wonder if another club will make resigning the young speedster difficult, a la Ryan Kesler/ Philadelphia Flyers (photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images
In the next Canuck Way installment, we'll continue our investigation into what the team may look like for the 2010/11 season. Of particular note, I'll take stock of the Willie Mitchell situation and potential complications in re-signing Mason Raymond, who is coming off his breakout season.
With files from The Province, Getty Images and TSN, I'm Larenzo Jensen
Follow the Canucks even while they're on the Greens... and a special Draft Day live blog June 25th at http://thecanuckway.com
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