Robin Keith Thompson

After a couple seasons of constant chatter about relocation and expansion/contraction, the real meat in this matter comes forth. Instead of debating the pros and cons about the support in a city and if it is big enough to hold onto the club long-term, the city of Seattle becomes a player. I've long thought the Emerald City should have another team that could participate for Lord Stanley's chalice. The only real hang-up is the lack of an arena. There are plans in place tenatively for a venue called te Emerald City Center which looks extravagant. The history is there and of course Vancouver fans would love the natural rivalry. See my complete thoughts on the matter here: http://www.chillerinstinct.com/archive/view.php?ARTICLE_ID=7B8C53BD-7BBD-4295-86CA-CA146501B949 The 15th largest urban market (23rd largest city) is in a vaccuum right now with a lack of the NBA and I've seen some proposals to include both the NBA and NHL in a new building. Not only that, but Bill Daly came out yesterday at the Western Conference Final Game #5 and stated that the NHL has been in contact with someone from Seattle. This is a good, solid turn for franchises in the NHL - and it is not even close to happening as of yet. Robin Keith Thompson / 25 May 2011 www.chillerinstinct.com

http://www.chillerinstinct.com With the Canucks entering Game 7 of the Western Conference quarterfinal against the vilified and rival Chicago Blackhawks, one must put the goal-keeping controversy aside and think solely upon the team's play as just that - the team. In the past, that is what foiled the attempts put forth by Vancouver versus Chicago in the playoffs. The Blackhawks as a team were superior to the Canucks. Without getting into specifics and hashing all kinds of statistics and such, the intangibles will be the deciding factor. Period The depth of the team will become the focus of British Columbia in the months to come, win or lose. Win - the Nashville Predators come calling. Lose - well, management's effectiveness and the players on the depth chart will be scrutinized against their pay cheques, consistency, heart, etc. The team simply must perform better and seize the moment; mistakes have simply not been the realm of only Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider. On my website, Chiller Instinct, I have linked the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoff Preview show with the talents/hosts of Goal Mouth Radio and The Blueline: Hockey Talk Radio in which I predicted Vancouver to win in Game 7. Round Two is also a possibility and new content is on each site weekly if you happen upon them. We went over each and every series and struck a lot of gold in contrast to the play we've witnessed since mid-April. I stood by the assumption that Toews and Co. would not go away lightly. That said I believe that Vancouver will prevail 4-2 in tonight's deciding game. Enjoy hockey enthusiasts; this is one for the ages... 26 April 2011 / Robin Keith Thompson http://www.chillerinstinct.com

On my website at Chiller Instinct.com, I annually publish a report on the thirty best prospects coming into view league-wide. Recently finished, I invite you to take a few moments to catch up on all the little tidbits you might not have known about some of these dynamic youngsters... Follow my link below to check out my thoughts on Cody Hodgson (ranked #24) on my blog at: http://prosportsblogging.com/nhl-hockey/vancouver-canucks/prospect-profile-cody-hodgson/ or by all means head to http://www.chillerinstinct.com for the latest on the top 30 hot young prospects ready to turn the league and shake the last of the cereal out. Robin Keith Thompson http://www.chillerinstinct.com

Great discussion guys and gals. I am thouroughly intrigued by Anton Rödin and have been in discussion with a colleague of mine that runs a very in depth website in Sweden called EliteProspects.com. He was high on Rödin after the 2010 WJC, as you can see on the link provided below. I do regular interviews with him and have had occasion to ask him about some of the top Swedish youngsters, as I also contribute a lot of material for the Canucks branch of ProSportsBlogging.com - I was pleased to hear him give great info on Rödin. If you are interested in hearing his thoughts about Brynas and Rödin, head to the direct link of my website ChillerInstinct.com: http://www.chillerinstinct.com/interviews/view.php?ARTICLE_ID=6B1762DE-B49D-473B-9640-E6784A988F62 I am sure you will see that there are many interviews aside from this one and much more to take in, hockey enthusiasts. Robin Keith Thompson

While the prospects tournament is underway, I thought it prudent to give the fandom something to take home with them. Information. On each and every prospect in the system or even on a tryout contract, I have laid out some of the general little tidbits for you to gather up and take with you to the watercooler. I examine the forwards, defense, and netminders that are set to make their mark. While not all the kids are in Penticton to play against the Oilers, Flames, Ducks, and Sharks this week, it is also important to keep tabs on many of the others. I noticed that the tendancy is to draft and sign players that excel in their studies and on the ice in the NCAA and dip into the CHL and Europe every now and again. There is a definite infusion of talent and competition with the cupboard now and the veteran team on the ice will only benefit, not to mention the fanatics of the team. Read the entire listing on my blog here: http://prosportsblogging.com/nhl-hockey/vancouver-canucks/the-2010-prospect-group/ Enjoy hockey enthusiasts. 13 September 2010 / Robin Keith Thompson

This is my lead article on http://www.chillerinstinct.com/ right now and I implore you to have a closer look at one of the game's first true superstars. There is a reason that his son Fred Taylor Jr. saw fit to name an entire sporting good store chain after his sire. As I was working on a profile for Cyclone Taylor for a European/Swedish database site that I work for (Eliteprospects.com), I got more and more intrigued about the legacy of the man. Every once in a while I put up a prospect or two and try to find a classic/early days player not found in the 81,000+ players situated on their database. So, afterwards I started poking around and reading up a bit more about him and sat down to write a brief article about him. I knew he was a 'legend' of hockey and one of the greats - an inductee of the Hockey Hall of Fame. I did not know that when breaking ground to build the HHOF that they sought out Taylor to 'turn the sod' at the ceremony to begin construction. His on ice accomplishments are incredible. Scoring 190 career regular season goals does not seem like a lot at first glance, until you consider that he never played more than 20 games in a season. 294 points is also a stellar number when you consider the second assist was not counted to pad one's stats until much later. Enjoy hockey enthusiasts... Also stop by my blog at: http://prosportsblog...cyclone-taylor/ or http://prosportsblog...or/thewordbird/ Robin Keith Thompson 2 August 2010

Good to see you're still going strong Jason.

James, fantastic work on your interview. This is a must read for all Canucks' fans.

If you liked that...head over to Chiller Instinct ( http://www.chillerinstinct.com/ ) I have plenty of interviews with Johan Nilsson of ELite Prospects and more...Thanks for taking the time to reply.

As the drama that continues to be the Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes ownership and possible relocation saga unfolds, another nasty little detail comes out 'in the wash' at the close of last month. While it took me a few days to collaborate some of the details surrounding the management issues, I realize that the release of Doug Moss as President and COO of the franchise (since 2002) is just another red flag as the team is paving the way now for the Ice Edge Holdings prospective ownership group. The current owners (the league itself) thanked Moss for his service and stated that he was leaving 'to pursue other business interests'. That does not seem like something one would do just a day after appearing with GM Don Maloney on the 'Yotes official webpage to do an open question-and-answer session with the fans of the hockey club. There is movement in the desert and in order to do so...the league had to clear the moss. 6 July 2010 / Robin Keith Thompson Read more about this on my blog: http://prosportsblog...or/thewordbird/ or work your way over to Chiller Instinct to get the low down: http://chillerinstinct.com/

Alex Freisen will make this organization rhyme worth and mirth together down the road. The recent 6th rounder has won major awards at the Ontario Hcokey League level and this season was voted by popular decision (OHL coaches poll) as the league's Best Faceoff Man AND Hardest Working Player Kudos Alex. See my entire write-up on the kid entitled "The Frieght Unknown" Certainly NHL Central Scouting (he was not even on their listing) did not value him the way the Canucks did and it shows in GM Mike Gillis' comments. "He's a very hard-nosed player, really good on faceoffs," Gillis said."He scored in the top-three in our psychological and intelligence testing." He had a head-to-head meeting with 2008 1st round pick Cody Hodgson that went very well for the Canucks. Last year's Niagara IceDogs HUMANITARIAN AWARD and this year's HEART AND SOUL AWARD winner is set to make believers out of us. Heck, if he played in the Western Hockey League the Calgary Flames would have snapped him up in the second round of LAST year's draft Not included at all in the National Hockey League’s Central Scouting rankings, the Canucks went ahead and relied on their own scouting murmur to grab sparkplug centre Alex Friesen from the Niagara IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League in the 6th round (172nd overall). He remained as the Canucks’ only draft pick that was a forward in five total picks (one goaltender) and possesses a strong forechecking ability accented by his speed. ”Alex makes up for any perceived lack of size he might have with speed and work ethic,” Niagara head coach Mike McCourt stated in a Sudbury Star article in January 2010. Known as a streaky left-handed scorer in the OHL, he rang up 17 multiple point games this season and even tallied four points in a game against Missisauga on 1 October 2009. He wrapped up the 2009-2010 season with 60 points in his 60 games and added 94 penalty-minutes as well. Keep in mind that offense was not his calling card as much as his play against the opposition’s top players. He was the IceDogs leader during the regular season in +/- with a +18 mark and also set the team standard for assists with 37. Impressive when you factor in that the team barely qualified for the playoffs with a .441 winning percentage and a goals-for/against mark of 191/233 (-42). They were ousted by the Ottawa 67’s in five games despite his efforts; #8 led the IceDogs with seven points in those contests. The 5′9″, 189 pound pivot is a hybrid of Canucks’ nemisis Dave Bolland and fan favourite Alexandre Burrows. He was honoured by the league as the OHL’s “Hardest Working Player“ and “Best Face-off Man“. Read the OHL release, which includes ALL the OHL Awards including Canucks’ 2008 1st round pick Cody Hodgson, who contended for and won a number of categories. In a 18 February 2010 match (game report) that feature both Hodgson and Friesen, the IceDogs eventually came out on top with 4:31 left in the third period against Hodgson’s Brampton Battalion. It was the only goal in a 4-3 game that did not involve one of the two players; Hodgson finished with one goal and two assists while Friesen pulled in three assists. Named 3rd star, Friesen’s selection could absolutely pay dividends in the future. Speaking about star OHL players, I happened upon a Youtube video of him taking out Taylor Hall on 6 February 2010: Intangibles are a large part of what is already an attractive package. With the skills to challenge this coming season for a roster spot on Canada’s World Junior Team a definite possibility, one might overlook his off ice smarts. In 2007-2008, Alex was named the OHL’s Top Acadmic Player, “Ivan Tennant Award“, as a rookie. After his second season he was named the IceDogs’ ”Humanitarian Award“, and he followed that up this past campaign with the team’s “Heart of the Team Award“. The Canucks obviously see a lot of character despite the fact that the Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario-born centre was not even ranked by NHL Central Scouting. “He’s a very hard-nosed player, really good on faceoffs,” GM Mike Gillis said. “He scored in the top-three in our psychological and intelligence testing. Vancouver’s forward prospects may not have much coming from the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in the way of numbers; quality and character seem to lining up in the middle. http://prosportsblog...rieght-unknown/ 28 June 2010 / Robin Keith Thompson http://www.chillerinstinct.com/

Yeah, he is going to be a definite favourite when I come around to selecting the Chiller Instinct Top Prospects Guide for 2010-2011.Here are the previous ones in the CI 'prospects' listing: http://www.chillerinstinct.com/prospects/ Draft day is so much fun.

Canucks fans and hockey enthusiasts...today is 2010 Draft Day in the NHL. One of the most exciting and optimistic days among fans and glorious and dicey among management. The perfect storm in Fandom. What we all want is solid information. Well, a whole year has passed since Vancouver selected Swedish winger Anton Rödin with the 53rd overall pick. He has had a year more of development and I took the opportunity to catch up with my Swedish hockey insider Johan Nilsson of EliteProspects.com . It covers the 2010 World Junior Championships, Magnus Pääjärvi-Svensson (EDM), his role in the Swedish Elite League currently, and more. Anton Rödin was Vancouver’s 2nd round selection (53rd overall) just one year ago. In reviewing a number of the Canucks’ prospects, the youngster from Sweden had obviously impressed the brass with his play in his 2nd tier league back home – enough to get the call in the second round. It was his play since in the 2010 World Junior Championships that left me impressed. I always watch the tournament closely and despite being slack-jawed at the performance of New Jersey Devils’ future winger Mattias Tedenby, Rödin’s play was also remarkable. While slight, he makes things happen and can be a catalyst on both offense and defense. He played in the Swedish Elite League for part this season and is set for another. There are definitely some intangibles in his favour. I caught up with my colleague Johan Nilsson, the webmaster from Elite Prospects this week and got the low-down on a special prospect for a rabid fan-base: Robin: There is a preconception out there that Rödin is a slick offensive player and that his defensive game is sound as well. Can you elaborate on that for our readers and possibly highlight how he might fit in amongst some pretty dynamic young forwards coming into Vancouver’s plans such as Cody Hodgson, Michael Grabner, and Jordan Schroeder? Johan @ EP: The good thing with Rödin is that I feel he can develop into a good team/role player in case he does not make it as a scoring line player. He plays with such intensity and speed, so he could turn out to be a very valuable fore-checking forward. Still, I hope he manages to translate his offense to the NHL, but first of all he needs to the same in a men’s league in Sweden. I do see a future NHLer in him, though, it remains to be seen in which role though. Seems pretty wide open to me at this point. Robin: Rödin had a pretty incredible 2010 World Junior Championships performance, despite Sweden not doing as well as projected by many, including myself. What was his niche on that team and how did he expand his role? Johan @ EP: He was not relied on to be one of the top scoring players prior to the tournament, but ended up second on the team in points. He was supposed to play a good two-way game and chip in offensively once in a while, but quickly became on one of the top offensive players on the team, often creating scoring changes on his own. Sweden’s top three lines received pretty much the same amount of ice time and Rödin’s role was the same, more or less, throughout the tournament. Robin: Does Rödin’s noted offensive skills have more room to develop, or is it his core strength or size that needs to be brought along? Johan @ EP: There is certainly room for improvement, since he has yet to translate his productivity to men’s hockey. He must learn where to be positioned and so on while facing better defensemen than those he did in the juniors. He is pretty shifty and smart though, so I think he will figure it out.. hopefully this upcoming season. Robin: There are some comparisons between Rödin with fellow Swede, Magnus Pääjärvi-Svensson. How much of this do you think is fair? Johan @ EP: Pääjärvi’s upside is greater. I see him potentially becoming a player to finish among the top 10 point scorers in the NHL, but I do not think Rödin’s ceiling is that high. They both have the speed in common and offensive awareness, but I think Pääjärvi is more mature, obviously stronger and more explosive and also he covers the puck better and thus gets more time to deliver good passes. Robin: How has the Stockholm-born winger’s physical game advanced after a full season in the SEL and how do you see him getting an opportunity down the road with Vancouver? He recently signed a contract with the Canucks, but it seems that he has at least another season left in your backyard. Johan @ EP: It is difficult to say just after one season playing in a men’s league (often with very limited ice time). The previous season he dominated the juniors and his physical strength was rarely tested. This past season, obviously it was tougher, but to know for sure how he has progressed in that regard, one would have to compare his season to the upcoming season. I hope to see him get more minutes now while being lent out to Brynäs after signing the deal with the Canucks. Robin: Certainly glad you could sit down and chat with us Johan. http://prosportsblog...odin-interview/ 25 June 2010 / Robin Keith Thompson www.chillerinstinct.com

The Vancouver Canucks have often selected Swedish hockey players as part of the re-stocking process for the organization. Alexander Edler, the Sedins, Mattias Ohlund are all classic examples. The Canucks will most likely have to display a flair in the scouting department to bring in a nice catch this draft, with only one pick in the top 100 players. I caught up with a cohort of mine, Johan Nilsson of Elite Prospects (DOT COM), to get some insight from a Swedish perspective on some of their eligible prospects headed into the draft on Friday. He had a number of good things to say about certain players. These included Calle Järnkrok from the Brynäs program, CI favourite Gabriel Landeskog and Victor Rask. This will provide you with some information on some players before you go hunting up their stat pages (included when you click on most players' names). You can get the entire interview as the lead article on my webiste at: http://www.chillerinstinct.com/ Happy Draft watching hockey enthusiasts... Robin Keith Thompson

great article, nice slant on things

They will undoubtedly need to uncover a 'gem' or two to make this a productive draft. It will be very interesting how they act with only one pick in the top 100. Exciting stuff; I always love the draft.

Perhaps my analogy at the onset was unclear. 420Fish (great name) thank you for the input, I do not take offense and even stand appreciative to the fact you would take the few moments out of your busy day to respond. I guess 'Thewordbird' should be a little wordy. I will however be bringing you some more in depth coverage of the two college kids (Tanev and Sweatt) as the summer progresses and we have had a chance to get to know these two a little better, especially their performances at prospects' camp. Thank you for the suggestions and valuable critiques. I hope many more had a good time with the read. Robin Keith Thompson http://www.chillerinstinct.com/

I have gone over some of the details of Yann Sauve's development as he progressed with the Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL) this season. He had a strong playoff and is looking to join the Canucks, not the Manitoba Moose (AHL) come training camp. I have just joined this network but have written extensive articles on my website: www.chillerinstinct.com Vancouver's defense core may look the part of a wounded animal licking its wounds right now, but there is help on the way. Much of it is rejuvenation is in the purest form, youth. General manager Mike Gillis was busy during the stretch-run and playoffs with signings that are going to make a world of difference in re-making this club's blueline, both with the Manitoba Moose (AHL) and on the ice at GM Place. It appears that Vancouver's scouting was abroad and came back with a few gems in their pockets. On 31 May 2010 the Canucks announced the signings of three young defenseman; 2008's 2nd-round pick Yann Sauvé, Rochester Institute of Technology standout rookie Chris Tanev, and Lee Sweatt, a graduate of Colorado College (NCAA) who has spent time in the KHL, Austrian League, and Finnish Elite League in the past three seasons. The focus of this particular article will be Sauve, as he stands the greatest chance of making an impact at the National Hockey League level right away and gives me a chance to dig up further information on the free-agent ink spent on Tanev and Sweatt. Sauvé was a keystone part of a Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL) team that established club records in most every category that counts, wins. This bodes well to the young defenseman's future. Few have ever brought the 20-year-old's steadiness on the defensive side of the puck into question, it was his decision-making with the puck that mingled into the equation for many. In his draft year of 2008, the following comments were typical of the regression Sauve was said to have made, perhaps from the unfair superstar status that came with previously being the #1 overall pick in the 2006 QMJHL draft: "From TSN: The big, strong, physical blueliner who models his game on Dion Phaneuf's is sometimes too aggressive for his own good, taking himself out of position, but he is most certainly a work in progress. One of his claims to fame is that he fought Steven Stamkos in the CHL Prospects game. He started this season as a projected first rounder but will have to improve his decision-making to get back to that status. From NHL Central Scouting: Yann is a defenceman who, when he is on, can be one of the best defencemen in all the Quebec League and all of junior hockey. With continued development and maturity, as well as experience on when to dish the puck and when not to dish the puck, projects to be a solid defenceman. He needs to improve on a little bit of poise and calmness with the puck. He is good with the puck but sometimes gives it away too abruptly and it results in turnovers." Fast forward to 2010 and he has increased his point totals every season with Saint John (36 pts with 7 goals this year) and was even a +42 this season. He now holds the team record for games played with 251 and sits sixth in franchise scoring, second among defenders with 102 points (trailing Pittsburgh Penguins' 2007 draftee Alex Grant). The Rigaud, Quebec-born defender set his personal bar highest this season, nabbing the Defensive Player of the Week honours from 19-25 October 2009, was named the Scholastic Player of the Month in November 2009, and appeared in the Subway Super Series for the Quebec League against Russia. The team enjoyed a strong playoffs, reaching the QMJHL Final, though they lost out on a trip to the Memorial Cup with a 7-4 loss in Game #6 to the Moncton Wildcats. Sauvé recorded a goal and an assist in that loss and had an immense post-season, tallying five goals and 10 assists in their 21 contests. Turning his sights on the Vancouver Canucks for the coming season, Sauvé is looking to make an impression come training camp. "I know that my role is going to be a shut-down guy," he said during an interview (source is towards end of page). "I think I'm ready to go to the next level, the pro level," he confidently stated. His head coach Gerard Gallant believes that the adjustment period should be easier for him to adapt to heading into pro hockey because of his size, skating, and booming shot. Gallant himself had a marvelous career in the NHL and has coached the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Islanders before heading to Saint John. "I think the role they look at him as is being the solid guy that doesn't make many mistakes in the D-zone and clears the front of the net and kills a lot of penalties and the guy you count on in the last minutes of a hockey game," Gallant glowed. "He will definitely be a top player some day for them." While conventional thinking places him with the Manitoba Moose right away, there is thought that his presence could be seen in a Canucks' uniform very soon. Have a look and read up on the Yann Sauve article on my blog at: http://prosportsblog...u-need-to-know/ Take care hockey enthusiasts. Robin Keith Thompson