SEDIN WEEK

[The Colt 45s]

4 minutes ago, Schneider.Man604 said:

knowing Vancouver... you just never know. I was born and raised here. I know the ugly side this city can put on if they have/want to.

Some fans back home have such a poor reputation.  We get that they are very passionate about our team, but this night is not about them.  It is about the two greatest Canucks of all time--except EP, BB, and QH are going to challenge them in the next fifteen years.

[-DLC-]

4 hours ago, Schneider.Man604 said:

knowing Vancouver... you just never know. I was born and raised here. I know the ugly side this city can put on if they have/want to.

Thing is, it's usually just a few that get it going and others join in.

 

Hey, all for it on a regular night/game....all in fun, can make the atmosphere great when people vocalize.  But not tomorrow...it's a different deal.  Two guys who brought so much class, dignity and respect to their games deserve THAT to be the tone.  This ceremony is a celebration and it's different than when the puck drops and it's go time.

 

When he was on the ice, playing us...sure.  But he's showing up to pay his respects to others and it's not really our place to interfere in that.

 

Anyhow enough about Kesler from me...takes the focus off where it needs to be.

 

The building was buzzing last night and it's just got such a special feel in this city right now.  Can hardly wait for tomorrow.

[-DLC-]

 

[Ghostsof1915]

Kesler made his bed. Now he has to sleep in it. Remember he was the one that wanted the trade. Management didn't. He was also the one who restricted to where he could be traded to. Benning did the best he could. If fans are still ticked off at that, I can't say that I blame them. I wouldn't boo him. But I would just give a golf clap for him. 

He's entertaining on the podcast. But you can't have your cake and eat it too.

 

Basically at a time when the team needed him and his leadership the most, he bailed. That's pretty hard to forget. 

[johngould21]

My favourite Sedin memory: My son and I won a trip with the Canucks to Toronto in 2011. Of course the Leafs jump all over the Canucks in the first half of period one, and chase Luongo. The AC Center is going wild, I tell you Bob Cole, and we're all sitting in our seats quite subdued. The second period is completely different. The twins and Burrows take the game over, and win 5-3. All the Canuck fans drown out the Leafs fans from the beginning of the comeback with chants of MVP, MVP. It was like Toronto had never heard of them before, and I wonder why? I can't remember how many points each of them got in that game, but 4 each might have been close. The way they took charge of that game that night was incredible. We were down in the penalty box area, very good seats, and some of those long time Leaf season ticket holders had no idea what hit them. 

I've been around since the beginning of this franchise, and have never seen two players with so much skill and class play on this team. They deserve all the credit and accolades that are being thrown their way, best of luck Daniel and Henrik, and enjoy life after hockey! I'm going to the game on Wednesday night, with my son, just to take in one last magic moment. This is going to be a blast, see you all there.

Edited February 11, 2020 by johngould21

[Monty]

Ryan Kesler article in The Athletic about returning for Sedin tribute. Need a subscription to The Athletic to read it, but I’ve got ya covered:

 

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/theathletic.com/1595573/2020/02/11/am-i-sorry-about-the-way-things-went-down-100-percent-ryan-kesler-returns-to-vancouver-nervous-and-apologetic/%3famp
 

Quote

‘Am I sorry about the way things went down? 100 percent’: Ryan Kesler returns to Vancouver nervous and apologetic

 

Ryan Kesler has regrets. Don’t we all?

 

Just 35 years old, his playing days are likely over. He had hip resurfacing surgery last spring, but refers to it as his “hip replacement.” He’s looked into neuroplasticity options, treatments designed to help his brain heal.

 

Kesler sacrificed his body in putting together a storied, successful playing career. An assertive physical player, he willed himself into being a 40-goal scorer and won a Selke Trophy — awarded to the NHL’s best defensive forward — in 2011.

 

This week, Kesler will return to Vancouver, the city where he made his name as a dominant two-way force in the NHL. He’s here at the invitation of Henrik and Daniel Sedin and will be part of the pregame ceremony on Wednesday when the Vancouver Canucks retire the Sedin twins’ numbers.

 

And Kesler is nervous. He’s apprehensive about how he’ll be received by the rabid hockey fans in a city that he orchestrated a trade away from back in 2014.

 

“Definitely I’m nervous about how I’ll be received,” Kesler told The Athletic. “I’m still a current member of the Anaheim Ducks. I’m still on the opposite side. I’m fortunate to be able to go to this in the first place. When I talked to Danny and Hank and they asked me to come out, 100 percent I was going to come. Am I nervous about getting booed? Absolutely. It would be a dagger to my heart — it would probably ruin my time.”

 

In the history of the Canucks franchise, Kesler has eclipsed the likes of Pavel Bure and Roberto Luongo as the man with the most complicated relationship with Vancouver hockey fans.

 

As a young player, he signed an offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers. At the 2010 Winter Olympics hosted in Vancouver, he was quoted — misquoted, he insists — as saying that he “hates” Canadians. John Tortorella stripped him of his “A” during his final season in Vancouver. And Kesler didn’t just demand a trade during the 2014 season — his representatives worked tirelessly to make sure that it happened.

 

Kesler has his family, a lucrative contract that won’t expire until the summer of 2022 and a hit podcast with longtime teammate Kevin Bieksa. He keeps busy mentoring talented prospects for KO Sports, the talent agency operated by his longtime agent Kurt Overhardt.

 

He’s got a mangled body, no Stanley Cup ring and it’s not even clear whether or not the fan base that he bled for will give him a warm reception when he returns to Rogers Arena this week.

 

So, yeah, Kesler has regrets. And he’s sorry.

 

I’m 35 years old and I have a hip replacement,” Kesler says. “That’s from 15 years of playing in the league, but it started in Vancouver and playing through those injuries. You do sacrifice a lot and when you feel like it’s not appreciated, it hurts. Am I sorry about the way things went down? 100 percent I’m sorry. Am I sorry about the way I handled it throughout and would I do it differently? Yes. That’s life. You can’t take it back, you can only try to make things right.”

 

Kesler has been trying to make amends in recent months. He’s spoken openly on his podcast about a variety of his more controversial experiences in Vancouver. He’s apologized in local radio interviews for being prickly with the media.

 

“I wasn’t a morning person,” Kesler jokes, when asked about his gruff demeanour during his Canucks tenure. “I didn’t start drinking coffee until my fourth kid and then  I learned that caffeine puts me in a good mood. I wouldn’t call myself grumpy — anymore. Back then, yeah, I mean, I wasn’t talkative. And I think I have a resting b*tch face.”

 

Within the Canucks organization and among people who worked with Kesler in the past, anyway, there seems to be some appetite to move past the ugly breakup. To forgive, if not forget entirely.

 

There’s no debating, however, that Kesler forced a trade out of Vancouver back in 2014. He did it in part for his family and in part because he felt time slipping away. After 2011, Kesler wanted another chance at competing credibly for a Stanley Cup, something he didn’t see happening with the Canucks.

 

“I felt like I had to make that trade for my family, for me and for my sanity,” Kesler says, recalling his motivations. “It was nothing against the fans. I thought I gave Vancouver 10 years of my life, most of my prime years and I left it all on the table, then I felt like they turned on me.

 

“Obviously I left before they thought I should’ve, but I hope they understand it was just time for me, for my sanity, to give me time to be with my family as a father and live a more low-key lifestyle. I really enjoyed my last five years in Anaheim and my first 10 years in Vancouver. I wouldn’t trade those first 10 years for anything. My fondest hockey memories are in a Canucks uniform. I just hope they see my side of it and know that it was nothing against them.”
 

He understands though, that for many Canucks fans, they felt the sting of a former star player’s perceived dishonesty deeply.

 

“I think what pissed the fans off the most is that they think I lied to them,” Kesler begins, re-litigating the moment when the relationship between him and the Canucks fractured. “Think about the position I’m in, if I tell the media on-camera that I want to be traded — it lowers my trade value and I probably don’t get dealt.

 

“So I talked to the team and we came up with a plan to say what I said, that my heart was still in the city. And it was. Go look at those games, do you think I played differently after that report came out? Do you think I didn’t put my heart into every game, up to the last game I played?”

 

Of course, no one who watched Kesler play for any length of time would think he had an off-switch. This is a point that matters to him, though.

 

“Go back and look at my last game, which was against Edmonton at Rogers Arena. Go look at it. Do I look checked out? We’re out of the playoffs. We’re not making it. To the very last minute, I gave my heart to the city, sacrificed my body. That’s what hurt so bad when I got booed. The blood, sweat, tears, playing through injuries, giving everything I have to that city, then it felt like they flipped on me.

 

“I was still heartbroken from the 2011 Stanley Cup final. Still am. I needed a change, my family needed a change. I felt like I was 30, how many good years do I have left to win a Cup?”

 

As Kesler competed for a Pacific Division division rival that routinely beat a more limited Vancouver team in the years that followed, those hurt feelings deepened.
 

Kesler was booed heartily when he skated on Rogers Arena ice as a member of the Ducks. He also made a habit of trolling Canucks fans. When he scored his first Ducks goal on Vancouver’s ice surface, for example, he raised his hands into the sky like a WWE heel bathing in the remonstration of the crowd as the boos rained down:

 

Then during a walk-off interview in the second intermission, Kesler said on a regional Ducks broadcast, “I’ve scored a lot of goals in this building, but that one was my favourite.”

 

I’d often thought that Kesler’s heel act was part and parcel of what made him so effective in the NHL. That he excelled by playing on an edge that converted taunts and doubts into motivational fuel.

He was an asshole, but for Canucks fans, he was their asshole. Being in a Ducks jersey just changed that equation.

 

In discussing the matter with him at length this month, it’s clear that I had it wrong. Kesler wasn’t just trolling because that’s who he is. He was trolling Canucks fans because, legitimately, he was hurt.

 

“To be honest, I’m a sensitive guy,” Kesler said. “I’m an emotional guy, the people who know me know that. I was hurt by the way Canucks fans treated me.”

 

“I was jabbing back at fans,” Kesler continued. “They’re asking you about the goal and all you can hear in your head still is the boos, and to be honest, I took that hard. My wife was there, and she took it really hard, to the point where she was in tears after the game. My parents too, they could hear it on TV. Was there a sense of, ‘You know what, if they’re going to treat me like a villain, sure I’ll play into that hand. Perfect. I’m a villain now.’ Mentally, it was hard to take.

 

“Looking back on it, would I take saying that back? Yes. I should’ve been the bigger person.

 

“My favourite goal I ever scored, to this day, is the Nashville goal on the power play. A tap-in back door while I’m standing in the crease, my favourite goal in that building? Yeah, no chance. I said it out of spite, because I was being treated a certain way. Not that it excuses it, I have regrets in life. Saying that, it’s one of them.”

 

Among the many subplots of Sedin Week, Kesler’s first event as a Canucks alumnus is perhaps the most fascinating and the most fraught with potential controversy. Ultimately, he’s here for Henrik and Daniel, former teammates he holds in high regard.

 

“They were ahead of their time and their best quality was their mind,” Kesler says of his former teammates. “They didn’t have a weakness, really, they used each other well but the biggest thing is that they made everyone around them better. They made me better.”

That respect is mutual, to hear the twins tell it on Monday:

 

Which leaves us with the question of how Kesler will be received by Canucks fans on Wednesday night. When Alex Burrows shouted him out during his Ring of Honour speech in December, the reaction was positive. There was genuine applause.

 

“I know I’m not going to win everybody over. I can’t make everybody happy,” Kesler says. “I had to look after my family though. As much as I loved playing there and love the fan base, family is always number one. And it’s number one before hockey too. That’s one of the main reasons I got a hip replacement. That was as tough a decision for me, as tough as it was to ask for a trade out of Vancouver.

 

“I knew it would put my career in Jeopardy and it did. Now I’m sitting in Michigan, knowing I made the right decision because my quality of life is not where it was before my hip went south and before surgery, but I’m able to play with my kids. That’s what’s important to me now.”

For Canucks fans it’s a simple question: Does it matter to you that Kesler is probably the second best centreman in franchise history? That he sacrificed his body to this extent and gave everything he could to win in Vancouver? Or does it matter more that he didn’t want to be part of a rebuild and pushed the organization into a corner so that he could remove himself and his family from the limelight and scrutiny of this fishbowl marketplace and chase a Stanley Cup?

 

I envy the person who has never made a mistake in their life, but there’s no right or wrong answer here. Kesler is a complicated person, with a complicated Canucks legacy.

Perhaps enough time has passed.

 

Perhaps on a night that’s about Henrik and Daniel — two players so humble that they’ve made sure to share their jersey retirement evening with just about every notable teammate they had during their storied Canucks careers — everyone can take the high road.

 

For what it’s worth, I suspect the crowd will receive Kesler warmly. It will be an emotional moment if they do.

Then again, this is Vancouver. And this is Ryan Kesler.

 

[Squamfan]

2 hours ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

Kesler made his bed. Now he has to sleep in it. Remember he was the one that wanted the trade. Management didn't. He was also the one who restricted to where he could be traded to. Benning did the best he could. If fans are still ticked off at that, I can't say that I blame them. I wouldn't boo him. But I would just give a golf clap for him. 

He's entertaining on the podcast. But you can't have your cake and eat it too.

 

Basically at a time when the team needed him and his leadership the most, he bailed. That's pretty hard to forget. 

luongo did the same thing, blocked a trade to toronto for kadri and first and rimer

[Smashian Kassian]

1 hour ago, Monty said:

Ryan Kesler article in The Athletic about returning for Sedin tribute. Need a subscription to The Athletic to read it, but I’ve got ya covered:

 

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/theathletic.com/1595573/2020/02/11/am-i-sorry-about-the-way-things-went-down-100-percent-ryan-kesler-returns-to-vancouver-nervous-and-apologetic/%3famp
 

 

 

Incredible work. Dancer has been killing it.

 

It wasn't handled well but it was a difficult & crazy situation. How can u not understand a guy having to make a difficult decision he felt was right. As Dancer said, I envy the person who hasn't made a mistake in their life.

 

He seems genuine in his apology & desire to make things right. I think it's the fans turn to mend this relationship.

 

Hopefully he gets a huge cheer. I'll be really disappointed if he's booed honestly. 

[-Vintage Canuck-]

“Super smart, so intelligent. They can pick you apart, it was hard to cover them. They had so much patience. Real cool to play with them internationally.” - Alfredsson on the Sedins

[Squamfan]

lol who is this dude said he played with them 

[-Vintage Canuck-]

 

[250Integra]

The trick is to announce Luongo right before Kesler, that way if the fans do "boo", we can just say that they were still "luu-ing" 

[captainhorvat]

55 minutes ago, Squamfan said:

lol who is this dude said he played with them 

Looks like mike brown

[Squamfan]

10 minutes ago, captainhorvat said:

Looks like mike brown

no way this is the same player @-Vintage Canuck- ANY HELP?

[250Integra]

Just now, Squamfan said:

no way this is the same player @-Vintage Canuck- ANY HELP?

Not this Mike Brown... this one: https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=26839

 

[-NucksFan]

4 hours ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

Kesler made his bed. Now he has to sleep in it. Remember he was the one that wanted the trade. Management didn't. He was also the one who restricted to where he could be traded to. Benning did the best he could. If fans are still ticked off at that, I can't say that I blame them. I wouldn't boo him. But I would just give a golf clap for him. 

He's entertaining on the podcast. But you can't have your cake and eat it too.

 

Basically at a time when the team needed him and his leadership the most, he bailed. That's pretty hard to forget. 

Agree that everyone is entitled to their opinion. I was really mad about him asking for a trade, and to one team. With time I have have chosen to let it go and focus on all the guy did for the team while he was here. If what he says is true, that he was told the team was going in a new direction and that he realized he wasn’t part of that plan and also that he wanted to move to a quieter market so his kids didn’t get bugged at school if their dad had a bad game, then that makes my decision to let it go easier. 
does that change what happened, no, but listening to him this morning on his interview gave me a better idea about how he feels about the city and the fans here and I choose to look at the positives of his time here. Many player on teams ask for trades , we don’t always know the reasons behind the scenes. 
 

[Nucker 67]

I don't think it's right that there be any booing during any of the ceremonies, that would be in bad taste. I find it interesting: now that Kesler's career is over, he never won anything with the Ducks. Really didn't do anything significant once he demanded out, but now he's acting like it wasn't his fault that he left. He blames Torts, he blames his fear that his kids would be bugged at school, etc. But I remember when he wanted out. The Canucks were on the downhill and he bailed on them. He complained about the constant rain here during winters, and then bragged that he was enjoying the Cali sunshine in his new home. I'll be respectful and watch, but I won't be clapping.    

[CRAZY_4_NAZZY]

6 hours ago, debluvscanucks said:

Thing is, it's usually just a few that get it going and others join in.

 

Hey, all for it on a regular night/game....all in fun, can make the atmosphere great when people vocalize.  But not tomorrow...it's a different deal.  Two guys who brought so much class, dignity and respect to their games deserve THAT to be the tone.  This ceremony is a celebration and it's different than when the puck drops and it's go time.

 

When he was on the ice, playing us...sure.  But he's showing up to pay his respects to others and it's not really our place to interfere in that.

 

Anyhow enough about Kesler from me...takes the focus off where it needs to be.

 

The building was buzzing last night and it's just got such a special feel in this city right now.  Can hardly wait for tomorrow.

Love how you said that Deb, if anything this Kesler topic can be revisited later.  The focus should be focusing on the twins.

 

It does annoy me in small ways that Kesler is trying to rewrite history.  As another poster said earlier, "you can't have your cake, and eat it too".  seems like he is trying to do that a bit here and I think that is what is triggering some fans, including myself.

 

But echoing your sentiments, I think enough energy and debate is being spent on this topic.  The honor and focus should be on the Sedins and their careers, not on Kesler's.

[redhdlois]

 

[redhdlois]