The League’s Best in a Canuck Uniform
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Is it any wonder Ryan Kesler just signed a long-term deal with the Vancouver Canucks worth 30 Million dollars over 6 years? Ok well, yes it is a lot of money for this Selke runner up, but what Canuck fan wants to see him play for another team?<br />
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There is a fundamental reason why Kesler wanted to stay here. Vancouver is becoming one of the most popular cities in the world, due to the culture and ethnic mix and the fact that its one of the greenest cities in North America. Oh and of course because of the over mentioned Olympic games in February. <br />
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Think about it for a minute. If you were a star hockey player, and you wanted to get as much recognition as possible, wouldn't you want to play in a city that is popular to the world to showcase who you are into half-celebrity status? <br />
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Why is it that stars like Gaborik and Gretzky and former Canuck star Bure, went to NY? You are a kind of low status celebrity there and you can rub shoulders with the higher ups in life. Don't you think Gretzky might have been a bit happy to be going to L.A. when he was traded by Edmonton? <br />
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So what does this do for Vancouver? If you were a rich hockey player, would you rather live in a beautiful city, where there is mild winters (most times), where the world watched the city for 2 weeks and fell in love, and where your house overlooks nothing but ocean; or would you rather live in a city where the Winters are freezing icicles on the tip of your nose, or you live in a city where pollution fills your lungs in an Americanized Toronto? <br />
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There are hockey stars that just want to play for those upper echelon city teams, but why not? I mean, I personally would love to work in New York, because then I could say to everyone, "hey, I work in New York with an office facing where the twin towers used to be. I'm an important person." <br />
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You may laugh.<br />
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Kobe Bryant in L.A., he is a celeb; Patrick Ewing in New York, would he have been a star if his career had been in Atlanta? Did you know Ewing played his last year in the NBA for the Orlando Magic? I didn't. I forgot he even played for the Sonics. Derek Jeter is a celebrity. LeBron James is just releasing his New York Yankee inspired shoe, gee; I wonder where he will go for free agency? <br />
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So does this mean every NHL'er thinks this way? No, absolutely not. Some people don't want the flash and dash of life. <br />
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One thing I know for sure, if Vancouver continues down this path to ranking in the top cities in the world, it will be our turn to finally get some players who will play here for less money or under what they could have received with a bad team, giving us more value on the ice. <br />
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These next few years ahead seem just a little bit more exciting.
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