[Kesler: Ascension]

Thanks for the backup, Wonder-Twins-Sedins and Lui;

One of my own personal 'mission statements' was to use my blog (also found at http://thecanuckway.com) to not only capture current Canuck events, but also to dabble in Canuck lore of yesteryear. Just by the fact that I had to do a bunch of research to make certain I wasn't just pulling that trivia from the top of my head indicates it's not necessarily "common knowledge" as nvk19 might believe it to be. Not only that, but isn't a little trivia here and there kinda fun?

Thanks again for reading, and if I can help a Canuck fan learn something new everytime I write, I'm completely satisfied with that.

[Camp, Captaincy, and Cody]

Hey guys;

No worries about Hodgie.... He'll be with us before too long. The point of the article was that, with so much ado about his back problems, and the subsequent comments from Vigneault, fans need to be patient. If I make it sound like he won't be playing till next season, I'm referring to having an actual roster (regular) spot with the Canucks. Yes, there is a good chance that he'll impress soon enough to get a good look at him, but these physical problems have hindered his developmental curve. Almost more than anyone else, I'd love to see him succeed, and make the parent club. But I do NOT want him to make the club as a 4th line center... I don't think that would be good for him, with so little playing time. Of course, something could happen injury-wise to another center, forcing them to take a serious look @ Cody to replace that individual. For example, in their split-squad pre-season game versus the Flames, Malholtra took a stick blade to the mouth, after which he bled profusely, immediately. As per "West Coast"s comment, I also am NOT inferring that he will go anywhere else. I obviously understand the contract implications. But, as with Eric Lindros, and many, many other prospects, some individuals refused to play for the teams that drafted them, after bad relations were developed one way or another. But, WHEN his contract comes up for renewal, if the blood has become bad between the two parties, if often ends in a deal being made with another team. Again, none of these are options that I'd like, but sometimes the worst does happen when words are exchanged, or one of the parties takes exception to comments made by the other, be it a coach or general manager. Of course I'm looking fwd to having Cody here for the long haul!

[Pity for Mitchell]

So, 'gnarbot', are you saying that Mitchell had no real beef? I'm not sure what you're getting at, because Mitchell did in fact appeal to the League and the NHLPA to look more closely at their stance on not only headshots, but also 'dangerous play'. I believe that hitting a player who is facing the boards (aka "boarding") qualifies as dangerous play, particularly because I myself have played for many years, as well reffed the game at various levels. It's my belief that Mitchell did in fact have a valid complaint. Were a policy in place on headshots and dangerous plays, I'm sure that Malkin's hit would have been examined more closely, possibly by a judicial committee, if not Colin Campbell. But because Malkin is a 'superstar' and there was no policy in place at the time, he got off scott-free. The point of the article was that Mitchell is the one holding the empty purse. If you were at work (I'm assuming here that you have a job) and you were injured on the job, due to no fault of your own, and another employee was involved in a dangerous act, I'm certain you would be looking for some sort of compensation. How else could you pay your bills? If there was no policy in place to protect your income, I'm certain you'd feel a lot differently than you appear to in your comments. If that same boss did nothing to protect you and your families well being, I'm certain you'd be rather choked to find out that he's getting a nice raise, when you're left destitute because he didn't buy into Workers' Compensation or something of that nature.

[Canucks Should Pursue Hamhuis]

Heh heh, I hope "Dazzle" has had a chance to read this article.... I think it's a very, very positive sign, especially from Gillis, that we got it done with Hamhuis, and long term. I told ya he was rugged, now we just get to set back and check it out.

I'm elated; and not just with this, but adding Manny Malholtra is another small stroke of genius. Bravo, Mike, my hat is off.

Larenzo

[Gillis: "Happy With the Blueline"]

Now this article just looks plain dumb.

This article was a badly disguised jab at Gillis being complacent. He wasn't. He made a very necessary trade that turned Grabner lovers into Ballard-likers. That's amazing! I can't wait to see Ballard step onto the ice. I wonder if we'll have enough cash to do Mitchell and Hamhuis as well - maybe not.

The impatience of fans here is just ridiculous.

I'm sorry you feel that way, 'Dazzle'. The piece was really just a state-of-the-moment piece, and outlining events to date, the progress of the young stable of talent that they're home-growing themselves, and the direction of the organization. You're kidding yourself, really, if you can take an objective look at the article, at the TIME that it was written, and not say that Gillis was at a very, very important intersection at the start of FA during his tenue with the Club. To come out and call the article 'dumb', that's your right to voice your opinion. Also, if you'd like, you can ALSO go do your homework, cross-reference my article: "Canucks Should Pursue Hamhuis", check the date, and figure out that I KNOW what I'm talking about. I do have a considerable amount of knowledge surrounding the Canucks, have proven it, and will continue in this blog and my own (http://thecanuckway.com) to report on the current status of the club, the things that have gotten them there, and probable direction in the future. If you don't have anything positive to say, please find a different blog to follow.

[Canucks Should Pursue Hamhuis]

Dear M31:

I appologize if the blog seemed a little over-stated. Obviously, having seen him play the amount that I did in his junior days, though, I felt obliged to speak to his effectiveness. But, as of today, that little 'dream' of mine to see him play in Vancouver has been dashed. He has been dealt (his exclusive rights) by the Preds to the Philadelphia Flyers, who obviously felt they were very close to putting their names on the hallowed Stanley Cup. I have also just posted a new blog on this, and have addressed the matter of another large Free Agency name that is still available, though who knows how long that will last....

Deanofnucks, thanks for the positive vibes.... I think he would have been an excellent fit in Vancouver too. You're very right, they DO need to adapt their game if they hope to see a 3rd round this decade, please see my most recent posting to find out just how adamant I am that Gillis adapt as well!

larenzo

[Salve for Canuck Wounds]

Thanks for the great comments, guys

I always enjoy getting fan feedback, and it's also nice to know that my rants and viewpoints are analyzed by other Canuck fans and pundits. In regards to the Blackhawks, I'm of the mind that they'll sweep away some of their financial trouble by sending Cristobal Huet (a $5 M plus cap hit) to the minors. Ben and Spiderjimmy are also right that a few "lesser knowns" will step into the Chicago system and play some 3rd and 4th line minutes, probably to the tune of about 6 or 7 minutes a night. I really feel there won't be too many changes made; winning a Cup definitely helps infuse some money back into the system, along with a long playoff run. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned, the summer is just starting to heat up with the Entry Draft just days away! I'll be making the 25th pick on the 25th of June on our Fansided.com affiliate site, http://thecanuckway.com

Larenzo

[Henrik's Eye for Art]

The year of the Bertuzzi incident, the Province newspaper had Naslund hoisting the Stanley Cup at the start of the year.

Heh heh... As soon as I saw the picture, I wondered if there might be some reaction from readers. To be frank, the pictures in the article were inserted by me, but the page header (as I'm a featured writer in the Fanzone) was created by the excellent staff working for Canucks.com

I'm here first and foremost to bring statistical information to life, and to try and accompany that with some words and pictures. Being Canucks fans, it's always going to be in the back of our minds: Not having hoisted the Stanley Cup. I'd be the last person to try and jinx the Canucks or any personal awards candidates such as Henrik Sedin. You'll never hear me use the "S" word in the third period when Luongo has the opposing team blanked on the scoresheet. But if a Canuck is leading a trophy race with half a dozen games to go, you can bet this journalist will be writing about it, come hell or high water. I'm not defending the picture the Province had, but I think looking back on it now it's one of those tongue-in-cheek moments, where someone is trying to either a) generate newspaper sales or create some controversy, which always stirs mixed reaction. They say there is no such thing as "bad press", so I guess I should be smiling to see so many responses to my last article. Enjoy the rest of the ride, Whalleykid!

[Henrik's Eye for Art]

I thought the Jack Adams ( Pat Quinn & AV) and Rookie of the Year ( Bure )were major awards .... and of course the Lester Pearson too (NazzY)

Hey NazzY;

Please refer to my comments to Schneider's Teeth... the Jack Adams (best coach) and the Calder (rookie of the year) are indeed major awards, but unfortunately the Calder trophy comes with a caveat, as a good number of players that have won that award have tailed off after (winning) that. There are a few examples I could give here, but I think of the Sergei Samsonov's of the league, that were unable to keep up that level of play. Bure did go on to play excellent hockey until his knee problems prohibited him from maintaining his torrid goal-scoring pace. Even our own Andrew Raycroft was unable to maintain the dizzying heights he had reached as a rookie. He's not alone, as last season Steve Mason almost single-handedly propelled the Blue Jackets into the playoffs, but hit the 'sophomore jinx' as it were. Barret Jackman also received the honor, but in my mind, couldn't maintain that elevated level of play. Thanks for reading, and I appreciate your feedback, so keep it coming, Canuck Fan!

[Henrik's Eye for Art]

Isn't the Pearson technically a "major award"?

Sorry, 'Schneider's Teeth', I guess I should have qualified that statement a little better. But realistically, there are a few pieces of hardware that would seem more coveted by the players in the NHL. I would say that the Hart Trophy, Art Ross Trophy, Vezina, Norris and the Conn Smythe (outside of Lord Stanley's holy grail) are of most interest to them, thereby giving them "major" status. A lot of hockey pundits can tell you who won the Hart Trophy three years ago, but are hard-pressed to tell you who won the Lester B. Pearson, or say, the Lady Byng trophy. Again, I appologize for not 'setting the table' a little better. Thanks for reading, and I love getting down and technical with avid hockey fans, so keep the comments coming!

[Six Pack for the Road]

6-3?

WTF

Hey Diego;

Yeah, sorry about that, I just noticed that. With the kicker that was added, I think the site wanted to change up the first line, as you read I made mention of the controversial call that Team 1040 was buzzing about after the game. I didn't add in the score, - I guess it was just a little mistake, but I'm glad ppl are paying attention - Hopefully others like yourself can excuse the little hiccup. Thanks for checking out the blog;

Larenzo

[Off Key in Nashville]

Yeah, it seems as though the Canucks are only a 50% team this year. If we could have activated Grabner, Demitra, and Hodgson by some act of magic, I think we would have a lot more power up front. As it stands, the Canucks are on/off, hot/cold like a water faucet.

I'd like to see Shane O'Brian showcased and shipped out. When he's not proving to everyone that he can control the puck in his own zone, he's giving it away on the boards.

We have the goalie

We have the defense

We just don't have the offense

You're right, 'The Shirokov Show', we have been a little short on the offense this season;

But it looks like our top line must've read your comments, hoping to prove that they've still got some tricks up their sleeves. -Daniel's hat trick was a breath of fresh air, wasn't it?

Some ppl might try to throw in the caveat that it was scored against Atlanta, but the Thrashers are currently a playoff team with a 15-11-3 record. While it's still a very valid point, it would be nice to add further 'secondary' scoring into the mix, and it's good that Mason Raymond was able to score one tonight - he's been snake-bitten over the last 10 games or so, and though Ryan Kesler got one the other night in a losing cause, it'd be great if he could convert some of the chances he's had recently onto the scoresheet as well. As I mentioned, Henrik is 3rd in the NHL with 38 points right now, and I think this 8 game homestand will give the Canucks some of their offensive swagger back. Hope you stay tuned to Canuck Way;

Larenzo