viking mama

^We/they may need to be far more patient in solidifying & developing the defensive-corps. RH shots, where are they?! Can we please find at least one or two more good ones, without mortgaging the farm, again?! I’m truly envious of the far more-balanced D-depth in Calgary. Despite losing their top-2 forwards, they managed to replace ‘em with relative ease - well, for this upcoming season anyway. Here, Canucks Nation still waits on the team adequately replacing Chris Tanev, for goodness sake! As an aside tho’, I kind of want to see a Red-Line formed of VP, AK, & IM! Is anyone else onboard with Bruce giving these 3 mother-land-bros a decent go-around together down the road?

It was still the right decision to cut this perennially immature player lose from his connections to the organization. His professionalism was non-existent. It seemed Jake couldn’t grow up quickly enough to demonstrate the personal habits & qualities required to earn the respect of his ‘mates & Canucks Nation. Even within this trial, there was enough evidence of his more indulgent & selfish behaviours to conclude that Jake may not be able to make the kinds of personal sacrifices necessary to become a successfully elite pro-hockey player. We saw things, know things or have directly heard enough statements coming from the player’s own mouth, to deduce that no one can easily fix all the misfirings going on between this player’s ears.

Well, I’m generally pleased when the team drafts Scandinavians, BUT where will they be finding RHD other than those thrown-away by other teams for clandestine reasons (Hamonic)? Snipers are good and the organization appears to have bagged more than a few of those. But, where does this team’s additional size, speed & tenacious grit come from? Do JT Millers, Tyler Motts, & Vasili Podkolzins grow on trees? Trust-worthy, defensively responsible team-depth is required. I hope that gets addressed in subsequent rounds - or perhaps Allvin/Dale Tallon plan to nab more-developed undrafted/free-agent players out of college - as their last pipeline to tap. Find us low-cost ready-to-play-the-necessary-way defenseman & more secondary-scoring with size, speed, grit & skill - as complete packages, pretty, please! Character also matters as perhaps the best indicator of future professionalism. No more Jake Virtanens! Should players go through even a few years of college playing successfully for school teams, they demonstrate time-management skills, making social sacrifices, dedication, discipline & teachable smarts, as a baseline at least. Good luck scouting & luring them all in! Canucks’ Nation expects our Cup-hunting window to open soon & lack of positional depth cannot be an excuse for their demise, again.

Yah, especially after pulling the plug & re-scheduling this thing rather than out-right cancellation. This after NOT seeing to it that the participating teams were properly housed or training in more bubble-like situations, in the first place. Alberta (the least Covid-compliant province in the nation) invited the general public from all over to travel & be in full attendance - so organizers botched the process for the players & teams from the start.

IIHF world Jr Championships will be a different animal without Russia & Belarus…and during August. But, I’m not into baseball, football or MLS soccer, as much, so during a heat-wave some air-conditioned indoor hockey-watching might suffice.

Why is Mark Messier punking all Subway Sandwich outlets & their customers in BC, by appearing in Subway marketing ads to this province? You’d think this company would know better! ^This ridiculous commercial has put me off buying Subway sandwiches for the foreseeable future! After making a similar blunder, I believe “Lays” potato chips may have learned their lesson, tho.

^What about watching the re-scheduled World Junior Hockey Championships this August?

Let’s just worry about Kuzmenko being safe, shall we? Putin’s tyranny knows no boundaries. If Putin is sick, unhealthy or feelin’ threatened in anyway, his retaliatory vindictiveness, even in exploiting his best athletes (because doping isn’t enough) is something that I expect him to do. Like North Korea’s Kim Jon Un & Kim Jon IL, Putin’s mind is deteriorating & we are entering bat sh&t crazy territory, now. Hold onto your hats, people!

^ In hospital?! I voiced concerns on CDC earlier about Podkolzin returning back to Russia this off-season, for these very reasons. A narcissist & tyrannt like Putin wears his fragile ego upon his sleeve. When the international community banned Russian sports teams from competing in the IIHF world championships & World Cup of soccer play, as a form of sanction for Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine & recently reported war crimes plus defiances by their corrupt state-run drug-user/testing program, I knew it was only a matter of time before Putin would retaliate, in kind. Putin then barring or preventing Russian hockey players from returning to their NHL teams, by any ruse or reasoning, was inevitable. Wise-up, players, GMs & coaches! Russian tyranny is only going to get worse, until this particular despot is either deceased or made to flee from power, and the latter is highly un-likely.

Putin will end up 6ft-under, encased in a very ornate state-run mausoleum, or possibly even having a freakin’ body-double running Russia, before he is EVER going behind prison bars. NEVER going to happen, my friend, the best case scenario is that he simply dies or disappears.

Core/busting & shaking loose any of those anchoring no-trade clause agreements is what Tortz does best! One year & done. How long is his contract for? Pitty if this team has to see more than 2 years with this guy. He’ll pick a scape-goat or two & imediately try to trade away anyone with awkward direct knowledge of his bullying-history & hard-ball tactics with other NHL teams. Can’t have leaks undermining those evil workings of his! He’ll also mess with the team clowns, who use levity to ease tensions the most! Old school Bullies-R-Us coaching tactics really need to be flushed from today’s more talented & progressive NHL. Yet, Tortz, as the standard flag-bearer for that kind of mind/game madness, still manages to stay relevant. Why? Pffflllfttt to the Flyers management for hiring this hatchet man!

Just in case it hasn’t been said yet tonight - Sutherland, you s$&k! I hope this is the last SC-Final Championship game that he will ever work in. Neither competent nor good enough.

Those are all big powerful men, standing in there tall for this SC championship & victory!

Whatever happens,.. still can’t celebrate this.

2 minutes left before naming the new SCup Champions

With all the incessant name-dropping he does, he must draw just enough fan-mail or tweets to stay relevant. That sucks for us!

reply to devron: quote ”Betting is not a good look. Always makes you wonder. “ How about betting bad on the draft lotto? ^It’s the furthest thing from being transparent & could totally be rigged. Only fair & transparent way to execute the draft is by the reverse order of the league standings. Period. Make-it-so, again.

Hitting a guy low into the boards from behind thru the numbers…what a goof!

Any Av’s go-ahead goal will blow the decibel levels in that building to smithereens!

Weak one, as it gets deflected & slips through V’s 5-hole. Things lookin’ more promising. Oh no, I remember that chant….

The final officiating crews are likely being well-paid for each game. No incentive to end a series early, that’s for sure. I wonder what their deal really is, anyone know?

^This. More money in their pockets all around & from multiple sources - no doubt! Bet on hockey - they say…

^Yikes! Left leg looks like it was broken there!

Game onnnnnnn!

Whatever we’re going to call him, I’m just uber-glad & super excited, that he’s committed to becoming a Canuck! ^This says that the player & his agent see more promise & opportunity in VanCity than in other NHL marketplaces. I’d have loved to have been a fly upon the wall & hear management’s pitch or presentation. This says that what we’ve got going on here in VAN surpasses even the hype they are over-selling in Deadmonton. I’m confident that it was a very discerning decision. Now go & find us a few more Canadian, Russian or Finnish defensemen. Here we go everyone, get ready to launch!