MaxLapierreAwesomeFace

I haven't been on here a lot because of how hectic work has been. Caught the highlights of Gaunce's goals and i'm not going to lie I was so a little emotional. It's so nice to see a player finally get rewarded after so long, especially since he was one of my favourite prospects. I really like his attitude and defensive game and hope he figures it out offensively in the NHL

He was just on Instagram Live and someone commented "don't go to KHL". Goldobin chuckled and said anything can happen, that's life. Someone asked if he keeps in contact with Tryamkin, Goldy said yes. Someone tells him to tell Tryamkin to come back, Goldy said "hahaha don't think so, not for 2-3 years" (or something like that) Cool to see him interacting with fans

I remember that night clearly and the tears rolling down my eyes as we finally beat the hawks after 3 long years against them. Definitely my most favourite goal in Canucks history. What a tribute, had a couple of tears, I know the guy will be back with the Canucks one day (coaching/management)

You know I think we have a gem, you know, in Brock Boeser, you know, he scored in his NHL debut, you know and he played 18ish minutes in his 2nd game, you know, WD doesn't give that kind of minutes to rookies, you know, you know you know you know what i'm sayin yo you know.

Burrows impact on Horvat evident in the following from Botchford's provies from last night: "Consider that Bo Horvat said the best thing Willie has done for him in three years, was put Alex Burrows on his line. “He’s always talking to you, always trying to help you get better,” Horvat said.” “He always had a game plan for what he wanted to do, and what the line wanted to do.” “We knew we were going to play against one of the top lines and he had so much information. He’d say ‘We have to close on this guy or we have to be good a this to beat this particular line.’ “He would make adjustments during the game if we needed it. It wasn’t just with my line. He’d do it with the whole team. “It was nice to have.” “I think I’m better for having played on a line with him. I do.”“It was one of the greatest things Willie has done for me in these three years, is to put me on a line with him.” Read the full article here: http://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/the-provies-goldygate-willie-watch-and-a-confrontation-with-team-tank

Oh man..I don't know where to begin..such a bittersweet day - growing up watching the core that you cheered for so passionately slowly being shipped out one by one...love that we're getting younger and also a little sh#tty to see fan favourites leave.. Things I love and will remember about Burrows being part of the Three musketeers and breaking into the league with Ryan Kesler and Kevin Bieksa - loved the bromance they had together being an annoying pest and annoying the sh#t out of opponents (sometimes crossing the line - but you can tell that he really matured over the years) his overtime goal vs the Blues to seal the series in the first round and his arrow tribute to Bourdon becoming the third Sedin and ripping it up with them SLAYING THE DRAGON GAME 7 OVERTIME Vs. Chicago - ONE OF MY PROUDEST MOMENTS AS A CANUCK FAN - I remember tears streaming down my face automatically when he slapped the rolling puck past Crawford.. his Game 2 Overtime goal vs. Boston in the SCF finals his amazing penalty killing - he must have racked up a lot of short handed goals over his time here.. his involvement in the community - especially the mental health initiatives this year his humor, work ethic, and his great story of going from the ECHL to the NHL Thank you Burrows for being a big part of my early teens throughout to my early adulthood - you were one of my heroes during your time here and I wish you all the best with the Senators. Thank you for the 12 years Burr

Bad quality video but damn - I love this kid. Just can't help but admire the guy

http://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/ed-willes-virtanens-ahl-time-is-a-wake-up-call-says-benning?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter "In some respects, this story is as old as the red line. Hotshot prospect comes to team armed with press clippings and hotshot prospect experiences some early success, which only adds to the hype. But hotshot prospect soon finds out playing in the NHL is a lot more demanding than anyone let on. The game that was always so easy for him is suddenly a struggle. Everything, in fact, is a struggle. Eventually he’s sent to the minors, where he has to reassess his priorities. Sometimes he comes out the other side a better player. Sometimes he never reclaims that early promise. I mean, how many times have you read that story in connection with the Canucks? Does the name Cody Hodgson ring any bells? How about Jordan Schroeder? Josh Holden? No matter how good they look, you never know what you have because you’re never certain what’s inside the kid. Which brings us around to Jake Virtanen. The sixth-overall pick in the 2014 draft is currently playing for the Utica Comets and if his stint in the minors is helping develop his game, it doesn’t exactly show in his statistics: 34 games, 5-4-9 and minus seven. It’s a chilling set of numbers and it raises a number of uncomfortable questions for the player and the organization. Virtanen, after all, was supposed to be a cornerstone piece for a rebuilding organization. Now? Well, like we said, this story can go a couple of different ways. “The problem with Jake is he’s never had any adversity in his career,” Canucks general manager Jim Benning said over the phone from Sweden, where he’s scouting the Five Nations U18 tournament. “He’s always been able to sail along on his talent. “This is a wake-up call. He’s learning how to be a pro and that’s in the weight room, his nutrition and his workouts. With him it’s about his habits, his day-to-day habits. He’s taking ownership of that.” Benning pauses. “I’m not concerned. He’s going to be fine. This was the best thing for him.” On that point we shall see. Despite the story Virtanen’s numbers tell, Benning believes the 20-year-old from Abbotsford has benefited greatly from his time in Utica, N.Y. The Canucks’ GM said he’s getting a chance to play 16 to 18 minutes a game in all situations and he’s getting more practice time than he would with the Canucks. He also said his game has matured under the tutelage of Comets head coach Travis Green. “This was better for his long-term development,” said Benning. But a season in Utica wasn’t part of the long-term plan for Virtanen. Last season, he went 7-6-13 in 55 games with the Canucks and, after an unfortunate turn at the World Juniors, was a fixture in the lineup. Those are promising numbers for a 19-year-old power forward and the presumption was he would take another step toward stardom this season. You know what happened next. The problem, according to Benning, is Virtanen thought he had to be bigger to play the power game and showed up at camp weighing 228 pounds, setting off alarm bells throughout the organization. The extra weight hurt Virtanen’s speed. It also impaired his conditioning and it soon became apparent there was a problem. Virtanen struggled through training camp and the first 10 games of the Canucks’ season before he was dispatched to Utica, called up for a couple of games, then sent back in early November. “In his own mind he wanted to play at that size, but the game is so fast now,” said Benning. “He has to be quick. He could only go for a 30-, 35-second shift. Now he’s down to 216 (pounds) and goes a minute hard.” But how could a young pro struggle with a weight problem? “There are no issues with him off the ice,” said Benning. “It’s just a thing where he needs to mature and learn how to be a pro. We have a certain standard. He needs to get to that standard.” Benning continued. “I know the media is saying he’s not scoring, so he’s not developing. But I think Travis is happy with the way he’s playing. He’s playing physical and taking pucks to the net. “The scoring part will come. For Jake it’s learning how to play the right way.” So will we see him in Vancouver this year? “The only way we’ll call him up is if we get injuries and he can play regularly,” said Benning, who added: “This whole thing is part of the development. There are going to be ups-and-downs with a player. Some of the guys we mentioned (William Nylander, Nik Ehlers, Dylan Larkin, Robby Fabbri, who were drafted behind Virtanen) are playing and helping their teams. Jake’s path is different, but once we get him to the level he needs to be, he’s going to help our team.” And that would give this story the happy ending everyone is hoping for." Really great article as to why Virtanen may have had struggles this year.

https://thecanuckway.com/2017/01/06/vancouver-canucks-nikita-tryamkin-core-player/ Enjoyed this article a lot. Happy about Tryamkin so far - smooth skating for his size, great hockey IQ, and defensive awareness + he's physical Room for improvement: ice the puck less

Seems really defensively responsible and a good forechecker - hasn't had a chance to show his offensive capabilities yet but seems like a good passer

Really love his answers. Very well spoken and you can tell he is a confident young man. Definitely recommend a listen if you have 7.5 minutes to spare!

Who is Rodin playing with today?!

http://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/jeff-paterson-will-lockwood-quietly-climbing-the-ranks-of-canucks-prospects University of Michigan forward has quickly been developing into a leader for the NCAA power. Will Lockwood had a decision to make. With the Vancouver Canucks — the team that selected him in the third round, 64th overall, of last June’s NHL draft — in Detroit on Thursday, the University of Michigan freshman could have made the hour-long trek from his Ann Arbor campus to Joe Louis Arena. It would have been a chance for Lockwood to watch the Canucks in person, and envision the day down the road that he’ll have the chance to play for them. Lockwood opted not to go. He had classes early Friday morning and, more importantly, he had a game of his own on Friday night, and wanted to make sure he was rested and ready to lead his Wolverines into action against NCAA fourth-ranked Boston University. That’s what Lockwood does these days. He leads. As a freshman, and the youngest forward on the team, the 18-year-old right-winger sits atop the Wolverines’ scoring parade with five goals and three assists in his first eight games of NCAA hockey (before Friday’s game). It’s been a quick start to his collegiate career after three seasons with the U.S. National Development program. “It’s been a little bit smoother than I expected,” Lockwood said of his seamless transition to college hockey, in a phone interview after a midweek practice. “It’s all about consistency. It’s important to have a chip on your shoulder, but I take pride in being humble off the ice. I think a lot of hockey guys would agree that you have a totally different personality on and off the ice. “I play with the mindset that I’m not friends with anyone on the ice (on the other team), and I’m just working with my teammates to do whatever needs to be done to get a win.” Lockwood admits he’s had some growing pains adjusting to campus life and striking the balance needed between his studies and his puck pursuits. But he says he’s having the time of his life — and he may be the only one in the Canucks’ organization able to make that claim these days. University of Michigan’s Will Lockwood hopes to be one of the next players to graduate from his school’s program to the NHL, as eight have made the jump in the past five seasons. Daryl Marshke/University of Michigan Athletics / PNG A speedster, the Bloomfield Hills, Mich., native has already worked his way on to Michigan’s top line under legendary head coach Red Berenson, who’s clearly seen enough from his rookie recruit to trust him in all situations. “Fortunately enough, I’ve been given a lot of opportunities and I think I’ve done a good job of taking advantage of that,” Lockwood said. “But you can’t take anything for granted. So I just have to keep working and playing hard to stay on the power play and the penalty kill. “I think my speed is one of my best attributes, and I use that to the best of my ability. I try to be smart about the way I use it, and that gives me a really big advantage.” While the Canucks have to be pleased about Lockwood’s development, they have to be ecstatic about his surroundings. He’s playing for a program at Michigan that has been a factory in recent years for producing NHLers — and good ones, at that. In the past five seasons, Detroit’s Dylan Larkin, Winnipeg’s Jacob Trouba, Kyle Connor and Andrew Copp, Columbus’s Zach Werenski, Chicago’s Tyler Motte, Toronto’s Zack Hyman, New Jersey’s Jon Merrill and Carolina’s Phil Di Giuseppe have all used the U of M as a springboard to the NHL. Lockwood wants to add his name to that impressive list. “It just shows the development that goes through this program,” he said. “And to be a part of it is a special thing. And it’s not just the development of pushing players through to the NHL, but it’s a really tight family here. So I think it’s the right spot for me.” The question is, for how long? While he’s just getting started on campus, Lockwood insists he hasn’t given much thought to an exit strategy, or when he’ll turn pro. “The opportunity will present itself, but I’m not exactly sure when,” he said. “For me, I just take it day by day and put in the effort needed to get better, and eventually I’ll get to the next level.” It’s early still, but Lockwood appears to be an intriguing prospect. And if all goes right, the day will come when he doesn’t have a decision to make about attending Canucks’ games. Seems like a very good pick right now - excited to see how he develops!

Jake Virtanen is better served being sent down to play in the AHL to play prime minutes. Power forwards take longer to develop and he needs playtime to develop. The coach does not seem to fully trust Jake Virtanen - he apparently only had two shifts for the last twenty minutes today. #Canucks Virtanen had 2 shifts in final 16 minutes (:52 & :16) of 3rd & none in O/T. So 2 shifts in final 21 minutes - Jeff Paterson tweet Furthermore, he isn't doing himself any favours with his play. I went to the Hurricanes game and he was floating for a large part of the game. He's probably better served being sent down to the AHL to play big minutes to regain his confidence and offensive game - while at the same time developing his defensive game with Travis Green. Potential reasons why management is keeping him up: Jake Virtanen is part of a Canucks marketing campaign trying to sell the idea of youth to Canuck fans to sell seats; Rogers Arena looking pretty bare. Also, if Virtanen is sent down, your only young players to sell is Horvat and Hutton - Gaunce isn't exactly a very sexy player to sell to fans They really want him to succeed and keeping him with the team Draft spot is important but for the NHL first rounders that aren't ready to make the jump right off the bat, the development route is just as important and right now, Virtanen's development is seriously being hurt by sticking with the big club.

Good for Stan upsetting Novak! Stan played well in the 2014 AO, however, Nadal's back acted up during the finals match; so it may have been fluke. Not to take any credit away from Stan though, he's a great player in his own right.