Could this be Curtis Sanford's New Mask?

My pal Darcy Patko is on the front page of www.canucks.com with his submission to the Design Curtis Sanford's mask contest. I'm super stoked I came out of my summer blogging break to blog about it. Darcy don't forget us when you're a famous goalie mask designer.

In any case I've checked out some of the other designs and call me biased but this one is the best of the bunch! Good luck Darcy we're all rooting for ya! Check out all the other submissions here.

Who thinks Sanford will pick the mask design before Sundin decides what to do?

UPDATE: Darcy Made Sanford's TOP 10 list. We should find out who the winner is by tomorrow! Check out the finalists here.

Sidney's Dirty Playoff Beard

Sid the Kid has been superb through the playoffs as expected. I just never pictured him with a playoff beard. He's got the perv stache going on pretty good. He kind of looks like he's Mexican.

Maybe we should refer to him as "El Crosby"

Mike Gillis to be named Vancouver Canuck's GM

Former pro hockey player and player agent Mike Gillis is said to be named the new GM of the Vancouver Canucks later this week.

The Province has confirmed the next general manager of the Vancouver Canucks will be super agent Mike Gillis.

He has been the frontrunner for the job since Dave Nonis was fired last Monday.

The Aquilini brothers are set to unveil him as the next general manager Wednesday morning.

So you may all be wondering... who is Mike Gillis? Well here's some background:

• He's 49, and from Toronto.
• He played in the NHL with the Boston Bruins and Colorado Rockies in the late 70's and early 80's
• He was a former 1st round draft pick
• Had a career ending knee injury
• He then went ahead and got a Law degree from Queens and taught sports law
• Has spent many years as a player agent representing the likes of Geoff Courtnall, Markus Naslund, Pavol Demitra, and Pavel Bure
• Was involved in the negotiation of lucrative contacts for Tony Amonte, Pavel Bure, Bobby Holik.
  
• Was considered for the GM position with the Canucks in '98 when they hired Brian Burke

I wasn't a fan of the Nonis firing, but we can't call it a bad move until we see what Mr. Gillis does. I'm at least glad they filled the post quickly. I was waiting to take it all in before I really sounded off on the whole situation.

So here goes...

So like I said before, I wasn't a fan of the Aquilini decision to fire Nonis but they have their right as the owners to make a decision. Even if it was a bit of a knee jerk reaction. However, we can't dwell on the past. We have a new GM coming in and he's got a lot of work to do in a short amount of time.

Mike Gillis is a bit of an "outside the box" candidate. He's never had had any experience as an GM, but that's not to say he can't do the job. In fact, he might just work out really well. Sure people will say there's no experience there and that he doesn't know what he's doing... blah blah blah. Well a good manager needs a good support structure and supporting cast. That'll be his first test and we'll see what he does there. I'd sleep much easier at night if Steve Tambellini stays as his Assistant. But for those that say he doesn't know how to do the job think of this.

He's a former player - so he knows the game and knows what it's like to be a player and how an organization works in that capacity. He was a former first round draft pick - so he knows what the pressure and things like that would be like at an elite level. He's smart and understands the business - he has a degree in law, taught sports law and was a very successful player agent for many years. In fact, he was the man who negotiated the lucrative deals for Bure, Bobby Holik , Markus Naslund and Tony Amonte. So he's no stranger to the business of hockey. In fact, I see this as an edge. He can see the game and business from many angles that other people would not understand. This gives him an edge as he was well known as a shrewd negotiator. Now add in the numerous contacts he has all over the hockey world and league.

If someone say works as a buyer for a retailer they get to really understand the ins and outs of that business. Say they leave the job and work for a vendor instead that now sells product to the retailer. That person would be very well equipped to perform that job because they have been on both sides of the fence and can see the "big picture".

He's got some big decisions to make as far as his coaching staff, and direction this team needs to take. This is a big summer for him as we have a lot of cap space to spend money and we need to improve our offense. Nonis has left many pieces in place that can make him successful as long as he makes smart decisions. I only hope he's not as trigger happy as our owners.

So before we pass too much judgment, I think we have to see what Gillis does and what he potentially can bring to the table.

Ready Set... Brian Burke Rumours...

The Ducks have just been eliminated by the Dallas Stars. Finally, Marty Turco has proven that he can at least win a round in the playoffs. The Ducks looked anemic throughout the whole series. They took dumb penalty after dumb penalty and Dallas surprised the defending Stanley Cup champions knocking them off in 6 games. 

Now let the Brian Burke rumours continue. Is he going is he staying? He's perhaps one of the most coveted GM's in the league now, seems that all the GM positions that pop up have his name linked to it. The persisting rumour for the last little while has been Burke to Toronto. Perhaps Burke to Vancouver? 

Personally i'd rather see Burke knock out Gary Bettman with a club and take over as commissioner of the NHL instead. Regardless, the always quotable, surly irish-man will be in the thick of hockey rumours until he resigns with Anaheim, or starts another job somewhere else. Me thinks Dave Nonis will go wherever he goes. 

  

Rene Rancourt... Worst Pro Anthem Singer Ever!

It seems the Boston Bruins have a long time classic anthem singer. His name is Rene Rancourt. Needless to say, he's the worst "Professional Anthem Singer" I've ever seen and heard. I'm watching Game 5 of the Boston Montreal series and I'll now never have those beginning 5 minutes of my life back. 

I couldn't find a good Youtube video as evidence, but think really bad elongated Opera singing anthem accompanied by an organ. Usually anthem singers stretch it out a bit, but this guy takes it to the extreme. So much so that the organ has to slow down with him so he doesn't get too far ahead. 

Rene Rancourt. YOU SUCK! Maybe you and Ozzy Osborne can do a "take me out to the ballgame" duet. 

The Battle for Burke...

The Toronto Star's Paul Hunter had a hilarious tongue-in-cheek article. Which GM vacancy should Brian Burke take?:

Vancouver

Luongo in net
Swedish Twins
Not much sun
Lots of gulls
Great sushi
Loved by millions
Beautiful Stanley Park
Wife works there
Children far away
Annoying pylons on bridges

Toronto

Tlusty on 'net
Muskoka Five
No more Sundin?
Lots of gullible fans
Fishy ticket scandal
Will make millions
Nothing named Stanley here
Richard Peddie works here
Prospects far from ready
Annoying pylons on defence

Burke's probably not coming back here... but it's funny anyway. Until next time... Leafs suck.

The Fabian Brunnstrom Sweepstakes continues...

It seems the Fabian Brunnstrom sweepstakes are to continue, and that the deal with the Canucks may not be a done deal yet:

Dave Nonis is out in Vancouver, and according to Red Wings GM Ken Holland, that may be his opening in the Fabian Brunnstrom sweepstakes.

A day after Holland had said the Swedish youngster wanted too many guarantees in order to sign with Detroit, he told the Detroit Free Press today that the shuffling in the Canucks' front office could change things. “We've heard he's reconsidering,” Holland told the paper

That's no good. It could have been one of those big moves that we may now miss out on... Iain Macintyre had this in today's Vancouver Sun:

Owner Francesco Aquilini, unhappy that the Canucks missed the playoffs this spring with a 1-6 finish and apparently unwilling to accept the team's injuries as the cause, fired Nonis during an afternoon meeting at the Aquilini Investment Group headquarters.

If Aquilini has a contingency plan on how the Canucks will operate without a GM - it took him more than a year to hire president Chris Zimmerman, who apparently was powerless to stop Nonis's firing - it should be evident today when the owner explains his surprising decision at a press conference.

And if he has no plan, that will be evident, too.

In the short term, the Canucks can expect to lose prized Swedish free agent Fabian Brunnstrom, whose agent, J.P. Barry, confirmed earlier Monday that Vancouver was his client's first choice but hinted it was contingent on the Nonis remaining in charge.

What if we change the national anthem to the Swedish national anthem before we play every night? Did I mention we've got a really big Ikea too?

Dave Nonis Fired? Canucks Head Office in Turmoil

TSN reports that Dave Nonis has been Fired.

The Vancouver Canucks have fired Dave Nonis after three seasons as the team's general manager. Under Nonis, the Canucks failed to make the playoffs in two of their last three seasons.

Sportsnet.ca had this quote:

“The decision to relieve Dave of his duties was difficult,” said Vancouver Canucks chairman Francesco Aquilini in a release. “We want to thank Dave for the many contributions he has made helping to build our organization during his tenure.

“However, I think this important change in leadership is critical to the future of the team and the direction we need to take. It’s not acceptable to our fans or to us as owners that our team isn’t in the playoffs.”

This came right out of left field as we've heard rumblings about the Fabian Brunnstrom signing.
I'm sitting here watching the Pens and Senators game and I get a text that rocks my world. Thanks to Joe for the heads up!

I don't really like this decision. I've always been a fan of Nonis for not trading away our assets for quick fixes. He did everything he could to keep us from turning into the Toronto Maple Leafs of the west. It sucks that the failure to make the playoffs was ultimately blamed on him, with all the injuries, and other factors. I would have rather seen the Coach V go instead.

This was to be the summer of Nonis where he could rightfully put a stamp on this team without having to deal with Cap issues and contracts he didn't sign. I'm sad for Dave. Sure, there was criticism for him not making a move during the deadline, but i was glad he didn't make the Brad Richards trade. The best move he could have made there was no move.

I hope that Aquilini knows what he's doing. The question is who replaces Dave? Steve Tambellini is the logical conclusion or do they go test the waters a new GM? Regardless, they better do it quick with the draft right around the corner. Does Vigneault go too?

I wish Dave the best of luck. He was a good GM, and we can never forget that he brought Luongo here. I'm sure Nonis will land on his feet. He'll easily find a job again. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Brian Burke is on the phone offering Nonis a job right now.

Who is Fabian Brunnstrom?

Vancouver fans may come to know this name in the near future. He's now being hyped as a potential Saviour to the stagnant Canuck offense. Hmmm... another Swede eh? Seems to be the only region we know how to draft from.

The Canucks are reportedly close to signing the 23-year-old unrestricted free agent winger to a multi-year contract.

The undrafted Brunnstrom had 37 points [9-28] this season with Farjestads BK Karlstad of the Swedish Elite League and the promise of top-six ice time - plus an opportunity to perhaps play alongside countrymen Henrik and Daniel Sedin - helped woo the winger to the West Coast.

Nobody really knows who he is. I did a little bit of digging and this is what I was able to find.

Elite Prospects had the following:

An offensively gifted forward with a decent scoring touch. Brunnström is a speedy skater with soft hands and good technical skills. Combines speed and stickhandling in an impressive way. Hockey sense is pretty good and he is also strong physically with a good attitude.

The Hockey News ran an article on him. Fabian Brunnstrom, the next Daniel Alfredsson?

Brunnstrom, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound forward, is a classic late bloomer. Last season he was playing First Division in Sweden, which is two steps under the Elite League and was a star at that level, which prompted Farjestad to sign him this season. He skates very well and his three goals and 13 points in 21 games are probably not a clear indication of how good he is offensively.

One scout said it's doubtful Brunnstrom could step in and play on an NHL team's top two lines right now, but he is seen as a good prospect with a lot of upside. And remember, there are a number of hockey executives who still wake up in a cold sweat over not paying more attention to Alfredsson, who was drafted 133rd overall by the Ottawa Senators as a 21-year-old in 1994.

"He's coming pretty much from nowhere," said Farjestad GM Hakan Loob. "Mentally, he has grown strong in the past year, but he has the potential to become mentally stronger. He looks like he has been in the Elite League for a couple of years the way he moves the puck and skates and everything like that."

Oooooohhh... a Hakan Loob quote. Here's a piece of Hockey trivia for you... Loob was the last Swedish player to score 50 goals in the NHL.

So word is he wants to play on as a top-six forward and only on a select few teams. Seems like we have the spot available at top-six and well with half the team being Swedish it might be a good fit. If he's got skill he could play with the Sedin's or maybe even start another scoring line with Mason Raymond and somebody who can play between the two of them.

Well time will tell if this is a diamond in the rough or a flop. At least Nonis is trying. Maybe we'll change the cheer from GO-CANUCKS-GO to LETS GO SWEDEN! Maybe we can get Mats too...

Comeback Win Gives Flames the Series Lead

What a game! The Flames looked down and out in the early in the first period with a 3-0 deficit and Kipper pulled. Just so happens that Cujo gets thrown into the fire and backstops the Flames to a 4 unanswered goal comeback win. That's playoff hockey for ya.

The turning point must have been Sarich's hit on Marleau as he smoked him into the boards. It's too early to find the hit on youtube but it was one of the hardest clean checks I've ever seen.
I'm extremely entertained. So I can't really ask for more...

This now gives the Flames a 2-1 series lead and home ice advantage. They've played well at home this entire season and just need to outwork, outhustle and outhit the Sharks and they could upset the team everyone seemed to be picking as this year's Stanley Cup winner. I like upsets.

UPDATE:

here's the hit everyone's talking about:

Ironhead Clothing

Thought this was a good chance to plug a great Canadian clothing company. I was meaning to buy a new hoodie and I usually get out to this great store called Ironhead once a year. They make great limited run clothing with edgy designs around boxing and hockey. They've only got one retail store and they're located at 1952 West 4th Ave. in Vancouver. They've got super friendly staff and great designs if you're looking for something unique.

Everything is limited print, which makes all your clothing unique. They also make wicked jersey's as well. The only advertising they do is word of mouth and are worn by mostly hockey and boxing athletes. It's a great story and a great company, so if you're looking for a neat gift for someone go check it out...

I'd Give My Left Nut for...

We've all heard how hard the playoffs really are, and how players go to war. Injuries are just part of it. Well would you give your left nut for a Stanley Cup?

Patrick Thoresen just might. TSN has more:

Flyers left wing Patrick Thoresen was taken to the hospital for tests after getting hit in the groin by a shot during Philadelphia's 5-4 loss to Washington on Friday night.

That sounds bad right... this part sounds even worse:

Thoreson went down to block a slap shot by Washington Capitals defenseman Mike Green with the Flyers clinging to a one-goal lead early in the third period. The puck struck Thoresen between the legs with such force that after the game he was taken to a Washington hospital Center.

Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said Thoreson might need to have a testicle removed.

Here's a salute to Patrick Thoresen...the kids got balls. For now.

Georges Laraque Media Scrum?

Pens tough guy Laraque, never hesitates to stand up for his teammates. It's his job after all. This time he's taken it off the ice and is fighting back with the media. The Ottawa media to be exact.

Don Brennan, the Ottawa Sun writer who stirred up the Pittsburgh Penguins by suggesting someone from the Ottawa Senators should give Sidney Crosby a whack on his tender ankle, found himself face-to-face with the stern presence of Penguins enforcer Georges Laraque after Thursday's practice.

...At the same time, Brennan, whose suggestion was one of the silliest things to appear in print, wrote in Thursday's Sun that Laraque should “call me that to my face.” Give him full marks for chutzpah if nothing else.

So, with a full house of media and players looking on, Laraque spotted Brennan in the dressing room and marched over. “You wanted me to call you stupid to your face? Well, you're stupid,” he said, towering over the scribe.

Sounds like Don has a death wish. Good luck with that one. The media circus in Ottawa continues. Maybe it'll evolve into a Ray Emery/Don Brennan vs. Georges Laraque/Maggie the Monkey from TSN tag team cage match.

They've got to find something to do with all the time off the Pens will have after they sweep the Sens.

Burn.

UPDATE:

Larry Brooks from the New York Post had this to say:

There's a word for the Ottawa fan boy-writer who called on the Senators to break Sidney Crosby's ankle with an imitation of Bobby Clarke's 1972 Summit Series slash that did the same to the USSR's resplendent Valeri Kharlamov. It's the same word that applies to the editor who allowed the plea to actually appear in the newspaper.

It's spelled, M-O-R-O-N.

March of the Penguins...?

I know it's April, but this post season could be the start of a March of the Penguins to Lord Stanley's cup. The Pens looked dominant, with big Gino Malkin taking charge and leading his team with 3 points. The old man Gary Roberts also chipped in with 2 goals and Marc-Andre Fleury's critics were silenced as he posted his first career playoff shutout.

If they continue this drive through this series, the Sens don't stand a chance. No Alfie, Fischer or Kelly = big trouble for a struggling Senators squad. A very convincing win by the Pens tonight who look built for a playoff drive. They have a strong 3rd and 4th line and Fleury looked solid when he was tested. It's going to be hard to shutdown the offense when there's always powerhouses like Crosby, Malkin and Hossa to shutdown, and strong secondary scoring is present with the likes of Malone and Sykora as well.

As the opening night of the playoffs comes to an end, I'm really impressed with how entertaining the Flames and Sharks game was. Iginla's drive to the net for the winning goal was unreal. An all out Iginlaesque effort. Watch out this could be a long grueling series with the potential for many injuries.

I love playoff hockey. Those Pens I drafted in my playoff pool are looking pretty choice tonight too.

OMG!!! Makeover!

Of all the things to blog about... TSN's website has gotten a makeover! This may not be exciting to all of you but site redesigns are a big deal when you work in the industry of the "interweb".

Think of it this way, it's like the first day of school where everyone wears their brand new clothes. It's daunting right? Are you going to be considered cool because you're wearing whatever the latest trends are? Are your new kicks fly? Will the girls dig your popped collar?

Anywhos... not bad TSN not bad. I like it. I like a centered website and the neutral colours. It's very ESPN. Well the makeover looks good. I wonder what the rest of the kids at school think...

Lightning in a Bottle!

The hockey gods have deemed the Tampa Bay Lightning worthy of the winning the Steven Stamkos sweepstakes. Mind you they just played their way into it by having a league worst record of 31-42-9.

Time for one of those bounce back years. The Lightning will gain a player that can join an already formidable offensive pairing of Vinny Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. He can be the new "Brad Richards" minus the 7.8 million dollar contract.

The Lightning are in good shape after making a few key trades to solidify their goaltending, adding some key role players and some defensive prospects. Things are looking up for Feaster and Torts.

Stamkos scored 58 goals in 61 games with the OHL's Sarnia Sting this season. He also helped Canada win gold at the World Junior Championship.

"He's fun to watch and he's going to be a good one," MacInnis said of Stamkos before the lottery.

"He is a dominating force, a potential franchise player," agreed E.J. McGuire of the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau.

As for the other teams here's how the draft order shapes up:

1. Tampa Bay Lightning
2. Los Angeles Kings
3. Atlanta Thrashers
4. St. Louis Blues
5. New York Islanders
6. Columbus Blue Jackets
7. Toronto Maple Leafs
8. Phoenix Coyotes
9. Nashville Predators - from Florida
10. Vancouver Canucks
11. Chicago Blackhawks
12. Anaheim Ducks - from Edmonton
13. Buffalo Sabres
14. Carolina Hurricanes

I'm definitely looking forward to the NHL draft as I expect there will be some action on the trade front with teams looking to tinker and tool before free agency.

It feels like I haven't posted forever, which is kind of true. Been a little bit busy but I'll get into a playoff themed post next time. Same blog time, same blog channel.

Vancouver Bids Farewell to Trevor Linden

It was an emotional evening at GM place tonight. There were other stories to be told, Iginla scored his 50th goal of the season, and the Canucks got blown out 7-1 in a technically meaningless game.

But to fans of the Vancouver Canucks this game was far from meaningless. Bitterness put aside from the stretch drive meltdown, this game was most likely one of the last to be played by a great Vancouver hockey player and an even better person.

Although he has yet to announce it, in all probability he has played his last NHL game in a great 20 year career.

As great a hockey player Linden was, he was an even better person. He has contributed so much of his time to the community for charitable organizations such as Canuck Place. He has an amazing reputation as an outstanding member of this community.

Trevor Linden, has always been my favourite hockey player. He always will be. I grew up in the Linden and Bure era of the Vancouver Canucks. I saw him in his prime. I still remember the electricity of the 94 playoff run. He truly lead his team into the war that was the playoffs that year. By the end of it he had 2 broken noses and was battered and bruised but still fought valiantly scoring the 2 goals in game 7.

He always had the ability to elevate his game at the most important time of the year. Guess who tied for the team lead in points last year in the playoffs?

But as much of a hockey fan I am now, I didn't really follow along as the dark days of the Canucks loomed in after the lockout season in the mid-nineties, with Keenan and Messier. An era many of us would love to forget. In fact, I basically stopped watching hockey when I heard Trevor Linden was traded.

Low and behold, the revival of the Canucks came back in the early 2000's, and seemed to coincide with the return of Trevor Linden. Needless to say I was ecstatic. The Canucks were back. My Canucks were back. My obsession for hockey rematerialized.

It didn't ever matter who was captain of the team. Trevor Linden will always be Captain Canuck to me.

Crunch Time for Caps

The Drama doesn't get much better than this. All they need is a point.

Carolina lost to Florida last night which means the Caps need a point to clinch the division title and secure their spot in the post season.

Leading the way for Washington will be Hart Trophy hopeful Alexander Ovechkin, who has tallied 17 goals and 30 points in his last 17 games. His 112 points lead the NHL - six ahead of Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin.

Ovechkin scored his league-leading 64th and 65th goals on Thursday in a 4-1 win over Tampa, breaking Luc Robitaille's single-season mark for left wingers.

Washington has won three of its last four matchups with the Panthers, including last Saturday's 3-0 victory in Florida.

Mcphee's deadline deals are looking pretty good right now, and if they win tonight expect Ovechkin to clinch the Hart trophy.

I bet you want to watch this game as badly as I do... except CBC is playing a boring meaningless Habs vs. Leafs game.

It'll take a few programs to load, and unfortunately is only a windows thing but you can check out www.hockeywebcasts.com

Hockey needs this badly. Hockey fans want to be entertained. Playoff poolies are drooling at the prospect of having an Alexander Ovechkin. They'd be a darkhorse team for the ages.

UPDATE:

CAPS win and move into 3rd clinching a playoff spot and the South East Division Title. They also knock off the Carolina Hurricanes out of the post season.

My condolences to JB, the biggest Carolina Hurricanes fan I know.

Post Season Depression...

I saw the picture above at the Canucks Hockey Blog and only found it appropriate for this posting.

I'll reluctantly watch the last Canucks game of the season tonight. It'll probably be Linden's last game so I'll watch it out of respect.

Brad Ziemer from the sun had this story about tonight's game:

What the Canuck organization is billing as Fan Appreciation Night could well turn into Trevor Linden Appreciation Night at General Motors Place.

There's really no need to talk about more Canucks stories. But i have to highlight a great analysis by Jame's Mirtle in a recent post on the Canucks.

I always wondered if those guys in the east pay attention to the west. He hit the nail right on on the head.

I was most impressed with this section:

But I think, really, what it comes down to for Vancouver is a lack of leadership from a pretty vanilla group, and it's going to take a major overhaul to right that wrong. Hand the reins to the likes of Ryan Kesler and give ice time to players like Edler, deal some of that so-called defensive depth for someone who can play a first-line role on offence, and by all means either give Markus Naslund a salary befitting his role or part ways with him.

Check out the post it's a good one.

Vancouver Canucks 2007-08 R.I.P.

Well my prediction was way off. After a roller coaster ride of a season, the Vancouver Canucks dug themselves their own grave. It's like the lecture you got from your parents when you really screwed up. You're expecting them to be yelling and hopping mad. But instead, they look solemn and quietly say "I'm not mad. I'm just disappointed in you."

Ouch. It's like a dagger in the heart.

And as a Canucks fan that's how I feel. Disappointed and hurt. I've feel let down.

It's not like the opportunities weren't there. Minnesota had beaten Calgary 3-1 to clinch the division title. All we had to do was win tonight to stay alive, another win on Saturday and we'd sneak into 8th place.

What it all comes down to is that we couldn't get it done. We had a 5 minute power play in the second period, and another 2 minute power play after that. The only players that actually looked like they wanted to win were the Ritchie, Rypien and Cowan line.

The Canucks are like that lost child that has so much potential to be great but just seems to coast by with mediocre results and little flashes of brilliance to keep you believing in them a bit more.

The phonelines will erupt tomorrow and media frenzy will start. Nonis will be on the hot seat as well as Vigneault. Fans will want to call for Nonis to be axed with his inability to do something at the trade deadline. I whole-heartedly disagree. I think Nonis finally has a chance to go and put a major stamp on this team in the off season with the clearing of Naslund and Morrison's salaries.

Vigneault I'm not so sure about.

I think he's gone away from a successful system that he had last year. He fostered a lunch pail carrying hard working team that brought a level of effort every night that fans could be proud of even if they lost. Anybody had a chance to play up on the first line if they were either producing or working hard.

This year it was different. He tried to play the Sedin's and Naslund down the stretch to work them out of their slump but it never happened. Each night he played them over and over again to no avail. The stick gripping got tighter and confidence completely diminished. The lack of confidence seeped into the team and soon turned into apathy. It seems as if last year's Jack Adam's coach wasn't really that great after all. Luongo essentially won that for him last year. If we hadn't won all those OT or shootout games, we would have been in the same position as we are now. On the outside looking in.

I feel most sorry for Luongo and Linden. They continued to carry themselves this year as real professionals, even though it must have been killing them inside. Luongo is the fiercest competitor we have on our team, and Linden is by far one of the heart and soul leaders. Both had some tough times this year, Luongo with stress of his wife's pregnancy, and Linden remained scratched for a vast number of games.

I'm writing this post with a heavy heart. I want my team to succeed but they aren't making the playoffs because they don't deserve to. It didn't seem like they had their hearts in it anymore, and whatever bit the fans had left was broken this evening.

There will be blood...

If there is anytime to label "most important game of the season" it's tonight. Then if we win, and Nashville and Calgary loses tonight, Saturday will then become the "most important game of the season"!

There are many scenarios...

I'm going to this game so I expect an effort. I expect crashing and banging. I want to see what this team really plays like when they are on the verge of elimination. What team will we see tonight?

The oil who have officially been eliminated should play lose and enjoy the role of spoiler. The two teams have quite the rivalry. The best thing is, I don't have to watch another stupid Pay Per View game.

My pre-game prediction... Vancouver wins 3-2

Funny Hockey Video Roundup

I'm in a lazy mood and don't feel like writing. So if a picture is worth a thousand words... then videos must be worth much much more...

Here's some funny hockey videos i found:


Sent to the sin bin:



Florida Panthers TV ad:



If Blades of Glory made it to the NHL:



I'd watch bowling if it were more like this:

Draft Lottery 6/49!

The NHL Draft lottery is set to be televised on Monday April 7th. TSN will have all the goodies with the pre-lottery Macguire's Monsters and Fantasy Playoff special.

Scotiabank NHL Draft Lottery Special – April 7 at 8 p.m. ET
Live on TSN, TSN.ca, NHL Network, Versus, NHL.com
James Duthie hosts the live, 30-minute event from the TSN Studios, marking the second time in the 13-year history of the conventional lottery the event will be televised, and the first time since 2005. Billed as the 'Stamkos Sweepstakes', the TSN original production features NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, who will reveal the lottery results in reverse order, and representatives from each of the five teams who could win the No. 1 pick. Joining the show via satellite will be Steven Stamkos, the highly-touted Sarnia Sting centre and World Junior Championship gold medal winner. A live eye at the NHL's New York headquarters will capture the moment before the ping pong balls drop to determine the lottery winner. Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie will present his ranking of the Top 10 players eligible for the Draft while Mike Milbury will provide analysis before and after the lottery.

For those of you that are curious as to how the draft lottery works you can check out the explanation here.

Too bad the pre-lottery TSN specials are on Monday. I've got a playoff pool draft on Sunday night. I'll have to do my homework and see how my picks compare to the TSN panel.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall... Who's the Bestest Rookie of All?

This year I don't think the Calder trophy race is that clear cut. There's been some pretty high quality rookie talent this year. Lets take a look...

First off lets look at Patrick Kane:



One of the leading rookie scorers in the league has had quite the season as one of the star young forwards in the youth movement that is the Chicago Blackhawks.

Nicklas Backstrom (the forward not the goalie):











No ESPN widget available... sorry. See his stats and profile.

Playing with Ovechkin must be nice. It's shown in his points, he's a quality playmaker that's filled in nicely on #8's line since Michael Nylander went down mid-season.

Another Chicago Rookie Jonathan Toews:



Toews could possibly have been a runaway favourite for this award, but was sidelined for a while in January with a knee injury. Comparatively, to his teammate Patrick Kane, he's on the positive side of the plus/minus stat.

How about Phoenix Coyote Peter Mueller:




Mueller has been a great addition to Gretzky's youth movement and continues to add fire power to a promising young squad

Atlanta's Rookie bluelineer Tobia Enstrom:




The often talked about rookie blueliner is a little undersized but hey, it's the new NHL right? He's a great skater and logs big minutes for Atlanta.

and Finally Montreal's Carey Price



He's only played about half the season, but we all know now that he's the future of the Canadiens and is set to lead his team into the playoffs. Could this be the second coming of Patrick Roy?

Honourable mentions go to Edmonton's super duo leading the late season charge for the Oilers, Sam Gagner and Andrew Cogliano.


So now it's time for you to decide...

2 Minutes in the Box... for a short blog

Got a few minutes to spare before I head off to my hockey game. That's right, I don't just blog it, I pretend to play as well!

The standings are getting interesting both in the East and West. Nashville won in St. Louis in overtime which sends them into 8th place a point ahead of the Canucks.

Washington beat Carolina 4-1 as well which keeps them in the hunt, 1 point out of 8th behind both Boston and Philadelphia. Ovechkin also potted his 63rd goal this game. However, they're now tied with Carolina for the South East Division lead in points but lose the tie breaker in wins. Keep winning and they could end up in 3rd going into the playoffs.

The Senators are "Free Falling" out of the standings like Tom Petty, as they got shutout by a Koivu-less Canadiens. They're in danger of falling right out of the playoffs.

I'll PVR the rest of this Canucks game and hope for the best...

UPDATE:

A lot can change in a couple hours. I go off to my hockey game, we get blown out. I come home check the score of the Canucks game and... well you can guess the rest.

Canucks lose. Predators win. Go figure.

As we speak I'm fast forwarding through the game to see how it all broke down. Hejduk is still a freakin' Canuck killer.

It'll make the Thursday game against Edmonton I'm going to that much more interesting. Could be the closest thing we see to Canucks playoff hockey this year, and I don't really want to hear my roommate talk about his Calgary Flames.

Also Edmonton is officially out of the playoff race so they'll be extra pissed off on Thursday looking to play the spoiler.

I was trying to think of some witty comment to end this post but... I've got nothing.

Fill in your closing remark here ______________________________.

Needle in a Haystack

Holden: If the buzz is any indicator, that movie's gonna make some huge bank.

Jay: What buzz?

Holden: The Internet buzz.

Jay: What the fuck is the Internet?

Who knew there were so many hockey blogs out there? No matter everyone has a take and potentially a home team to blog about.

I found an amazing listing of hockey blogs here: james mirtle: The Hockey Blogs.

If you're looking for a certain team or lots of random hockey stuff check out the list. With luck and a bit of elbow grease I'll make the list sometime soon.

Bluechip Prospect joins Desert Dogs

BC boy Kyle Turris, is making his way to the big league.

The 18-year-old signed an entry-level contract and is headed to join the Coyotes to play out the final games of the regular season.

"We are very excited to sign Kyle and have him join the Coyotes organization," said Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney in a statement. "He is a very talented player and is a big part of our future. By adding him to the roster, we hope to give him valuable experience that will help him heading into next season and beyond."

The 3rd overall pick in the 2007 NHL entry draft adds more talent to Gretzky's youthful squad.

Turris stands as the highest ever drafted Tier II Junior "A" player since the level's inception by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association in 1970.

The future looks bright for the Phoenix Coyotes, but will they be able to compete in a highly competitive Western Conference.

Canucks Douse Flames 6-2

I've been waiting all day to write this post. I was at the Foo Fighters concert last night, (which was awesome by the way) so I didn't get to watch the game live. However, I did PVR it. Man, am I glad I did. What a great game to watch.

Why can't we see an effort like that every night?

The Canucks Doused the Flames 6-2. Couldn't they have spread around the scoring a little bit? We could use some of those goals in the next few games...

Last night was a solid 40 minute game from every player on our squad. The first period was iffy. We were lucky to get out of it tied, but in the end I got to see some flashes of brilliance from our veteran leaders.

Last night Naslund played like a captain. He lead by example, he threw hits, hustled, and backchecked hard. He showed a level of determination and fire that I didn't think he had anymore. I want to see more. He was like the Naslund of old, but much more defensively responsible. To me, his goal at the end of the first sparked the team. Naslund was hungry for the net and dove to stuff that puck in as everybody crashed the net. That's the kind of goal you want your captain to score. It let them go into the intermission tied and not down. They were allowed to start fresh. My favourite Naslund moment last night was when Lombardi had a break to the net and Naslund backchecked and caught up to him and stripped him of the puck. There's very few people with the wheels to keep up with Lombardi, but Naslund did somehow.

Trevor Linden. Need I say more? He was fabulous. If he had gotten the hat trick the roof would have blown off GM place. The first goal was all patience and poise. Also it all happened because of an unbelievable play made by Ritchie to get him the puck, as he knocked the puck out of the air and laid a sneaky saucer pass right on Linden's stick. His second goal was just good positioning. Linden still and always will be my favourite Canuck.

I could rave on and on but my hat goes off to the entire team. Lou played great. Isbister, Pettinger, Cowan, all the role players played hard and battled like a hungry team. They got under Iginla's skin and capitalized on a Flames team that was down two key centers, Langkow and Conroy.

It's encouraging to see an effort put forth by your home team like that. But can we expect to see this on a regular basis? With Nashville losing to Detroit last night destiny is back in our hands. We need to run the table. Win and we're in.

I swear it's like they read my previous post and decided to prove me wrong. For the record, I'd be okay with that. I'm expecting good things. Hell I'm going to the game on Thursday, I better see good things. A Linden hat trick would make me happy.

In case you missed the game. Which was a hell of game, here are the highlights:

87 vs. 8 - Keep your Fingers Crossed

Sid the Kid lead his team to victory and 1st place in the Eastern Conference after a 3-1 win over the Rangers today. Lets face it, the NHL needs this badly. They need a team like Pittsburgh to go far in the playoffs to peak any interest in major US networks. They need a face like Sidney to represent the league. He's charismatic, well spoken, and a game breaker. What could be better than a lengthy Pittsburgh run in the playoffs?

How about a Pittsburgh vs. Washington showdown?

Ovechkin vs. Crosby. Imagine the former Hart trophy winner vs. this years potential Hart trophy winner. For a hockey journalist it would be like Christmas Day in the middle of April.

One can only hope.

If the league is to become successful in the USA they need to hype up the drama and stories behind each game. They need to intensify the rivalries with their epic NBC style pregame montages. This potentially could be that series to get it all started again.

Washington is still 2 points back of Boston and Boston has a game in hand. The Sabres need to do Washington a favour if they want to have any chance of making the playoffs. I've got my fingers crossed. Do you?

A Class Above the Rest

Minnesota Wild defenceman Kurtis Foster is expecting a new contract offer. That would have been a sure thing about 2 weeks ago. Except now it's kind of unexpected.

On March 19th, Foster suffered a broken femur while hustling back for an icing call. It's a potential career threatening injury. The Wild are unsure if Foster will ever play in the NHL again but are proceeding to offer him a contract.

"I don't have to qualify him [to retain his rights], but I will," Wild GM Doug Risebrough told the Star-Tribune. "It's a bad message not to do that. He's a good player. He needs a motivation [to rehab], and he doesn't need that stress in his life."

The Wild will offer Foster a one-year, $1.025 million contract before the June 25 deadline, which insurance would not have covered according to Wild assistant general manager Tom Lynn.

That's a classy move by the organization. There are many other teams out there that would have not re-qualified him as an RFA. I'm impressed and it shows that they really care about the individuals there. It isn't necessarily the smartest business move for them, but it goes to show that this corporation has a heart

The Downward Spiral that is the Vancouver Canucks

It's been a roller coaster ride of ups and downs this season for the Vancouver Canucks. This stretch run of a four game losing streak could not come at a worse time. How did we get here?

The glaring holes in our defense has been made very apparent recently, as our division rivals are all gunning for the playoffs playing their best hockey of the year.

And why do we have these holes you ask? In Mirtle's blog he once posted about the amount of man games lost to injury, that's a pretty good answer in this case. I don't have the total numbers but I believe within the Northwest Division we have the most injuries on the blue line. We lost Salo and Bieksa early in the season, but we rallied from that and arguably played our best stretch of hockey in November.

Then we got Salo back and lost him again. He came back later and has his flashes of brilliance every so often, but I don't think we've seen a comfortable 100% injury free Salo this season.

Then we lost Krajicek.

Then we lost Mitchell for an extended period.

Then we lost Ohlund for the rest of the season.

I think you see the trend. On the bright side, we've seen the rise of Alex Edler, albeit lately I think the huge minutes are starting to wear on him.

So defensive woes are apparent. We also have offensive woes, rather than offensive "whoas" as well.

We lost Morrison earlier in the season to a wrist injury. Then we got him back, and our offense looked somewhat stabilized.

Then guess what happened? Torn ACL.

Our Iron Man ain't so iron no more.

We saw the rise of a promising young Mason Raymond as well. He's on the shelf too after a knee on knee against a Phoenix Coyotes player.

So to recap injuries have plagued us. But as many hockey teams state that is no excuse, and it really isn't. It's disappointing but as a fan I wouldn't care so much if I saw some more effort.

But lately it's like the Canucks are bipolar. They're as wishy washy as most of the bandwagon jumping fans here in Vancouver.

As Naslund likes to say, "choked". Yup. We're choking down the stretch. A week ago we were in contention for the Division title. Now we're in danger of missing the playoffs. We're tied with Nashville today with 86 points, but by virtue of the tie breaker they're in 8th. So with five games left, we don't even control our own destiny.

If they run the table they're in. If we run the table, we have to hope that someone comes along and plays spoiler.

Even if we make the playoffs we're squeaking in by the skin of our teeth. Then what? Bounced in the first round?

With the effort we've seen lately... absolutely. Remember last year?



I'm a Canucks fan through and through, but I'm also a hockey fan. And as a hockey fan, I don't want to see us make the playoffs because we don't deserve to make the playoffs. There are no more excuses to be made. I see it in the players and it's sad, they look defeated.

My mom once said that GM Place is cursed because it has bad Feng Shui. I think I'm starting to believe her.

But I don't want to end on a downer. So lets look at the positives.

We have a big off season ahead of us. Nonis has a lot of work to do. I'll touch more on this in a future post.

For the most part, I applaud Dave Nonis for the way he's handled the team this year. He couldn't have predicted the injury plague we've been hit with. He really should have addressed some of the secondary scoring issues last year, but his hands were tied a bit with the cap space and he wanted to leave room for the deadline.

I'm also extremely happy we didn't sell the farm for a Brad Richards at the deadline. For those of you who knock Nonis for having no balls, the ballsiest move he made at the deadline was doing nothing.

Where we need to improve is in our scouting. We need to draft better. I can't state this enough.
In the last few years we've found a few gems in the 2nd rounds or later, but we've also passed on some serious talent in our draft history. In this era of the NHL you need youth to chip in at a lower salary range if you want a chance to win a Stanley Cup.

I look forward to the off season for a chance to refresh our team and really prove to Luongo and our other heart and soul players that we are committed to winning. This year had its lowlights but also some highlights as well.

Our youth is on the rise. We finally have some talent in the system which we shouldn't rush. Let them develop properly. Do you want to turn out like the Toronto Maple Leafs?

The rise of the youth on this team is encouraging. Kesler, Burrows, Edler, Raymond and Shannon will start to shift towards the core of the team. Our current core players will add veteran experience.

It's been a doozy of a post. My boss at work told me that the other posts were short. So K, here you go it's a longer one for you.

The Standings

ESPN has a cool new widget here.

Around the League in 80 seconds

First of all congratulations are in order to Roberto Luongo. He is the proud father of a baby girl, Gabriella Luongo. It's a joyous occasion for the Luongo family so my best wishes go out to all of you.

Luongo is quite the trooper, he's racked up some serious frequent flier miles in the last few days. He took a red eye from Colorado to Florida. Made it there for the birth of his baby daughter and was off to Minnesota the next day to make the start earlier tonight. Too bad the end result wasn't great but I'm not going to blame him for the loss. We'll leave that for a future posting...

Next up, we have the never ending Bertuzzi/Moore saga continues.

It takes a twist today however, Mark Crawford has now been named in the lawsuit.

Bertuzzi sought to have Crawford included based on the claim that his NHL contract compelled him take orders from his coach.

"It was a term and condition of Bertuzzi's employment with the Vancouver hockey club that he was to take direction from Crawford in all matters related to his role or function as a player," court documents state.

After this I have no doubt in my mind that Bertuzzi and Crow will now continue their hate-hate relationship. Old habits die hard.Frankly, I'm sick of it. Sort it out amongst yourselves, I don't want to hear about it anymore. You're all to blame. To quote Newton, "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction".Moore shouldn't have taken a run at Naslund. Moore should have just simply fought Bertuzzi that night and gotten it over with. Bertuzzi was equally responsible for stalking Moore and Crawford is claimed by a few to have told his troops to make Moore "pay the price".

Bertuzzi has filed a "cross claim" that if legal damages in the $37 million civil suit are awarded, the Canucks should have to pay, the Toronto Star reports. The team, meanwhile, has filed a similar suit against Bertuzzi.

This lawsuit is like the freakin' energizer bunny. They need to settle it. I'm sure there's nothing the NHL would like better than to sweep this scandal under the rug. The game has enough image issues in the US, and I'm sure the Chris Simon incidents didn't help this year either. It's pretty much a PR nightmare.

Next.

Torts named US National team coach.

Good for him. I'm not really a big fan of his but you can't really knock a Stanley Cup winning coach too much I guess. However, he's the winningest American born NHL coach, so it only really makes sense.

If there's a goalie controversy to be had this spring on team USA expect old Johnny boy here to be stirring it up.

To me he's like the American version of Mike Keenan. Come to think of it, if his hair thins out more he really would look like Keenan. They have the same iron fist mentality that doesn't always bode well with his players. They have a winning reputation that slowly erodes and then slaps them with a "reputation". We'll see if Torts lasts another season in Tampa.

So that effectively rounds up the news to share with you. I was ultra disappointed with the Canucks game again (hmmmm...... deja vu) as it's definitely coming unraveled here in Vancity. I'll touch more on that this weekend.

Hopefully it only took you 80 seconds to read this otherwise my clever blog title is not so clever or relevant for that matter. So as Billy Madison says to the fat kid in Mrs. Vaughn's class... "Tuh-Tuh-Today Junior!"

Tribute to Jarkko Ruutu: My Top 10 favourite Ruutu moments!

Well one of my favourite former Canucks had a big night. A goal and 2 assists. Not bad, not bad at all. I'm sure he's one of the most annoying guys to play against. After all he's always got that smirk on his face sticking out his tongue.

Gotta love the Finnish grit.

They're really like the toughest Europeans. I'm sure he grew up idolizing Essa Tikkanen. For all the skill the Swedes have the Finns have grit and toughness. Ruutu is a fan favourite wherever he goes. He's the player you hate but would love to have on your team.

Ruutu's Career NHL totals:

414 Games
35 Goals
45 Assists
80 Points
and drum roll please...
a whopping 702 Penalty minutes.

So without further ado here are my top 10 Favourite Jarkko Ruutu Moments:




Ruutu handles Rob Blake really well considering he would be fighting outside his weight class.




Ruutu drops F-bombs on the TSN broadcast. He leans over the suicide box in between the benches where Pierre Macguire sits and beaks off at the Montreal bench. They have to kill Pierre's microphone during the play by play because of Ruutu. Priceless.






Jarkko Ruutu outsmarts Dion Phaneuf. He checks him hard pushes his buttons gets him to drop the gloves and slew foots him. Then saunters off to the bench. Brilliant.

Ruutu rocks the "Finnglish" as he throws haymakers against Ben Ondrus. Good solid fight. Shows he dish it out pretty good and is not just a "cheap shot artist".







Ruutu goes toe to toe with Darcy Tucker. Note the Punch counter.






One of his 2 staple shootout moves. Except this one is done on the most exciting play in the game. A penalty shot.





Here's his other shootout move. The slowmotion one hander.







Here's his first shootout move at full speed going top-shelf - where Mama hides the cookie jar!





Ruutu serves up the Subway sandwich of the game. Eat your heart out Jared!







And finally Ruutu has his own theme song. It really doesn't get much better than that.





So number 37 left quite an impression on me. He was a fun player to watch and cheer for. We even made up a game, which was really Marco Polo replaced by the words Jarkko Ruutu. One group of fans would call out "Jarkko" when he laid out a hit and the other fans would reply "Ruutu". Ahhh... the fond memories of a previous Canuck.

Give the Jack Adams to Jules Winfield

I'm hear all this stuff about old time hockey, and how this new NHL is nothing like how the game used to be played. So they really must mean hockey the Samuel L. Jackson way.

I'd love to see Ron Maclean add him to the Think Hockey segments. Imagine Samuel L. Jackson showing Ron and kids the "gourmet shot", "inglewood jack" and teaching them to be bad mother@#$%ers.

Could Edmonton be the next Gotham City?

Mirtle posted some funny stuff about Daryl Katz in the past.


For those who don't know, Daryl Katz is the soon to be owner of the Edmonton Oilers.

Daryl A. Katz (b. 1962) is chairman and chief executive officer of The Katz Group, one of North America's leading drug store operators with over 1,800 stores and owns and operates Canada's only national mail order pharmacy business, Meditrust Pharmacy Inc., one of Canada's largest institutional pharmacy operations. Katz is a former lawyer. He currently resides in Edmonton, Alberta.

He's really rich (worth 2.37 Billion), he's Canadian and he's also being compared to Batman.

Daryl Katz, the new Oilers owner, is being compared to Batman - or more pointedly Batman's alter ego, Bruce Wayne - for a lot of reasons: he's wealthy, he's a philanthropist, he keeps to himself and he lives in a cave.

Which begs the real question for me. If Daryl Katz is Batman... who is Robin?

I don't know.

Who cares.

All I know is that Gary Bettman is my candidate for the Penguin. I mean the likeness is uncanny:

VS.

On another Edmonton note. A committee seems to approve of the idea for a new arena downtown.

It would be an 18,000 seat 450 Million dollar arena. That's great but once again I'll ask the difficult question: Is this really going to make the wives like living in Edmonton any better? The committee better ask Pronger's better half first.

The Crosscheck that broke Savard's Back

Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Boston Bruins leading scorer Marc Savard suffered a broken bone in his back after being cross-checked by Canadiens forward Steve Begin in Boston 3-2 loss Saturday in Montreal.

Ouch. I hope Savard bounces back and recovers from this next season. He's really come into his own in the league these last few years and has been one of the few free agents to live up to a big money contract. There were a lot of doubters after he left Atlanta saying that he only benefited from playing with Hossa and Kovalchuk. However, he's proved them wrong and showed that he can perform as a key player for the Bruins.

However, this is a crushing blow to Boston's playoff chances as Savard is their leading scorer and they've been slumping as of late going 3-4-3 down the stretch, while Washington is surging and nips at their heels only 2 points behind for 8th spot with a game in hand.

It's down to the wire. Gut check time. Fill in your sports cliche ___________________.