Vancouver Canucks Op Ed
Five Stages of Grief for Canucks Fans
There are 5 stages of grieving, typically understood to be: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance.
When it comes to Mats Sundin, Vancouver fans have gone through all of them lately. Here’s the breakdown:
Vancouver Canucks 2008-09 Schedule
Vancouver Canucks regular season schedule is below.
Pre-season schedule posted here.
Vancouver Canucks 2008 Pre-Season Schedule
The Vancouver Canucks released their pre-season schedule yesterday. (Isn’t that timely of them? They’re only behind some 27 other teams or so, releasing this...)
Anyway, the team’s first preseason game is September 22, opening with a home-and-home match-up against the Forces of Evil.
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Deconstructing the Shanahan/Canucks Rumor
Ben Kuzma’s report in The Province today:
A U.S. report that unrestricted free agent Brendan Shanahan was offered and rejected a one-year, $2-million US offer from the Vancouver Canucks is inaccurate, according to his agent.
“I can tell you that I’ve never been approached or had any discussions with Vancouver regarding Brendan,” said Rick Curran, who added that San Jose and Montreal are not in the mix either.
Where on earth did this nonsense get started? What “U.S. report”?
I suspect this is what you get when hockey blogs and media collide…
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Top 5 Reasons Sundin Prefers the Canucks to the Habs
Mike Boone at Habs Inside/Out posted this over the weekend:
If Mats Sundin plays hockey this season it will be as a member of the Montreal Canadiens.
Why?
Because it makes sense. And Sundin is a sensible guy from Sweden, a sensible social democracy where people drive Volvos and go to Ingmar Bergman movies and learn to play smart hockey.
Spare me. Ingmar Bergman movies are the answer to the Jeopardy question, “What is the most drab and depressing thing you can think of?”
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The Private Pain of Brian Burke & Kevin Lowe
Catching up on hockey blogs over the weekend, I came across the video (below) referenced by David Staples. In his words, “It’s so bad, it’s kinda good.”
Geez, I don’t know. This thing is so bad, it’s probably worse than you expect.
Continue reading "The Private Pain of Brian Burke & Kevin Lowe"
The Graphical Pavol
Statistics aren’t everyone’s cup of tea (least of all mine; in university, I dropped out of ‘Introductory Statistics’ three times before finally finishing and passing the course) but they’re obviously a useful tool when it comes to breaking down a player—especially a player who’s new to the team and somewhat of an unknown quantity.
Below are four charts I’ve put together to look at Pavol Demitra (and one on Mats Sundin) from a variety of perspectives:
- Chart 1 -- Demitra vs Naslund
- Chart 2 -- Demitra’s 2007-08 Line Combos and Points
- Chart 3 -- Demitra’s Situational Ice Time for 2007-08
- Chart 4 -- Sundin’s 2007-08 Line Combos and Points
Jason Krog to the Canucks
Update July 14th, 10:40am PT -- TSN now reports Krog has been signed, but states that the Canucks have provided no information about the exact nature of his contract.
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An astute friend haunting hockey message boards came across this small nugget—Jason Krog to the Canucks, with the rumor it’s a one-way contract.
Screenshot is from NHL.com’s player page for Krog:
For the latest from Mike Gillis, the video below features him talking about yesterday’s signing of Pavol Demitra and Rob Davison
Madonna’s & Messier’s Love Child
Digging into the archives today, I found myself back in November 1991. It was then that Mark Messier appeared in Sports Illustrated with the warning he was “Targeted”.
By pop superstar Madonna, obviously on the rebound from her brief encounter with Oakland A’s slugger Jose Canseco last spring, new New York Rangers captain Mark Messier . Madonna and Messier were put in touch by a mutual friend, actress Janet Jones , wife of Messier ‘s former Edmonton teammate Wayne Gretzky . At week’s end they had spoken on the phone but had yet to meet. “We’ll wait and sec,” Messier said. “Who knows where it’ll go?”
Messier—and hockey fans everywhere—had a narrow escape back then, judging from what just appeared in the press today:
Third Jersey? Pfffft. Just Get Naked and Play with Crayons.
Busted Coverage comes across a new art form:
We’re not sure how Philadelphia Flyers center Jeff Carter’s jersey was selected to grace the naked body of this model. It doesn’t really matter.
The most important nugget here, brahs, is that naked body painting has now invaded the sports world…
Naked Body Art + Flyers Fan = ??
Photos of one serious Jeff Carter fan…
Continue reading "Third Jersey? Pfffft. Just Get Naked and Play with Crayons."
Those CanCucks Get Better Every Day
Now if they can just sign SunKdin, they might be able to ice a hockey team come October.
Update 10:54am PT: Craig Custance of the Sporting News passes on that Demitra’s deal is for 2 years, $4 million per.
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*screenshot from TSN.
Save the GMs!
While $2.5 million should be no laughing matter, I couldn’t help being amused by the series of events involving Steve Bernier yesterday. Nor could Adam Proteau at The Hockey News apparently, who would’ve enjoyed watching it go even further:
The only way this soap opera could be more entertaining would be if the Lightning’s braintrust discovered a hidden clause in the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement that allowed them to somehow supersede Vancouver’s ability to match and bring Bernier to Tampa Bay – a move that, by my calculations, would give the Bolts approximately 89 forwards heading into training camp.
Lordy. Is there any saving the NHL’s GMs from themselves?
Steve Bernier Given Offer Sheet by the Blues
From the St. Louis Blues, this:
St. Louis Blues President John Davidson announced today that the club has signed Group II free agent forward Steve Bernier to an offer sheet worth $2.5 million for next season. The Canucks will have seven days to match the offer or receive St. Louis’ 2nd round draft choice in 2009.
“Steve is a good young player who would play a big part in our youth movement,” said Davidson. “Our coaches and scouting staff are extremely positive about him.”
No doubt Davidson is simply doing the best thing for his club, but it still smells like payback.
Bet on Mike Gillis to match the offer, but regardless, I’d say the #$*!@ is about to hit the fan, no matter what.
Update 3:56pm PT: Canucks have matched the offer. Not a surprise. [TSN]
Update 4:25pm PT: Mike sent me a link to this story from July 5th, right after Bernier was traded from the Sabres. Here’s the money quote (gotta love agents!) --
There were rumours Bernier would sign an offer sheet, but Lupien said that was never in the plans.
“I don’t work like that,” said Lupien, who also represents Roberto Luongo and could have gone the offer-sheet route after Luongo accepted his qualifying offer from the Canucks. “I’ve always asked teams to be honest with my client and I’m sure he (Gillis) is going to be honest with players after being a former player himself.”
Has Demitra Signed with the Canucks?
via TSN:
...Pavol Demitra confirmed that the Canucks are his preferred destination and expects to sign with the team.
“I think there is a good chance,” Demitra said."[Current Canucks GM Mike Gillis] used to be my agent for a long time. We are very good friends. I am very interested in playing for [the Canucks].”
Or perhaps he already is…
Mats Sundin Hanging in Vancouver
... or so sayeth Howard Berger on FAN 590 for the last two days, reporting it as a rumor (one that, apparently, only he has heard). So I’d continue to ignore Berger but it’s getting hard to—he keeps saying it and people keep asking about it.
While I have no idea if Sundin is (or was) in Vancouver this week, here are a couple things to consider:
(plus evening updates below...)
Love Your Agent
The Vancouver Sun’s Elliott Pap votes for Pat Morris as the best agent in hockey today:
A year ago, he managed to get Todd Bertuzzi an $8 million contract for two seasons with Anaheim, even though ex-Canuck Big Bert looked like a shadow of his former self. The Ducks soon discovered he could no longer produce the goods so they bought him out. Now, only seven days into free agency, Morris convinced the Flames to sign Bertuzzi for $1.95 million. Amazing!
Not a bad choice, but my vote for Agent of the Year goes elsewhere…
(*post updated below)
Bored and Waiting on Mats Sundin News
Jim Gintonio who blogs on the Phoenix Coyotes at AZCentral, noted this email from a happy Coyotes fan today:
“Don Maloney does not get near the credit for the effort he has put in, and the major positive changes he has gotten without giving away the house in less than a year. I was somewhat skeptical … at first, but right now, if he signed Donald Duck, I would respect his opinion and not question it at all … “
Prompting this comment reponse on Gintonio’s blog: “Donald Duck in a Coyotes’ uniform? Might get a little confusing when we play Anaheim...”
Which, naturally, prompted me to stick Wile E. Coyote’s head on Donald Duck.
The End.
Note: Earl Sleek at Battle of California envisions something slightly more violent in Ducks photoshoppiness today.
HNIC’s Summer Musical Interlude
The Hockey Night in Canada theme contest has drawn a ton of entries—and while rather a lot of the submissions sound more like rejects for upcoming Star Wars movies, there are many entertaining efforts in there as well. (And keep in mind: it’s much easier to criticize these compositions than it is to actually write and submit one, risking obnoxious remarks from hockey fans.)
One entry which caught my attention, I’ve embedded on the video player below. It’s entitled the “Jazzy Hockey Night” and its unlikely composer and performer is 11 year old Addison Leigh of Ajax, ON.
I didn’t even know how to tie my shoes properly when I was 11 years old, so color me impressed.
Concerns About Bernier. And Everything Else.
Chuqui at Two For Elbowing—who certainly knows far more about Steve Bernier’s history than I do—wrote a great post yesterday wondering about the sequence of events leading up to his trade to Vancouver:
Even recently, Bernier was being touted as a key cog in the Buffalo future.
And now he’s off to Vancouver for a 2nd and a third draft pick?
Alarm bells are going off here. When a player starts becoming the pass-around pack, unless it’s Mike Sillinger, you have to wonder why; especially when teams say nice things about them and then trade them.
Continue reading "Concerns About Bernier. And Everything Else."
Canucks Trade for Steve Bernier (and Sign Mark Cullen)
via the Vancouver Canucks:
Vancouver Canucks General Manager Mike Gillis announced today that the club has acquired right wing, Steve Bernier from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a second round Draft pick in 2010 and third round pick (Los Angeles’ selection) in 2009.
“Steve Bernier is a highly regarded young player who’s enjoyed success early in his career,” said Gillis. “With his right-handed shot he will be a great addition to our top six forward group and an asset to our power play.”
Thanks to nrbreitkreuz for the tip.
Updates 11:45am PT: The Steve Bernier Scoring Highlight Reel, and other trivia…
Update 3:26pm PT: Canucks sign Mark Cullen.
Update July 8th -- Blues offer sheet on Bernier.
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