The “Sandman” is providing traction

With all of the snow around Vancouver of late, there has been a lot of sand spread on the roads to stop drivers from slipping and sliding. With the injury to Roberto Luongo, the Canucks have turned to their own “Sandman” to keep them from sliding in the Western conference standings, and so far the traction provided has been pretty good.

A quick look at the stats, and Sanford’s numbers have been pretty good. In 16 games, Sanford has faced 838 shots and has posted 2.43 goals against, and a .913 save percentage, while posting one shutout. Not Luongo-esque numbers by any means, but numbers that should be confidence building for his teammates who know it’s not the end of the world waiting for Luongo to return. The steady play will also make it easier for Luongo to recover completely before returning, and who knows how long that will be.

The kids are alright

One of the things Mike Gillis stated in the off-season was that if he couldn’t make moves to improve the team with trades and free agent signings, he was fine with letting some of the organizations prospects come to camp and compete for jobs. Mason Raymond and Jannick Hansen have taken that opportunity and contributed nicely in key roles. More consistency would be nice, but by no means has either player looked out of place. Raymond’s lack of size is a challenge, and with more experience he looks to be learning to control his movements more and head to the right spots to get scoring chances, while Hansen has made great strides after an injury filled campaign the previous season.

How underrated in Mattias Ohlund?

He doesn’t get a lot of recognition, but just how underrated is Mattias Ohlund? Playing in a contract year, the dependable Swede is in his 11th year with the Canucks, and is still one of the steadiest go-to defensemen on the club. He simply does it all, killing penalties, playing the power play, out in key situations, playing physical, you name it Mattias does it. After overcoming a career threatening eye injury Ohlund has certainly cemented himself among the greatest Canucks defensemen in history. It would be nice to keep him here and have him retire as a Canuck in the future, and if that happens do you consider his number worthy of being raised to the rafters? I think it certainly needs to be discussed.

Oilers still hanging around

The Canucks can’t be faulted for a lot thus far in the season, but one thing that will make their life a little more difficult down the stretch is the two games they let Edmonton take from them recently. Instead of being 10 points up on the pesky team from Alberta, the Oilers have managed to hang around in the Northwest division. It’s something the Oilers seem to do, year after year. It will certainly make life a little tougher for the Canucks, who surely are looking at those two losses as ones they would have loved to avoid. Picked by many to be a force in the division this year, the Oilers still may make some noise yet if they can find consistency in their game and get rolling at home.

Finally, thank you!

It was big year of change for CanuckCorner.com. We have gone to a full blog format, and for the most part I think it’s going well. I haven’t has had as much time as I like to write and get the site together, and the learning curve has been a hurdle at times, but you’ve stuck with us and supported the move all the way. Canucks.com has embraced the fan sites out there, and that will be bringing you more cool features and access in the future to your favourite hockey team. From all of us Tom Benjamin, George Fawcett, Justine Galo, our message board moderating staff and myself, I wish all of you a happy, safe, and healthy New Year!

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So Canucks fan, admit it.

You heard me…admit that when you heard that Mats Sundin had signed with the Canucks a little part of you felt like yelling “In your face New York!” Poor Larry Brooks of the New York Post had Vancouver pegged for dead.

Thus, with the NHL holiday roster freeze going into effect Friday night at midnight and lasting through midnight Dec. 27, Sundin - who has a $10M offer on the table from the Canucks that he obviously is in no hurry to accept - is likely to remain unsigned until late in the month.

So did I. I get and respect that Sundin took his time deciding if he wanted to play this year. But once he decided and the longer this went on, I figured the Canucks were being kept around as insurance and as a bargaining tool.

In a pre salary cap era, the Vancouver Canucks would have had no chance of gettting Mats Sundin, because the the New York Rangers, or other teams would out bid everyone. Not knowing what really happened behind the scenes, it appeared on the surface that Sundin’s first choice was to sign with New York. It would also appear that the Rangers couldn’t clear enough cap space to make this happen, thus making the choice of the Canucks too good to pass up.

It’s kind of ironic that the Canucks honoured Trevor Linden the night before the announcement, who’s involvement with the current salary cap deal was monumental. Perhaps in an unintentional way it was Linden’s gift to the fans.

At this point Sundin is a rental player. There is no guarantee he signs for another season, and the Canucks won’t be on the hook for another year if either party wants to go in a different direction.

The signing has given the Canucks two lines that can score overnight. If the defense can get and stay healthy, and Luongo recovers and gets on a roll, this team could be a force to be reckoned in the west. With the cap room Gillis enjoyed now gone, and further tweaks to the roster will have to be through trades.

For years the Canucks were always the wiling partner who just couldn’t shell out that extra to lure free agents. Fans sat by and watched as the Colorado’s, Detroit’s and New York’s of the world loaded up already stacked rosters. Now the salary cap has leveled that playing field, and that’s a great thing for the league, and on Wednesday it was a great thing for Canucks fans.

Just ask the New York Rangers.

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Well, it appears this is now official folks, Mats Sundin has signed with the Vancouver Canucks.

This from TSN.ca

After six long months, the Mats Sundin saga is finally over as the unrestricted free agent has agreed to a contract with the Vancouver Canucks.

“I am truly excited to be joining the Canucks,” said Sundin in a team statement. “Once I made the decision to return to play a few weeks ago, the Vancouver opportunity was simply the best overall fit. I want to thank Mike Gillis and the entire Canucks organization for their professionalism throughout this entire process.”

The signing ended months of rumours and speculation around the coveted centre, who was undecided on whether or not he would return to the National Hockey League for an 18th season.

All of a sudden the Canucks have a top line centre and two legitimate scoring lines. Things are about to get interesting.

Stay tuned for more opinions, but for now chime in our messageboard!

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I’ve never bought a single ticket to a sporting event before, I’ve always gone with a friend or  family member. But when single game tickets for the Canucks went on sale this year, I knew there was one game I had to try and see. That game was of course the one coming up this Wednesday, December 17th against the Edmonton Oilers, the game the Vancouver Canucks and their fans officially retire the jersey of Trevor Linden. I managed to get a single ticket.

Trevor Linden came along at the peak of my love for the Canucks. I was 19 years old on June 11, 1988 when the Canucks selected Trevor 2nd overall in the entry draft. I lived and breathed Canuck hockey, along with a bunch of friends. We watched every game, analyzed the drafts, discussed trades and how coaches should be fired. It was an interest that culminated with the very first edition of Canucks Corner in 1996.

I feel fortunate to have witnessed the whole career of Trevor Linden. He was basically my age, when he broke into the league, and he instantly became a fan favorite with his effort and maturity that were evident right from the start.

I could list my favorite Linden memories, but they would probably be the same of many of you. So I’ll share the moment that I think defined Trevor Linden as a player in my mind, and sent chills up my spine when it came from the vocal chords of Hall of Fame broadcaster Jim Robson. It was the final minute of game 6, in the 1994 Stanley Cup final versus the New York Rangers. The Canucks had the game wrapped up when Mark Messier gave Linden a cheap shot on the way back to the benches. There was no penalty on the play, but the crowd saw it, Robson saw it, and he had this call that still raises the hair on the back of my neck today:

Linden was not only respected by fans, but by his peers as well, as evidenced when he was given a classy tribute by the visiting Calgary Flames in his final game. Flames captain Jerome Iginla made sure that every player in a Flames jersey went and wished Trevor the best.

Almost every Canucks fan out there has a favorite Linden memory. His continued presence and contributions in our community will create more memories for others in the future. He will always represent this team, but he will also continue to be an icon in our city. Perhaps he will eventually become involved with the team again, there are many who think he would make a great coach.

Whatever the future holds for Trevor Linden, I am thankful I saw his career from beginning to end and for the memories and excitement he provided me. Enjoy your night on Wednesday Trevor, it’s our turn to say thanks to you.

Please feel free to comment on this article and leave your defining Trevor Linden moment!

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Canuck Nation is getting all riled up again with talk the Canucks may be one of the final two teams in the Mats Sundin sweepstakes, along with the New York Rangers (Yes, them again). Most insiders say that given his choice, Sundin would likely choose the Rangers, but for that to occur the Rangers need to make room under the cap.

So is Sundin serious about the Canucks, or is it because the club never wavered in their offer since July 1st, that Sundin is just keeping them around as the fallback team? If the Rangers can make it work he’ll go there, and if he can’t he has the Canucks to sign with.

Of course there is the possibility the Canucks could be the team that picks up what the Rangers have to shed to add Sundin, but with names being thrown about like defensemen Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival and forwards Scott Gomez and Chris Drury, one would have to think only Gomez might peak the Canucks interest.

If and when it becomes apparent to general manager Mike Gillis that Sundin won’t be coming here, he has left himself with a hell of a wild card to hold for the second half of the season. Gillis will be the best positioned of pretty much any of his counterparts come trading time, simply because he has salary cap room to burn. There will likely be teams that find themselves out of the playoffs, who will be looking to blow things up and rebuild. This should mean that some players that could help the Canucks will be available.

Gillis should really be commended for the position he has the Canucks in here. Mats Sundin would make them a much better hockey team, there is no doubt. But he’s made sure that if he doesn’t choose the Canucks it won’t be the end of the world. His team is leading it’s division, with the toughest part of it’s schedule behind them. He has the means to be involved in any trade activity that may pop up.

Of course he still has to make those deals, and he’ll be judged on that, but you have to like the position he has himself in, whether he gets Sundin or not.

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Yes it’s that time of the year again, and at this time we all reflect about the year passed.  I’ll say one thing for me, it’s been good, bad, and ugly. All things occurring, I have to take responsibility and credit.  I’ve had a great year getting back into doing what I love most, writing. I want to thank Brian and Canuckscorner.com for giving the opportunity to continue to hone my skills and write about my favourite sports franchise in the world, the Vancouver Canucks.

I’m going to take a trip down memory lane today and talk about my 27 year tenure of being a Canucks fan.  My most memorable moments, not just on the ice, but just as a fan.   As I read, in another blog and article, the Canucks mean a lot to my life. In fact, I got the privilege to be a part of the Canucks family via work at one point in my life.

Sports and particularly hockey have been a big point of bonding with my father, who didn’t have any sons, so he took his eldest daughter to all the sporting events he could muster. Well, Dad, I just want to say it worked.  I am now more of a fanatic than you are. Thank you, Dad. I miss you and I will see you soon!

10) A Canucks Fan is Born: Before I was a Canucks fan I was a Winnipeg Jets fan, and my first ever NHL game I can recollect was at the Pacific Coliseum. It was the Canucks vs. Jets and I was so excited. My father got us great seats. Section G row 11. Oddly enough those were my season tickets to the Giants.  I remember I fell in love with the Canucks that night. They were my new team.  I was amazed by the play of two players in particular, #12 Stan Smyl and probably my early favourite #23 Thomas Gradin.  We didn’t win that night, but I remember Gradin scoring 2 goals and I was hooked.  This was the moment I was hooked as a Canucks fan. That was 1981,  a 6 year old Canuck junkie was born.

9) Canucks and Friendships: My first Canucks game with my friends without my father. It was 1985, I was 10 years old and our neighbourhood parents decided to buy a block of tickets for us neighbourhood kids to go to a game together. These were the days our parents could drop us off at the arena and pick us up after the game and be safe. It was an exciting time, we all had a blast. The Canucks actually beat the Oilers that night and were in rare form. I got the see Wayne Gretzky not score a goal that night. It was a rarity indeed. I remember my friend Mike yelling, “I’m a Canucks fan for life!”.Great time, good memories

Birth of Towel Power: Although I wasn’t there, I got to see this on TV, but I’m sure all Canucks fan remember Roger Nielsen’s “white towel” surrender to the officials. It was Chicago stadium, I was at home watching it with my family. When the Canucks came home to the Pacific Coliseum, my dad took me to that game and I’ve never seen so many white towels being swung ever. The Canucks came home to a hero’s welcome. I was just very fortunate to be a part of it. Towel Power was born.

7) The 1982 Cup Run: Being 7 years old, it was more about the excitement that surrounded me than the actual games themselves. The Canucks were a bunch of muckers and grinders with a few talent players here and there. Nothing like the Stanley Cup Final opponents in the Islanders. The Islanders were THE team back in those days. Although we were slaughtered in the finals in a sweep, I will never forget Bernie Pascal and his enthusiasm during his sports broadcasts talking about how this lunch bucket team has captured the hearts and imagination of the city.

6) Los Angeles 1988: I got to see Wayne Gretzky live for the first time as an LA King at the Great Western Forum. My dad had made that trip to see the Lakers and the Celtics with my uncle, and he saw how much I wanted to go and so he packed me up in the car and drove down to LA with him and my uncle. We went to the Lakers game the night before, which they won, and then got tickets to watch “The Great One” as an LA King for the first time. That was a new era in hockey. Gretzky scored two that night against the St Louis Blues.

5) Pavel Bure’s first game: I’ll never forget his first game at the Pacific Coliseum. It was against my old Winnipeg Jets. Wow. I was off my seat so much I must have hit the end of it when it was raised a few times too many that night. I was 16 years old.  The Russian Rocket was the most exciting player to ever put on a Canuck uniform bar none. Many good memories of the Russian Rocket, but seeing him for the first time that night, I knew he was the real deal.

4) Sweden 2000 Canucks Training Camp: Luckily for me, I was given the opportunity to go Sweden in 2000 and watch the Canucks do their training camp and part of their pre-season there. It was the first time I got to see the Sedins and of course Stockholm, Ornkoldsvik and many other things in Sweden.  Fascinating trip, outside of Canada, I don’t think there is a county that loves their hockey as much as the Swedes.

3) 2005 IIHF World Championships, Austria: Loving my work very much at this point and also my very last assignment for this conglomerate, I was able to see international hockey with NHL stars. It was the lockout year. I balanced my time between babysitting our favourite broadcaster and hanging out and getting some fantastic interviews with members of all the teams involved. I must say the one that I had with Brenden Morrison, his wife Erin and his parents, who live in Europe, one of the most fun. It was unfortunate that the Canadians didn’t win that tournament, but it showed how much the Czech team wanted to win it in front of many of their fans.

2) 1994 Stanley Cup Run: I know that this would be most peoples’ favourite hockey memory if you’re a Canucks fan, but it’s only second compared to mine for very personal reasons.  That run captured the imagination of not just the city but of the whole entire nation.  From the Calgary series when Robert Reichel was stoned by Kirk McLean and Bure’s winner in OT, from the Toronto series, the hardest fought 6 games and finally that heart breaking loss in the game 7 at MSG. I remember being at the airport and waiting for the team and they were applauded. I remember my friend getting arrested for lewd conduct on Robson Street, prior to the disgraceful rioting. It was just a magical run, it was just so sad, and to this day it still hurts, that the Canucks didn’t have the gas to finish the race.

1) January 2001, My Daughter’s first Canucks Game: Yes, this has got to be most memorable moment. My then three year old daughter was hooked on hockey. It was great to see her cheer for our boys and see her reaction to the crowd and take in the atmosphere of a hockey game.  She got her hot dog, her drink, her Canucks shirt and she was all set and very happy.  Passing on the love of hockey to my child to me is my most fond memory. It’s wonderful to know that she can share something I am so passionate about.

Yeah those are some pretty big memories for me as a hockey fan, and especially a Canuck fan.  I just wanted to share them with you all out there.  Remember why you love this team and why you love hockey. It’s beyond what goes on in the game.

Musings from the Mud…

Lotus Blossom

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For those who are interested in chatting with fellow Canucks fans during tonight Red Wings/Canucks clash, you may want to check out the new live fan blog taking place at the Canucks.com Fan Zone tonight.

CanucksCorner.com is a member of the Fan Zone, and we’ll be involved with the live blog for future games, but we invite you to join tonight’s moderators: Rebecca Bollwitt, (Miss604.com), Yankee Canuck, (yankeecanuck.com), Humming Giraffe, (humminggiraffe.wordpress.com), and Thomas Lupton, (fans.nhl.com).

This is all part of a new relationship between Canucks.com and fan sites on the Internet. I hope you check it out and give us some feedback on what you thought!

GO CANUCKS GO!

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Oh my God! What are we Canucks fans to do? We went from contending for the Northwest division to contesting for the rights in the lottery for Jonathan Tavares with a tweak of Roberto Luongo’s groin! Panic button I say! Panic button! The Vancouver Canucks should forfeit their season and get those extra lottery draws! There is nothing the Canucks can do to turn their season around!

…Ok, so I am playing around, but that’s what I am reading on fan forum boards all over the Northwest Division, particularly those fan forums of the Calgary Flames. I guess the Vancouver Canucks start and end with Bingo Bango Bongo, Captain Roberto Luongo. As a team they don’t have much to offer or do we? What do we do fans?

Well…

We wait till our Captain comes back and hope that our team of mediocrity can pick up a win here and there without him. That’s what we do.

Yes, it’s true, the Canucks are a better with Roberto Luongo between the pipes. There is absolutely no questioning that. I believe the word I am looking for is FACT! So why the panic? Are the Canucks that empty without Roberto? Let’s look at what the Canucks have with Roberto Luongo in the press box.

Replacing the irreplaceable, Curtis Sanford has the undaunted task of filling some pretty big blockers and goalie pads.  Sanford, is one of he better back-up goalies out there, he just had to sit on the bench a lot more because of the workhorse the Canucks have in Luongo.  He’s (Sanford) very steady, and should be alright to call upon as Bobby Lu rests his groin. Sanford is ready and will probably see more action in these next two weeks than he has seen all of last season.  Cory Schneider, Canucks #1 draft pick and goalie prospect will play back up to Sanford during the injury time. I believe we will see Schneider play at least once during this time due to a back to back in the early part of December.  This is Schneider’s time to shine and possibly steal the show. That alone is pretty exciting stuff.

Regardless of whether Sanford or Schneider being between the pipes, this is the time for the Canucks to test their character and mettle as a unit.  Can the defensive core pick up the slack and be more mindful to clear the puck and keep the puck out of the goaltenders’ way? Or will the buckle under the pressure. With their play as of late, I’d say the Canucks will answer the call. Added pressure is put on Salo, Ohlund and Mitchell to lead the way with Bieksa still out with a foot injury.  Can these three elevate their games and make sure the rest of their colleagues on the blue line follow suit? Recent play says yes, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Will the forwards on the Canucks take the pressure off Sanford and Schneider and put in some goals to help the team cause?  Sure why not?  Will Pavol Demitra continue to shine accumulating points from every game? Will Daniel continue to contribute to the score sheet now that he has that monkey off his back? Will Raymond find his swift feet leading him to a few goals here and there? Again with the recent indicating, yes, this is all possible.

The ONE question that dwells in my mind is…will AV go back to a more defensive minded strategy until the return of Lu? I believe he will tighten up the openness of the team’s game just to make sure they keep shots on goal to more of a minimum.  So yes, be prepared to watch a little more of what we saw last year from the Canucks, defensive styled hockey. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but at the moment, a necessity.

So will the Canucks falter and throw away their lead in the Northwest division, their team chemistry will be thrown out of whack while they lose their captain to a groin injury for two weeks? No, I don’t they will just completely stink up the joint so much they will be challenging the Islanders and company for the services of Jonathan Tavares, but it won’t be as ‘easy’ without the #1 guy backstopping them.

Only time will tell, but it’s not time to hit panic button yet? Is it?

Musings from the mud…

LotusBlossom

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JJ Guerrero of the Canucks Hockey Blog alerted me that the The Vancouver Sun has collected over 2000 signatures in an online petition to help get the NHL to consider changing the rule that says goaltenders cannot be a team’s “official” team captain, of course in support of Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo.

The rule is perhaps a little outdated, and it should be revisited by the league.

If you would like to sign this petition, click here.

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I attended a funeral service on Sunday. The celebration of ones life can be uplifting and inspiring, and in this case it certainly was. This family had been through so much in the last few years, with the loss of a young daughter to cancer, followed by the mother to the same, just over two weeks ago.

During the service there were many references to the Canucks, and how much of a fan the mother was. How the team had played an important role in their every day lives. At the back of the room sat one of the Sedin twins, who joined coach Alain Vigneault.

Hockey players are a great bunch. My thought was that the Canucks had probably been involved with the young daughter who was lost and the charity in her name. That was two years ago, but regardless of why they were there, the fact is they were there. Sitting amongst friends and family, and showing their respects.

That’s a pretty great thing for a professional athlete to do. And in a day when we hear of athletes abusing their riches and fame, hockey players continue to set the bar when giving back to the community.

The Canucks mean a lot to many people, and though the wins, losses, trades, streaks and slumps that we as fans live for excite us, the role thay play in our community and to those that look up to them is just as special.

I know for that family it probably meant the world.

If anyone would like to know more about this family and the charity they started in the name of their daughter, please visit www.hannahsheroes.com

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