Hockey Night in Canada

ELTON JOHN WAS RIGHT…
”SORRY” IS THE HARDEST WORD…
ON SATURDAY NIGHT THE VANCOUVER CANUCKS PLAYED PERHAPS THEIR BEST GAME OF THE SEASON…AS THEY DROPPED THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS 5-1…
ROBERTO LUONGO WAS NOTHING SHORT OF BRILLIANT AS HE MADE 43 SAVES…
FOR HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PERFECT…
AFTER ALL…THE CANUCKS ARE THE ONLY CANADAIN TEAM…THAT HAS ANY REAL SHOT…AT TAKING A DEEP RUN INTO THE PLAYOFFS…
INSTEAD THE NETWORK WAS SHUTOUT BY THE CANUCKS…
NOT ONE PLAYER…
NOT ONE COACH…
NOT ONE PERSON IN MANAGEMENT WAS MADE AVAILABLE TO THE BROADCAST…
NOT ONE…
THE BOYCOTT WAS PAYBACK FOR THE “11 MINUTE SEGMENT” ON ALEX BURROWS…FROM THE PREVIOUS SATURDAY NIGHT…
WHICH GETS US TO THE NEXT SATURDAY NIGHT…
THE CANUCKS ARE IN TORONTO…
BUT WHEN GENERAL MANAGER MIKE GILLIS WAS ASKED ABOUT LIFTING THE BOYCOTT…
HIS RESPONSE WAS ONLY…”WE’LL SEE”…
ON SATURDAY BEFORE THE CANUCKS GAME…RON MCCLEAN AND THE PANEL DEALT WITH THE ISSUE ON “THE HOT STOVE”…
THERE WERE NO APOLOGIES…
IN FACT…MIKE MILBURY DEFENDED THE ATTACK ON BURROWS…
AND WENT SO FAR AS TO PLACE THE BLAME ON THE CANUCKS…
AS MILBURY PUT IT…”I THINK THEY MISSED THE POINT”…
IN MEANTIME THE CANUCKS ARE STILL UPSET WITH REFEREE STEPHAN AUGER…
LAST WEEK MIKE GILLIS MET WITH NHL VICE PRESIDENT COLIN CAMPBELL…
IT’S NOT CLEAR WHAT WAS SAID…BUT THE CANUCKS DID MAKE THEIR OWN VIDEO PRESENTATION…
IN THE MEANTIME AUGER CONTINUES TO WORK NHL GAMES…AND HAS YET TO BE PUNISHED IN ANY WAY…
WHAT’S CLEAR IS THIS…
BOTH AND THE NHL AND THE CBC WOULD LOVE NOTHING MORE…THAN FOR THIS WHOLE MESS TO JUST…GO-AWAY…
BUT UNTIL SOMEBODY IS WILLING TO “MAN UP”…THAT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN…
HOW HARD IS IT TO SAY…”I’M SORRY”???

David Backes

THERE IS A BETTER CHANCE OF CONAN O’BRIEN AND JAY LENO GOING OUT FOR A BEER TONIGHT…
THAN THERE IS GETTING THE CANUCKS TO ADMITT…THEY’RE NOW TALKING TRADE…WITH THE ST. LOUIS BLUES…
BUT IT APPEARS…THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT’S GOING ON…
THANKS TO SOME SOLID DETECTIVE WORK…BY MATT SEKERES OF THE GLOBE AND MAIL…
HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW…
WEDNESDAY NIGHT GENERAL MANAGER MIKE GILLIS AND ASSISTANT GM LAURENCE GILLMAN WERE IN MONTREAL TO CATCH THE CANADIANS AND THE ST. LOUIS BLUES…
THERE IS ONLY ONE GOOD REASON TO BE THERE…TO SCOUT DAVID BACKES OF THE BLUES…
THE SAME DAVID BACKES…THE CANUCKS SIGNED TO AN OFFER SHEET...BACK IN THE SUMMER OF 2008…
THE BLUES MATCHED…AND BACKES STAYED IN ST. LOUIS…
BUT CLEARLY…THE INTEREST HAS NOT GONE AWAY…
THE CANUCKS ARE IN DESPERATE NEED OF A THIRD LINE CENTER…
DESPITE SCORING LASTNIGHT…KYLE WELLWOOD IS CLEARLY NOT THE ANSWER…
IN THE MEANTIME…BACKES HAS ALSO STRUGGLED THIS SEASON…
AFTER SCORING 31 GOALS LAST SEASON…HE ONLY HAS 10 THIS SEASON…
WHEN YOU CONSIDER…THE BLUES ARE 27TH IN NHL ATTENDANCE…
THE MATH IS SIMPLE…THEY CAN NOT AFFORD TO SPEND $2.5 MILLION A YEAR…ON A THIRD LINE PLAYER…
WHAT ADDS TO THE SPECULATION IS THIS…
A FEW DAYS AGO…ST. LOUIS GM JOHN DAVIDSON WAS IN WINNIPEG TO SCOUT THE MOOSE…
IT’S NO SECRET THE BLUES ARE LOOKING FOR A GOALTENDER…
AND IT’S NO SECRET…WITH ROBERTO LUONGO SIGNED TO A 12 YEAR CONTRACT…
CORY SCHNEIDER NO LONG FITS INTO THE CANUCK PLANS…
COMMON SENSE WOULD SUGGEST…
IT’S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CANUCKS TO PULL OFF THIS DEAL…BEFORE THE OLYMPIC TRADING FREEZE…
BECAUSE STARTING NEXT SATURDAY…THE CANUCKS PLAY THEIR NEXT 14 GAMES ON THE ROAD…
IT WOULD BE A BIG HELP TO HAVE A 6 FOOT 3…225 POUND FORWARD IN THE LINE UP…
RIGHT NOW…ALL THAT APPEARS TO BE HOLDING UP THIS DEAL ARE SOME HEALTH ISSUES…
BACKES HAS A SORE HIP…AND WILL NOT PLAY TOMORROW NIGHT AGAINST ANAHEIM…
IN THE MEANTIME…IT DOES APPEAR…
DAVID BACKES…LIKE CONAN O’BRIEN…IS ABOUT TO FIND HIMSELF A NEW HOME…

Gary Bettman

LESS IS MORE…
NO WHERE IS THAT MORE TRUE THAN IN THE NHL…
THE LEAGUE IS NOW ON “LIFE SUPPORT” IN AT LEAST 6 U.S. MARKETS…
BY THE END OF THE SEASON…THE NHL WILL HAVE MADE A $200 MILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT IN THE PHOENIX COYOTES…
AND THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE $100 MILLION…THE LEAGUE WASTES EVERY YEAR ON “REVENUE SHARING”…
THERE IS ALSO THE ISSUE OF TELEVISION MONEY…
TONIGHT ON TSN…THE NETWORK WILL FEATURE THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS AND THE WASHINGTON CAPITALS…
CROSBY VERSUS OVECHKIN…
WHILE ON TSN 2…IT’S KOBE VERSUS LEBRON…
ONE LOOK AT THE NBC SCHEDULE THIS SEASON…AND IT’S CLEAR WHERE WHAT THEY’RE SELLING…
A STEADY DIET OF….PENGUINS…CAPITALS…WINGS…HAWKS…BRUINS…AND FLYERS…
BIG MARKET TEAMS…WITH MARQUEE PLAYERS…
THE QUESTION IS…
HOW MUCH LONGER WILL THE OWNERS OF THE “HAVE FRANCHISES”…CONTINUE THROW GOOD MONEY INTO THIS BLACK HOLE …
CERTAINLY RE-LOCATION IS AN OPTION…
SOUTHERN ONTARIO “CAN AND WILL” SUPPORT ANOTHER TEAM…
BUT AFTER THAT…THE NHL IS LOOKING AT A LONG LIST OF CITIES THAT HAVE ALREADY FAILED…
INCLUDING…KANSAS CITY…CLEVELAND…HARTFORD…WINNIPEG…AND QUEBEC CITY…
MORE AND MORE THE ANSWER IS…“CONTRACTION”…
LASTNIGHT COMMISSIONER GARY BETTMAN WAS IN EDMONTON...
AS USUAL…HE HAD LITTLE TO SAY ABOUT ANYTHING…
AND THE “C” WORD WAS NOT EVEN SPOKEN…
WHY BOTHER???
BETTMAN HAS REPEATEDLY STATED “CONTRACTION” IS NOT AN OPTION…WITH GOOD REASON…
THIS 30 TEAM LEAGUE…IS BETTMAN’S IDEA…
EARLIER THIS WEEK…NBA LEGEND JERRY WEST…STATED HE SUPPORTS “CONTRACTION” FOR THAT LEAGUE…IN ORDER TO CREATE A SMALLER “SUPER LEAGUE”…
AND CHARLES BARKLEY BACKS THAT UP...BARKLEY CALLS TODAY’S NBA PRODUCT…”CRAP”…
SO WHY NOT THE NHL???
JUST ASK YOURSELF ONE SIMPLE QUESTION…
HOW MANY TIMES A SEASON…DO YOU REALLY NEED TO SEE…THE DALLAS STARS???

Michael Peca

TODAY MIKE PECA MADE IT OFFICIAL…
AT 35…AND AFTER 13 SEASONS IN THE NHL MIKE PECA HAS RETIRED…
ALL OF THIS IS NOT A SURPRISE…
PECA HAS NOT PLAYED SINCE LAST SEASON…
AS HE PUT IT…”I GUESS PEOPLE WILL STOP ASKING ME NOW”…
TO HIS TEAMMATES AND HIS FANS PECA WAS KNOWN AS…
“CAPTAIN CRUNCH”…
A NICK NAME HIS FIRST EARNED…RIGHT HERE IN VANCOUVER…IN HIS ROOKIE SEASON…
IN FEBRUARY OF 1995…AT THE PACIFIC COLISEUM…TEEMU SELANNE OF THE WINNIPEG JETS WAS CRUISING AT CENTER ICE…
HE MADE BEAUTIFUL PASS…AND THEN MADE THE MISTAKE OF TAKING SOME TIME TO ADMIRE IT…
BIG MISTAKE!!!
PECA CAUGHT HIM WITH ONE OF THE MOST “DEVASTATING” OPEN ICE HITS OF ALL TIME…
UNLIKE THE CHEAP SHOT HANDED OUT BY “PATRICE CORMIER” EARLIER THIS WEEK…
THE PECA HIT ON SELANNE WAS CLEAN…
THERE WAS NO ELBOW…AND NO SHOT TO THE HEAD…
IT SHOULD HAVE CONVINCED CANUCK MANAGEMENT…THEY HAD SOMETHING SPECIAL IN THEIR LINE UP…
NOT THE CASE…
INSTEAD LATER THAT YEAR…THE CANUCKS DEALT PECA TO THE BUFFALO SABRES AS PART OF A DEAL THAT BROUGHT ALEXANDER MOLGINY TO VANCOUVER…
IN 1997 PECA WON THE FIRST OF TWO SELKE TROPHIES…AS THE NHL TOP DEFENSIVE FORWARD…
AND AS CAPTAIN…HE LED THE SABRES TO THEIR FIRST STANLEY CUP FINAL IN 24 YEARS…
THE CANUCKS WITH MOLGINY…NEVER GOT PAST THE FIRST ROUND…
IN 2002…MIKE PECA HELPED CANADA WIN IT’S FIRST OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL IN MEN’S HOCKEY…IN 50 YEARS…
AND THEN IN 2006…HELPED THE EDMONTON OILERS GET TO GAME 7 OF THE CUP FINALS…
THESE DAYS PECA AND HIS FAMILY STILL CALL BUFFALO HOME…
AS HE PUTS IT…”ITS A GREAT PLACE LIVE…I HAVE NOTHING BUT GREAT MEMORIES”…
BUT ON A DAY LIKE TODAY…IT’S HARD FOR VANCOUVER HOCKEY FANS NOT TO STOP AND WONDER…
WHAT IF???

Pittsburgh Penguins

IT’S LIKE WATCHING GARY BETTMAN GO OVER A THOUSAND FOOT CLIFF…IN YOUR BRAND NEW MERCEDES…
YOU ARE GONNA HAVE MIXED FEELINGS…
THAT’S WHAT’S IN STORE FOR VANCOUVER HOCKEY FANS TOMORROW NIGHT…
THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS ARE IN TOWN…
TWO YEARS AGO…THESE FANS BOOED SIDNEY CROSBY…
BUT NOW…LESS THAN A MONTH FROM THE OLYMPICS…
MAYBE…HE’S NOT SUCH A BAD GUY…
IT’S THE SAME STORY WITH MARC ANDRE FLEURY…WHO HAS STRUGGLED THIS SEASON…
FLEURY IS 18TH IN THE NHL…IN GOALS AGAINST…
TWO YEARS AGO…THAT’S A GOOD THING…
LIKE I SAID…“MIXED FEELINGS”…
LASTNIGHT PHOENIX DROPPED NEW JERSEY 4-3…
IN ANY OTHER YEAR…HOCKEY FANS IN THIS CITY WOULD NOT GIVE A DAMN…
BUT IN THAT GAME…MARTIN BRODEUR GAVE UP 4 GOALS ON 19 SHOTS…
YIKES!!!
ADD TO THAT ON WEDNESDAY IN MINNESOTA…ROBERTO LUONGO PLAYED HIS WORST GAME OF THE SEASON…
LUONGO WAS PULLED AFTER GIVING UP 5 GOALS…
TIME TO LOOK FOR THE PANIC BUTTON…
THERE’S ALSO A LOT OF SECOND GUESSING GOING ON RIGHT NOW…
LASTNIGHT IN EDMONTON…JORDAN STAAL SET UP 3 GOALS AS THE PENGUINS DROPPED THE OILERS 3-2…
STAAL DID NOT MAKE TEAM CANADA…
HOWEVER…JEROME IGINLA DID…AND HE HAS NOT COLLECTED A POINT IN 5 GAMES…
HIS LONGEST DROUGHT IN 9 YEARS…
IN ALL THERE ARE 7 CANADAIN PLAYERS THAT WERE NOT NAMED TO TEAM CANADA…WHO ARE NOW IN THE TOP 30 IN NHL SCORING…
IT’S NOT AN ISSUE NOW…
BUT…IF THE CANADIANS HAVE TROUBLE SCORING NEXT MONTH…
YOU’LL HEAR THE CRIES FOR MIKE GREEN…AND STEVEN STAMKOS…FROM HERE…TO ST. JOHNS…
OFFICIALLY…THE OLYMPIC TOURNAMENT BEGINS ON FEBRUARY 16TH…
NOW TRY AND SELL “THAT” TO CANADIAN HOCKEY FANS…

Canucks Toughness

THE HEADLINE IN THE PROVINCE SAID IT ALL…
“VANCOUVER STILL LACKING IN THE GRIT DEPARTMENT”…
SATURDAY AT GM PLACE…THE CALGARY FLAMES KICKED SAND IN THE FACES OF THE CANUCKS…
AND OUT HIT THEM…39-22…
AS A RESULT…THE CANUCKS 4 GAME WINNING STREAK IS OVER…
THIS FROM A CALGARY TEAM THAT WAS PLAYING ITS 4TH GAME IN 5 NIGHTS…
HEAD COACH ALAIN VIGNEAULT WAS NOT MAKING ANY EXCUSES…
“CALGARY HAD MORE BITE!!!”
“WE HAD TOO MANY GUYS WHO JUST DID NOT PUT THEIR “A” GAME ON THE ICE”…
THAT CRITISIM CLEARLY DID NOT APPLY TO EVERYONE…
RICK RYPIEN SQUARED OFF WITH BRANDON PRUST…NOT ONCE BUT TWICE…
AND WANTED TO DANCE FOR A THIRD TIME…BUT IN THE WORDS OF RYPIEN…
“HE DIDN’T GO FOR IT”…
BUT THE GAME PLAN TO BEAT THE CANUCKS APPEARS TO BE RATHER SIMPLE…
PUT PRESSURE ON THE CANUCKS DEFENCE IN THEIR OWN ZONE…
AND MAKE LIFE MISSERABLE FOR THE SEDINS…
TO THEIR CREDIT…THE SEDINS…ALONG WITH ALEX BURROWS…ARE INCREDIBLY TOUGH…
AND THEY CONTINUE TO PRODUCE AT AN AMAZING RATE…
PERHAPS ASSISTANT COACH RICK BOWNESS PUT IT BEST WITH THIS QUOTE…
“THE MORE THEY CHASE THEM…THE HAPPIER THE TWINS ARE”…
SOUNDS GOOD…BUT THE LAWS OF PHYSICS SAY THAT…WHEN AN “IMMOVABLE OBJECT…MEETS AND UNSTOPPED FORCE”…
SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE…
WHAT IS REQUIRED HERE IS A “DETERRENT”
IN FAIRNESS TO RYPIEN…THAT JOB IS SIMPLY OUT OF HIS WEIGHT CLASS…
THE CANUCKS DO NOT HAVE A LIGITIMATE HEAVY WEIGHT IN THEIR LINE-UP…
A PLAYER CAPABLE OF GETTING THE ATTENTION…OF SOMEONE…SAY LIKE…DION PHAHEUF…
THE NORTHWEST DIVISION COULD EASILY BE DECIDED BY THE TWO REMAINING GAMES BETWEEN THESE TWO TEAMS…
THAT INCLUDES…THE LAST GAME OF THE REGULAR SEASON…
SO PERHAPS IT WAS FITTING LASTNIGHT…THAT THE MOVIE “SLAP SHOT” WAS ON TV…
HOPEFULLY THE CANUCKS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT WERE WATCHING…

Alex Burrows

ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING…
TODAY ELVIS PRESLEY WOULD HAVE BEEN 75…
BUT IN THIS TOWN…THE KING IS DEAD…
LONG LIVE…ALEX BURROWS…
LASTNIGHT BURROWS SCORED HIS…SECOND STRAIGHT…HAT TRICK…
6 GOALS IN 2 GAMES…
THE LAST PLAYER TO PULL THAT OFF...WEARING A VANCOUVER JERSEY…WAS PETRI SKRIKO…
THAT WAS 22 YEARS AGO!!!
FOR THOSE KEEPING SCORE…
BURROWS NOW HAS 7 GOALS…IN HIS LAST 3 GAMES…AND 17 ON THE SEASON…
THERE’S NO SECRET TO HIS SUCCESS…
A LOT OF HARD WORD AND THE SEDINS…
IN THE 26 GAMES THIS SEASON…THIS TRIO HAS BEEN TOGETHER…BURROWS HAS PRODUCED 15 GOALS…
HOWEVER…IN THE 18 GAMES DANIEL MISSED WITH BROKEN FOOT…
BURROWS MANAGED JUST 2…
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING NEW…
IN THE FIRST TWO FULL SEASONS BURROWS PLAYED WITH THE CANUCKS…HE COLLECTED A MERE 15 GOALS…
BUT IN JANUARY OF LAST SEASON…HEAD COACH ALAIN VIGNEAULT TOOK A GAMBLE…
AND PUT BURROWS ON A LINE WITH THE SEDINS…
”VIVA LAS VEGAS”…
BURROWS FINISHED THE SEASON WITH A CAREER HIGH 28 GOALS…
AND AS LONG AS THE SEDINS STAY HEALTHY…
THERE IS NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT HE CAN NOT SCORE 35 THIS SEASON…
MAYBE MORE!!!
NOT BAD FOR A KID THAT WAS NOT DRAFTED…
WHO FOUGHT HIS WAY THROUGH THE EAST COAST HOCKEY LEAGUE…
PLAYING FOR…THE GREENVILLE GROWL…
THE BATON ROUGE KINGFISH…
AND THE COLUMBIA INFERNO…
LASTNIGHT HOCKEY FANS IN THIS CITY THREW OVER 50 HATS ONTO THE ICE TO CELEBRATE WHAT HE HAS ACCOMPLISHED…
ALTHOUGH TODAY…PERHAPS IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR THOSE FANS…TO SIMPLY SAY…
“THANK YOU…THANK YOU VERY MUCH” …