INJURY UPDATE

Michael Funk makes his pre-season Canucks debut tonight against the San Jose Sharks after sitting out with a hip flexor injury he sustained during camp.

“[I’m] very excited”, said Funk. “It’s been a frustrating camp getting injured the first day. Get a couple of practices in me and a game in. I’m very excited.”

Dave Scatchard, who is hoping to crack the Canucks roster, suffered a minor injury at the morning skate. Scatchard will remain a game-time decision for tonight’s game.

“We’re not sure if it’s the groin or back,” said head coach Alain Vigneault of Scatchard’s injury. “He is going to do some rehab the remainder of the day, come for warm-up, and we’ll see what happens.”

Sergei Shirokov, who is sidelined with a knee injury sustained Friday in San Jose, skated alone today. “He should take the skate, we are thinking Friday, [he] should play on the weekend,” said Vigneault.

Twenty three-year-old Shirokov has two goals and two assists in two games with the Canucks this pre-season.

CANUCKS VS SHARKS

The Canucks host the San Jose Sharks tonight at GM Place, where the Sharks look to avenge a 6-2 loss in their last meeting Friday night.

Catch the game live on the Canucks.com. Puck drops at 7 PST.

Expected lines for tonight’s game:

Burrows - Hodgson - Kesler
Hordichuk - Scatchard- Hansen
Raymond - Bolduc – Pope
Glass - Bliznak – Bernier

Sauve - Bieksa
Oberg – Edler
Funk - Lukowich

Netminder Roberto Luongo is expected to get the start and play the full 60 minutes tonight and Saturday in Calgary. Andrew Raycroft is expected to get the start Thursday against the Anaheim Ducks. Cory Schneider will get another chance between the pipes Sunday in the Canucks final pre-season game against Edmonton.

RAISE-A-READER

Players, alumni, coaching staff, and management hit the streets of Vancouver in support of the 13th annual Raise-a-reader day.

Kyle Wellwood, Shane O’Brien, Michael Grabner, Mike Gillis, Laurence Gilman, Lorne Henning, Darryl Williams, Stan Smyl, Darcy Rota, Kirk McLean, Chris Oddleifson, and Vancouver Canucks Mascot, Fin, took to the streets of downtown Vancouver this morning exchanging special editions of the Vancouver Sun for donations to raise money in support of literacy.

Raise-a-reader started in 1997 and since then has raised over $4.2 million for literary programs in British Columbia alone.

Look for full coverage of this year’s event on Canucks.com later today.