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				<title>The other Cory Schneider</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



A few years ago Cory Schneider thought it would be a good idea to start a Twitter account and @CorySchneider was born.
Then things got weird.
"All of the sudden I started getting a bunch of people following me and I had no idea why or who they were," said Schneider. "So I started looking into it and I realized they were all from Vancouver and that they were all looking for a different Cory Schneider."
They were looking for that Cory, not this Cory. This Cory is a 39-year-old associate lawyer in Toronto, originally from Montreal.
Meet the other Cory Schneider.
During a rainy afternoon at Canucks headquarters earlier this week I was trying to come up with some new story ideas when I had to look up a friend's home number on Canada411. That led to a search of my own name and snowballed into a hunt for other Canadians sharing the same names as the Vancouver Canucks.
Four names were a match: David Booth, Alexandre Burrows, Chris Higgins and Cory Schneider.
David Booth and Chris Higgins are apparently popular names in our home and native land, while Alex Burrows and Cory Schneider came up just once.
The other Alex Burrows, allegedly living in Quebec, home to Vancouver's Alex Burrows, was either on the phone all day and doesn't have call-waiting, or the number is out of service.
My call to Cory Schneider, on the other hand, rang through and after an awkward conversation with his wife (I'm calling to speak to your husband about having the same name as a Canuck!), I had another uncomfortable discussion, this time with Cory Schneider himself.

Can you believe he was a tad reserved and extremely cautious about giving out personal information to a stranger cold calling him at the office in the middle of the afternoon from across the country???
Oh, right, it was the creepiest phone call he'll have all year.
After some persuading (I swear I don't want to sell you anything, but as an aside the Egg Genie really works wonders if your soft boiled eggs are too hard or your hard boiled eggs are too soft) Cory opened up to reveal some startling facts.
He's not a hockey fan. It's nothing personal against the sport, it simply wasn't around much while he was growing up. That being said, he does attend Toronto Maple Leafs games now and again, always cheering for the other guy.
"I live in Leafsnation but I'm definitely not a Leafs fan," he laughed. "I don't know, I don't really come from a big sports focused family, but I've got nothing against hockey, I go to games every once and a while and I was rooting for Vancouver's Cory Schneider when he was in the Stanley Cup playoffs last year."
Welcome back to the good books.

After Cory sent out a few tweets regarding legal issues, Canucks fans were quick to unfollow his account, but Cory admitted he did some research on the Canucks' Schneider. The two are now friends on Facebook - how could they not be - and a third Cory Schneider was even found, an actor from Texas whose roles include One Night Stand and Drug Dealer. He can be the other other Cory Schneider.
As for this Cory, he pointed out that he technically had the name first, but he's happy to share it with the Vancouver goaltender.
"It's been good to me so far," said the father of three girls.
The Canucks' Cory has a knack for making big saves and plenty of them; he accumulated 22 in a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Wild Thursday night. This Cory, to his credit, has made a save the puckstopping Schneider cannot claim.
"The biggest save of my life has to do with my first daughter, who as born prematurely," he explained. "At that time my wife wasn't sure what was going on, she felt a little uneasy, so we rushed her over to the hospital. She was getting an ultrasound and the ultrasound technician wasn't there, so there was a student doing the ultrasound; I noticed the picture on the monitor of our eight-month-old baby wasn't moving at all and the student was just taking her time and looking at things and I thought that was a little strange. I asked her about it and she said she couldn't say anything until the doctor came in.
"I wasn't waiting for a doctor so I ran out and spoke to my cousin who is a doctor and she called the doctor in that office and he looked at it right away and said they had to get the baby out right away. I like to think I had a hand in saving her life. They said that if it had been another hour, she might not have made it."
Chalk that up to incredible stories you don't hear everyday.
I don't know about you, but I'm now a fan of both Cory Schneiders.




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				<author>derek.jory@canucks.com</author>
				<pubDate>Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:22:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Bubble teams in Northwest could make deadline splash</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



The trade deadline is fast approaching, and teams around the NHL are trying to decide whether to buy or sell, and what needs can or should be addressed.
Increased parity in recent seasons has limited the number of teams willing to sell until the final days before the NHL Trade Deadline, but there have still been plenty of deals and big names on the move.

This is going to be a division-by-division look around the NHL and the different needs, both in the short- and long-term, each club might be looking to remedy between now and Feb. 27. 

A quick note: the salary cap information comes from the web's authority on the subject, www.capgeek.com. Acquisition space is different than a team's salary cap space -- it is how much salary a team can add on that day and be in compliance from then until the end of the season. The number changes daily, but each team's figure for this exercise will be what it was on Feb. 4 unless that team makes a major move.
We started Monday with the Central Division and will continue with a different division each day. Up next is the Northwest Division.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS





Mason Raymond
Left Wing  - VAN
GOALS: 6 | ASST: 7 | PTS: 13
SOG: 65 | +/-: +6

Record: 32-15-5, 69 points (second in the West)

Goals for: 3.14 (third in the NHL)
Goals against: 2.40 (seventh)
Power play: 22.3 percent (first)
Penalty kill: 85.6 percent (sixth)

Key injuries: None
Acquisition space: $775,405 

Skinny: The Canucks look a lot like the team that got within one victory of claiming the Stanley Cup, although Cody Hodgson has started to fulfill some of his vast potential. If there is a need for the Canucks, it is probably someone to help Ryan Kesler on the second line that would be an upgrade on David Booth or Mason Raymond. 

A big issue for GM Mike Gillis is the lack of wiggle room with the salary cap. If Gillis wanted to move for an impact forward, he has an obvious chip to play -- backup goaltender Cory Schneider. For instance, a package including Schneider and Raymond (pending UFA) would allow Gillis to add a little more than $4 million in salary.

There's also the argument that Schneider needs to stay to be an insurance policy for Roberto Luongo. Vancouver is probably the least likely of the top contenders to make a big move because of the cap situation.
 ;
MINNESOTA WILD





Marek Zidlicky
Defenceman  - MIN
GOALS: 0 | ASST: 11 | PTS: 11
SOG: 40 | +/-: -7

Record: 25-19-8, 58 points (eighth)

Goals for: 2.23 (29th)
Goals against: 2.44 (eighth)
Power play: 14.6 percent (24th)
Penalty kill: 82.7 percent (14th)

Key injuries: LW Pierre-Marc Bouchard (indefinitely), LW Guillaume Latendresse (indefinitely)
Acquisition space: $23.807 million

Skinny: The Wild have the assets (cap space and quality prospects) to make some alterations if GM Chuck Fletcher is of the mind to do so. One "need" is resolving the situation with defenseman Marek Zidlicky. Moving him would free up even more cap room if the budget is a concern, but the Wild's biggest need might be an offensive-minded defenseman -- someone just like Zidlicky.

Prized prospects Mikael Granlund and Charlie Coyle aren't likely to be on the move, but there is a solid group behind them. Fletcher is another GM who could have a goaltender to offer as well -- backup Josh Harding is a UFA and Matt Hackett has been strong in limited NHL exposure.

Any way that Fletcher can help to spice up the offense would help the Wild in their playoff push. Having Bouchard and Latendresse out with concussions is not helping matters, but expect Minnesota to be in the mix for somebody. 

COLORADO AVALANCHE





Ryan O'Reilly
Center  - COL
GOALS: 14 | ASST: 24 | PTS: 38
SOG: 111 | +/-: -3

Record: 26-25-3, 55 points (12th)

Goals for: 2.37 (24th)
Goals against: 2.78 (16th)
Power play: 18.9 percent (10th)
Penalty kill: 81.8 percent (T-18th)

Key injuries: LW Matt Duchene (indefinitely)
Acquisition space: $43.055 million

Skinny: The Avalanche need to score some more goals. Duchene would be a big help, but his knee injury is going to keep him out longer than originally expected. Otherwise, Colorado is another team that could do well to add another forward and another depth defenseman. 

One issue might be that Colorado is trying to build a consistent contender with young talent, and the Avalanche have been up and down in recent seasons. It might not be the best idea for GM Greg Sherman to pursue a short-term solution unless the cost is low. 

If there is a veteran available to play on the third line or on the third defense pairing that can be had for a mid-round pick or lower-tier prospect, that might be the right price for Sherman to try and give his team a little boost in the race for a playoff spot while not altering the plans for the future.

Don't expect the Avalanche to add a lot of future salary, either -- Colorado has 16 guys on the current roster who are free agents next season, including potentially pricey RFAs Duchene, Erik Johnson and Ryan O'Reilly.

CALGARY FLAMES





Lee Stempniak
Right Wing  - CGY
GOALS: 12 | ASST: 12 | PTS: 24
SOG: 108 | +/-: -1

Record: 24-22-7, 55 points (11th)

Goals for: 2.35 (27th)
Goals against: 2.65 (13th) 
Power play: 17.9 percent (13th)
Penalty kill: 83.5 percent (ninth)

Key injuries: LW Curtis Glencross (March), RW Lee Stempniak (mid-March), RW David Moss (indefinitely)
Acquisition space: $3.585 million

Skinny: The Flames are close enough to the eighth spot in the West to harbor visions of making a run at the postseason. That is only part of the tale in Calgary though, as GM Jay Feaster has the tough task of trying to retool a roster with some overvalued contracts that are limiting his space below the salary ceiling.

Injuries up front are also making a mess of things. Calgary needs offense, and having Glencross, Stempniak and Moss would help. If Feaster decided to sell, Stempniak and Moss are pending UFAs.

Should Feaster entertain offers from contenders, Olli Jokinen could be an interesting target. Ditto for defenseman Scott Hannan. Feaster could sit tight and hope Glencross' return plus the addition of Michael Cammalleri gives his club a chance, and worry about more serious renovations in the offseason.

EDMONTON OILERS





Ales Hemsky
Right Wing  - EDM
GOALS: 4 | ASST: 18 | PTS: 22
SOG: 67 | +/-: -11

Record: 21-27-5, 47 points (14th)

Goals for: 2.60 (15th)
Goals against: 2.91 (23rd)
Power play: 22.0 percent (third)
Penalty kill: 83.0 percent (T-12th)

Key injuries: None
Acquisition space: $12.081 million

Skinny: The Oilers are one of the few teams in the League clearly in "seller" territory. This has been an exciting season as the kids have started to grow up, and GM Steve Tambellini won't have a lot of veteran assets to ship off in the coming weeks.

Edmonton does have a couple of interesting trade targets. Ales Hemsky has struggled this year, but will still draw interest as a rental. Same goes for defenseman Andy Sutton. Consummate veteran Ryan Smyth shot down a report that he was willing to waive his no-trade clause, and may look to re-sign with the Oilers to continue mentoring the team's phenoms up front.

Tambellini would likely be looking for help on the back end, whether that is a defense prospect or a draft pick to use on a future rearguard. He could also move one of his secondary young forwards if a young defenseman was the return.



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				<pubDate>Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:27:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>John Garrett: Shootouts</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



Shootouts have become a fiercely contested topic both in the media and on the ice.
Teams have kept themselves in contention by gaining the extra point after 65 minutes. The Colorado Avalanche are 7-1 in the competition and are only three points out of eighth. New Jersey is a surprise sixth in the East largely due to their 9-2 record in the shootouts. The Canucks, with their shootout win in Denver, are 4-5.

Unfortunately the goaltenders take most of the heat. They are a big part but only half of the equation. You have to have shooters who feel confident going one-on-one and who feel a competitive desire to be the goal scorer. Most teams look on the shootout as a form of entertainment for the fans. The game is over and they are in all-star game practice mode.
I think it would be beneficial if you could create an internal competition. Make it mean something within the team.
The Canucks could divide themselves into shooting groups. Showdown drills could have some sort of incentive so the winners were rewarded. It could be no skating at the end of practice, anything just keep it competitive. Players love to have that winning feeling and to be part of the same group day after day. Coaches decide who is going to participate in the shootout and it is rarely if ever the same three guys. Put the players in groups and then if you win the shootout you take the next one with the same three guys.
Here are my first five groups. Group one would be easy. Henrik, Daniel and Alex Edler could represent Team Sweden. It would put a little more pressure on them to succeed and maintain their national pride. David Booth, Chris Higgins and Ryan Kesler could represent the US. Alex Burrows, Max Lapierre and throw in Jannik Hansen, they could represent the French contingent (Hansen qualifies as being able to understand the other two). Cody Hodgson and Manny Malhotra are from Toronto and they could pick up Mason Raymond. I would only have one group from the defencemen as Edler is already participating. The three highest point producing D men would be the next team. Bieksa, Salo and Hamhuis.
It could work. It should work and it would work.




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				<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:35:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Vancouver's Hodgson named Rookie of the Month</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



When the Vancouver Canucks called up Cody Hodgson for an eight-game tryout near the end of the 2010-11 season and kept him in the lineup for 12 more games during their run to the Stanley Cup Final, it was evidence of the team's belief the 2008 first-round pick was making progress toward emerging as an NHL star.
Hodgson took a big step forward in realizing that potential this past month. Thursday he was honored by the League as its Rookie of the Month for January.

Hodgson was virtually a point-per-game player, posting 6 goals and 4 assists in 11 games, while also representing the Canucks as one of the rookies selected to the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game in Ottawa.

"He's really developing into a great player," Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo said after Hodgson scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner with 4:17 remaining in a 4-3 win over San Jose on Jan. 21. "He seems like he's on the score sheet every night."

It was the first two-goal game of Hodgson's young career and helped Vancouver end a two-game losing streak.

"It was a great win for us," Hodgson said afterward. "We haven't been playing the way we've wanted to the last few games, so it was a big win for us and a great team effort. Obviously I'm feeling comfortable, I feel good out there, I'm playing with some strong linemates so it's been great."

Hodgson's first game-winner came exactly two weeks earlier and had to be a thrill as well -- a power-play goal scored 69 seconds into the third period, it proved decisive in the Canucks' 4-3 win over the Bruins in Boston, in a rematch of last spring's Final. Hodgson ripped the puck from the top of the circle, and it deflected off the crossbar and past Tim Thomas, the reigning Vezina and Conn Smythe trophy winner.

As a result of his January heroics, Hodgson has put himself front and center in the Calder Trophy discussion. His 14 goals are now second among rookies, one behind Philadelphia's Matt Read, while his 30 points are tied for fourth, five behind Edmonton's Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who won Rookie of the Month in both October and November. New Jersey's Adam Henrique, second in rookie scoring with 34 points, earned the honor in December.




Cody Hodgson
Center  - VAN
GOALS: 14 | ASST: 16 | PTS: 30
SOG: 89 | +/-: 8

Hodgson also has 5 power-play goals, one behind Nashville's Craig Smith, and a solid plus-8 rating.

After he was selected by the Canucks with the No. 10 pick in '08, a back injury threatened to derail Hodgson's career. In the end, it may have delayed his development some, but Hodgson still found himself in Ottawa this past weekend with the NHL's best and talked about the perspective dealing with that adversity leant him.

"It's just a blessing to be able to play hockey for your life, your career, your profession," Hodgson said. "It's pretty cool to wake up every day and go to the rink. Not everybody gets a chance to do this, and that's a pretty cool outlook."



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				<pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:08:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Big-game starts raising Schneider's profile</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



Vancouver Canucks backup Cory Schneider has already done a lot this season to prove to the hockey world that he's ready for a No. 1 job in the NHL.
The Canucks seem intent on showing the rest of the League he's a big-game goalie, too.

Of the three starts Schneider has made over the last month, two were against the Canucks' biggest rivals, and the other came at the tail end of back-to-back road games against a Tampa Bay team badly in need of puck-stopping help.

That middle start against the Lightning sparked plenty of talk about his future as trade bait for a Canucks team that already has Roberto Luongo under contract another 10 seasons after this one. 

But the other two -- first a Stanley Cup Final rematch with the hated Bruins and then going against top rival Chicago Tuesday - may be more telling about Vancouver's plans for Schneider this season. 

"Quality over quantity, right?" Schneider said after making 37 saves and being named the game's First Star in a 3-2 win over archrival Chicago on Tuesday.

And rarely is quality goaltending more important than during the playoffs.

Schneider, who turns 26 this season and becomes a restricted free agent this summer, may yet have a long-term future elsewhere. But he didn't totally dismiss the possibility his immediate future might include a postseason appearance for the Canucks -- and not just if Luongo struggles or gets hurt.

"Possibly," Schneider said when asked if a playoff start is the next step. "We have all the faith in Lu, but if he were to run out of gas or needs a mental break or something like that, that's the benefit of having two guys. Traditional logic says you go with one guy throughout playoffs but having options is always good."

Schneider is giving them a good one again this season. After playing 25 games as a rookie last year while helping the Canucks win the Jennings Trophy for the fewest goals against, he's already appeared in 20 this season. He is sixth in the NHL with a .928 save percentage, 10th with a 2.28 goals-against average, and sports an 11-5-0 record that also includes a tough road win in San Jose. 

"I just read into it that coach trusts both of us," Schneider said. "He has faith in me to play these games and he has confidence I can win them. To me that helps a lot and it shows that it doesn't matter whether it's Lu or me in net, the team plays the same way and hopefully has the same results. I think fortunately they look at me as more of a complement to Lu, rather than just a fill in."

For coach Alain Vigneault, starts against top teams are part of Schneider's evolution.

"For his personal growth that's very important," Vigneault said before Schneider stole Tuesday's win with an often spectacular 15-save second period. "Roberto has played in all the pressure situations a goaltender can play -- playoffs, (Olympics) gold-medal game -- he understands and he has been through some real pressure moments. In Cory we've got a really young guy we believe has got tremendous potential and, just as with our younger players, we are letting him grow by putting him in different circumstances. I think that's part of Cory's growth and part of our reasoning behind certain decisions."

Vigneault wasn't willing to go as far as the playoffs, other than talking about how important Schneider is to making sure Luongo gets to them well-rested, and pointing out the Canucks and Bruins were careful not to overwork their starting goalies last season before embarking on postseason runs to the Final.

For the Canucks, that included a surprise start for Schneider in Game 6 of the first round against Chicago after Luongo struggled. 

Schneider played well in a tough spot, but committed a couple puck-handling turnovers that led to goals, and was forced to leave after cramping up following a penalty shot goal that tied the game for the Blackhawks. The remainder of his playoff action consisted of mopping up when Luongo struggled in Boston, but given the tough starts after long breaks this season, some wonder if Luongo's leash will be shorter this postseason.

"They've maintained they want to keep me around and that they like me on this team, and I figure they might use me at some point in that capacity so I have to be ready," said Schneider, who also hoped the workload -- and tough starts -- pick up down the stretch. "Otherwise what's the point of having two guys? If they didn't believe in me or trust me they could just play Lu the rest of the way and every game in the playoffs, but last year we saw extra rest benefitted him."

If so, the Canucks clearly have faith in Schneider. And it's growing.

"The players in this room feel we can win against any team with him," defenseman Kevin Bieksa said. "He's one of the mentally strongest guys on the team."

Strong enough to win tough starts against top teams, twice in hostile environments, after prolonged breaks this season.

Maybe strong enough to do it again -- if needed -- in the playoffs.




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				<pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:57:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Dear Dale</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



Dale Weise assisted on Cody Hodgson's third period goal Tuesday night without even touching the puck.
"I think it might have been mid-second period," explained Weise, "and Cody asked me where I thought he should shoot. I said I've watched Chicago play a little bit and it's got to be top glove side. Anytime you come in and make a move he kind of drops his glove."
"Sure enough he goes down on a breakaway, Crawford drops his glove and Cody roofs it. I thought it was pretty funny."
It was insight from an unlikely source, that's what it was.
If Weise, he of three goals this season and three for his career, can advise others on how to score without doing so regularly himself, what helpful advice could he give us?
I put him to the test.

Editor's Note: The following letters are purely fictitious, but if you find yourself faced with any of these dilemmas, feel free to use Weise's advice. Or not. It's up to you.
Dear Dale,
My husband wants to go on a dangerous expedition. I am so afraid he will never come home. He has always been an outdoor lover and has taken many trips but this trip will be brutal. People have died. He says he wants to go now before we have children. What can I do to stop him?
"You know what, the strength of a good relationship is just letting people be who they are, so my best advice is to let him do it, or if she's so worried about it, do it herself."

Dear Dale,
I have known a guy for years. We have been friends for a long time. He recently asked me out four times in a row. He always used to say he would never date the same girl twice unless she was "the one." I don't think anyone has ever felt the way I feel about him!! Do you think he thinks I am "the one?"
"That's a little aggressive. Before someone actually knows the other person I think it's kind of hard to say that, but who am I to judge love at first sight? Obviously I'm a big believer in that, I haven't found that myself, but I think he probably thinks that she's the one, so she should give it a try and roll with it."
Dear Dale,
I have a question regarding men's hairstyles. I am balding and decided four years ago to shave my head completely bald for a cleaner look. I received a lot of positive attention from women at the time.
However, over the last year or so I have noticed more men with longer hair and women paying less attention to bald-headed men. Are bald-headed men out and longhaired guys in?
"I'll use our room as an example. You look at Manny Malhotra who has the shaved down look, and I think it works for him, I think he's a great looking dude and a lot of women would find him attractive. Then you've got David Booth, he's got the long blond locks, so you've got both perspectives there. I think it's personal preference, totally. The clean look is good though if you're starting to bald."

Dear Dale,
My father and mother just asked me to take care of their dog, again. Princess Gretchen Toodleson is a nasty, yappy, nippy small dog who I cannot stand. How can I get out of caring for Princess Gretchen Toodleson?
"Oooh, that's a good one. I think you have to make something up like that she just went to the doctor and had some tests done and found that she's allergic to dog hair or something. That's a good way to get out of it."
Dear Dale,
I'm trying to get that special sometime to notice me. What did you do in high school to make the girls notice you?
"It all depends on what type of audience you're trying to attract. If you're trying to attract a certain crowd, the best thing is to get into what they do and find out what they like so you can relate on some topics. Or, if you're bold enough, just go up to the person you like and ask them out or start up a conversation and see where things for from there."
Dear Dale,
My neighbor keeps stealing my newspaper. I've seen him do it. He did it this morning. What can I do to reclaim my newspapers - and my pride?
"I think you should go knock on his door and call him out, that's the best thing. Confront him and see what his issue is. I'm not sure why he'd be stealing a newspaper&hellip;(Derek: Not everyone is as brave as Dale Weise&hellip;) That's true. If that's the case, maybe use the phone, everyone is always tough over the phone or on the Internet, send emails, everyone loves to be tough on the Internet too, I find that a lot."

Dear Dale,
My 10-month-old son has recently discovered that he has a voice. He sometimes screams when he wants attention or for other reasons. What can I do to stop him from screaming?
"I have an 18-month-old nephew, so I think I'm a little bit of an expert on that. I babysat him in the summer and he would have been close to about 10 months, so I would say the best thing is probably just to let them scream. They're kids! That's what they do. Keep him occupied though, that might help. Or turn up music that's louder than them so it drowns them out. That's an option."
*****
"That's it? That's all the questions? That was fun. We should make this a weekly feature."
We'll see about that.




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				<author>derek.jory@canucks.com</author>
				<pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:30:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Deadline Diner: Carolina, Columbus, Dallas, Ottawa, Vancouver</title>
				
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The calendar has flipped to February, meaning it is trade deadline month in the NHL.
There were a couple of interesting trades in January, but hockey's swap meet is likely to pick up in the coming days as the 3 p.m. deadline on Feb. 27 approaches. Here at NHL.com, we will bring you a daily roundup of reported rumors about which players might be available and which teams might be looking to make a move, as well as analysis of moves that have been made in the past 24 hours. We call it our Deadline Diner and it will appear every day between noon and 2 p.m. ET, the perfect destination for your lunch hour.

CAROLINA: The Hurricanes signed one of the top potential trade targets, defenseman Tim Gleason, to a four-year contract so he is not likely to be on the move this month. Forward Tuomo Ruutu is also scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent, and TSN's Darren Dreger reported he could be dealt to a contending team.



Tuomo Ruutu
Centre  - CAR
GOALS: 15 | ASST: 11 | PTS: 26
SOG: 111 | +/-: -3

"I've heard rumors I'm going to every team in the NHL," Ruutu said to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News &amp; Observer. "I must be really playing well. You hear rumors but I think everybody is different. We're all human. Some guys take it more seriously, some take it less seriously. Everybody has their own way of dealing with it. I hear about stuff but there's nothing I can really do, so ... It's nice to be back playing so I don't have to think about this stuff."

Ruutu leads the Hurricanes in goals, and seems like the typed of skilled, versatile player with a bit of a physical edge that several contending teams would covet. Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford already dealt Alexei Ponikarovsky to the Devils and he is likely to make more moves to help re-tool his roster. It likely won't be a fire sale, (signing Gleason shows Rutherford doesn't his franchise needs a drastic rebuild), but someone like Ruutu or defensemen Jaroslav Spacek and Bryan Allen could be available.

COLUMBUS: Like the Hurricanes, the Blue Jackets are in last place in their conference. Columbus is also similar to Carolina because there aren't a lot of unrestricted free agents that teams are coveting. Part of the problem is injuries - Kristian Huselius and Radek Martinek -- have been hurt for most of the season. Expect to see Vinny Prospal and Curtis Sanford discussed in future rumor roundups, but the Blue Jackets trade target of the day is center Jeff Carter.




Jeff Carter
Centre  - CBJ
GOALS: 10 | ASST: 7 | PTS: 17
SOG: 95 | +/-: -9

Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch reported that multiple sources have told him Carter will be available despite just joining the Blue Jackets this summer. Carter has 10 goals and 17 points in 30 games, and is currently sidelined by a shoulder injury.

"There's not much I can do about that," Carter said to Portzline. "That's something I can't worry about or control. My main focus right now is just getting healthy and getting back into the lineup. There's talk about a lot of guys [in here] right now. Our team, with the way the season has gone - the injuries, the standings, and stuff - I don't think it should come as a surprise to anybody on our team if they end up [in rumors]."

Carter told Portzline he has not requested a trade. His cap hit of $5.27 million is reasonable for a player with three straight 30-goal seasons on his resume, but the term (10 more seasons after this one) could make it difficult to move Carter.

DALLAS: The Stars are in contention for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, and for the first time in a couple of trade deadlines, have stability in the owner's box. New owner Tom Gaglardi told Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News he is eager to help his franchise return to the postseason after a painful near-miss in 2011, but he also preached patience.




Alex Goligoski
Defence  - DAL
GOALS: 6 | ASST: 10 | PTS: 16
SOG: 71 | +/-: -5

"I definitely understand what the fans are going through. I do the same thing myself in watching all of the trades and seeing who might be out there," Gaglardi said to Heika. "But at the same time, we've all talked, and we're all on the same page as an organization, that we want to do this the right way. We want to be good for years to come."

Heika said Gaglardi did not make to compare his team's situation to other teams around the League, but Heika pointed out the problems in Columbus and Buffalo as what the new owner wants to avoid. There are more options available for the Stars than in previous deadlines, but the team still wants to be prudent.

GM Joe Nieuwendyk pulled off a huge deal last season, swapping forward James Neal and defenseman Matt Niskanen for defenseman Alex Goligoski. He won't have the same financial restrictions, but he echoed Gaglardi's stance.

"I definitely think you have to be smart, and we feel we have been," Nieuwendyk said. "We have looked for younger players [in trades], and have tried to look at things long term, and I don't think that's going to change."




Kyle Turris
Centre  - OTT
GOALS: 5 | ASST: 11 | PTS: 16
SOG: 45 | +/-: 11

OTTAWA: The Senators have surprised everyone by settling into a spot in the top six of the Eastern Conference this season. What was supposed to be a rebuilding year now must be looked at in a different light. GM Bryan Murray has to decide whether or not to continue with the same plan he had laid out when trading away veteran players last year, or if the team's success means he should look to add to his roster in the coming weeks.

"You inquire with several teams about what they might be looking for or doing, but nothing in any detail," Murray told Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. "Any team in our spot has needs. If there's an upgrade available in a couple of spots, we would really look at it. But I do like the energy our team has and the chemistry our team has."

Don't expect Murray to make a big splash, unless it is a move similar to his addition of Kyle Turris, but do expect the GM to be on the lookout for a veteran rental or two that won't cost any serious long-term assets. 

VANCOUVER: The Canucks have one of the best goalies in the League in Roberto Luongo. They also have one of the best backup goaltenders in the NHL - maybe the best. Cory Schneider's name has been floated as a trade target for other teams for multiple seasons now.




Cory Schneider
Goalie  - VAN
RECORD: 11-5-0
GAA: 2.28 | SVP: 0.928

As Ed Willes wrote in the Vancouver Province, the day when the Canucks may have to part with Schneider could be coming soon, but it would take a huge offer to pry him away in the next month. Schneider is a restricted free agent at the end of the season and his play the past two seasons will likely earn him a sizable raise from the $900,000 he's making right now.

"Schneider's value, meanwhile, only seems to be rising with each outing. Given Luongo's uneven history in the playoffs, it would take an oh-my-god offer to pry the Boston College product loose from the Canucks before this season's trade deadline," writes Willes. "But, at some point, in the near future, the organization is going to have to make a decision on the young man from Marblehead and the aftershocks of that move will be felt for a long time, both in Vancouver and wherever Schneider lands."

Vancouver has no glaring needs at this point, but the Canucks also have a viable candidate to backup Luongo in the minors in 24-year-old Eddie Lack. Should a major need arise because of injury, GM Mike Gillis has a huge trading chip in Schneider that he could put into play.



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				<pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:38:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Higgins credits college as key to his success</title>
				
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Ken Dryden is the Eastern College Athletic Conference's most accomplished hockey alum, considering his record between the pipes at Cornell in the late 1960s -- he led Big Red to national championships in 1967 and '69 -- and his six Stanley Cups with Montreal from 1971-79.
However, of the league's 592 NHL draft picks since 1964, only four have been selected in the first round; Dryden was taken by Boston in the third round in 1964.

When Montreal chose Yale's Christopher Higgins at No. 14 in the 2002 Entry Draft, it marked the first time an NHL team had spent a first-round pick on an ECAC player in 19 years -- since Buffalo took Normand Lacombe No. 10 out of New Hampshire when it was a member school.

Higgins was the 2002 ECAC Rookie of the Year and 2003 Co-Player of the Year (with Cornell goaltender David LeNeveu). Higgins also led the league in goals during his second -- and final -- season in New Haven, Conn.

Prior to Yale, where he racked up 72 points in 55 games, he wore out a few goal lights at the prestigious New England prep school Avon Old Farms, where he had 75 points in 54 games.

"When I was at Avon Old Farms," said Higgins, "Yale was the first team to approach me for a scholarship. I pretty much narrowed it down to Harvard, B.C. and Yale. It probably came down to the coaching staff and the overall feel for the school that put it over the edge.

"I just wanted to be able to fall back on my education in case anything didn't work out, and Yale definitely had that. I always had a good feel for them."

He's also had a good feel for opposing NHL nets, with 77 goals and 60 assists in 245 games for the Canadiens since 2005-06. ; ; 

"I never really thought of playing in the NHL until I got drafted in the first round after my first year," said Higgins, whose speed and barrel-chested 203-pound physique on a 6-foot frame define power forward. "Even when I was playing that first year in college, I really didn't think I could make it, so it's a credit to the school and coaching staff.

"I definitely matured my two years there. It was definitely the best two years I could have spent in college. I met a lot of great people there and with a great coaching staff, it was phenomenal. I give all that credit to them to making me a better player."

Higgins' college resume lacks the big games. He didn't win a national championship and never got to play in an NCAA tournament game.

"Obviously my first college game and first college goal, you'll always remember," he said. "And especially all the Harvard-Yale games were a lot of fun. It seemed a lot easier to get up for those games. I'll remember those games more than anything."

Higgins also remembers the learning curve going from prep school to Yale to the Canadiens.

"I think my maturity on and off the ice is the strongest link from college to success at this (NHL) level," said Higgins. "Especially for me, with such a big amount of improvement in just those two years, it was the first time getting a lot of exposure, and I had to transform just as quickly from a college player to a professional player, even while still in college."
While powerhouses in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association or Hockey East may send more players to the NHL than the ECAC, Higgins dismisses such numbers as irrelevant when choosing a college. 

"Yale was never an obstacle to getting to the pros," he said. "If you're a good enough player, they'll find you anywhere. You play against some of the top teams in college hockey, so the scouts will see you. I don't understand why kids think they have to go to B.C. and North Dakota and Michigan and all these top-notch hockey programs to make it. They'll find you anywhere if you're good enough."

He complemented those comments with candid advice about the decision many college players face.

"I had to leave after two years, even though I had a lot of regrets leaving," said Higgins. "To be honest, if you're not a first-round draft pick, stay in school."




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				<pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:56:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Numbers don't lie</title>
				
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What is Vancouver's record this season when a defenceman scores?
In the 24 games in which the Canucks have held a two-goal lead, how many have they won?
Which player has scored the most third period goals?
For once, thanks to enthused statistician Daniel Fung, these are not rhetorical questions.
With 33 games remaining before the start of the NHL playoffs, the Vancouver Canucks sit first in the Northwest Division, second in the Western Conference and fifth overall in the league, with a record of 30-15-4, good for 64 points.
Summing up the season to date would go something like: slow start, lose to the Chicago Blackhawks mid-November, climb to the top of the standings. How the season ends remains to be seen, but as Fung's figures show, winning is all in the numbers.

Scoring from Vancouver's blueline has been highly beneficial, for example, as the Canucks are 15-5-1 when any defenceman scores.
The team has the most success when Daniel Sedin (14-2-2), Alex Burrows (13-4-0), Ryan Kesler (11-1-0) and Henrik Sedin (10-1-0) find the back of the net, yet those four can't claim undefeated regulation records like David Booth (7-0-1), Alex Edler (6-0-0), Sami Salo (5-0-0), Manny Malhotra (4-0-0), Aaron Rome (3-0-0), Andrew Ebbett (3-0-0), Maxim Lapierre (2-0-2) and Andrew Alberts (1-0-0).
Three Canucks, oddly enough, have losing records in terms of games they score in. Kevin Bieksa (1-3-0), Dan Hamhuis (1-2-0) and Aaron Volpatti (0-1-0) just can't catch a break.
On 24 occasions Vancouver has held a two-goal lead and 22 times they've gone on to win, with December losses to Nashville and Carolina the only exceptions.
If it's a three-goal lead, forgetaboutit. Vancouver is 16-0-0. Same goes for four goals or more at 8-0-0.
At the other end of things, the Canucks have managed only one win this year when trailing by two or three goals. That win, a 4-3 shootout victory, came December 8th in Montreal against the Canadiens.

Believe it or not, the five-minute rule applies to the Canucks. No chance you knew that because I just made up the five-minute rule. It seems fitting, though, as Vancouver is highly successful when scoring (12-3-0) or allowing (4-1-0) a goal in the first five minute of play.
The shorthanded rule, another I created just now, also applies to the Canucks. Whether scoring a shorthanded goal (4-0-0) or allowing one (3-0-1), Vancouver has never come up short (get it?) in regulation winning seven of eight contests.
Daniel Sedin has scored eight first period goals, the most of any Canuck, Alex Burrows has seven scores in the second frame to lead the team, while Jannik Hansen's seven third period goals is a team-best over the final 20 minutes of play. Four different players (Salo, Higgins, Ebbett &amp; Daniel Sedin) have scored overtime game-winners.
First period scoring has still been Vancouver's best with 53 goals to 50 in the third and 48 in the second.
Other cool Canucks stats you may or may not find interesting but you should try to remember to one-up that guy you know who thinks he knows all the cool Canucks stats:
-The Canucks have not scored or allowed a goal in the first minute of a game.
-Sixteen times Vancouver has scored a goal in all three periods of a game and it has led to wins on 13 occasions.
-The team-high for goals for (4 times) and against (once) is four.

-The Canucks have been shutout three times (☹), but have shutout the opposition five times (☺).
-Vancouver is undefeated without Alex Burrows (2-0-0) and Chris Higgins (2-0-0) in the line-up. Explain that one.
If your head hurts and you aren't quite sure what you just read, congrats on making it through the entire article.
For those who read the lead and are now hunting for the conclusion, one stat stands out above the rest: the Canucks are 26-0-0 when they hold a lead at any time in the third period.
Get a lead, hold it and win.
*It's as easy as that.
(*yeah right)




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				<author>derek.jory@canucks.com</author>
				<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:05:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>The best game yet</title>
				
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The traditional father versus son hockey game between Regan Ross and his two children, James and Michael is always entertaining.
Take the same match, add a pair of skates, the ice at Rogers Arena, and a few Canucks, and it is unforgettable.
The change of venue wasn't the only bonus to the family tradition. Regan and Amy Ross recently welcomed their third child, 15 month old Gabrielle Ross, who was born with Inclusion-cell (I-cell) disease, a terminal illness.

The family of five was all smiles on January 23rd when Canucks forward Dale Weise,and defenceman ;Keith Ballard hit the ice with 30 families as part of the annual Canuck Place Family Skate at Rogers Arena.

Gabrielle has been in the hospice program for six months suffering from I-cell disease, a rare metabolic disorder which results in developmental delay and growth failure, particularly the development of speech and motor skills such as sitting and standing.
There is still no cure for this illness and treatment is limited to controlling and reducing the symptoms that are associated with this disorder, something Canuck Place is committed to fulfilling.
"We joined Canuck Place in the summer. It requires a lot of work parenting a child with special needs as opposed to a healthy child, so it's been a huge resource," explained Amy.
Gabrielle was tucked in blankets and pushed around the rink by her parents. With her mom behind the wheel and dad out of breath after soaring along the boards, the daily struggles were left in the rear view mirror on this bright afternoon.
"It's an experience; the time spent together and the time spent with her. They go through so much and it's nice to have these special events so they feel important," said Amy.
With nearly two hours spent on the ice, families lined up for autographs, pictures and candid moments spent with Weise and Ballard. Both players along with team mascot FIN spent the afternoon skating and taking some time away from the game to spend with the families.

It's a role the Canucks and Weise appreciate every time they step on the ice with children.
"It's unbelievable for me. For us it's inspirational, these kids look up to us when we look up to them," said Weise. "These kids are the real heroes and their strength inspires me everyday not just as a hockey player but as a person. We're grateful for what we do and to see the smiles on their faces, it's a great feeling."
The event sparked a great feeling for all those participating and that's precisely what it's set out to do. These children deal with emotional and physical battles on a daily basis, which has a significant impact on the entire family. ;The Canuck Place Family Skate grants a new type of freedom and a brief distraction from the stresses of day-to-day life.
Working at Canuck Place for 11 years, Laura Fielding, therapeutic recreation coordinator, has a unique connection with the skate and relishes the experience year after year.
"They have a chance to skate where their heroes skate so it is a dream come true for them," said Fielding. "We have close to 30 families here today and those are children who are actively under the program for respite care and also some bereaved families."

It is the hope of every parent that they can protect their children from life's pain and suffering, that is especially true for parents whose child has a life limiting illness. Fielding know's an event like this does not lessen anyone's pain, but perhaps, for a moment, it can take their mind off things and just allow them to be together as a family.
"As a parent myself, you witness life differently through the eyes of a child and when you see a child achieve one of their goals, it's a feeling you can't describe, but it just fills up your heart," says Fielding.
Gabrielle's father chose Canuck Place because it provides a special brand of care at any stage of a child's illness
"They have a hospice model, so it is family orientated and patient-centric. The hospital model works really well but for long term care, it's not setup for the nurturing you really need."
Each parent deals with their child's illness in their own particular way but they can all agree on one thing: "Canuck place has done an amazing job building a community and continuity. Nobody wants to be there, but if you're in that position, it's a great place to be." said Ross.
Despite their struggles at home, the Canuck Place Family Skate generated the best game of hockey yet between Regan and his children. For a few hours, it allowed them to forget about life's problems and just focus on having fun.
Click here to see the smiles from Monday's skate.




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				<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Sedins hoping to stay together for this All-Star Game</title>
				
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Daniel Sedin would prefer to play with brother Henrik at the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game  allowing the twins to showcase the ESP-like chemistry that got them there in the first place.
Henrik could care less, just so long as the novelty of splitting the Canucks' identical top-line forwards doesn't put them back in the media spotlight for a second-straight season, a situation both were uncomfortable with at the last All-Star Fantasy Player Draft.


If not, the mirror image Swedes always could consider punishing their antagonists with a switcheroo. They're both certain the only ones that could tell would be teammates.

"No," Henrik said definitively when asked if anyone other than fellow Canucks All-Stars Alexander Elder and Cody Hodgson would notice. "You're right, we should do that."



"If you want to talk about our play on the ice, we're on the same line and we're a big part of each other's games. And off the ice, we're very similar, too, so you can't really say that I'm one guy and he's a different guy. We think the same way about a lot of different things and that's just the way it is,"  says Daniel Sedin.

They won't, Henrik added, even if it's worked a couple of times in the past.

The Sedins swapped places once for a post-game television interview six years ago, and there was a game back in Sweden when Henrik was tossed out of the faceoff circle, skated a loop around his brother, and came back in to take the draw. No one noticed then, and Canucks teammates are certain no one else would at the All-Star Game.

"Not a chance," said goaltender Roberto Luongo.

Splitting the Sedins never has been easy. 

The only reason for a 16-point separation in career points -- Henrik has 718 to Daniel's 702, a point he'll playfully remind his brother of -- are the 24 games Daniel has missed with injury, while Henrik's ironman streak is at 548 games and counting.

The obvious similarities are nature, but some are nurture. Not only have they played on the same line most of their lives, but they always were in the same classes. Even as adults with kids of their own now, their families still spend a lot of time together, whether in Vancouver or in Sweden, where they also co-own a stable of racehorses.
   
That's not to say there aren't differences between two players so often celebrated for their similarities. And they go well beyond Henrik's role as the pass-first center to Daniel's quick-release goal-scorer on the wing.

For all the failed attempts to split the twins over 11 seasons in the NHL -- "The (2011) All-Star Game was the first time they really got the chance to do it, so I understood it was going to happen," Henrik said -- there are differences off the ice, too. But other than Daniel being left-handed and Henrik right-handed, they can be tough to tell apart. The Sedins have tired of attempts to split them up, though they still can have fun with it.

 ;"This is a good interview, it's like seeing a psychiatrist," Daniel said with a laugh during one such effort last season. "It's tough. If you want to talk about our play on the ice, we're on the same line and we're a big part of each other's games. And off the ice, we're very similar, too, so you can't really say that I'm one guy and he's a different guy. We think the same way about a lot of different things and that's just the way it is."

Defenseman Kevin Bieksa figured out one difference when he lived in the same building as Henrik and often would spot Daniel waiting for his brother in the parking lot.

Despite being the Canucks' captain, Henrik has a bad habit of running late. 

"Danny's always on time," Edler said. "Henrik is always a couple minutes late."

It drives his punctual younger brother (by minutes) crazy. 

"He hates when people are late," Henrik said. "I'm usually late."
  
Within that dynamic, Bieksa said Daniel emerges as the more "responsible" of these road-trip roommates, dictating their schedule and keeping Henrik "in line."

"Hank is going to say he's the one in charge, for sure," Bieksa has said of the differences. "And Danny might even say nobody is just because he's a humble kind of guy. But we all know Danny is the one in charge. And Hank still wants to retain that older-brother status, too, so he tries to boss Danny around sometimes and Danny takes it, which is the funny thing. But Danny is usually the one in charge when push comes to shove."

Edler, who knows them as well as anyone after being taken under their collective wing when he made the move from Sweden to Vancouver, seemed to agree with Bieksa.

"Danny might be in charge. He makes the more smart decisions," Edler said with a mischievous grin. "They are twins, but they are still two different people."

They both are competitive, especially when playing against each other, a characteristic the twins say has driven them to constant physical improvement each summer, a big part of their evolution from point-a-game players to consecutive scoring titles. If having a training partner is the best way to work out, having one you hate to lose to is even better.

"They are competitive at everything they do," Ryan Kesler said. "They want to beat each other at everything: cards on the plane, ping pong, soccer before games, whatever."

Daniel is better on flights, said linemate Alexandre Burrows, while Henrik is "scared" at takeoff, or when there is turbulence. Burrows also thinks Henrik is a bit funnier and "likes to crack jokes more," which seems odd to Henrik because Daniel was the comic when they were growing up. But Henrik concedes he may be "a bit louder now."

"Hank's a bit more outgoing," Luongo said. "Danny is a bit more reserved. It's subtle."

For all the attempts to uncover those differences, there's no doubt the twins are better on the ice when they are together, with Henrik setting it up and Daniel knocking it down.

Watching the Sedins saucer pucks across the ice to each other in practice -- sometimes from one end of the rink to the other -- over the last decade, always landing flush and flat on the other's stick, it's hard to imagine why anyone would want to deprive the fans of seeing that. The twins brought back the slap pass into the slot for a tip, and last season invented the intentional icing that's really a breakaway pass. So why not see what else they can come up with in the wide-open format of an All-Star Game, rather than robbing them of the thing that makes them so special: each other. No wonder Daniel hopes they play together. 

"I think it would be fun," said Daniel, who was considering a call to fellow Swede and All-Star Game captain Daniel Alfredsson through their mutual agent in the hopes it would help. "We played together pretty much our whole lives and our whole career over here, and it could be our last chance to be in the All-Star Game together, too."

As for which twin really us in charge, it may not matter. Daniel may arrive first, but if he's the one waiting around, isn't Henrik really dictating the schedule?

"Well, he thinks he's in charge," Henrik said of Daniel.

"I am in charge," said Daniel, "but he doesn't care.





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				<pubDate>Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:06:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Henrik - a Shooting Star?</title>
				
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A shooting star? Based on the season so far, that just isn't so.
As the Canucks captain takes his rightful spot among the rest of the best in the National Hockey League at the All-Star weekend in Ottawa, he'll have a chance to put his many talents on display. Henrik leads the league in assists and sits tied for third in overall scoring. It's exactly where you'd expect to find one of the truly elite playmakers in the game.
However, something is a little different about Henrik Sedin's game these days. He's hardly shooting the puck. Now, perhaps it's no big deal that a pass-first guy who can thread a puck through hockey's equivalent of the eye of a needle - so ridiculously talented he can often do it without looking or do it behind his back -- is looking to make plays rather than put the puck on net.

But for a guy who scored 29 goals two seasons ago and won the Hart Trophy by bringing such a well-rounded game to the rink each and every night, it seems somewhat surprising to see him revert to being a playmaker only. And it's newsworthy because Henrik Sedin hits the All-Star break on a four game pointless streak, a seven game goalless run and he's on pace for his fewest shots on goal since the 2005-06 season (113) when he was still emerging as one of the top players in the game.
When he scored 29 goals in 2009-10, Henrik Sedin registered a career-high 166 shots on goal. He followed that up with 157 last year when he found the back of the net 19 times.
Through the first 49 games this season, Henrik has hit the net 71 times. That is 12th on the team in shots and it puts him on pace for just 119 shots this season. But even his overall totals don't tell the full story right now because Henrik has just 22 shots in his last 18 games. He hasn't registered more than two shots in a game since a 4-3 loss in Carolina on December 15th and hasn't had more than two shots in a Canucks victory since he scored in a 4-1 win over the New York Islanders on November 13th.
Of the top 90 scorers in the NHL right now, Henrik trails all but Nashville's Martin Erat (64) in shots on goal. And while he sits tied for fifth in league scoring, Henrik is 258th in the league in shots on goal - tied there with Calgary's Blake Comeau and Dallas defenseman Alex Goligoski.
Henrik scored eight times on his first 36 shots in the team's first 23 games this season and gave every indication he was headed for another 20-plus goal campaign. But he has just three goals on 35 shots over the past 26 games. Because of that, 25 of Henrik's last 28 scoring points have been assists.
So what does all of this mean? And why does it matter that the top playmaker in the league isn't blasting away?
Henrik Sedin has shown an ability to be a scorer in the past, so he's certainly capable of doing it. But you can't score if you don't shoot and it seems like Henrik has switched off his goal-scoring instinct right now. When the threat of a shot exists from any player on the ice, it forces defenses to react differently than they have to if they know a player is always looking to dish the puck to a teammate. If Henrik has opponents thinking he might shoot on occasion that can create space and open up passing lanes that can allow him to set up those around him.

In that regard, it's a little like football. Quarterbacks would all love to do nothing but throw spirals all day. But a running game keeps defenses off balance and in the long run that enhances the passing game. As strange as it may sound for one of the best passers in the NHL, Henrik Sedin can help his game by firing away. Putting pucks on net doesn't automatically mean they'll find their way past the goalie, but they can lead to bounces or rebounds that create scoring chances for teammates.
Seven of Henrik's 11 goals this season have come on a power play that was nearly unstoppable in November and into early-December. However, his goal-scoring has slowed and as a result so too has the power play's prowess particularly on home ice where it has cashed in just three times in its last 27 chances. The Canucks need the power play clicking and they require all five guys on the ice during the man-advantage to have the ability to put the puck in the net from time to time - and Henrik Sedin is no exception.
No one is expecting him to stray from what has made him wildly successful and he will always be a playmaker first. But Henrik has way too much talent to be a set-up guy only. And with so many close games in the NHL - particularly after the All-Star break and down the stretch, a goal here and a goal there can make a huge difference in the outcome of hockey games.
For the Vancouver Canucks to have a shot at being the best team in the league for a second straight season, they need one of their best players to shoot the puck just a little more.




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				<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:18:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Superskills wrap-up</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



The Vancouver Canucks teamed up with the bantam A1 Seafair Islanders to put on quite a show Sunday at Rogers Arena in their annual Superskills event.
Split up into two squads, Team White and Team Blue, as they took part in six head to head competitions that showcased their skill and agility that enables them to sit atop the Western Conference. Events included puck control relay, fastest skater, accuracy shooting, hardest shot, a breakaway relay and a power play event.

Both teams battled hard, with Team White jumping out to a big lead but it was Team Blue who laughed last as they slowly but surely chipped away at Team White's lead to come up with a 14-10 victory in front of a boisterous sold out crowd.
The event kicked off with the Canucks Alumni playing a game of shinny that included color man John Garrett in the net making several big stops and hamming it up for the crowd. The game ended in a draw with blue knotting up the score with their goalie pulled for the extra attacker.
Next it was on to the main event where Canucks present stars pitted their skills against one another. The Puck Control relay was first with the Sedin brothers and Manny Malhotra going up against Ryan Kesler, David Booth, and Dan Hamhuis. It was tight the whole way, the only difference being a tiny slip up by Kesler, paving the way for an early Team Blue lead.
That lead was short lived as Chris Higgins beat out Alex Burrows for the one on one challenge of the event, to put Team White on the board.

The much-anticipated fastest skater event was up next, and on a team built around speed there was no shortage of candidates. Keith Ballard surprised everyone, posting the fastest time, including the sold out crowd that all but gave the crown to speed demon Mason Raymond even before he went with a deafening roar.
"Yeah, I thought Mase was going to be the one to beat&hellip;I don't know, with D-men you don't really get to see us at full speed," Ballard said with a smile. "Forwards are up and down the ice and you can see their speed more, where as D-men it's there every now and then but you don't really do the big end to end rushes or the hard back check plays like forwards so we don't get up to full speed very much."
When asked what he thought his chances were coming into the event, Ballard had this to say;
"I knew I had a pretty good chance, I think I can hold my own with most guys."
Ballard didn't want to rub it in either, instead taking the high road to avoid hurting his speedy winger's feelings after narrowly beating him out with a time of 13.444.
"I don't want to make him cry, after all it's kind of his event," laughed Ballard. "I'll let him win next year, I just needed to do it once to prove that I could do it."
The hardest shot competition was up next and thankfully for the fans it included Sami Salo, who's been out with a concussion ever since he was submarined by Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins. And he didn't disappoint either, posting the two hardest shots, putting up a winning speed of 102.7 MPH on his second attempt.
Salo's appearance was all the buzz in the room, especially after it was misconstrued that he may retire at the end of this season. But Salo quickly put an end to that notion saying that he simply meant Alex Edler let him win this year because his career is winding down.
"He gave it back knowing I'm near the end of my career," said Salo.

Daniel Sedin, last year's winner over Patrick Kane in the All-Star festivities in Carolina, looked to be the favorite to win the accuracy shootout but it was fellow Blue Team member Alex Burrows who went four for four destroying all of his targets.
"I had two great passers in Manny and Hanky so it made it easy," said Burrows who showboated a bit afterwards in an attempt to mock Kesler who had pre-maturely celebrated his four out of five effort.
The last two events were the first to showcase arguable the best goalie tandem in the NHL and they didn't disappoint. The Blue team edged Team White four to one in the power play event and then two to one on the breakaway relay.  Roberto Luongo was just far too stingy allowing just two goals in both events combined.
In the end Team Blue walked away with a 14-10 victory and bragging rights over Team White.
The Superskills challenge, which also included face painting, pictures with several mascots on hand and the opportunity to see their team in a different light, was another remarkably successful event as the players put on a great show for their loyal fans. But it was the players themselves that were impressed with the great fan turnout.
"I've had a couple skills competitions on other teams but they didn't really compete," said Dale Weise. "To be honest with you I thought there would be like 2,000 people here. I had no idea it was that kind of magnitude or that many people would show. It just goes to show you how passionate the fans are here and it's just fun to be a part of."
Weise was the last player to leave the ice as he stayed in the tunnel signing what seemed like a never-ending supply of fans jerseys, towels and programs.
"A lot of times we do signings we have time restrictions so I can't get to everybody, so anytime I get an opportunity to sign some stuff, I'm more than willing to do it," said the fan-friendly Weise. "It was a fun time, It's always good to have events like this for the team because every other day is all business around here and pretty serious. Points are so big right now so it's good for everyone to bring their kids and families in to have a fun day."
All in all the day was a fun-filled fan friendly event that was enjoyed by everyone involved. And what event would be complete without a Kes-Bomb by Kesler? With a little help from his son, Kesler got Malhotra over the shoulder while being interviewed by Sportnets' Dan Murphy.
Net proceeds of the event will go to the Canucks for Kids Fund and the NHLPA's Goals of Dreams Fund.






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				<pubDate>Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:21:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Dice and Ice 2012</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



Amidst the stunning backdrop of Vancouver Harbour, nearly 800 of Vancouver's finest men and women joined forces at the 13th annual Dice and Ice Benefit.
The Vancouver Canucks' signature fundraising event, presented by HSBC is hosted by the Canucks for Kids Fund. Every Canuck, their families, management, coaches and Canucks Alumni  were in attendance.

The evening opened with players working tables at the Canucks Casino, dealing blackjack - &lsquo;Canucks Bucks' the currency of choice.
Cory Schneider sported a warm, welcoming smile as he dealt cards to a full table of appreciative patrons.  When asked if he was as stingy dealing good cards as he is allowing goals on the ice, Cory deferred to the happy, well-dressed crowd at his table.
"You'd have to ask these guys.  Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose, but overall it's a lot of fun.  Just honing my dealing skills in case I ever need them.  It's awesome, - one of my favourite nights of the year, and they raise a lot of money for a great cause. We're always happy to help out."
In addition to the pre-wine and dine casino games, the mingling crowd perused long tables full of wares for the silent and live auctions.
Highlight items included autographed, game-worn jerseys and sticks from several NHL superstars.  Other rare sports memorabilia was up for bidding; there was plenty to fulfill any sports fans' wildest dreams.  Special pins could also be purchased for a chance to win an $8500 Rolex watch.
TC Carling, Executive Director for Canucks For Kids Fund, elaborated on the event's success.
"Last year was a record setting night for our signature event.  We raised over $850,000 in net proceeds, and we're back to hopefully have another successful night."
"We've got lots of great live auction items, Manny [Malhotra] and Mike [Gillis] are going to have some fun with the mic, put our players into some embarrassing situations up there, hopefully get people to be very generous with their money."
Cody Hodgson also manned a "funny money" blackjack table, which often had women outnumbering men three to one.
"It's a great night.  A lot of people helped us to get to where we are, so any chance we can give back, be part of this, we'll do all we can."
Hodgson had the table in stitches when he dealt himself a couple of aces, then proceeded to &lsquo;split' them, -an action normally reserved only for players.  Tongue in cheek, he turned to a woman playing the hand,  "It's not allowed?  Who says that?"
The atmosphere was truly top-notch, with several bartenders doing excellent Tom Cruise "Cocktail" imitations in front of a symmetrical formation of martini and wine glasses.  The sprawling dining area was meticulously laid out, - everyone treated to a great view of the main stage.
Many took advantage of the photo booth area, where they had their photo taken with Daniel and Henrik Sedin, as well as Manny Malhotra and Ryan Kesler.
This is the 26th year of the Canucks for Kids Foundation.




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				<pubDate>Sat, 21 Jan 2012 11:28:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Bieksa, by Bieksa</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



The Vancouver Canucks will take upwards of 50 flights while on the road throughout the 2011-12 season.
How the players pass time on Air Canucks is their business; some play cards, other read, watch movies or sleep.
During a recent flight from Tampa Bay to St. Louis, Kevin Bieksa agreed to take part in an experiment, one we hope becomes a regular feature on Canucks.com.
I pre-wrote Bieksa's life story, well the gist of it anyways, but left out key words for him to fill in. It's like a custom Mad Libs story, with the credit for using it in this manner going to GQ Magazine.
Without further ado, here's Bieksa, by Bieksa.

First things first, it's BEE-ecks-ah, NOT Bee-eska. I'm looking at you MOM.
I go by Kevin, middle name Francesco, but I'm not short on nicknames, including JUICE. Growing up in Grimsby, Ontario, a town best known for PEACHES, my friends called me BTOWN (long story).
My childhood was fairly routine, I was a DEVIANT kid who didn't get in trouble much; justly or not I was a saint in my parent's eyes, but they still don't know about the time I STOLE THEIR CAR.
I skated for the first time at 18-months-old, not that I really recall that. It didn't take me long to fall in love with hockey, I couldn't get enough of the GAME. I still can't. Hockey was everything to me in my early years, but it was just for fun, I didn't even think of playing professionally, I actually wanted to be a DENTIST when I grew up.
My first organized hockey team was the LANFIELD CANUCKS and I played EVERY POSITION. We all did. It's just what you did. I learned a lot about hockey in my early years, especially to always WEAR A JOCK, but never PEE IN IT. That's good advice right there.

Enough about hockey, let's discuss something important like HAND SHAKES. I follow someone on Twitter who was talking about it the other day and it really got me thinking. WITH SO MANY DISEASES SHOULD WE ADOPT THE "HEAD BOW"? No? We can agree to disagree. But I'm right. I'm always right. Ask my kids.
Being a father is easily the EASIEST thing I've ever done. My son Cole, who I call COCO, and my daughter Reese, my little PRINCESS, are incredible kids, they remind me every day OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS. I'd describe myself as a HANDS ON type of dad; I'm LOVING and also SUPPORTIVE. You have to be.
I don't typically make New Year's Resolutions, but the one thing I want to accomplish in 2012, aka the year of the MILK HOT DOG, is to ARREST SOMEONE. I've always wanted to. Why not now! Today's the day! Seize the moment! I should really work for VPD with that kind of go-getter attitude. Maybe I will when I retire. Nah, retirement will be my time to EAT and SLEEP the days away. That'll be swell.
A lot of people have been asking me about MILK HOT DOGS recently. It was an inside thing. We have a lot of fun in the dressing room. To satisfy your curiosity, I will tell you this: THE TWINS PUT ME UP TO IT. Keep that to yourself, no one knows that. Or, on the flip side, that I LISTENED TO THEM.
And with that I'll conclude this FORCED activity, one I hoped to NOT BE taking part in. Anything for Canucks.com, that Derek Jory guy sure is CREEPY.
I leave you the best words of wisdom I can think of right now: "BE THE CHANGE" - THANKS GANDHI, CAN YOU BE MOST SPECIFIC...
Sincerely,
Kevin WOLVERINE Bieksa (BEE-ecks-ah)




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				<author>derek.jory@canucks.com</author>
				<pubDate>Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Jeff Paterson: First things first</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



Who, exactly, do the Anaheim Ducks think they are?
Marching into Rogers Arena on Sunday night and opening the scoring the way they did when Nick Bonino -- of all people -- banged home his own rebound 6:48 after the opening the face-off.

In doing so, Bonino and the Ducks accomplished something no opponent of the Vancouver Canucks had done since Christmas - scoring the game's first goal. The Bonino goal ended a streak of 10 straight games in which the Canucks had jumped on their opponent. Quite remarkably, it put the Canucks in a first period deficit for the first time since falling behind 1-0 in Columbus on December 13th. Yes, that one goal was the first time any opponent had been able to get out front of the Canucks in a first period in 16 games.
To take it a step further, the Bonino goal was the first time the Canucks had trailed in a first period on home ice since the Calgary Flames grabbed a 1-0 lead as the visitors on December 4th.
Simply put, the Canucks have been jumping all over their opponents all season early in hockey games but particularly over the past six weeks.
"Obviously if you get an early lead it bodes well for your game," says Jannik Hansen who's opened the scoring for the Canucks twice this season most recently on January 2nd against San Jose. "I don't know if we're doing anything differently than we were earlier in the year. It's a matter of being prepared and knowing what to do. It's a 60 minute game, but the first ones are equally important as the last ones."
PUT A RECORD ON
At 24-6-1, the Canucks record speaks for itself when the team hits the scoreboard first. They are proving to be the league's best front-runners with no other club registering more than 20 victories when opening the scoring and only two other teams - Detroit and the New York Rangers - posting more than 17 victories when hitting the scoreboard before their opponents.
"You always want to play with the lead," says Hansen. "You can read off little plays and you don't have to take as many chances and you can capitalize on the other guys trying to do too much to get that goal back. It's definitely a big thing when you're playing with the lead and not having to catch up all the time."
During the recent run of 10 straight games opening the scoring, on six occasions the Canucks scored in the first 3:11 of the hockey game. And it's not just one guy they turn to get the offense going. While Daniel Sedin leads the club with five opening goals this season, in the 10 games after Christmas nine different players accounted for the first goal of the game.
HOME ON THE ROAD
The first goal of any game is significant, but more so out on the road in hostile environments where an early scoring play can send a message to the other team and its fans.
And recently that message has been delivered while the final strains of the national anthem are still echoing in the arena. In their past six road contests, the longest Canucks have gone before opening the scoring is the 5:41 it took for Ryan Kesler to cash in with a two man advantage in Boston on January 7th.
"Any team would love to score the first goal - I don't think there's any secret to it," says Mason Raymond.
"You want to have a good start in any game in any sport. You get that first one, you can get the second one and go from there. It's never easy when you're trailing. That's one of our key points. You get the lead, you go with the lead, you play with the lead and hopefully win with it. It's definitely something we focus on."
MAKING THE STOPS
As silly as it sounds, a big part of getting the first goal is making sure the other team doesn't. And that's where goaltending comes in. There were times in the recent run where the Canucks opponents had quality chances to open the scoring but were denied.
And the fact his team has given him the lead to work with almost every night over the past six weeks hasn't gone unnoticed by Roberto Luongo.
"We just try to play the right way and we do that by being read right off the start, and I think preparation is important," he says. "You always want to start good, that goes without saying, but I think it starts with being prepared. We had some moments earlier in the year when we were sluggish out of the gates and we addressed that. It's upon ourselves to be prepared each and every game and to know the game plan and I think we've done a pretty good job of that."
NOT GIVING IT UP
The Canucks success early in hockey games goes beyond just the first goal. The Canucks are the highest scoring team in the NHL in first periods this season (51 goals) and have surrendered the third-fewest first period markers (27).
In the past 16 games, the team has given up just six first period goals and never more than one in any of those games. And when Bonino opened the scoring Sunday for Anaheim, Cody Hodgson replied for the Canucks 4:04 later. Those 244 seconds are the only time the Canucks have trailed in the first period in their last 11 games.
The last time the Canucks fell behind 2-0 in the first period of a hockey game was in Montreal on December 8th - when the Canucks rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win 4-3 in a shootout. The game against the Habs was one of only two times in the past 40 games the Canucks have found themselves in a 2-0 hole in the first period. What it all means is that this team doesn't allow itself to get in trouble early very often.
"You have to give credit to the players' preparation," explains head coach Alain Vigneault. "This game is about getting yourself in the state of mind where you can go out on the ice and execute and execute consistently, have the energy and perform. Our guys do a real good job of understanding what it takes to get themselves ready. And then they prepare for the opponent they're going to meet and their tendencies whether it's five on five or on the power play."
As the game against Anaheim showed, the Canucks won't always score the first goal. But getting the early lead will always be a big part of their game plan.




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				<pubDate>Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:49:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>The Demon and the Canucks</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



Gene Simmons knows first hand marriage changes you.
In his case, it's for the better. Hockey is now a part of his life.
The 62-year-old Israeli-American entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, actor, and rock bassist for KISS was happily unmarried to former Playboy Playmate and actress Shannon Tweed for nearly 30 years.
Then, as fans of the family's reality show Gene Simmons Family Jewels know, Gene and Shannon finally tied the knot this past October.
The couple is happily married and getting to know each other like never before, which includes Gene truly paying attention to one of Shannon's favourite pastimes. She's a hockey fan. She took up skating growing up in St. John's, Newfoundland, and continued hitting the ice when the family moved to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Gene, on the other hand, didn't have hockey in Haifa, the largest city in northern Israel, where he lived until his family emigrated to New York City when he was eight-years-old. Even in the Big Apple, hockey was nonexistent.
"In New York there was handball and running from gangs, that was it, there wasn't much," he laughed.

The game remains a mystery to him as was evident Sunday at Rogers Arena when Gene, Shannon and daughter Sophie watched the Vancouver Canucks take on the Anaheim Ducks.
Gene stared at the ice puzzled, questioning the sanity of those playing below.
"I never was a hockey fan because I couldn't fathom how you could stand on ice, much less go 30 MPH on razor blades. I don't get it. And they go backwards! You're kidding me. And also, they're gentlemen. If anybody swung at me, we'd take it outside.
"Obviously through Shannon, my wife, I've gone to more hockey games in a few weeks than I have in my entire life."
If you've caught an episode of Gene Simmons Family Jewels, you know Gene is a smooth talker; he could sell ice to Eskimos. So to hear him talk hockey, it becomes very evident very quickly he's new to the sport.
"It's clear the Ca-nooks (Shannon: "It's Ca-NUCKS") are much better players than the Ducks, than the Dooks I mean. They're covering the court much better on defence, but things happen.
"However, maybe it's not a good idea for me to go to any more games."

I spoke to Gene and family during the second intermission with the Canucks down 3-1, the same position the team was in when Gene and Shannon last took in a Canucks game against the Kings, in Los Angeles, this past New Year's Eve.
Vancouver lost that game and dropped Sunday's contest as well. No one's pointing fingers&hellip;wait, sorry, Shannon is pointing fingers.
"It's Gene's fault. When I go alone, we win."
The visit to Vancouver was not a complete loss as the family was able to spread a lot of joy while in town. Here to shoot an episode in Whistler for their upcoming season, they timed their trip with the unveiling of Sophie's Place, Vancouver's first dedicated multidisciplinary child protection centre.
The Sophie in question is Gene and Shannon's 19-year-old daughter, who couldn't be prouder to be a part of the centre for abused children aged 12-and-under, which opens in February in Surrey.
"Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts and Howard Blank (Great Canadian Casinos) brought it to our attention that this place was being put together and it's something that I've always been really passionate about is children's rights and everything that encompasses that," said Sophie. "I felt like it would be a perfect fit and I was honoured they wanted to use my name on it."
The joy didn't stop there.
Gene, Shannon and Sophie took in pre-game warm-up Sunday from the penalty box and Jannik Hansen, typically the one asked for his autograph, put the shoe on the other foot and approached Gene to sign his stick.

"It caught me off guard a little bit, it's something you see when you play down in LA," laughed Hansen. "I figured I had the chance so I might as well see if he would sign my stick.
"I asked him before I skated over there and obviously I had to get a pen, it's not something I run around with in my pants. I had a couple of short steps to take before I went back over there."
Hansen then used the stick for warm-up, and the game, and now it's a keepsake.
And it better remain a keepsake, said Gene.
"He came over and got the stick signed and it was fun, of course if I see it on E-Bay, I'll have to sue him and take his house, but that's another story," laughed Gene, in an I'm-not-really-kidding kind of way.
"I'm not surprised he came over. He's clearly a powerful and attractive man and he recognizes the God of Thunder who walks the Earth and he came to pay homage."
No word yet on when Gene and family will again pay homage to the Canucks.




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				<author>derek.jory@canucks.com</author>
				<pubDate>Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:30:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>By the numbers: Jan. 5-12, 2012</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



Home, sweet home.
The Vancouver Canucks are enjoying a much deserved day off Friday after a grueling road trip that had them play four games in six nights. There were some highs, some lows and a lot of hilarity between teammates, who are really coming together this season. Vancouver's spot atop the Western Conference proves that.
To help put their recent expedition in context, here's a look at the raw numbers of the Canucks' seventh road trip of the year:

4 - Cities visited during the seven-day trip.
  
10,556 - Approximate kilometres flown by Canucks on board their Air Canada charter, aka Air Canucks.

4,027 - Kilometres from Vancouver to Boston, the longest trek of the trip.

13 - Number of times I feared for my life in Boston.

13 - Number of times I was right to fear for my life in Boston.

289 - Distance, in kilometres, between Florida and Tampa Bay, the shortest flight of the trip.

1 - Inconceivable overtime  game-winning pass by Tim Tebow, a former University of Florida standout,  while the Canucks were in Florida.

  1 - Bucket of ice propped up against a door in Florida in a prank pulled on Aaron Rome.

1 - Call-up, Mike Duco, who made his Canucks debut against his former NHL  team in Florida and collected his first NHL point a night later in Tampa  Bay.

500 - Games played for Keith Ballard, accomplished in Florida.

5 - Internet hotel codes, two from Florida, both way too confusing.

275 - Meals served during five flights on Air Canucks.

1 - Superman shirt owned by both Ryan Kesler and myself. One guess as to who fills it out better.
14 - The NHL record for games on a road trip, set by the Canucks to accommodate the 2010 Winter Olympics.

211 - Wins for Roberto Luongo after his 31-save performance against the Blues. He's now tied with Kirk McLean as Vancouver's franchise leader.

100 - Per cent amazement by anyone who saw Mason Raymond's spin-o-rama shootout game winner in Tampa Bay.

 24 - Wins in 31 games for Vancouver when scoring first. The Canucks opened every game of this trip by scoring first.
24 - Canucks surprised to hear Jay-Z and Beyonce named their baby Blue Ivy Carter.

0 - Canucks surprised Jay-Z has already recorded a song featuring Blue Ivy Carter (Glory).

2 - Soccer balls that had to be retrieved from weird places during Vancouver's pre-game warm-ups.
8,300 - Number of photos taken by Rick Collins throughout the trip (rough estimate).

4 - Canucks, Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Alex Edler and Cody Hodgson, named NHL All-Stars; they combined for six points (1-5-6) against the Blues.


8 - Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches eaten on Air Canucks by yours truly throughout the week. I have no idea how my pants still fit.

1 - Alligator allegedly spotted by Jannik Hansen in Florida. No one can back up his claims, but we'd never second guess the Honey Badger.

700 - Career points for Daniel Sedin, 100 of which have been power play goals, both milestones hit with his game-winner against the Blues.

4 - Fans (that we know of) who followed the Canucks throughout the entire trip.

81 - League leading goals scored on the road by the Canucks this season.

6 - Stitches to the upper lip for Ryan Kesler after running into Dan Hamhuis in the game against St. Louis.

0 - Number of times Fort Nucks, the official blog of the Vancouver Canucks, malfunctioned since its re-debut. Also the number of times anything posted has made a lick of sense.

24 - Happy Canucks upon returning home early Friday morning.




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				<author>derek.jory@canucks.com</author>
				<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:39:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>100-years-young</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



Being overlooked while in line is rude.
Whether it's patiently waiting to pay for groceries, to sit on Santa's knee or to have your birthday recognized and celebrated in front of a crowded room at the Amica Mature Lifestyles senior's retirement residence in Vancouver, being overlooked is rude.
Unless your name is Fran Thompson, you're turning 100-years-old, you're a huge fan of the Vancouver Canucks and everyone has a big surprise in store for you.
In that case, it's all part of the plan.

A large group of residences recently gathered on the first Wednesday of January to celebrate all the birthdays of the month. Those in attendance were spread out on chairs and couches throughout a lobby mingling area of the senior's home, 16 multi-coloured party balloons marking the occasion, everyone listening attentively to Chris on the microphone at the front.
First up was Ruth. Happy birthday. Then Fred. All the best. Alice was next. Elizabeth after her. Peter and Eva followed. Then it was Fran's turn to be spotlighted for turning 100-years-old on January 1, 2012, but Chris moved on to Margaret.
Fran, as delightful an elderly lady as there's ever been, didn't raise a stink. I would have and will if some youngin' forgets to give me credit when I turn a century old, but not Fran. She sat patiently waiting in a lime green blazer, hair done up like it was date night, smiling away.
Good things come to those who wait.
After Bernice, Dorothy, another Margate and Bob, it was finally Fran's turn. In celebration of her special day, I brought the sweetest Canucks fan around a team autographed t-shirt and stick, on behalf of Canucks Sports &amp; Entertainment.

We are, don't forget, all Canucks.
The presentation and gifts caught Fran by complete surprise; she remained quiet and calm until being presented the stick. Then it was clear she means business.
Fran didn't stop to admire the signatures from the 2011-12 Canucks, she immediately smacked the blade onto the ground and was ready to take a faceoff.
Fran loves her hockey. And her Canucks.
The team became the diamond of her eye when her nephew Chris Oddleifson was traded from Boston to Vancouver during the 1973-74 season. Oddleifson, the third captain in Canucks team history, played 406 games in Vancouver over eight seasons.
Even after Oddleifson retired in 1981, Fran never stopped cheering for her beloved Canucks.
Before her husband Gar passed away in 1998, the couple followed Vancouver religiously watching every game they could. They'd watch in silence, both concentrating on the Canucks pulling out a big win.
Even now, Fran, who worked at clothing company MacKay, Smith, &amp; Blair Co. before retiring, prefers to watch the Canucks by herself.
Having others around is simply too distracting.
"Don't bother phoning her during games because she won't answer the phone, never has, never will, so forget it!" laughed Fran's niece Darlene.
"I like to watch them by myself," said Fran, "then I can concentrate.
"I never miss a game if I don't have to."
Especially not if Canucks forward Mason Raymond is playing.
"Do I have a favourite player? Oh yes, Mason Raymond," smiled Fran, with a twinkle in her eye. "Oh, I just love that guy. He's a good skater and he goes and bothers others, I just really like him."

Seeing what played out last summer in the Stanley Cup Final to both Raymond and the Canucks, Fran was frank with her dislike of the Boston Bruins.
"I don't think much of them," she said matter-of-factly. "That was nasty what they did, I was sure glad that he was able to overcome this. He's comeback good."
Fran lived on her own up until a year-and-a-half ago when she thought it was time to move into a senior's residence. Her room is bright, yet simple and after the Canucks stick is mounted on the well, she'll have everything she needs in place.
The team-signed shirt, that's staying with Fran.
"I'm going to put this on my back!"

Spoken like a true Canucks fan.



]]></description>		
				
			    				
				<author>derek.jory@canucks.com</author>
				<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Vancouver's all-stars</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



Midway through Vancouver's game day skate in St. Louis Thursday, Alex Edler lined up a one-timer from the blueline.
When stick and puck met, puck won and stick broke. Had he connected on what surely would have been a twine tickler, Edler would have demonstrated why he's been selected as an NHL All-Star for the first time.
You'll have to refer to his seven goals, and equally impressive 23 assists, for a reminder of Edler's sensational play this season. The 25-year-old is sixth in the NHL in goals from defencemen, fourth in assists and tied with Shea Weber for third in points with 30.
Mix in the blueliner's steady play in his own end and all-star is born.

Joining Edler in Ottawa for the 2012 NHL All-Star Game will be Henrik and Daniel Sedin and Cody Hodgson, selected as one of 12 rookies.
With four players set to represent the Canucks during all-star weekend, beginning Thursday, January 26th, Vancouver has the most of any team other than the five sent by the fans on behalf of the hometown Senators.
Edler doesn't show much emotion on the ice or in the dressing room, but he's proud to be a first-time all-star.
"It's obviously a big honour," said Edler. "There's some big players that have been there and I'm very honoured. You always watch the guys that have been going there and obviously it's been a dream."
I'll get a smile out of Edler one day, you'll see.
Hodgson, on the other hand, was beaming. It was his natural reaction, as the media found out, because the media broke the news to the 21-year-old.
"Really? Wow," said Hodgson, taken aback for a moment before he started taking some ribbing from teammates post-practice.

"It's a real honour to follow in some good footsteps here, guys like Mason Raymond," joked Hodgson, repeating what Raymond said from across the room moments earlier.
"No, it's a real honour. There's a lot of good rookies in the league this year and I'm happy to be selected to go the all-star game."
Hodgson was then jabbed from Kevin Bieksa at the other side of the room. The rookie smiled and took it in stride, much like an all-star would.
"I appreciate it. It's a good group of guys here, they always make me feel comfortable, and they're the reason that I'm going."
As for the Sedins, it's tough to keep track of how many all-star appearances they've made throughout their sparkling careers.
How many is this now Henrik?
"One more than Danny," he laughed. 

And here we thought the twins we're competitive with each other.
This will be Henrik's third all-star game and the second for Daniel. They both said it's an honour and they're thrilled and it's a great roster and so on, and so on, and so on, but what do they think about having to sit through another all-star draft?
For the second consecutive season the NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft is back by popular demand; two captains will be named and players draft their own teams.

Last year the Sedins were selected fifth and sixth overall, Daniel to Team Staal, Henrik to Team Lidstrom. They were two of the lucky ones drafted before things got interesting in the late stages.
As you may recall, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel sat on stage alone at the end of the 2011 draft as the final player picked. Or not even picked really. Kessel received a Honda CRX for his troubles.
"I can buy my own car," joked Henrik. "I felt bad for Kessel to be picked last, even though every player there is an all-star, it's still&hellip;it was okay, they're going to do it the same way again this year I guess and you've just got to have fun with it."
"You never want to get picked last," added Daniel, "but in that company, I guess being picked last is not a bad thing.
"It's fun for the fans. For the players it doesn't really matter, you're just happy to be there. It's for the fans, so it's hopefully exciting."
As long as you're not picked last, and it's tough to foresee any of Vancouver all-stars fitting the bill.




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				<author>derek.jory@canucks.com</author>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:28:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>NHL fills out All-Star Game roster</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



The Vancouver Canucks, who started the day with the best record in the Western Conference, also lead in another category -- most players added to the All-Star Game.
Four members of the Canucks were among the 36 veterans and 12 rookies announced by the NHL for the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game, to be played Jan. 29 in Ottawa.

Players from all 30 teams will be represented at the game, with four members of the Canucks added to the pool of players Thursday -- forwards Henrik and Daniel Sedin, defenseman Alexander Edler and forward Cody Hodgson, who was one of the dozen rookies selected to play in the game and the 2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Skills Competition, to be held Jan. 28.

The Ottawa Senators will have the largest representation at the game, with five players selected -- forwards Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson and Milan Michalek, and defenseman Erik Karlsson, who were voted in by the fans, and forward Colin Greening, added to the rookie pool.

 The Eastern Conference-leading New York Rangers had three players selected -- goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, defenseman Dan Girardi and forward Marian Gaborik. The defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins had two players named -- forward Tyler Seguin and defenseman Zdeno Chara. Bruins goalie Tim Thomas also will be at the game after being voted in by the fans.

The players added Thursday join the six players elected to the game by fan balloting -- Thomas; defensemen Dion Phaneuf of the Maple Leafs and Karlsson of the Senators; and the three Ottawa forwards.

Added to the roster Thursday were five goaltenders, among them the Red Wings' Jimmy Howard, who leads the League in wins, and the Blues' Brian Elliott, who is second in the League in goals-against average and save percentage.

Among the nine defensemen added were the Panthers' Brian Campbell and the Jets' Dustin Byfuglien, who last were teammates in 2010 to help the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup. Also added from that championship Blackhawks team were current Hawks forwards Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa.

Also going to Ottawa will be Predators teammates Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. Joining them will be teammate Craig Smith, from the rookie pool.

The League's top nine scorers all will have a place in Ottawa -- the Sedins, the Maple Leafs' Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul, the Flyers' Claude Giroux, the Lightning's Steven Stamkos, Hossa, the Penguins' Evgeni Malkin and Spezza.

Other forwards added to the roster include Flames captain Jarome Iginla, who last week became the 42nd player in NHL history with 500 goals; Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, who will play in his fifth All-Star Game; and the Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk, who was named to his third All-Star Game.

After captains and alternate captains are named, the rosters will be picked at the 2012 NHL All-Star Player Fantasy Draft, to be held Jan. 26.




]]></description>		
				
			    				
				
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:09:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>All-Stars rosters to be announced on Thursday</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[
 The remaining selections to the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game to be held later this month in Ottawa will be announced Thursday.

Last week, fan voting determined the first six players for the Jan. 29 game to be held at Scotiabank Place. The remaining pool of players will be comprised of 36 more veterans and 12 rookies, who will participate in the Honda SuperSkills competition at All-Star Weekend. Including rookies, each All-Star team will have a total of 27 players.

The host Senators are already sending four players: forwards Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek, and defenseman Erik Karlsson, who led all players with 939,951 votes.

Toronto defenseman Dion Phaneuf and Boston goaltender Tim Thomas were also selected by the fans.]]></description>		
				
			    				
				
				<pubDate>Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:18:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>John Garrett: Bling bling</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



There was an incredible amount of hoopla surrounding the game in Boston on Saturday afternoon.
It was previewed as the biggest game of the year, not just for these two teams, but for the entire league. It was the first time these two teams had met since Game 7 of the final on June 15th. It was payback time.
The Bruins were there to reinforce that they were the biggest, strongest kids on the block. The Canucks were on the road to show that they were tough enough, and good enough, to make other teams pay on the scoreboard when they took liberties on the ice. The Canucks scored four power play goals and won 4-3.

Case closed, point proven.
That being said, that is not what I am writing about in this little diatribe.
The Bruins won the Stanley Cup in an incredibly hard fought bitter battle. Look at the game Saturday. It was not like Philly against Chicago or Pittsburg against Detroit or Anaheim against Ottawa. This was an emotional seven game series. We saw how these two teams really dislike each other. The Bruins won and give them credit. They came back from being down 2-0 to win four of the next five and hoist the Holy Grail.
To all of us who have played in the NHL this is the ultimate goal. Get your name on the Stanley Cup. Get that Stanley Cup ring. Wear it proudly to show you are one of the few who has been able to accomplish the unbelievable.
I won a Memorial Cup with the Montreal Junior Canadiens and we got rings. They made 25 for the players and coaches. They showed that we had accomplished something. I played seven years in the NHL, six years in the WHA and two years in the minors. I was always trying to win. I had a chance to make my teams better and to hopefully win a Stanley Cup. I, like the majority of players who have played the game did not win.
Do I have the right to wear a Stanley Cup ring? No. Do I have the right to hold the Stanley Cup? No. I had a chance and was not good enough.

Saturday in Boston did you notice what was on the hand of national anthem singer Rene Rancourt? I watched the Bruins pre-game broadcast and noticed the same bling on the hands of Jack Edwards and former NHLer Andy Brickley. All three had these enormous Stanley Cup rings. My daughter Sarah worked for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004 when they won the Stanley Cup. She has a ring! Tampa gave rings to 300 people. Doctors, secretaries, lawyers and, oh yes, players.
The Bruins had 22 players have their name written on the Cup. They gave out 550 rings!!! Are you kidding me? The Zamboni driver got a ring!
To win the Stanley Cup is the ultimate goal. To have your name inscribed on the Stanley Cup is historic. To get a Stanley Cup ring - and no insult to my daughter Sarah - not so much.




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				<pubDate>Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:47:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>From the rink to the beach</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



There's a running joke that part of playing hockey in Florida means wearing flip-flops to the rink and hitting the beach as often as possible.
Turns out, it's true.
Chris Higgins, a member of the Florida Panthers for 48 games during the 2010-11 season, wore flip-flops to the rink and he spent a lot of his off-ice time at the beach. 

Wouldn't you?
Many Canadians, including myself, sometimes think a little less of our brothers in the Southeast Division because they play in hotbeds that don't traditionally remind us of hockey.
They don't live and breathe it like we do, and that's different, so it must be wrong.
I've been corrected, Florida's hockey scene is simply misunderstood.
"It's pretty much summer all the time here and if we were home, I was pretty much at the beach all the time," said Higgins, who was traded from Florida to Vancouver at the trade deadline last season.
"But that's not all hockey in Florida is. Obviously it's a lot different than playing in Canada, that's for sure. I thought the fans were way better than what I was expecting. If we were a better team, there would have been some better fans, but I enjoyed playing in this building and I enjoyed being a Panther, it was a fun time in my career."

It was a but a brief layover for Higgins between playing for the Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames, New York Rangers and now the Canucks. Throw Florida into that mix and one of these things is definitely not like the others.
It's not Florida's fault it's warm year-round, but the fact the Panthers own the NHL's longest stretch without a post-season appearance at 10 years and the third longest drought in terms of winning a playoff series at 14 seasons, means there hasn't been much to cheer about.
Without much to cheer about, the fan base has remained a tight-knit, passionate bunch. That should be as noticeable as ever when the Canucks face the Panthers Monday night at the BankAtlantic Center, especially compared to the insanity that was in the Boston Garden.
The Panthers are currently atop the Southeast Division with a record of 20-13-8 through 41 games and if they can maintain that pace and break their playoff spell, all bets are off.

The last time Florida won a post-season series, 1995-96, it won three consecutive to make the franchise's only Stanley Cup Final appearance. Dave Lowry, Ray Sheppard and Stu Barnes were putting up points, while John Vanbiesbrouck stopped pucks. The rats, they were a flying.
Keith Ballard, a Panther for two full seasons from 2008 to 2010, agrees winning is the only thing he was missing in Florida.
"The people here are friendly, the organization treated me real well and my family and I enjoyed our time here," said Ballard. "Obviously anybody can look at the weather and say it's nice living by the beach when it's 80 degrees and sunny everyday, but I liked everything about it. It was disappointing we weren't successful when I was here, that was the only thing missing."
Part of falling fifth in the pecking order behind the Miami Heat, Florida Marlins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins is anonymity. Did people know who Higgins and Ballard were? Sure, they simply didn't have their licence plates memorized like in Vancouver.
There's a time and place for both being under the microscope and not making headlines every time you sneeze.
"Before I came to Vancouver, that was all I knew," said Ballard. "There's definitely times you appreciate the crazy hockey-mad cities and that microscope and there's definitely times you appreciate being a little bit secluded and hidden a little bit. There's room for both."

Roberto Luongo, who played in Florida for five-seasons and remains the franchise leader in career wins (108) and shutouts (26), credits the Panthers with helping him become the goaltender he is today.
"They gave me a chance to become a starter in the NHL and establish myself, so I had some great years here," he said. "Unfortunately we never made the playoffs, but I definitely jump-started my career."
In terms of popularity, Luongo said he is recognized more since he left than when he actually played here. That's no dig at Panthers fans; the Canucks keeper couldn't stress enough how much he enjoyed his time in Florida. He met his wife while playing here and will retired here when it's all said and done.
Ballard, a Minnesotan, will likely head back to the cold when his playing days are through. He's keeping his warm memories of Florida banked until then.
"I didn't go to the beach much, I lived about 20 minutes from it. But I did spend some time at a pool in my yard, so I spent some time at a pool," he laughed, before reminiscing about how he used to look like beef jerky from all the sun he got in Florida.
"I really did have a great tan. I always have a nice tan, except for now."




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				<author>derek.jory@canucks.com</author>
				<pubDate>Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:05:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Slow start, criticism doesn't derail Luongo</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



Roberto Luongo has rediscovered his game -- just in time to return to the place where it seemed to disintegrate.
The Canucks' goaltender doesn't draw the same straight line as many observers between his Jekyll-and-Hyde performances in the Stanley Cup Final in June -- mostly brilliant on home ice, brutal in Boston -- and another horrific start to the regular season.

Luongo has always struggled in October, though rarely as badly as this season. But as the Canucks return to his personal House of Horrors to face the Bruins on Saturday for the first time since losing the Cup to them in seven games, Luongo said the biggest carryover was in the way some fans in Vancouver reacted to his annual early-season slump.

It wasn't easy being booed at home games, and lambasted on local sports talk radio, Luongo told NHL.com. But in the midst of all that often-vitriolic angst he remembered to smile again, and his game soon followed the corners of his mouth upward.

"Of course it's hard sometimes, I'm not going to lie or deny it," Luongo said of the early season critics. "I think I do a good job 95 percent of the time, but there's that odd time certain things get to you and that's just the human side. This year was harder than usual because of what happened last year, but after a while you just have to focus on your job and not worry about it. And I started having fun again, even when I was struggling. You have to, that's what this game is all about and we don't play in the NHL forever, so we gotta enjoy it while we are here. And that's when things started to turn around."

Luongo is 10-2-1 as a starter and stopping 93.9 percent of the shots he's seen since coming back from injury in late November -- his frightening .869 save percentage on Halloween forgotten by most as he rediscovered his game and reclaimed his starting job. For all the talk of a simple smile, the technical tweaks he needed may have just been hiding a little further out of his crease, with his glove hand raised slightly, like a grade school student not totally sure he knows the answer.
 ;
Comfortable with both adjustments now, Luongo is coming up with most of them. 

Luongo's return to form -- he also posted a .939 save percentage between New Year's and the playoffs last season -- coincides with getting comfortable with the slight technical and tactical changes in his game, but it actually started on the bench watching superb second-year backup Cory Schneider continue an impressive roll that started in his absence. 

Among the things Luongo saw from there was a decision by Schneider and goaltending coach Roland Melanson to be more aggressive at times. After pulling both goalies back in the crease last season, Melanson wants them at the edge of the blue ice -- even past it -- against rush chances or when opponents have little option but to shoot. It's a read made easier by improving defensive play after some looser-than-usual team tendencies early.

"It all depends on the way the game evolves around you," Luongo said. "We're playing well as a team, so we know the guys will be taking care of backdoors and that stuff, and we can focus more on the shot and maybe challenge a little bit more on the rush."

Luongo, whose overall save percentage has climbed to .917 during a streak that actually started just before the injury, said extra practice time with Melanson while Schneider was starting seven straight -- five ahead of a healthy Luongo -- is paying off. He also got more comfortable with a higher, more forward glove positioning they instituted at the start of the season in an effort to get his glove off his hip and free up his catching hand.

It was a natural next step after last season's move back in the crease, a retreat designed to shorten the distances Luongo had to move the size-15 feet that limit his natural skating ability, but one that also left the top corners of the net more exposed. No longer able to cover those angles with a shrug of his broad shoulders, the higher glove position removes some visual temptation for shooters. Long common among Scandinavian stoppers like Henrik Lundqvist and Niklas Backstrom, and increasingly taught in North America the last decade -- Schneider, 25, has always used a "fingers up" approach -- the altered glove position also gets Luongo's elbow out from behind his hip, and re-activates his trapper.

"I don't think about it anymore," Luongo said. "It's just habit now, it's really comfortable for me to have it there, and I feel I can get to more pucks when they are up high."

Like the deeper position last season, Luongo trusted the change would be worth it in the long run and was willing to live with additional early-season struggles as he adjusted. He was not, however, as well-prepared for the criticism that came with it, even after six years in a city former general manager Brian Burke once dubbed a "goalie graveyard."

"You have to care about certain things, like winning, your teammates and performing, but you can't care about that other stuff because that's going to make it worse," he said.

And Luongo has learned to trust that, with practice, he will get better given time.

"It's kind of like a baseball hitter," he said. "The first month some guys struggle to keep an eye on the ball and it's a matter of making reads and getting in the flow of things, and sometimes I just need that time. I've tried different approaches every year and it always comes back to the same thing. It's not something I like and it's tough to go through, but as long as you keep your head up and work hard, it's all about what happens from here on out."





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				<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:06:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Hype builds for Cup rematch as teams surge </title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



While most Boston Bruins players are sequestering themselves from any media hype in advance of their Stanley Cup Final rematch Saturday with Vancouver, Milan Lucic has other excited sources he can't avoid.
There are plenty of people close to the veteran power forward in his native Vancouver that have had Jan. 7 circled on their calendars for a long time.

"I've had a couple buddies text me and say they're excited for this game and looking forward to it," said Lucic after he and the Bruins prepared for the Canucks with a practice Friday here at Ristuccia Arena.
"More so just from they're the best in the West so far, so they want to see them play us again because they still remember what happened last year. So they're looking forward to the game, that's for sure."

The Bruins and Canucks, who staged an epic seven-game series that didn't feature a road-team win until Boston prevailed in Game 7, both have overcome rocky Octobers to soar toward the top of the NHL standings in 2011-12. The teams were tied entering play Friday for the second-most points in the League, just one off the pace set by the New York Rangers.

Boston and Vancouver are Nos. 1 and 4 in goals per game, respectively, as well as first and eighth in goals-allowed per game, and first and sixth in 5-on-5 goal differential. While the Bruins have won nine of their past 10 games, the Canucks have won seven of their last 10.

Bruins coach Claude Julien, however, isn't looking at this game as some sort of midseason championship fight.

"I don't think it's as much as people think it is," he said about the hype. "The Final was last year and we did what we had to do and we succeeded in that. They come back this year and it's a League game and I'm not going to stand here and say it means absolutely nothing. There was a rivalry that was built there that I'm sure both teams are going to go into (Saturday's) game knowing that.

"But I don't think it's any different than the rivalry that we have with Philadelphia or other teams that we've played (like) Montreal. It's just going to be one of those intense games. But certainly I wouldn't read more into it than that. There's no Stanley Cup at the end of this game. But certainly it's a battle of two teams that feel they're good teams, and certainly we'll want to measure ourselves to each other."

The Bruins have been proficient at preventing complacency from knocking them off course since they began to turn their season around Nov. 1. Coming off a 6-1 win Wednesday in New Jersey and a 9-0 victory Thursday against Calgary, Boston's focus could be waning were it not for the Canucks test coming up.

"It could keep us more grounded, I guess -- and excited, probably," forward Shawn Thornton said. "I think there will probably be some energy in that building, which is a good thing. Any time you play teams, when there's a test like this, you should be able to get up and definitely I think our team responds pretty well in those situations, most times."

Ever since the Bruins hoisted the Cup on their home ice, the Canucks have heard about how Boston not only beat them on the scoreboard but took care of them physically. The lasting images of that series, as much as the great saves by goaltender Tim Thomas and goals scored by Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, are of Marchand punching Daniel Sedin after a whistle and Thomas checking Henrik Sedin in pursuit of a loose puck in the slot.

Regardless of whether last year's antics will play a motivating factor Saturday, Lucic expects the bodies to be flying as much as the shots on net.

"We had a chance to watch them last Monday because they were the NBC Sports game, and they played well against a physical team like San Jose," he said. "So they're definitely a team that's not shy of the physicality of the game and we expect them to bring their best."

Lucic can't hide from the hype, so he's embracing it. He's enjoyed his share of huge moments in the glare of the spotlight, so he's ready to thrive on a big stage again.

"I think it's great that there is a build-up towards it," said Lucic, who has 14 goals and 30 points this season. "Obviously both teams, I think, are excited going into this game, as we should be. Obviously we both didn't really have the starts that we wanted and both teams have picked up their game and are on top of the League. So it makes it more interesting that there's a lot that we're playing for."





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				<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:59:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Schneider starts</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



Cory Schneider was out for dinner with family and friends Thursday night in Boston, so he didn't get a chance to catch the Bruins game.
It was, not surprisingly, playing on a nearby TV in the restaurant, however, and it took him but a few glances to see the Bruins were mightily in charge. They thumped the Calgary Flames 9-0. Boston routed the New Jersey Devils 6-1 a night earlier.
Schneider is now faced with the task of trying to cool off the NHL's hottest team with the NHL's hottest offence when the Vancouver Canucks face the Bruins in a rematch of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final in a Saturday matinee game at the TD Banknorth Garden.
Coach Alain Vigneault opting to start Schneider over Roberto Luongo, fresh off his 57th career shutout, has crippled Twitter with reactions ranging from supporting Schneider to calling out Luongo as a coward.
The goaltending duo had no say in the final decision, and neither did either player's performance during the Cup Final a year ago, according to Vigneault.

"We've got two goaltenders here that we've got confidence in and every game, we've played 41 so far, you could make a case to play one or the other and in this instant, I decided that Cory is going to be the goaltender," said Vigneault, who did not get into specifics about the decision.
There are a few ways to look at Vigneault's choice and none of them involve him hiding Luongo from the Boston faithful, as many have suggested.
This story is more about Schneider, a native of Marblehead, Massachusetts, making his first career start in Boston, in front of friends and family, in the rink that helped forge his love for hockey as a kid.
Other than making two unscheduled appearances in the net during Games 4 and 6 of the Cup Final last June, Schneider has never faced the Bruins. Not one of his 42 NHL starts has come against Boston and with the opportunity arising just once every two years using the current league schedule, the time is ripe for Schneider to make is hometown debut.
And for what it's worth, Schneider is undefeated in day games at 1-0.

Naturally, the 25-year-old is over the moon excited for the biggest regular season game of his career.
"It's great, I'm not sure if I was expecting it, but it's going to be a lot of fun to play in my hometown, but more importantly, to play a big game for our team against probably the best team in the league right now," said Schneider, mobbed by reporters Friday after the Canucks practiced at Harvard University.
"It'll be a great challenge for myself personally and I'm just hoping I can step up and deliver a big game."
In addition to his 65-plus minute played in Boston last fall, Schneider also stood tall at the Garden for the Boston College Eagles. He's comfortable with the atmosphere and knows what to expect from the fans going in as the enemy.
It's what'll be coming at him on the ice that could catch him and everyone else by surprise.
The Bruins have won 23 of their last 27 games having outscored opponents 116-45 over that stretch. It gets worse. Over the last 10 games, Boston is 9-1-0 with 45 goals for and a mere 13 against. And while every team in the NHL has scored six goals or more in a game 47 times combined, the Bruins have done it 11 times on their own.
"They're just deep, it seems like all four lines can score, every guy can shoot the puck and shoot it with a purpose and they're big and physical, but they have a lot of skill and finesse," assessed Schneider.
"They've been steamrolling over teams lately and we're going to have to be ready."
You can say that again.
Yet unlike the last time the Canucks faced the Bruins, there will be hockey to be played a few days later.

It's about the two-points at stake, not redemption.
"We'd love to come in here and win the game, but at the end of the day nothing is going to change the outcome of what happened last year," said Luongo. "It would be nice for us to get a big win here at the start of the road trip and move on."
Luongo, for one, has moved on and although he hinted at running into the Bruins later on this season, he's fully behind the decision to start Schneider.
"I would have liked to play the game, but in fairness to Cory, he's from here and he deserves to play this game and I'm all for it."
Even with Luongo on the bench, he said he's expecting to hear his name catcalled a few times from the Boston faithful.
Growing up Schneider wanted nothing more than to having his name chanted at the Garden, but now, and especially Saturday, not so much.
"It definitely won't be tomorrow," laughed Schneider.




]]></description>		
				
			    				
				<author>derek.jory@canucks.com</author>
				<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:35:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Honey badger</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



It would make more sense to refer to Jannik Hansen as Mighty Bull or Redhawk or even Hornet, but Honey Badger seems to be here to stay.
For good reason.
Although Hansen began his professional hockey career with the R&oslash;dovre Mighty Bulls and the Malm&ouml; Redhawks, and the Herlev Hornets were his hometown team growing up, bulls, redhawks and hornets simply don't stack up to the honey badger, nature's most fearless creature.
Hansen doesn't see the connection and if anyone tried to give me a moniker with honey in it, I'd ward it off as well.
Now more than ever, the honey badger nickname makes a lot of sense for Hansen, who is having a breakout season with the Vancouver Canucks. Tenacious sums up both honey badgers, the player and the animal; thriving because of their thick skin and ferocious defensive abilities is simply what they do best.

That has been Hansen's modus operandi dating back to before he was on hockey's radar, long before the Canucks selected him 287th overall (fifth to last) in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
The reason the 25-year-old Danish forward is making headlines these days is for his contributions on offence. Hansen had 24 goals and 65 points in 189 games coming into this season, his fourth with the Canucks, but through 40 games this year he's recorded 12 goals and 11 assists to sit tied for sixth in team scoring with 23 points.
The question everyone wants answered pertains to why Hansen is finally finding the back of the net and is on pace for what would be a career-high 24 goals, 22 assists and 46 points.
The answer was clear as ever in Vancouver's 3-2 shootout loss to the San Jose Sharks Monday night at Rogers Arena.
Less than five minutes into the first period Roberto Luongo stopped Brent Burns in close, with the rebound bouncing out to Cody Hodgson. He looked up ice and dished the puck to Hansen as he tore down the left wing, Daniel Sedin followed down the middle of the ice to complete the Vancouver 3-on-1.

Hansen then centered for Hodgson, who one-timed the puck back to Hansen. Running out of time and space, Hansen tried to get the puck across the crease to Daniel Sedin and just like that the Canucks led 1-0.
How and when the puck actually went in remains a mystery to replay officials and Hansen alike. All that matters is that it went in, counting as his 12th goal.
The difference between Hansen this year and Hansen of the past is confidence. As illustrated, even with options limited and dwindling, he used veteran poise to make something happen.
"Once you get a little bit more confidence, you try to put more pucks on the net," said Hansen, "where as maybe before you try to pass it off or make a play or find a cute shot and make sure it's a tap-in instead of just letting it go to see if it can go in."
Some have pointed to Hansen's ice time as the key to his improved level of play, but through 40 games he's only averaging 16 more seconds per game compared to last season.
It's whom Hansen is skating alongside that is making a world of difference.
"I've had a lot more opportunity to play in the top-six and it definitely bodes well for your production when you're getting a chance to play with Hank and Danny, playing with Kes, and being put in a situation to produce.
"I've had a little more puck luck this year too, you saw it yesterday when maybe a puck that shouldn't go in finds a way in off a stick and off a glove."
Everything is coming together for Hansen and he's not the only forward able to stake that claim.

Cody Hodgson is tied for fourth in rookie scoring with nine goals and 13 assists in 40 games; he's tied for second in rookie power play goals with three, he's third in power play points with seven, tied for fifth in plus/minus at plus-7 and has directed a healthy 70 shots at opposing goalies - all while sitting 61st among rookies in average ice time at 12:32.
It's too early to throw Hodgson's name in the running for the Calder Memorial Trophy, but Hansen sees a little of himself in the Canucks rookie.
So does coach Alain Vigneault.
In the progression of his line-up, Vigneault isn't surprised to see Hansen and Hodgson turning heads in Vancouver and around the NHL.
"To tell you the truth, I haven't seen a lot as far as his game changing, I'm just seeing a young man that's progressing and improving his skill set around the net," said Vigneault. "Jannik's attributes, his speed, his feistiness in the corner, the fact that he loves to win the battles in the corner and takes pucks to the net, all that has been there, but as you get older and have more experience and you work on your art, you get better.
"That's what happened with Hank and Danny through the years, and that's what happened with Kesler and Burrows, etcetera etcetera, and that's what's happening with Jannik Hansen right now and that's what's going to happen with Cody."




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				<author>derek.jory@canucks.com</author>
				<pubDate>Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:50:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Smuldering support</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



When Cobie Smulders accepted an invitation to present the Norris Trophy at the 2011 NHL Awards in Las Vegas this past summer, she was firmly told not to wear a hockey jersey.
Kevin Smith (Silent Bob of the comedy duo Jay and Silent Bob) was also told to forsake a jersey and dress to impress.
Smulders listened, Smith didn't.
When the pair made their way to the podium on stage at the Palms Casino Resort, Smulders was smoldering in a Robin's egg blue 60's inspired mini-dress, while Smith rocked a Boston Bruins jersey with jorts.
To make matters worse, Smith, an eternal charmer, asked Smulders if she knew anything about hockey.
HE ASKED HER IF SHE KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT HOCKEY.
It's time to set the record straight.

Cobie Smulders, a 29-year-old actress born and raised in Vancouver, plays Robin Scherbatsky on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother. You likely already knew that, the show is a freakin' riot, and you are probably already aware of the show's tie-ins to the Canucks.
Scherbatsky is a Canucks obsessed Canadian on the show and popular belief is Smulders is merely a fictitious Canucks fan with no real knowledge of the defending Presidents' Trophy winners.
Wrong.
What we have here is perhaps the truest case of art imitating life.
"I'm a Canucks fan alright, growing up I loved and was obsessed with Pavel Bure, like crazy," laughed Smulders, talking with Canucks.com.

Forget Team Edward and Team Jacob, Smulders was on Team Bure and the Canucks were her Twilight.
"My memory is not so good, there are gaps, but I do remember going to one game and our seats were like right on the rail and I kept trying to high-five Bure. I couldn't have loved him more, he was a handsome man playing a fun sport to watch, that was a good combination for me in my tween years."
When Smulders began working on How I Met Your Mother in 2005, her character was still in development. Four episodes in the creators, Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, said they wanted to make Robin a Canadian, "because they thought it was kind of exotic," chuckled Smulders.
"That is the first and last time I'm ever going to hear a Canadian being perceived as exotic. I took it, I rolled with it, but come on - exotic?"
If exotic is taken as out of the ordinary, than Smulders' character is indeed exotic.
Robin Charles Scherbatsky Jr., 29-years-old, is a former Canadian pop star turned morning talk show host, from Vancouver. Her father wanted a son so Robin was raised as a boy and enrolled in hockey. Naturally the Canucks became a passion and Chuck Tatham, one of the show's co-executive producers, ensures Smulders references the team often and accurately.
It started with a discussion about Scherbatsky meeting Mason Raymond after a Canucks game in New York, to which womanizer and amateur magician Barney Stinson (played by Neil Patrick Harris) replied: "What's the opposite of name-dropping?"
That was only the beginning.
Robin then drank a twelver of Molson and got all super-Canadian stick handling her way through the living room in a Canucks jersey while reliving Game 6 of the '94 Stanley Cup Final.
Next Robin attended a Canucks/Rangers game where she threatened to put a slapper right in Darcy Hordichuk's beer hole.

There have been a few more shout outs since then, including Robin dressing up as a Canuck this past Halloween.
Smulders is different from Robin in many ways when the cameras stop rolling, but their love for the Canucks is shared and completely unwavering.
"All the Canucks stuff on the show kind of came from a place where Robin has a fierce competitive streak and they like seeing her in any sort of violent way. If they could have Robin doing violent things on every episode, I think they'd be super happy. And so I think that's just how hockey came into it and it's a perfect fit.
"I am happy to be the conduit of that, I love the Canucks, it's like a little slice of home in this new world that I'm sort of in now. I was a huge fan and then with the Stanley Cup Final this past year, that spurred even more stuff on for me."
Smulders was shooting The Avengers (she plays S.H.I.E.L.D agent Maria Hill) in New Mexico during Vancouver's run to the Stanley Cup Final last year and she stayed as connected to the team as she could streaming games online.
Then the Canucks made the Final and she couldn't take it any longer. There was no missing these games.

Smulders was at Rogers Arena for Game 2 alongside husband and Saturday Night Live regular Taran Killam, and again with a good girlfriend for Game 7.
"Those were two different experiences. Taran and I had never been to a hockey game together and it was just sheer joy being in the crowd and we were like right behind the keeper and it was cool to see it from that angle.
"Then Game 7 was crazy. I went with a girlfriend of mine whose a die-hard fan and she was having a hard time with it, we were both so stressed about it. Then we rolled a few cars after, so we got it out."
She's kidding. That isn't something Smulders would do; it's something Robin would do.
How I Met Your Mother resumes season seven January 2nd and although Smulders isn't privy to all the inside intel, she said there's plenty more Canucks scenes to come.
"I don't know specifics, but they are always trying to work it in. Even now with wardrobe, I try to make sure we get a Canucks t-shirt in the pajama scene, at the very least.
"It's the least I can do for the Canucks."




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				<author>derek.jory@canucks.com</author>
				<pubDate>Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:05:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Dave Lozo's All-2011 team</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



As we say farewell to 2011 and hello to 2012, now is as good a time as any to look back and see which players were at the top of their game during 2011.
After careful consideration, these are the three forwards, two defensemen and goaltender who excelled during 2011 calendar year in the regular season.
FORWARDS


    

Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks:
He had 30 goals in his final 41 games of the 20-11 season, propelling the Ducks into the Stanley Cup Playoffs and himself to a Hart Trophy. His first half of this season hasn't matched his sizzling finish to last season, but that's asking a lot. During 2011, few have posted anything close to what Perry has in Anaheim.

2011 numbers: 76 games, 44 goals, 40 assists, 84 points, minus-10


    

Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks:
He seemed like a sure bet to follow brother Henrik's Hart Trophy campaign of 2009-10 with his own last year before Corey Perry's second-half surge. But this Sedin had his own big second half and has continued it this season. After closing last season with 57 points in 46 games, he's picked up right where he left off this season.

2011 numbers: 82 games, 36 goals, 62 assists, 98 points, plus-30

    

Thomas Vanek, Buffalo Sabres:
His name is rarely bandied about in discussion about the game's best power forwards, but his numbers always do the talking. He has a pair of 40-goal seasons, as well as a pair of 30-goal seasons under his belt, and he's on his way to at least another 30 goals this season. We're only counting the regular season here, but he also had 5 goals in the Sabres' seven-round playoff loss to the Flyers in April.

2011 numbers: 82 games, 37 goals, 49 assists, 86 points, plus-14
DEFENSEMEN

    

Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins: 
A switch seemingly flipped for Chara during 2011. He had 10 goals and 20 assists in the final 45 games of last season and is still playing Norris Trophy-worthy hockey this season. If he keeps going at this rate, the Bruins have a great chance at winning a second straight Stanley Cup with a maniacal Chara hoisting the trophy over his bearded head once again.

2011 numbers: 77 games, 17 goals, 36 assists, 53 points, plus-38

    

Shea Weber, Nashville Predators: 
Perhaps the game's best overall defenseman did most of his damage last season once January rolled around. He had 31 of his 48 points from that point and had a strong case to with the Norris Trophy. If he keeps things up this season, perhaps he'll finally wrangle it away from perennial contender and usual winner Nicklas Lidstrom of the Red Wings.

2011 numbers: 79 games, 19 goals, 40 assists, 59 points, plus-26
GOALTENDER

    

Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins: 
The hardest part about picking Thomas as the best goaltender of this calendar year was computing his numbers, which are broken up across two seasons. Calculating goals-against average can be a pain. Coincidentally, pain is what Thomas inflicted on just about everyone on his way to a Stanley Cup and Vezina Trophy last season. So far in 2011-12, he's exceeding his numbers from last season. There's no one better right now.

2011 numbers: 33 wins, 2.07 GAA, .935 save percentage, 8 shutouts




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				<pubDate>Thu, 29 Dec 2011 12:14:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Jeff Paterson: Twin Peaks</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



They claim it serves as no motivation and on one level you have no choice but to believe Daniel and Henrik Sedin - both have been there and done that and have the hardware to prove it.

But on another, and after watching their mastery of Minnesota on Monday night at Rogers Arena, you have to wonder if the last two Art Ross trophy winners as National Hockey League scoring leaders aren't trying to push the limits to see if their many talents might just take them to another level and to a place they've never been together.
With a goal and two assists against the Wild, Henrik pulled into a share of the NHL scoring lead with 39 points. And with three helpers including a sublime cross-slot set up of his brother's goal that opened the scoring and stood up as the winner in a 4-0 victory over the Canucks' Northwest Division rival, Daniel was just one point back in the league scoring parade.
Could the Sedins finish the season as the top two scorers in the NHL this season?
They say it's nothing they're thinking about at this point. But given the rate at which they're racking up points, it's certainly a possibility and something worth watching as the second-half of the schedule unfolds to see if they can ascend the scoring charts to finish higher than they did last year when Daniel lead the league with 104 points and Henrik wasn't far behind in fourth with 94. The year before when Henrik wore the crown, Daniel, who missed 19 games that season, finished tied for 11th.
So they've been up there, but never at the very top together. And right now they've put themselves in position to make that happen although there is still more than half a season remaining and they're in the company of a number of other very talented point producers.
For the twins, it's all about playing well and doing their part to help the Canucks have success. If they're doing that, history has shown the points will follow. And as the Canucks have gone on an 11-2-1 run in their last 14 games to close the gap on the Wild atop the division, it can be no surprise at all that they've been led by Henrik Sedin with three goals and 15 assists during that span and Daniel who's contributed seven goals and eight assists.
"We know we have to be producing for us to be successful as a team and that's our motivation," Henrik said when asked about the importance of getting back to the top of the scoring heap. "If that means we're going to have 82 points this year or 90 or whatever it is, it doesn't really matter for us as long as our team is winning. And that's our focus."
With two more assists on Monday, Henrik held the league-lead in that department on his own with 30 so far this season. He and Daniel share the league-lead with 18 power play points apiece. And the Canucks success with the man-advantage is one of the key factors that could ultimately allow the Sedins to be the league's top scorers this season.
The power play went two for three against the Wild and is now clicking at 26.1% which is nearly five percent better than the next closest team and almost 10 percent better than the 15th best power play - or an average PP - in the NHL.
And compared to last year, when the Canucks led the league with the best power play at 24.3%, this year's group has found a way to make that facet of its special teams even more special by a couple of percentage points.
The Sedins are the engine that powers the power play and they show no signs of cooling any time soon. And so the thought of Henrik and Daniel rising above the rest certainly isn't out of the question.
Even if it's not something they're thinking about it.
"It never has been," Daniel says of making the scoring derby a family affair. "Even the last few years when we won it, that's something we didn't really look at. We know our role on this team and that's to produce. At the same time, we want to play a steady defensive game, too, and we don't want to be giving up goals. That's our game and we don't focus anything on the scoring race."
Fair enough for now. But the longer Daniel and Henrik Sedin stay in the hunt - and there is no reason to believe either will fade away -- the more others around the hockey world will focus on what would truly be a remarkable and now attainable achievement.




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				<pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:36:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Canuck for a day</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



When Michael Bubl&eacute; performs in front of soldout arenas worldwide, he transforms normal people into screaming fanatics.
Give Bubl&eacute; hockey equipment and the opportunity to skate with his team, the Vancouver Canucks, and the shoe is suddenly on the other foot. He's the animated aficionado.
Bubl&eacute; signed an honorary one-day contract with the Canucks Tuesday and when he arrived at Rogers Arena in the morning, he was expecting a light meet and greet with general manager Mike Gillis and coach Alain Vigneault, as arranged by director of hockey administration Jonathan Wall.
Think again, Bubl&eacute;.

A full set of equipment was waiting for him and next thing the 36-year-old three-time Grammy Award winner from Burnaby, BC, knew, he was skating laps with the Canucks before practice.
It got even better for the Canucks superfan, who in the past has gone as far as rearranging travel schedules and even postponed concerts to watch Vancouver play either live or on TV.
Bubl&eacute; got the chance to take a penalty shot on Roberto Luongo, living out the dream of every armchair coach out there standing behind the belief any average Joe can score on the Canucks goaltender.
The crooner "started out slow and slowed down even more," according to Luongo, but the right-handed forward came closer to scoring than anyone thought as he clanked the puck off the right post.
Close, but no cigar.

Consolation prize: having the chance to shoot on Luongo.
"It was the greatest day of my life, really," smiled Bubl&eacute; post-practice. "I had way too much fun, to get to do that is every fan's wish."
Bubl&eacute; believes the opportunity to embarrass himself on the ice was arranged by coach Vigneault as revenge for some tongue-in-cheek comments Bubl&eacute; had towards AV when he filled in for former colour man Tom Larscheid during a Canucks broadcast on Team 1040 a few years ago.
Either way, Bubl&eacute; was on the ice with the Canucks, his idols, who have meant the world to him since he was a kid. Both his father and grandfather are huge fans and that more than rubbed off on Bubl&eacute; as a child, and as his family had season tickets, young Michael routinely watched Vancouver play in person.
Roughly 30 years later and Bubl&eacute;, face to face with Luongo, had a chance to score and perhaps prove his worth as a hardnosed Alex Burrows overlooked-but-up-and-coming-player.
"Turns out I'm crappy," he laughed. "About a couple of inches lower and I would have had it. I was going crossbar right-hand side and I missed it. I'm sure Roberto didn't want me to score. I think what he actually said to someone the second that I turned away was &lsquo;Man, these shootouts are easy.'"
"I took everything away," said Luongo, "all he had was bar."

"I was trying to be patient, take away as much net as I could, wait him out and fortunately he hit the post."
The shot heard &lsquo;round the world won't deter Bubl&eacute;'s love for the Canucks and it's a good thing because he just gave the team a shout out on his latest album Christmas.
On 'Santa Baby', track seven of Bubl&eacute;'s fifth studio album released in late October, Bubl&eacute; altered a few of the words to reflect what he truly wants from Santa Claus. Instead of the line I'm filling my stocking with a duplex, and checks Sign your 'X' on the line, Bubl&eacute; sings fill my stocking with Canucks tix, for kicks Throw me on the first line; out of respect Bubl&eacute; contacted the song's original writers to get the green light on the changes.
Christmas is currently the top selling album of any genre on the Billboard Top 200 and Bubl&eacute; admitted his Canucks lyrics are probably causing a lot of confusion.
"Right now there's close to 6.2 million people and only a few are going to know what I'm talking about, the rest aren't going to have a clue," he laughed.




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				<author>derek.jory@canucks.com</author>
				<pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Jeff Paterson: What does realignment mean for the Canucks?</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



The downside to the new realignment plan approved Monday night by National Hockey League governors is that the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks will play two fewer games each regular season.

And that's certainly a shame given where the Canucks-Hawks rivalry is these days. Any disappointment, however, must be offset by the fact that the new plan has provisions in place that make it possible for the Canucks and Hawks to potentially meet in the Stanley Cup Final - something that under the current divisional arrangement simply could not happen.
Now, the dramatic overhaul of the existing system wasn't undertaken with only the Canucks and Blackhawks in mind. But it was done to further develop geographic rivalries within the league and, on the surface, it appears the governors got things right.
While there is no perfect solution to such a complex issue where the individual wishes of 30 teams had to be taken into account, the realignment plan appears to offer a number of benefits to the Vancouver Canucks - and to fans of the hockey club.
First off, with all teams outside the new divisions set to face-off twice each season - once in each city - it ensures hockey fans in Vancouver will see Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos and the many other stars who have been infrequent visitors to Rogers Arena during their careers on an annual basis. And that's a good thing for fans of the game of hockey, who deserve to opportunity to see the best and brightest in the league each season.
Under the new format, the Canucks will be placed in an eight-team conference with Calgary, Edmonton, San Jose, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Colorado and Phoenix. The plan is to have the top four teams in that conference battle through the first two rounds of the playoffs to produce a winner. Based on that structure and using last season's standings, the Canucks would have opened the post-season against Phoenix and had all things been equal would have advanced to face San Jose in the second round.

Not only would the travel to Phoenix and San Jose have been considerably less cumbersome than having to shuttle to Chicago and Nashville, the Canucks wouldn't have had to deal with time zone changes as they traversed the continent in the opening rounds of last year's post-season. Obviously the opponents had to deal with those issues too, but, gruelling travel has always been a burden for Western teams - particularly West Coast teams -- come playoff time. And one of the goals of this realignment plan is to remove some of the travel toll on teams at least in the first two rounds of the post-season.
But beyond the travel and the time zones for the teams and the players, the new format seems to open up a world of possibilities for the growing legion of Canucks fans that have shown a remarkable ability to follow their team on the road.
Realignment will add more regular season games in popular destinations like the Bay Area, Southern California and the Arizona desert - all direct flights and all spots Canucks fans already flock to whenever the team plays in those places. It would seem that this new plan plays right into the hands of hockey fans who want to make the trek to support their team wherever its playing.
As well, any plan that increases the odds of the Canucks facing the Flames or the Oilers in the post-season is a good one. It's astounding to think it has been 20 years since Vancouver and Edmonton last met in the playoffs. And by the time next spring rolls around eight years will have already passed since the last Canucks-Calgary playoff series. These are divisional opponents and geographic rivals who see each other more than other teams during the regular season, but it has not resulted in playoff match-ups.
Rivalries arise from playoff meetings - look no further than the Canucks and Blackhawks and all the drama the past three years has produced. While it will be tougher for those two teams to meet in the post-season under the new configuration, regular playoff match-ups against the Oilers or Flames could begin to fill that void.
Under the new plan there are no guarantees, however the format increases the chances of one day getting those Canadian clubs together when the stakes are highest. And that is a good thing for hockey.
And that's why, on the whole, realignment is a good thing for the game, too.




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				<pubDate>Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:50:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>A hypothetical glance at realignment changes</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



Starting next season, the NHL will be transformed from a league with six divisions to one with four conferences, pending approval from the players' association.
There will be two conferences with eight teams and two conferences with seven teams, which is similar to what the NHL landscape looked like before the 1993-94 season.

The top-four teams from each conference will make the playoffs. The concept of finishing in the top 8 has gone by the way side. Instead, beating the six or seven other teams within your conference and cracking the top 4 within that group becomes paramount.

But all of that won't take effect until next season. So what would the standings have looked like at the end of last season if the new system was already implemented? Let's take a look:


    
        
            Conference A
            Conference B
            Conference C
            Conference D
        
    
    


 ;

In the new format, teams will play about half of their games within their conferences, so this is obviously not how the points would have been distributed. But it's fun to see how everything would shake out.

Only one team that reached the postseason under the old format would be left out in the new one. The Los Angeles Kings and their 98 points would be bounced in favor of the Dallas Stars, who had 95 points but would have finished fourth in their conference. If that's a point of contention for fans, just remember that last season, the Stars and Flames finished with more points than the Rangers, yet sat home and watched the Rangers take part in the postseason.

What are some of last season's highlights that wouldn't have a chance at happening under the current one? The conference finals between the Canucks and Sharks and the Bruins and Lightning would be impossible. Instead, they would have to meet in the second round for the right to advance to the League semifinals.

The Stanley Cup Final between the Bruins and Canucks remains a possibility, but if the higher-seeded teams advanced through the first two rounds, the semifinals would have an entirely new look.

With teams being re-seeded after two rounds, the Canucks would play host to the Bruins one round earlier while the Capitals and Red Wings would meet in the other semifinal. The new conference alignment has the potential to breed matchups that would have been impossible otherwise.

There still would have been drama on the final weekend of the season, too.

The Rangers had to wait to see if the Hurricanes would win their last game and snag the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference last year, and that would've been the case in this conference setup, too. But the Stars wouldn't have been in position to eliminate the Blackhawks. Instead, both teams would have cemented playoff berths long before the final days of the season.

There wouldn't have been much in the way of a fight for a playoff spot in Conference C, either, but the loaded Conference A would've been really interesting. The Coyotes would have to hold off both the Kings and Flames.

There would have been one extremely interesting playoff matchup last year that wouldn't have happened otherwise if this was the format. The Red Wings and Mike Modano would have faced the future Hall-of-Famer's former team, the Stars, in the first round of the playoffs.

The Capitals and Rangers, who seemingly meet every year in the postseason under the current format, still would be first-round combatants under the new one. The other seven first-round matchups of last season wouldn't have happened under realignment.





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				<pubDate>Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:24:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Realignment proved best option for multiple teams</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



There was a "simple" option for NHL realignment discussed during the first day of the League's Board of Governors meetings, but as Commissioner Gary Bettman noted, "Simple may have not been so simple."
So instead of just shuffling Winnipeg to the Central Division and either Detroit or Columbus to the Southeast, the Board approved a more dramatic change, but also one that helps ease the concerns of more franchises. The new four-conference format is expected to help most teams, either with lessened travel, more games in the local time zone or more games against the League's marquee opponents -- or all of the above.

"I think it's a real good step today, and it's good for almost everybody in the League," Nashville general manager David Poile said. "I think it's certainly very good for our fans in terms of almost every market. I know our fans really appreciate to see everybody at least once every year and I think that was a strong move. At the end of the day, my best answer is I think we did the right thing."

The schedule will look dramatically different under this plan, which still must be implemented by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. Teams will play one home and one road contest against every franchise from the other three conferences. Clubs in the seven-team conferences will play six intra-conference games -- teams in the conferences with eight will play each other either five or six times against each other.

Detroit, Columbus and Winnipeg are among the teams that will benefit the most from the new plan. The benefits for the Jets are obvious -- many more games against teams in the Central time zone and far less travel.

Either the Red Wings or the Blue Jackets would have been helped by the "simple" solution, but one would have been left as the lone remaining Eastern time zone team in the Western Conference. Both clubs will be able to maintain rivalries with teams like Chicago (and each other), and more games will start between 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. -- as opposed to having so many late-night contests on the West Coast.

The Red Wings and Blue Jackets currently play 16 regular-season games in the Mountain or Pacific time zones. Under the plan passed Monday, that number will be cut in half.

"The biggest part for us was to get the home-and-away with every team," Columbus general manager Scott Howson said. "That really takes away one Western Canadian trip and takes away a California trip. So, we're only going to visit those teams once, which will reduce the amount of travel on us. Where we settled after that we didn't have a strong preference but we're really pleased with the way it worked out."

Minnesota and Dallas also are big winners with the League's new look. The Wild and Stars no longer are grouped with teams two time zones away as they are now in the Northwest and Pacific divisions, respectively.

A big part of the new realignment plan also focuses on postseason rivalries. The top four teams in each conference will make the playoffs, and the first two rounds will be contained within each conference -- just as it was in the old four-division format from 1981-82 to 1992-93.

This will provide the opportunity for teams to face the same foes with more frequency during the postseason. 

Teams currently in the Eastern Conference will have more games against teams currently in the West, but there also will be less travel during the first two rounds of the postseason for everyone.

"I think it will help. There's going to be that opportunity," Vancouver General Manager Mike Gillis said. "There's new rivalries that get created every year with playoff rounds. If you look at us and Chicago, it is a really strong rivalry now that people look forward to, but that got created really through (multiple) playoff rounds."

The four new conferences are aligned geographically, but there is no perfect fit for the 14 teams currently in the Eastern Conference and not named Winnipeg. Bettman said there were teams in the Mid-Atlantic region that voiced concerns about losing rivalries that have been built, so the solution was not to break up the Atlantic Division clubs.

Instead, Washington -- an old Patrick Division rival -- and Carolina will join those five Atlantic teams to form a new conference. That leaves Florida and Tampa Bay from the current Southeast Division, and those two will be grouped with the current members of the Northeast.

"It will be good for our fans," Florida General Manager Dale Tallon said. "From the business side, getting Toronto and Montreal and Boston to come to our building is really good for us. Travel is the negative, but hopefully we can work around it. ... The travel is not exactly easy to Winnipeg in our division this year, so we're dealing with it. If this is what is best for the overall competitive League balance, then I'm OK with it."

Added Detroit General Manager Ken Holland: "From our perspective we think it's a lot better than the current system. We're going to see all the teams in our building at least once. We're going to have more road games on prime time (television). Any of the 15 teams in the Western Conference understand all the travel we've had to go through in playoff series; you're now going to have the first two rounds of the playoffs within your own conference. And, the other thing is come playoff time your road games in playoffs are going to be on (prime-time TV). We played a lot of road games in the playoffs last year in San Jose and Phoenix, and the games were on at 10 or 10:30 at night. 

"I would talk to fans and they would watch one or two periods and wake up in the morning to get the score. Six months ago our thought was we wanted to be in the East, but after looking at this alternative &hellip; we felt it was a great compromise and I would say that we're happy."



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				<pubDate>Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:14:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>1st vs. 5th</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[


 
What does a first round pick have in common with a fifth round pick?
In this case, more than you'd think.
Take Nicklas Jensen and Frankie Corrado, for example, two promising Canucks draft picks having great years with their Ontario Hockey League clubs.

Jensen is a Danish born hockey player who currently plays the wing for the Oshawa Generals of the OHL. Meanwhile, Corrado is a Canadian born product who patrols the blueline for the Sudbury Wolves in the same league.
They were both born in 1993 in the month of March a mere 17 days apart. They both were drafted by the Canucks in the 2011 entry-draft, and they both turned heads and made Vancouver's coaching staff take notice in this year's prospects camp. And they both have garnered early recognition for their strong play to start the year for their respective clubs.
Corrado was recently named the October Industrial Alliance Player of the Month Award for the Wolves, after registering nine points in 14 games and is a plus-4. Corrado is counted on in high-pressure situations on a game-to-game basis for the Wolves and is never shy to drop the mitts to protect his teammates.
Jensen, for his part, just won his second Player of the Week award for the Generals to start the young season. The 1st round pick of the Canucks totaled three goals and one assist for four points and a plus-2 rating in three games earning him the honor for the period ending November 6th. He had previously taken home the award two weeks prior when he put up five assists in three games.
The two have already faced off against each other twice this season, with Corrado and his Wolves skating away with two wins. The good news for Jensen is his squad has two more opportunities to level the score.
The first game was a much more one-sided affair that saw two streaks come to a crashing halt. Oshawa lost 5-2 to Sudbury ending a six game stretch in which the Generals earned at least one point. Jensen also had a streak stopped, as his six game point streak was snapped in a game that the Wolves managed to stifle the young Dane.

The second time around the Wolves couldn't contain the Herning, Denmark, native as he erupted for two goals and one assist. But the end result remained the same as the Wolves walked with a 6-4 victory.
Although the second match-up was a much more entertaining affair as the teams traded chances throughout the game, much to the crowd's delight, until Sudbury made it 4-2 in the third seemingly putting the game out of reach.
But Oshawa's spirits could not be broken, and at 8.57 of the third, Jensen scored his second of the night to make it a one-goal game. The Generals kept pressing until they tied it at four apiece.
But the comeback was all for not, as the Wolves had a little bit more gas left in the tank. They added a late third period tally to take the lead for good and Corrado drove the final nail in the coffin with an empty netter.
So with the 6-4 victory the Wolves took a 2-0 lead in the battle of Corrado vs. Jensen.
After two games against each other, Corrado has a goal, an assist, and a plus-4 rating, while Jensen has two goals, an assist and an even rating.
Stay tuned for more intense action to come as two of the Canucks brightest prospects face-off against one another.




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				<pubDate>Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:05:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Governors adopt radical realignment plan</title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



The NHL's Board of Governors on Monday approved a radical realignment plan, eliminating the current two-conference, six-division setup in favor of a configuration that features four conferences based primarily on geography.
Two conferences will have eight teams and the other two conferences will have seven teams.

The Board authorized Commissioner Gary Bettman to implement this proposal in Monday evening's vote, pending input from the National Hockey League Players' Association. The League's intention is for the four-conference set-up to be in place starting with the 2012-13 season.

The vote to approve realignment required a two-thirds majority of the League's 30 governors, and it passed on the first of two days of meetings here at The Inn at Spanish Bay. 

The makeup of the yet-to-be-named four conferences is as follows:

* New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Washington and Carolina

* Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Buffalo, Florida and Tampa Bay

* Detroit, Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis, Chicago, Minnesota, Dallas and Winnipeg

* Los Angeles, Anaheim, Phoenix, San Jose, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Colorado

Realignment was necessary due to the fact that Winnipeg had to move out of the Eastern Conference after playing in the Southeast Division this season due to the late relocation of the franchise from Atlanta to the Manitoba capital.

"I had nothing against the existing format, and but for the move to Winnipeg we wouldn't be looking to change it," Bettman said. "It wasn't a question of being dissatisfied, but we had a number of clubs that were unhappy with the current state of affairs, and in the context of having to make a change anyway felt it was important for their needs and their concerns and their issues to be recognized. It was intended to be as much a global solution as possible."

The Board voted in favor of the four-conference alignment over a simpler realignment solution that had Winnipeg moving to the Western Conference's Central Division and either Detroit or Columbus moving to the Eastern Conference's Southeast Division.

Bettman said the discussion on realignment lasted only about an hour.

"I opened by describing pros and cons of both (realignment plans), and I think we laid it out in a comprehensive way -- not selling, but it was here is everything good that you'll like about the simpler view and here are the negatives. We did the same thing with the four-conference format," Bettman said. "The board seemed to be, not unanimous, but of pretty good mind where they were going with this."

The four conferences are designed to alleviate geographic concerns among several current Western Conference teams that had been unhappy about their extensive travel through one, two, and sometimes even three time zones. Chief among those teams were the Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars.

Some of those teams argued that the late start of road games in the Pacific time zone were having an adverse effect on fan interest, especially among younger fans. Detroit General Manager Ken Holland said he noticed a problem in last season's Stanley Cup Playoffs, when the Red Wings had to travel to Phoenix in the first round and San Jose in the second round. Each of those cities is a three-hour difference from Detroit.

"We played a lot of road games in the playoffs last year in San Jose and Phoenix, and the games were on at 10 or 10:30 at night," Holland told NHL.com. "I would talk to fans and they would watch one or two periods and wake up in the morning to get the score. 

"Six months ago our thought was we wanted to be in the East, but after looking at this alternative&hellip;we felt it was a great compromise and I would say that we're happy."

The new alignment also enables the NHL to create a balanced schedule in which all teams will play each other at least twice every season, once at home and once on the road, giving fans a chance to see every team and superstar in the League. The remaining games will be played within the conferences.

In the seven-team Conferences, teams would play six times -- three home, three away -- for a total of 36 inter-division games. In the eight-team Conferences, teams would play either five or six times in a season on a rotating basis -- for a total of 38 inter-division games. 

The teams in the seven-team Conferences will have 46 out-of-conference games, including 23 at home and 23 on the road. The teams in the eight-team Conferences will have 44 out-of-conference games evenly split between home and away.

"I think it's certainly very good for our fans in terms of almost every market," Nashville General Manager David Poile said. "I know our fans really appreciate to see everybody at least once every year and I think that was a strong move."

As a result of the new four-conference alignment, the Stanley Cup Playoffs will follow a different format as well. 

The top four teams in each Conference will qualify for the playoffs. The first-place team in each conference would play the fourth-place team in the same conference; the second-place team would play the third-place team. 

The four respective Conference champions would meet in the third round, with the survivors playing for the Stanley Cup.

A decision on how the League will seed the remaining teams for the semifinals will likely not come until the general managers meet in March.

"That's something I plan to do with the general managers at their meeting in the spring," Bettman said. "We'll figure out what they want from a competitive standpoint. This is a decision I'll let the GMs make."

Bettman acknowledged that in the four-conference format, there will be added travel for some teams due to the fact that every team has to visit every city at least once per season. However, he did say that the schedule can be made to be more efficient so there will be less travel between stops on road trips.

"We need to be more efficient and the schedule maker believes he can be," Bettman said.

He also conceded that there was a focus on the fact that there are two conferences with only seven teams as opposed to two with eight teams. However, he added that didn't seem to be an issue within the Board.

"Frankly it's not the seventh and eighth teams that are competing for a playoff spot," Bettman said. "When you look at the map of North America, it's not geographic perfection so we're looking for something that makes the most sense and most fans and most clubs as comfortable as possible."





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				<pubDate>Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:09:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>John Garrett: Controversy </title>
				
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					<description><![CDATA[



I have often said goaltenders are a special breed.

Naturally, I mean that in the most positive way. They have to be. They are the only players who are on the ice and have to be on their toes and paying attention for the entire sixty minutes.
I have heard people say - and even other players say - that you only get 30 shots a game and of those, maybe 10 are good scoring chances. I guess they have never seen those bad bounce off a stantion goals or the ones that skip and go in on a shot from center.
The only ones who really understand what I am talking about are other goalies and I don't mean some guy that has to put on the pads because the rec league players are getting tired of firing at the shooter tutor. I mean goaltenders who have made it their careers.
Goaltenders who have gone through the ups and downs of win streaks and getting the hook. These are the chosen few who are able to be the hero one minute and the goat the next and have the mental toughness to bounce back in their next game or on the next shot.
The goaltending fraternity is a strong union. It is built on mutual respect.
Each goalie has their own personality and their own idiosyncrasies but they all know the skill and talent required to succeed in playing that position. That is why when one goaltender gets hot and the other has to sit and watch there is no controversy between the two.
They realize that they have a partnership to win as many games during the long 82 game season as they possibly can. You notice how I said they because these two players combine to fill the the one individual spot in this team game.
Don't get me wrong. It is a competition. Every goaltender would like to play every night and every goaltender knows that one game on the bench can turn into five in a hurry, so try not to have a bad game, and ride the wave when you are hot, and build on every win. Try not to put too much pressure on yourself, and try not to worry about the media or the fans or the lights, or the bad batch of sticks, or the last deflection that hit the post and went in. Am I rambling?
Another goalie would understand.
When Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider say there is no goalie controversy they mean it.




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				<pubDate>Sun, 04 Dec 2011 20:14:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>A look at coaching seniority among NHL teams</title>
				
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Job security is tenuous as an NHL coach, as the list below proves.
While rarities like Lindy Ruff of the Buffalo Sabres and Barry Trotz of the Nashville Predators have held onto their positions over the long haul, two-thirds of the League's teams have replaced their coaches as recently as 2009 and only five teams have employed their coaches for longer than five years now.

Dale Hunter of the Washington Capitals and Kirk Muller of the Carolina Hurricanes are the newest additions to the coaching fraternity, named Monday to replace Bruce Boudreau and Paul Maurice, their respective predecessors.

Here's a look at coaching seniority among the 30 NHL franchises:


    






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				<pubDate>Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:40:00 EST</pubDate>
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				<title>Super 16: Schneider leads Canucks' Rankings rise</title>
				
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The good news for the Vancouver Canucks is they no longer are emitting signs of a Stanley Cup Final hangover, winning seven of nine after a 6-7-1 start to the season.
They've climbed to seventh place in the Western Conference and are just two points behind the Minnesota Wild for first in the Northwest Division.

The bad news is the Canucks could have a headache -- perhaps one a lot of teams would like to have -- that's not a symptom of a hangover. 

A goaltender controversy is brewing in British Columbia, with backup Cory Schneider making five consecutive starts. The first two were necessary, with starter Roberto Luongo out with an upper-body injury, but Schneider has been in net for the final three starts after Luongo declared himself 100-percent healthy Wednesday.

Canucks coach Alain Vigneault spoke Saturday after Schneider's 43-save performance in a 3-2 win against the San Jose Sharks at HP Pavilion, and this was his take on the current state of the team's goaltending situation.

"Louie (Luongo) is one of the most competitive players," Vigneault told Ben Kuzma of The (Vancouver) Province. "Obviously he wants to play, but knows Cory is playing well and he knows I'm going to do what's best for the team and that's not going to change." 

If Schneider continues to play like this, it's hard to blame Vigneault for not wanting to shake things up.

In 12 games (10 starts) this season, Schneider is 6-4-0 with a 2.02 goals-against average and .931 save percentage. But he's been unconscious of late, going 4-1-0 with two shutouts and just eight goals allowed in that stretch. During the Canucks' current four-game winning streak, he has stopped 117 of 120 shots.

In 13 starts this season, Luongo has been far less impressive -- 7-5-1, 2.97 GAA, 896 save percentage. To his credit, he was showing signs of finding his game recently. He was 3-1-0 in four starts before suffering his injury, stopping 104 of 113 shots for a .920 save percentage.

Both goaltenders deserve credit for the Canucks' recent surge, but it's Schneider who has been the better goaltender this season. But Schneider, just like he did when he relieved Luongo in two games in Boston during last year's Stanley Cup Final, insists he's just keeping the job warm.

"He's such a great teammate and professional, he's going to get his chance and he'll be back in there sooner than later," Schneider told The Province. "He was looking good before he went down, so I'm sure he'll pick up where he left off. And maybe he'll look at it to be just as good (as Schneider) in his next start and that's good for us. When Lou is on his game he's really tough to beat. Two guys firing all cylinders does nothing but benefit the team." 

After playing 14 of their first 23 games away from Rogers Arena, the Canucks open a four-game homestand Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. They shouldn't get too comfortable, though, as a five-game Eastern road trip awaits after that. The Canucks don't play back-to-back games at any point during that nine-game stretch, so when Vigneault does go back to Luongo, it won't be because of the schedule.

Where has this recent run placed the Canucks in this week's Super 16? Far below the top-ranked Bruins (sorry, Vancouverites), but they are this week's highest riser. What else has changed this week? Let's take a look.


    
        
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            TEAM (RECORD)
            LAST WEEK
            COMMENTARY
        
    
    
    
        
    
    
    

If you have any problems, questions, anger or praise for this list, you can let me know on Twitter: @davelozo



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				<pubDate>Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:35:00 EST</pubDate>
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