"Roberto has proven himself to be an elite goaltender. His international experience, Vezina Trophy nomination and ability to consistently play at the highest level are tremendous assets that we believe will make the Vancouver Canucks competitive each and every night."

“The Canucks have had a great team over the last few years. Unfortunately they had a few injuries last season and didn't make it but they're committed to winning. And that's really important for an organization. That's something that I really respect.

“There's no doubt in my mind that once I get we're going to make a run for the Stanley Cup and that's why I'm coming there.”

The impact from a coaching change made way out on Canada’s west coast on Saturday could be felt back here in Nova Scotia.

The Vancouver Canucks’ firing of long-time assistant coaches Mike Johnston, a Dartmouth native, and Jack McIlhargey could open the door for Rick Bowness to be brought on board as an assistant coach to recently hired head coach Alain Vigneault.

The two had a strong working relationship with the Ottawa Senators from 1992-96 and it’s been well-documented for some time now that Vigneault would like Bowness to join him behind the Canucks’ bench.

However, it is still uncertain at this point if Vigneault will be given the freedom to hire his own assistants, although it certainly stands to reason he will get to name at least one of his right-hand men.

If that is the case, it appears the decision may, in a round-about way, be Bowness’ to make. The 53-year-old coaching veteran addressed that scenario on Saturday, shortly after learning of the firings in Vancouver.

Bertuzzi, who was traded to the Florida Panthers last week, and his wife Julie are the defendants in a lawsuit filed on March 6 by Moore and his parents. It accuses the Bertuzzis of fraud and asks for $100,000 in punitive damages.

The suit claims that five weeks after Bertuzzi’s attack on Moore during a game on March 8, 2004, the joint ownership of the couple’s home in Kitchener was legally changed to place it in the sole possession of Bertuzzi’s wife.

According to the suit, the Bertuzzi home is worth more than $1.2 million, but was transferred to Julie Bertuzzi for $2. Supporting documents listed in the suit state the Bertuzzis' explanation for the $2 transaction was a “transfer from husband and wife for natural love and affection.”

The lawsuit claims the sale was one step in Bertuzzi's attempt to make himself "creditor-proof."

The Canucks have made their first move in negotiations with new goaltender Roberto Luongo Monday, making a qualifying offer to the restricted free agent, and there is more to come according to CKNW 980 AM in Vancouver.

The Canucks qualified Luongo at $3.2 million, which gives the club his rights for the 2006-07 season, but the radio station is also reporting that Luongo's agent, Gilles Lupien, will meet with his client in Montreal this week to discuss the prospects of a long term deal.

• Anyone know why fans hate Bob McKenzie? We were sitting next to the TSN desk and Uncle Dave's twin brother was getting taunted all night.
• Gary Bettman was greeted by boos as well, but we already know why.
• Ditto the Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames.
• Like most Canucks fans, after hearing about the Tanguay-for-Leopold trade, I wondered if Pierre Lacroix and Francois Giguere had lost all their marbles. Then, Eric Duhatschek reminded me that this was the new NHL and trades are as much about cap space as it is about building and re-building a team.
• Great touch by the Washington Capitals organization to let Alexander Ovechkin introduce their first-round selections. You know you're a franchise player when...
• When Gary Bettman announced the Demitra-to-Minnesota trade, the crowd at GM Place gasped collectively. Did the Wild really just acquire an offensive-oriented player? Meanwhile, while the rest of us got over that bit of shock, Jes Gőlbez of Hockey Rants and Pavol Demitra's number one fan, undestandably, reacted a bit differently.
• A large contingent of fans of the Everett Silvertips made the 90-minute road trip up the I-5 to see four of their players drafted. These are great fans - I've seen them at Vancouver Giants games and yesterday, they were out there cheering and ringing the cowbells for the selections of Peter Mueller (PHX), Leland Irving (CAL), Ondrej Fiala (MIN) and Brady Calla (FLA).
• Anyone notice Mike Keenan NOT announcing the Panthers' pick? I don't see why he wouldn't. Canucks fans should realize how valuable Keenan has been to the Canucks organization. He brought them Todd Bertuzzi, Daniel Sedin and Jarkko Ruutu a few years ago. This weekend, he gave them Roberto Luongo.
• On the other hand, everyone noticed Bobby Clarke's brain cramp when he forgot the name of the guy he was drafting. I wonder if Claude Giroux re-introduced himself when he got up on stage.
• If the Boston Bruins can get Tukka Rask for Andrew Raycroft, what can the Canucks get for Dan Cloutier?

News 1130 Radio in Vancouver is reporting that new Vancouver Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault has fired all his assistant coaches.

The Vancouver Canucks and Florida Panthers have completed a multi-player trade involving Roberto Luongo and Todd Bertuzzi, sources have told TSN.

Netminder Luongo is amongst a package that is going to Vancouver in exchange for a package that includes Bertuzzi.

Luongo instantly becomes the most highly touted netminder to ever play for Vancouver, a franchise that has almost always struggled to compete with below average goaltending. The city's been called a goaltending graveyard in the past — although that's generally been because the fellows in net have looked as limber as corpses.

(snip)

The ultimate question of 'who wins' this deal will fall to the play of the two centrepieces, Luongo and Bertuzzi. Given Bertuzzi's lacklustre play and declining production (his points per game average has dropped each year since his 'breakout' campaign in 2002-03), it's difficult to see how this deal can come back to bite the Canucks.

My initial reaction was this trade is a steal for the Canucks. After sleeping on it overnight I think more or less think the same. What Vancouver gets in this deal is two fold. First, they get the high-calibre goalie they have never had. Second, they save some money they despertely needed to in order to try to re-sign the Sedins as well as try and keep Jovanovski and Anson Carter. It is also all but certain that they will dump Dan Cloutier’s salary to the first team willing to take it off their hands. The big question mark on the deal is, will they be able to ink Luongo to a long term deal. If they can then this trade is a steal for the Canucks. If not and they lose Luongo next summer it will not be so great but it is not like they gave up a lot as Bertuzzi is a UFA next summer too.

I absolute love Roberto Luongo as a goaltender. He is the most talented goaltender in the NHL (Not the best at the moment, but he can could be), but giving up a stalwart defenseman like Bryan Allen and a cheap, league-average goaltender Alex Auld and getting only a loosey-goosey Lukas Krajicek back makes me go 'hmmm'. Both Bertuzzi and Luongo are in the same contract situation, so how does Dave Nonis give two cheap, younger players along in the deal? The Canucks are still left with an expensive backup in Dan Cloutier, and their defense is in serious danger of being thin.

Rejoice, Lightning fans… Roberto Luongo is heading for the Pacific Northwest.

A constant thorn in the Lightning’s side since he came to the Panthers several years ago, Roberto Luongo has my respects as possibly the best goaltender in the National Hockey League…

The NHL Entry Draft starts at 3 PM. The first round runs approximately 3 hours and each round after that is about an hour plus each.

Now, the Canucks are in the following draft positions:

1st round (#14)
3rd round (#83)
6th round (#167)
7th round (#197)

I believe the later picks are scheduled for Sunday.

We're thinking of heading to the Gecko Club (518 Richards St.) shortly after the Canucks' 3rd round pick - probably around 8:00 PM.

Hope to see y'all there.

Walking down the red carpet. Really there was a red carpet.


The NHL really does have the most beautiful trophies in pro sports.


More trophies. You know, the Hart kinda reminds me of a chess piece.


Me and Staalzy. God, am I really that short?


Me and Cam Ward. From an virtual unknown to Conn Smythe winner in one season. Ron McLean mentioned that it was Kevin Lowe's idea to include him in Team Canada's Olympic long list. So Kevin Lowe knew something the rest of the hockey world didn't. And yet the Oilers still couldn't beat him.


Me and Ron McLean. Weird, he did that thumbs up thing on every photo. Has he always done that?

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Comments/Questions: Feel free to post in the comments section or email me at gocanucksgo10 (at) hotmail (dot) com.

Technorati Tags: NHL+Awards+Show, hockey, Vancouver

One of these two sucks 50+ nights a year; the other is - no wait, they both suck 50+ nights a year (alternate caption: Whose five-hole has been exposed more over the past two years?).

Q: Do the rules in the "new NHL" have any impact on the types of players you look for?
A: Yes. In this year's draft, teams will be going for picks based on speed and skill, including Vancouver. Look at Buffalo and how they performed with the rule changes. They are a good example of what a team can do. Teams want more speed now and small players that may have been shunned before are now hot commodities.

It's pretty much a given now that Florida Panthers general manager Mike Keenan has little option now that the goaltender has turned down two terrific offers from the club, stating through his agent Gilles Lupien that he will only finish this next season with the team before testing the free-agent waters -- unless he's given a no-trade clause.

This could be a ploy to force Florida's hand as it's no secret he has been put off on more than one occasion with some of the things that have gone on with his club. He was livid last August when he was at the Olympic orientation camp in Kelowna, B.C., upset that Keenan was going to take him to arbitration. And since then he has turned down at least two lucrative offers from the Panthers, one well publicized offer of US$30-million over five years and another whereby he was offered US$24-million over four years very recently.

(snip)

Sources indicate that the Canucks are certainly among the most interested teams given the type of package they might be able to offer in return. The L.A. Kings are also said to be very interested, along with the Oilers, who don't have Dwayne Roloson locked up for next year. When a guy like Luongo goes on the market, everyone has to be interested.

Canucks GM Dave Nonis has said publicly he feels Luongo is among the best goalies in the game and given the histrionics in goal this team has gone through in the time Nonis has been in and around the organization, he knows full well his acquisition would put an end to all that melodrama.

In terms of assets, he has a few, including one Todd Bertuzzi. A trade for the winger makes sense because Keenan likes Bertuzzi and thinks he'll be great again. And the off-loading of his US$5-million in salary would clear the decks for a Luongo signing in Vancouver.

No deal could happen without one of Vancouver's stars leaving. The problem is Keenan needs a goalie back in return. And while the Canucks have a great range of options to offer, are any of the three possibilities good enough to satisfy the former Vancouver coach turned Florida boss?

I think there will be opportunities to give our team a different look. How deep those changes go, I mean that remains to be seen. It depends on what presents itself.

It's picking up a little bit. I wouldn't say it's busy. I think it will get busy starting tomorrow (today) when people start getting into town, but a lot of things have happened in the last week or so.

(snip)

I think it'll be an exciting time. I think there's gonna be a lot of things that are gonna be discussed and we may see some fireworks there by Saturday afternoon.

(snip)

In terms of your pick, do you try to move? Yeah, if it doesn't cost you too much. You don't want to hurt your team. With a deal we make there, we can, you know, maybe move a player or two and fill some holes. I don't know. I mean, if that's there, I think there's lots of teams there looking to score those options and opportunities and that could lead to an exciting day.

Besides, you’ve already got a remarkable candidate in Scott Arniel, who could help make the seamless transition as the Moose and Canucks enter into the sixth year of the once-rocky partnership.

Arniel, who is also in the mix for the Canucks job, was twice the bridesmaid for the top Moose post and could easily have been hired both times.

But rather than hang his head and fret over the missed opportunity, Arniel continued to get better and his diligent work as an assistant helped the Buffalo Sabres reach the Eastern Conference final this spring.

Arniel has obvious ties to the community and is ready to run his own team.

Thank you for coming.

I feel really honored and privileged to be the new coach of the Vancouver Canucks. I'd like to thank Dave and Steve for the vote of confidence that they're showing me. I don't intend to let them down. I don't intend to let ownership down and I don't intend to let the fans down.

I have a memory last year when we were at training camp. We were in Whistler and we went out - the staff, the management, the trainers, the scouts and the support staff - and we walked into this restaurant. Obviously, we were a big group and people were staring and by the time we got to our table, people had realized who had walked in. And all of a sudden, throughout the restaurant, people started chanting "Go Canucks Go, Go Canucks Go!" And you know, right then and there, not wishing any bad things to happen to anybody, but I said to myself internally, "I'd love to coach here. I'd love to coach in a place where hockey means something and I'm getting that opportunity."

I'm a career coach and except for my family, my friends and my two daughters, Adrienne and Genny, hockey is my life and now the Vancouver Canucks are my life, and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure this team is as successful as it can be in achieving their goals and the ultimate goal, the Stanley Cup.

I really believe that all players want to be successful and if you give them a way to be successful, they'll follow that path. You know, some guys say that I'm a disciplinarian. Some other guys say that I'm a players' coach. I frankly believe that I'm a business-type coach.

You know there's a job that needs to be done and when you're in charge of the business you have to make sure that it is done. And you create the right environment for your personnel to do it. Sometimes it's making sure that the reins are a little bit tighter and sometimes it's loosening it up so guys can go out and play. It's a matter of reading your team, reading your players, getting a feel for when they perform the best.

The Canucks said they saw a different Crawford this year, one who had mellowed during the lockout, one who was trying a new, more hands-off approach.

"He wasn't as hard on guys as he was in the past," Morrison said. "I think that was part of his plan -- to put the onus on guys in the room to take over the team and hold each other accountable."

There were only a handful of times during games, practices and postgame interviews when Crawford showcased his fiery, emotional side.

Other than Morrison, he didn't publicly call out a player during the season, something he often did in past years.

"There is no question that, at times, he was more lenient than he had been in the past," Morrison said.