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CANUCKS HOCKEY BLOG

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Sweater Launch

After months of speculation, the Canucks will finally unveil their new jersey at 12:30 PM today. If you can take an extra long lunch break, you can go to GM Place and witness it live (and partake in some free hot dogs); if not, the event will be streamed live on canucks.com and Global TV.

Will it be this jersey? Or this one?

Especially considering that this new look is only supposed to be a modification of the current jersey, it's funny how much talk it has generated over the summer. I was working at GM Place when they switched from the skate logo to the current Orca one. I even volunteered, along with other Canuckleheads, to stand on the Dunsmuir viaduct wearing the new jersey and waving the new logo to folks driving to work. To be quite honest, I don't remember there being as much hype over the logo switch back then.

Today's sweater launch - as the Canucks have dubbed it - is an event on its own. I mentioned GM Place will be open to fans to witness it live. Well, about 8,500 fans are expected to fill out the lower bowl.

Barring unforseen work things, I'll be one of the 8,500. I'm planning on meeting up with Dave and Rebecca, and hopefully, we can do a quick podcast episode afterwards - I'll post more when I get home tonight.

[update: 08/29/2007, 9:07 PM]


Reaction among the blogosphere on the new Canucks jersey has been quite lukewarm. Listening to TEAM 1040 this afternoon, reaction among Canucks fans has been the same.

My reaction? Well, this is something I've said in the past but I do like the simplicity of it. I'm a big fan of the vintage colors and I don't have the same animosity towards the Orca logo as some fans. Save for going back to the vintage stick and rink jersey, this look is probably the next best thing.

One thing I noticed at today's unveiling was how much the jersey - and especially the colors - stood out and popped out on the white ice. They really do look sharp. And if they can win the Stanley Cup wearing them, they'll look that much better.

(Note: I took some pictures from our seats but they turned out like crap. Good thing Rebecca's pictures turned out. Also, thanks to a reader, Leanne, who took the picture posted above from the club section and sent it in.)


[update: 08/29/2007, 10:09 PM]

More reaction on the new jersey:

[update: 08/29/2007, 10:20 PM]

I met with Dave, Rebecca, and another Vancouver blogger, John Biehler, and we recorded our quick thoughts on the new jersey. Click here for episode 39 of The Crazy Canucks.


[update: 08/30/2007, 6:36 AM]

Even more reaction on the new jersey:

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Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Trevor Taking Another Paycut


From Iain MacIntyre of the Vancouver Sun (link via Kukla's Corner):
Nonis has been trying all summer to trade for offensive help and said recently the pressure on some teams to move a forward -- either to clear payroll or a roster spot -- won't peak until the start of the regular season.

Linden would be the 20th NHLer (one-way contract) on Vancouver's roster and, including the buyout of Marc Chouinard, Nonis will have committed about $46.2 million US of his $50.3 million salary cap. He has cap room left to add another forward.

Linden, naturally, is doing what he can to help. To give Nonis as much cap flexibility as possible, Linden apparently is willing to take a cut from the $600,000 salary he made last year and play for a league-minimum $475,000, plus bonuses.

Whatever else, no one can question Linden's loyalty. Not even after this summer.
Last year, Trevor took a paycut from $1.52 million to $600,000 (plus bonuses) knowing that his role has changed on this team. We say it all the time. His biggest contribution now is his leadership. Of course, all he did was score 12 goals in the regular season - good for 5th on the team among forwards - and lead the team in scoring in the playoffs. I'm not saying he deserves a massive raise, but I don't think he deserves a paycut either.

Read the full article here.

[update: 08/21/2007, 5:39 PM]

It's official. Trevor Linden is returning to the Vancouver Canucks for one more season:

Fan favourite and 16-year Vancouver Canuck veteran Trevor Linden has re-signed with the team.

The contract will pay the 37-year-old US$600,000 in base salary. The deal also includes an additional $350,000 in bonuses for games played.
Way to get it done. Now about that scoring forward...

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Sunday, August 19, 2007

Summer's Unfinished Business

I'm in agreement with Alanah (and most others I'm sure) that the Canucks have some unfinished business as we approach training camp - namely the need to sign another forward with some scoring touch. However, player-related chatter right now are only revolving mostly around Trevor Linden's positive meeting with Alain Vigneault and Markus Naslund trying to sell good pal Peter Forsberg on joining the Canucks. With all due respect to Trevor, he's not exactly the scoring forward I have in mind. And Forsberg... well, he definitely fits the bill, but in fear of somehow jinxing the chances of seeing Foppa in the Free Willy jersey, I'll reserve comment when (or if) it actually happens.

In the meantime, the biggest news in Canuckland still seem to be the mystery of the new Canucks jersey. Dave Nonis and Chris Zimmerman have both mentioned in the past that the jersey will be revealed closer to training camp. From what I gather, the new jersey will be revealed on August 29th and this will be announced this week.

Could this be the team's new jersey?



The logo matches the one I received a couple of weeks ago and the jersey is obviously the same color scheme as the vintage stick and rink.

Hmmm...

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Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Crazy For Canucks Tickets

Earlier this week, Cleve Dheensaw (Victoria Times Colonist) wrote about the frenzy for tickets to the Canucks training camp intrasquad game.
Island residents are clearly passionate Vancouver Canucks fans.

Just how impassioned became evident yesterday when an upcoming intra-squad game at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre sold out in just four minutes.

"Only a Cher concert sold out faster," said Dave Dakers, general manager of the centre and president of the Canucks' ECHL farm team Victoria Salmon Kings.

"It's definitely a record for a sporting event for either the Victoria or Kelowna [Prospera Place] arenas."

The intra-squad game, where the team is divided into two competing halves, is set for Sept. 16 at the 7,000-seat arena.

Dakers said the Internet ticketing system, which can handle 2,500 to 3,000 requests at one time, became full only 10 seconds after tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. The game sold out so quickly over the Internet and phone lines that only about 50 of the several hundred people in line at the box office were able to get tickets.
On September 15th, Canucks fans get to go through the madness all over again - it's when single-game tickets go on sale.

Via the letter that accompanied my season ticket invoice:

Single game tickets will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, September 15th at 10:00 am.

Single game tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis ONLY through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.ca/canucks or Charge-by-Phone at 604.280.4400.

A limit of four tickets per game is in place. Please be aware that the most popular games will be the first to sell out of available inventory so it is best to have other game options in mind. Just a reminder to be patient when encountering delays or busy signals during this period as Ticketmaster will be experiencing a large volume of calls.
I don't doubt that one bit.

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Trevor's Future

We may soon hear an answer regarding Trevor Linden's future with the Vancouver Canucks.

From Iain MacIntyre's (Vancouver Sun) piece this morning:

In eight days in July, Trevor Linden powered his mountain bike up 23,000 vertical metres - like cycling up Mt. Everest nearly three times - in the TransAlps stage race, and on some of the peaks in Austria and Italy felt like he could see forever.

Alas, his future with the Vancouver Canucks was not within view.

But Linden's most important summit was Tuesday night when, after waiting most of the summer to learn if the team he loves still loves him back, he was to meet with Canucks coach Alain Vigneault to discuss the iconic winger's future with the National Hockey League franchise.
There is no doubt in my mind that Trevor can still play. He was one of the team's better forwards in the playoffs, and even in a fourth-line role, led the team in scoring. The problem of course is that Trevor is 37 years old, and with a bottom-heavy roster and a bunch of young guys looking to make the jump to the big leagues, he has to take on an even lesser-role. Can he accept that role? We know he was none too pleased when, by merit or not, Vigneault made him a healthy scratch for the first time in his career.

Stay tuned.

[update: 08/15/2007, 7:21 AM]

In his morning sports editorial, Rick Dhaliwal from CKNW 980 just mentioned that Trevor is trying to gauge interest from other teams.

That's not a good sign.

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Thursday, August 09, 2007

Centre Ice Comes To Shaw

Saw this on Alanah's site last night and I have to say... it's about freakin' time.
Shaw Communications Inc. announced that it will offer the NHL Centre Ice package to its Shaw Digital Cable and Star Choice Direct-to-Home satellite customers beginning with the 2007/08 hockey season. The NHL Centre Ice package consists of at least 1,000 regular season and selected play-off games from the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Centre Ice customers will have access to over 40 games per week drawn from a variety of regional and national networks in Canada and the U.S. In addition, over 200 games in the Centre Ice package will be available in high definition television (HDTV).
I can't find anything on the official Shaw site, but reading on HFBoards, the pricing is as follows:
I just talked to Shaw, and they gave the following prices for NHL Centre ICE:

$200--Early bird price until September 30, 2007.
$220--After September 30, 2007.
$170--Half season price after January 10, 2007 up to the second playoff round.
$50--All games after the second playoff round.

I don't understand the $50 one, because after the second round of the playoffs, most games are carried on CBC.
My understanding is that Canucks telecasts won't be included because of local blackout restrictions, but on Canucks' off nights, there's the other 40+ games per week. In HD. I may have to fight Tracy for the remote this season.

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Training Camp Info Announced

From canucks.com:

Vancouver, B.C. – The Vancouver Canucks announced today that the 2007 Vancouver Canucks Training Camp, presented by BC Ferries, will take place in Victoria, British Columbia with on-ice activities beginning on Friday, September 7th. Prospects report to General Motors Place on Thursday, September 6th for pre-training camp medicals and testing. Main camp will conclude with an intra-squad game, hosted by the Canucks ECHL affiliate Victoria Salmon Kings, at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre on Sunday, September 16th at 11:00 am.
More details on training camp here; details on the intrasquad game (and tickets) here.

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Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Trying Something New

As you can see, I'm getting Canucks Hockey Blog ready for the new season with a new template. Please bear with me as I play around with some coding.

And now that we're about a month away from training camp, I'll try to get some regular posting going as well.

Talk to y'all soon. Cheers!

J.J.

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Wednesday, August 01, 2007

The Less Anonymous One

Remember the debacle that was Sportsnet's trade deadline day show? Remember their marquee guest?

In the most authoritative piece I've ever seen on Eklund, Greg Wyshynski (The Fourth Period, AOL Sports Fanhouse) chatted with the (getting less and less) anonymous hockey blogger and asked him the questions we've all been wondering about.

Because as Eklund's popularity and influence have grown -- with surging Web traffic, high-profile radio gigs and an on-air role during an NHL trade deadline television special -- so have serious charges about a fraudulent biography, his lack of journalistic ethics and some online behavior that historically has gotten professional reporters fired. During our hour-long conversation, the "anonymous hockey blogger" finally began to answer to them -- with some startling revelations.
Much, much more here.

[update: 08/02/2007, 8:43 AM]

Here's something interesting for those who follow Eklund and his many, many Canucks-related trade rumors:
So, In the past I have communicated with Eklund, We have developed what I'd call a "working relationship". However, it makes me want to call him out.

So, here we go, Today I am sending Eklund this email

"Hey Ek,Just an FYI, I was speaking with my friend in Scouting earlier today, and according to him Nonis has not finished with his 07/08 club building just yet.Something HUGE is coming in the form of a trade, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to mention the names involved on the Canucks side of things. But, apparently the goal is to aquire Olli Jokinen.... interestingly enough though, Brian Allen might be in the big picture as well.... this trade may involve more than 1 current Roster Canuck... I would only be able to speculate as to which Canucks are involved, but I think we both know that it would be for a D man, and a forward and perhaps a first/second round pick"

You already reported some possible jokinen rumours last week, now might be a good time to bring it up again, as this deal is looking immenant. Also, Last week I reported that Linden had re-signed, although this hasn't been announced yet, it is %100 a done deal, Thanks EK!"

Now keep in mind, all I have done in the past with Eklund is send him some stupid BS rumours to laughingly see if he posts them, and I admit, It was indeed me who started the Linden signing rumour. However, I only did that in the first place, to add to my arsenal of shit to point out when I called him out on it.

Eklund thinks that I am a "Senior" person within the Salmon Kings organization..... HAHAHAHA I delayed this message to a degree in timing so that Eklund wouldn't happen to see it before he posts anything about my rumour. However, I there is a chance he may still stumble apon it, but we'll see.

I will however, post the reply in email that he sends me. And I will in the future copy and past most of the other emails that I have had with him.

Enjoy ladies and Gents.
Now guess what rumor du jour just popped up on Eklund's site? *sigh*

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