Vancouver Canucks News

Canucks call up Grabner, sign Schroeder
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March 18
Vancouver Sun
 
"The Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday recalled right-winger Michael Grabner from the American Hockey League's Manitoba Moose and signed top prospect Jordan Schroeder to a three-year entry-level contract. Grabner was recalled to replace forward Mikael Samuelsson, who is expected to miss up to three weeks with a shoulder injury in the Canucks' 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday. In his first season with the Canucks after signing as a free agent, Samuelsson has 30 goals and 23 assists in 70 games. Grabner, 22, collected two goals and three assists in nine games with the Canucks in October before breaking an ankle in a pre-game soccer ritual outside the dressing room at GM Place. The ..."
Vancouver Canucks call up Grabner to replace injured Samuelsson
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March 17
Vancouver Province
 
"With Mikael Samuelsson suffering a shoulder injury Tuesday, the Vancouver Canucks have recalled right winger Michael Grabner from the Manitoba Moose. The Northwest Division leaders have also signed 2009 first-round draft choice Jordan Schroeder to a three-year, entry-level contract. Samuelsson was injured in the third period of a 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders and the 30-goal scorer was scheduled to have an MRI examination on Wednesday. The 33-year-old is already having a career season and his spot in the top-six mix will be tough to replace. Grabner, 22, had five points (2-3) in nine games with the Canucks in October before breaking an ankle in a pre-game soccer ritual outside the ..."
Canucks call up Michael Grabner, sign Jordan Schroeder
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March 17
Vancouver Sun
 
"The Vancouver Canucks have signed 2009 first-round draft pick Jordan Schroeder and called up winger Michael Grabner from the AHL's Manitoba Moose. Grabner was recalled after the Canucks lost winger Mikael Samuelsson to an apparent shoulder injury in Tuesday night's 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders. Grabner, 22, has 15 goals and 26 points in 38 games with Manitoba this season. Earlier this season, Grabner played in nine games with Vancouver, registering five points (2-3-5) and six penalty minutes. He broke his ankle in a freak pre-game soccer match on Nov. 1 in the corridor of General Motors Place with a few of his Canuck teammates. Grabner was selected 14th overall in the 2006 NHL draft ..."
Raycroft replaces Luongo but it wasn't enough
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March 17
Vancouver Province
 
"Asked earlier in the day if Andrew Raycroft would ever get a start at GM Place, Alain Vigneault gave a Mona Lisa smile and simply shook his head. But he didn't say he wouldn't put the backup in as a reliever. For the fourth time in 13 games and seventh time this season, Vigneault yanked Roberto Luongo on Tuesday night. The switcheroo came after the Islanders scored four goals on 14 shots, two of the goals coming during a four-shot second period when Dwayne Roloson was stopping 17 of 19 in the middle frame at the other end. "It was more about getting Rayzer in there, trying to see if we could turn the tide there," Vigneault said after the Islanders schooled the Canucks 5-2. "I just thought ..."
Islanders surprise slow-starting Canucks 5-2
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March 17
Vancouver Province
 
"They never had a chance. It was written in black and white for all to see. The New York Islanders saw the summation of what was supposed to unfold Tuesday well before the first puck was dropped at GM Place. In The Province's game-day presentation page, all six categories gave the Vancouver Canucks the edge in goal, defence, forwards, power play, penalty kill and even grit. Oh, the Islanders noticed all right. The page was taped to the dressing-room wall and gave the Islanders incentive. If that wasn't enough, they got an added boost from a lethargic start by the Canucks en route to a surprise 5-2 victory that ended a seven-game home-ice win streak for the Northwest Division leaders. It ..."
Lackluster Canuck team falls 5-2 to New York Islanders
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March 17
Vancouver Sun
 
"The Vancouver Canucks had feasted on Eastern Conference teams all season and the New York Islanders were supposed to be nothing more than a tasty dessert. Instead, they proved to be as tough as five-dollar steak on Tuesday night. The Islanders, Vancouver's last Eastern opponent this season, grabbed a 3-0 lead and skated to a 5-2 win over the Canucks at General Motors Place. "It was very disappointing," said Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo, who started but did not finish the game. "I think we came into the game and we weren't really respecting the opposition. They came out strong, they made some plays and the next thing you know it's 2-0. "We have come back before, but it's not going to ..."
Top Canucks prospect Jordan Schroeder promises NHL decision by week's end
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March 16
Vancouver Sun
 
"A disappointing season came to an early end Sunday for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, and now Vancouver Canucks draft pick Jordan Schroeder has a decision to make. Does he turn pro or return to Minnesota for a third season? Schroeder said Monday he will make his decision by the end of this week. But in a telephone interview the 19-year-old centre sounded very much like a young man who is leaning toward turning pro. "It's every kid's dream to be a professional hockey player," Schroeder said. "I am discussing my options right now and you never know what might happen here in the next few days. I am talking to my agent (Neil Sheehy) and my family." Schroeder acknowledged the ..."
Canuck Aaron Rome is burning up depth chart
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March 16
Vancouver Sun
 
"When they are on the road and not at the rink, many National Hockey League players seem to spend much of their day talking and texting on their cellphones. Not Aaron Rome. During the Vancouver Canucks' recent six-game swing, Rome spent considerable time just staring at his. The Canucks defenceman couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. His newborn son, Grayson Riley Rome, was growing up right before his eyes. Rome's wife, Adrianne, delivered little Grayson — all six pounds, 14 ounces of him — on Friday, Feb. 26. That gave Rome the chance to at least cradle his son in his arms for a few hours before the team left the next day on the post-Olympic portion of its epic 14-game journey. Rome ..."
Luongo saves game in second and third after Canucks run out of gas
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March 15
Vancouver Province
 
"The Canucks didn't need Jannik Hansen to come through, for Alex Edler to score a rare goal or for the penalty killing unit to be perfect (although it was, 5-for-5) on Sunday. They didn't even need Mason Raymond to score on yet another breakaway. They just needed their best players to be their best players, and they were. After the names Sedin and Sedin, Kesler, Burrows and Samuelsson did their bit in the first period filling up the scoresheet, Roberto Luongo did the rest. The Canucks were outshot 27-8 over the final two periods and 11-0 in the third, but Luongo was unbeatable other than a Robyn Regehr shot with two Flames screening in front. "We had a great first period, played really well ..."
O'Brien sits again
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March 15
Vancouver Province
 
"Whether it's as the Canucks say, that they need to get as many looks at Andrew Alberts as they can before playoffs, or that Shane O'Brien is back in the doghouse, No. 55 is sitting out again tonight. It's O'Brien's second healthy scratch in a row after a string of 41 straight starts. "It's not so much Shane O'Brien as we've got Andrew Alberts and I don't know a whole lot about Andrew Alberts," associate coach Rick Bowness said Sunday morning after tonight's scratches plus Darcy Hordichuk took a morning skate. "We better know what we have going into the playoffs, it's as simple as that." O'Brien was last scratched for seven games in November, a stretch in which the Canucks went 4-3. In ..."
Sedins power Canucks to 3-1 win over Flames
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March 15
Vancouver Province
 
"In what has been his most special season, Henrik Sedin had one of his career's most special moments Sunday. He etched his name in the Canucks' record book by passing Trevor Linden in all-time assists, leading the way with a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win over the Calgary Flames. "It means a lot especially because it's Trevor, a guy who has meant a lot to us, a player who we really look up to on and off the ice," Henrik said. For Henrik, the accomplishment is historic. His team may be, too. The win gives the Canucks 43 on the season. It's seven short of setting a franchise record and there's 13 to play. The Canucks are five points and one win behind the Chicago Blackhawks, who are second ..."
Canucks complete weekend sweep of Sens, Flames
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March 15
Vancouver Sun
 
"The Vancouver Canucks travelled nearly the half world's circumference on their epic road trip but they are in another world at GM Place. Back in their home blues on the weekend, the Canucks took care of business with a pair of superb victories, 5-1 Saturday over the Ottawa Senators and 3-1 Sunday over their Northwest Division rivals from Calgary. The Canucks dominated the Sens in every facet imaginable and then disposed of the Flames thanks to a furious first period in which they scored three times, fired 20 shots on Calgary starter Miikka Kiprusoff and chased the Flames' No. 1 netminder. Coach Alain Vigneault's skaters took their foot off the gas after the first and allowed the Flames, ..."
Canucks power to 5-1 win over Senators in return to GM Place
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March 14
Vancouver Province
 
"The Vancouver Canucks didn't just win a game Saturday. They threw a party for 18,000 of their closest friends. The featured entertainment was the Sedin twins, who had one of their most dominating performances in this, their most dominating season. Their surprise guest of honour was Mikael Samuelsson. Snubbed by Team Sweden, he is quickly becoming loved by Vancouver. So is Bengt Ake Gustafsson who, if Samuelsson keeps this up, may wind up with a key to the city. Continuing to turn just about everything he touches into goals, Sameulsson got Saturday's welcome back party rocking with two goals, including the first, leading the Canucks to a 5-1 romp over the helpless Ottawa Senators. The ..."
They're back in blue for the homestretch with divisional title, playoffs on to-do list
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March 14
Vancouver Sun
 
"The worst of their schedule is behind them. The epic 14-game road trip is done. They have 10 of their final 15 games at home. They're in first place. The Vancouver Canucks, it would seem, are ripe for a big, fat letdown. Just don't bring it up. Especially with feisty centre Ryan Kesler. "We're not going to think negatively," Kesler stated Friday following the team's first practice at GM Place in more than six weeks. "We're going to think positively. We're at home, we're good at home, we're going to continue to feel good, we're going to bring our road game home and keep trucking along." The Canucks were outstanding at the Garage before the Olympic break, posting a 23-7-1 record. Tonight, ..."
Canucks clobber Senators in triumphant return to GM Place
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March 14
Vancouver Sun
 
"Referees Brad Meier and Brad Watson should have given the Vancouver Canucks two minutes for looking so good. The Canucks, playing their first home since Jan. 27, treated their loyal fans to a dominating performance as they clobbered the Ottawa Senators 5-1. Coach Alain Vigneault's skaters scored twice on the power play, once shorthanded and twice at even strength while holding the Sens to just 14 shots. So much for a letdown after the epic 14-game road trip. Mikael Samuelsson continued his red-hot scoring with two more goals to hit 30 for the season. His previous high was 23. Alex Burrows collected another shortie, breaking a 1-1 tie midway through the middle period to pretty much break ..."
Canucks dominate Senators in Vancouver
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March 14
Ottawa Citizen
 
"Now they have something to think about. The Ottawa Senators return home Sunday weighed down by a disappointing, and worrying, three-game western Canada swing. They won just one game on the trip, beating the NHL-worst Edmonton Oilers 4-1. But they were blanked by the Calgary Flames 2-0 on Thursday, and comprehensively beaten 5-1 by the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night before a Hockey Night in Canada audience. The Senators were the complete opposite of the team that so outplayed the Flames on Thursday, which likely has coach Cory Clouston rethinking the wisdom of giving the team a day off on a rainy Friday in Vancouver. Whatever energy the Senators had in Calgary disappeared before ..."
Big game, big rival for Flames
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March 14
Toronto Sun
 
"If every game right now feels like a playoff game, Sunday night's matchup with the Vancouver Canucks ought to seem like Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final. It's just the latest biggest game of the season for the Calgary Flames as they strive to guarantee themselves a spot in the NHL playoffs. This one, though, comes against their grandest rival. "It's gonna be exciting. With Edmonton, we had a pretty good rivalry with them, too," said Flames defenceman Steve Staios, who has had his share of meetings with the Canucks as a member of the Edmonton Oilers but suits up against them for the first time with the Flames. "It's a three-team rivalry out in the west now. I don't think it's just the ..."
Luongo's gold rush continues
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March 14
Toronto Sun
 
"The gold medal Roberto Luongo earned on home soil is on display at GM Place this weekend. So, at long last, is the Canucks goaltender. It's been two weeks since Sidney Crosby saved the country's day by scoring the OT winner to give Team Canada a 3-2 victory over the arch-rival Americans on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon. It's a moment Luongo won't soon forget. Nobody will let him. Luongo was welcomed by a thunderous ovation before the puck was dropped Saturday night against the Senators in the Canucks' first home game since the Olympics. The goal-medal moment is still, and will always remain, special. "You definitely still enjoy it. Everywhere you go, people congratulate you and every day I ..."
Canucks trying to avoid post-trip letdown
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March 13
ESPN.com
 columnist Pierre LeBrun
"The Vancouver Canucks wouldn't say it beforehand, but I believe they would have been pleased with earning 14 out of 28 points from their epic 14-game road trip. So to go 8-5-1 and collect 17 points on the NHL's longest-ever road trip? Gravy, baby. Now, the Canucks have 10 of their last 15 games at home and return to beautiful Vancouver after the 42-day trek still sitting in first place in the Northwest Division. Nicely done. "Before leaving on that trip, and obviously there was a lot of attention to it, but I kept telling everyone that we were a good road team," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault told ESPN.com on Friday. "I knew that we could play well on that trip." Interestingly, the Canucks ..."
Canadian hockey fans find seats, sun in desert
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March 13
Vancouver Province
 
"Whenever the Vancouver Canucks would score in Phoenix on Wednesday, the explosion of enthusiasm at the Jobing.com Arena was very similar to the rare occasions when the Toronto Maple Leafs Leafs score at GM Place. Canucks fans are all over the place in Arizona. Watching Tuesday's game against Colorado in a huge Scottsdale sports bar with a throng of Canadians in a private room was one thing. But when the Canucks were staging their comeback in Denver, whenever they would score, the entire bar would erupt in cheering. So prevalent are Canucks fans -- the same is largely true when the Flames and Oilers play in Arizona as well -- that it's almost becoming a significant Vancouver issue with ..."
Kevin Bieksa ready to play again Saturday against Ottawa
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March 13
Vancouver Province
 
"Vancouver Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa is set to make his return to the Canucks Saturday. Out ten weeks because of severed tendons in his leg, Bieksa said doctors cleared him to play Thursday. "I'm ready to play and I think I've been ready to play for a bit," Bieksa said. "The last little part usually takes the longest. I've been patient the last two weeks even though I've been feeling pretty good on the ice." Bieksa skated Friday at the Canucks practice with Shane O'Brien, leaving Aaron Rome as the odd man out on the blueline and the likely scratch against the Ottawa Senators. After surgery in January, Bieksa made his return to the ice in the middle of February. The recovery time was ..."
5 keys to home cheers: What the Canucks need to finish strong
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March 13
Vancouver Province
 
"When you last saw the Vancouver Canucks play at home, they were first in their division and third in the conference. Not much has changed. And that's impressive. Maybe remarkable when you consider the Canucks just endured a historic 14-game stretch on the road. They not only weathered it, they increased a lead on the Colorado Avalanche in the divisional race and made up ground on the Chicago Blackhawks for second overall in the Western Conference. But it's not the 8-5-1 record which bodes well for them moving forward. It's how they got it. The Canucks did it without Willie Mitchell and Kevin Bieksa and despite Roberto Luongo's 3.53 GAA. They did it even with Henrik Sedin being held ..."
Canucks notebook: Olympians to be feted prior to faceoff
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March 13
Vancouver Sun
 
"Nearly two weeks after Canada won gold, the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday will finally receive an opportunity to salute their Olympians — and those of the Ottawa Senators as well. The Canucks will hold a two-minute celebration prior to the 7:10 p.m. puck drop. The four medal winners — Roberto Luongo, Ryan Kesler, Sami Salo and the Sens' Jarkko Ruutu — will be brought to centre ice while the eight other Olympians who didn't win medals will be acknowledged. "It will be nice to be in front of our fans and to recognize not only what Team Canada did but obviously Sami and Kes with the other medals," said Luongo. Team Canada trainers Mike Burnstein and Pat O'Neill will also be acknowledged. ..."
Sens' Kelly might return versus Canucks
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March 13
Ottawa Sun
 
"The Senators could have C Chris Kelly back from his lower body ailment against the Canucks. Kelly skated in the pre-game warmup Thursday in Calgary, but was a last-minute scratch, which meant RW Shean Donovan was inserted into the lineup. "He's possible," said coach Cory Clouston, who wouldn't add anything further on Kelly's injury. Getting him back to wrap up Ottawa's three-game western road trip is important. Ottawa is 1-1 after winning in Edmonton but losing in Calgary. That left the Senators with one win and three losses since their return from the Olympic break."
Canucks not in 'letdown' mode as Bieksa poised to return to lineup
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March 13
Vancouver Sun
 
"The worst of their schedule is behind them. The epic 14-game road trip is done. They have 10 of their final 15 games at home. They're in first place. The Vancouver Canucks, it would seem, are ripe for a big, fat letdown. Just don't bring it up. Especially with feisty centre Ryan Kesler. "We're not going to think negatively," Kesler stated Friday following the team's first practice at GM Place in more than six weeks. "We're going to think positively. We're at home, we're good at home, we're going to continue to feel good, we're going to bring our road game home and keep trucking along." The Canucks were outstanding at the Garage prior to the Olympic break, posting a 23-7-1 record. On ..."
Sedins donate $1.5 million toward new B.C. Children's Hospital
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March 12
Vancouver Province
 
"Daniel and Henrik Sedin are exceptional hockey players — and outstanding citizens off the ice as well, having donated $1.5 million this week toward construction of a new B.C. Children's Hospital. "We're thrilled," Stephen Forgacs, director of communications for the B.C. Children's Hospital Foundation, told The Province on Wednesday night. "It came right out of the blue." The donation from the twins — considered national treasures in their native Sweden — and their wives Marinette and Johanna, brings the campaign to raise money for a new Children's to more than $100 million. "They've designated [their donation] specifically to the pediatric intensive-care unit and the diagnostics and ..."
Sedin brothers contribute huge gift to Children's Hospital fundraising drive
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March 12
Vancouver Province
 
"If charity truly begins at home, then the Sedin twins who are so gainfully employed by the Canucks have chosen to call Vancouver their adopted native land. Not that they'll be spending the main part of their summers here while they still play or will be moving here after they finish, but the two well-raised gentlemen from the northern reaches of Sweden put a little 'Mo-Do' into the Children's Hospital drive to raise $200 million by making a top-line donation as winter residents of our city. Daniel and Henrik each donated $750,000 to the hospital's intensive-care unit and diagnostics and imaging area in the new hospital, the $1.5 million helping the hospital get past the $100-million mark ..."
Bernier has successful hernia surgery
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March 12
Vancouver Province
 
"The Canucks announced that right winger Steve Bernier had successful sports hernia surgery on Thursday and will be out 4-6 weeks. That means Bernier, who struggled after Christmas with just one goal in 21 games, will be back for the first round of the playoffs at the earliest."
Canucks drop 4-3 shootout loss to Coyotes to end 14-game road trip
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March 12
Vancouver Province
 
"Andrew Raycroft has learned to not overreact to what look like certain starts because things can change in an instant when you play second fiddle to Roberto Luongo. If the Vancouver Canucks' goaltender can also learn to not overreact to what's happening around his crease, he can change the perception that many backups carry. They're often good in a pinch. Not so good long term. With Raycroft getting the assignment of backstopping the final leg of a torturous 14-game road trip on Wednesday, nobody was going to bring out the noose if the Canucks stubbed their tired toes against the Phoenix Coyotes. But it's never just another game for any backup. Raycroft did make 31 saves in regulation and ..."
Canucks finish road trip with a 4-3 shootout loss in Arizona
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March 12
Vancouver Sun
 
"One more for the road. Fourteen games, 42 days and nearly 20,000 kilometres since they last played at home on Jan. 27, the Vancouver Canucks went an extra five minutes of overtime plus a shootout Wednesday to gain a point. Or prove one. When their energy tank should have been empty and their hunger diminished by eight wins already in the bank, the Canucks mustered one last impressive road gig, losing 4-3 to a very good Phoenix Coyote team in a six-round shootout. For the first time in six weeks, the Canucks are homeward bound after going 8-5-1 on their epic two-part odyssey to nearly half of the National Hockey League's 30 markets. "I think it's a five game homestand," winger Alex Burrows ..."
Canucks' Steve Bernier sidelined for rest of regular season
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March 12
Vancouver Sun
 
"Underachieving Vancouver Canucks right-winger Steve Bernier underwent surgery Thursday for a sports hernia and will be lost for the remainder of the NHL's regular season. Bernier, 24, had 11 goals and 21 points in 56 appearances. He is expected to miss four to six weeks. Bernier had been bothered by a groin/abdominal problem and left the team after the March 2 game in Columbus."
Canucks ready to park in the Garage for a while
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March 12
Vancouver Sun
 
"The boys are back in town and going through their checklist. Kiss wife, pat dog, change diapers, throw dirty underwear in laundry, fall asleep on couch, wake up, stretch arms and say: "Well, as far as 14-game road trips go, that was one of the better ones." Or maybe it will be the only one. In any case, the Vancouver Canucks emerged from six weeks on the road broken up by that Olympic thing ? sitting atop the Northwest Division and with a playoff spot almost secured. The Canucks did some interesting work on the 8-5-1 odyssey. Most notably, they began it by coming back from three goals down in the Centre of the Universe to shock the Maple Leafs 5-3 on national TV, outscoring Brian Burke's ..."
Phoenix Coyotes defeat Canucks in shootout
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March 11
Arizona Republic
 
"Teams do not always get what they deserve; sometimes they get more. The Coyotes fell in the latter group Wednesday night as they struggled against a road-weary team but managed a 4-3 shootout win over the Vancouver Canucks in front of an announced crowd of 15,883 at Jobing.com Arena. Defenseman Adrian Aucoin netted the winner as the Coyotes scored four times in the six-round shootout. "We're very fortunate to get any points out of it, let alone two," coach Dave Tippett said. "We didn't compete near to the level that I would like to see us compete. "There were some guys that really competed hard but as a group, as a whole, we didn't compete anywhere near what we should have, and you're ..."
Bernier to have sports hernia surgery
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March 11
Vancouver Province
 
"There was better news on the ice than off it when the Vancouver Canucks finally wound up their epic 14-game road trip Wednesday. Winger Steve Bernier will have sports hernia surgery Thursday and be sidelined at least a month, while minor-league defenceman Brad Lukowich is expected to elect to soon have season-ending shoulder surgery. Bernier was never able to rid himself of a nagging groin pull in January and started missing games. And when he left the team last week to return to Vancouver for further evaluation, it was revealed that he has a small abdominal tear that requires a surgical procedure. Bernier had 10 goals in his first 45 games, but just one goal in his last 21 outings. "It ..."
Canucks drop 4-3 shootout loss to Coyotes to end 14-game road trip
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March 11
Vancouver Province
 
"Andrew Raycroft has learned to not overreact to what look like certain starts because things can change in an instant when you play second fiddle to Roberto Luongo. If the Vancouver Canucks' goaltender can also learn to not overreact to what's happening around his crease, he can change the perception that many backups carry. They're often good in a pinch. Not so good long term. With Raycroft getting the assignment of backstopping the final leg of a torturous 14-game road trip on Wednesday, nobody was going to bring out the noose if the Canucks stubbed their tired toes against the Phoenix Coyotes. But it's never just another game for any backup. Raycroft did make 31 saves in regulation and ..."
Pain-free Bieksa shifts focus from rehab to return
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March 11
Vancouver Sun
 
"Kevin Bieksa couldn't wait to go on the road. The rest of the Vancouver Canucks couldn't wait to come home. The National Hockey League team completed the final six-game leg of its 14-game road odyssey here Wednesday, and Bieksa did not play once. But the trip was as much a success for him as it was for his team, as the key defenceman who suffered a gruesome leg injury in Phoenix on Dec. 29 practised without pain. Bieksa said he actually feels quicker on the ice since surgery to repair the two peroneal tendons on the outside of his ankle that were severed by Petr Prucha's skate 10 weeks ago. The Canucks open a five-game homestand on Saturday, and Bieksa could return to the lineup before the ..."
Canucks finish record long 14 game road trip with a 4-3 shootout loss in Arizona
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March 11
Vancouver Sun
 
"One more for the road. Fourteen games, 42 days and nearly 20,000 kilometres since they last played at home on Jan. 27, the Vancouver Canucks went an extra five minutes of overtime plus a shootout Wednesday to gain a point. Or prove one. When their energy tank should have been empty and their hunger diminished by eight wins already in the bank, the Canucks mustered one last impressive road gig, losing 4-3 to a very good Phoenix Coyote team in a six-round shootout. For the first time in six weeks, the Canucks are homeward bound after going 8-5-1 on their epic two-part odyssey to nearly half of the National Hockey League's 30 markets. "I think it's a five game homestand," winger Alex Burrows ..."
Canucks forward Steve Bernier has a sports hernia
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March 11
Vancouver Province
 
"This should explain a lot. The Canucks have learned Steve Bernier has a sports hernia which has limited his skating and kept him off the ice since March 2. The small abdominal tear requires surgery and the early indication is he will miss about four weeks. That means he could still return for the first round of the playoffs."
'That's probably the worst I've ever played in my career,' Luongo says
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March 10
Vancouver Province
 
"To his credit, Roberto Luongo didn't pass the blame around like a hot potato Tuesday. After allowing three first-period goals on 10 shots, the Vancouver Canucks goaltender took the heat. "That's probably the worst I've ever played in my career," he said before rebounding to help backstop a dramatic 6-4 third-period comeback victory over the Colorado Avalanche to keep the club atop the Northwest Division. "It was pretty bad, but I'm pretty happy with myself and I battled back and stayed with it. I could have put my head down and not come out in the second, but I came back and made some saves and the guys scored some big goals. At the end of the day, I'm disappointed but happy with myself in ..."
Canucks storm back from 3-0 deficit to shock Avalanche 6-4
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March 10
Vancouver Province
 
"A day after Mikael Samuelsson made a telling statement about not wanting to be the comeback kings of the NHL, he did his best to solve the situation in a statement game Tuesday. On a night where the Vancouver Canucks looked flat and fatigued on the 13th stop of a tortuous 14-game road trip, they lethargically fell behind 3-0 in the opening period. The issue seemed to be settled and the Canucks dead and buried before Samuelsson scored three times in the middle frame for his first career hat-trick. It cut the deficit to 4-3 and set the stage for a dramatic 10th comeback victory when trailing after 40 minutes. And that's exactly what happened in a stunning 6-4 decision over the Colorado ..."
Canucks come from behind (again) to storm Avalanche 6-4
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March 10
Vancouver Sun
 
"If the Vancouver Canucks did karaoke - and they probably could because nothing seems beyond them these days - they'd have been murdering that Michael Bublé ballad in the first period here Tuesday. "Let me go home I've had my run, Baby, I'm done I gotta go home." Boy, did they look done. Thirteenth straight road game on the longest trip this side of NASA. Down 3-0 against the Colorado Avalanche. No energy. Canuck goalie Roberto Luongo making Marty Brochu look like Marty Brodeur by comparison. Cheque please. Mentally, they should have been home already. Instead, the Canucks evolved from surprising to surreal. They scored five straight goals in the final 28 minutes to beat the Avalanche 6-4. ..."
Canuck not fat, just happy, heavier Wellwood excels
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March 9
Vancouver Sun
 
"Kyle Wellwood is learning to love his body. Even the slightly flabby bits. So what if he's never able to scrub laundry on his abs or model Calvin Klein underwear? The Vancouver Canuck centre, whose public battle with his weight made him hockey's equivalent of Oprah Winfrey, has regained a few of the pounds he lost last summer and he's OK with that. The Canucks should be, too, because since taking it easy over the Olympic break Wellwood has played his best hockey of the season. "At the start of the year, I was a real lean 181," Wellwood said. "Now, I'm not thick, but I have a little more weight. Right now, I feel great. My body feels good. I'm healthy. I'm happy out there." No wonder. ..."
Kesler is the NHL 2K11 video game cover boy
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March 9
Vancouver Province
 
"Video game maker 2K Sports is announcing tomorrow that Canuck Ryan Kesler will be on the cover of the upcoming NHL 2K11. Kesler had been at 2K's motion capture studio in Las Vegas last year, and the announcement comes after a Kesler's stellar play alongside Patrick Kane for Team USA at this year's Olympics. 2K hyped his Olympic performance on their website, a noting his empty-netter against Martin Brodeur in Canada's 5-3 round-robin loss to the US. Funny, no mention of the US loss in the gold medal game..."
Canucks prospect Hodgson back on injured list with broken foot
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March 9
Vancouver Province
 
"Cody Hodgson is back on the injured list. No, it's not the famously bad back. It's a fractured bone in his foot, suffered three games into his return to hockey with his Brampton Battalion junior hockey team. The good news is that the back is fine after 13 games (he scored 20 points) with the OHL club, although it's clear that Hodgson's relationship with the Vancouver Canucks – the NHL club that drafted him 10th overall two years ago – is still a work in progress. Hodgson, 20, expects to be back by mid-March to play in the playoffs for the Battalion but, when asked if there are plans for him to join the Canucks' AHL affiliate Manitoba Moose following that, he said: "I don't look too far ..."
Daniel takes 'maintenance day,' not at Canucks practice
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March 9
Vancouver Sun
 
"The struggling twins were split up Monday. Henrik Sedin was at the Vancouver Canucks practice here. Daniel Sedin wasn't. At least, Daniel didn't go on the ice. Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said the winger needed a "maintenance day" after acquiring several bumps and bruises during the team's six-game road trip, and Daniel said he'll definitely be in the lineup Tuesday when the Canucks play the Colorado Avalanche for first place in the NHL's Northwest Division."
Are the twins killing? Not really, as Sedins' slump fails to hurt Canucks
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March 9
Vancouver Sun
 
"It finally came to this: Vancouver Canuck coach Alain Vigneault split up the Sedins on Monday. It was the equivalent of an intervention. "Henrik, Daniel, we love and support you. But enough is enough and this co-enabling must stop. You're not playing together today." After watching his top scorers sputter for more than a month, Vigneault made the difficult decision he felt was right. He gave Daniel the day off. Tough love. Naturally, the brothers will be back together tonight when the Vancouver Canucks play the Colorado Avalanche for first place in the National Hockey League's Northwest Division. But Monday's separation – Vigneault said Daniel was excused from practice because he needed a ..."
Hodgson confirms hairline fracture
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March 8
Vancouver Province
 
"When Cody Hodgson fractured a toe on his right foot while blocking a shot during an OHL game in Sudbury on Feb. 12, the Vancouver Canucks prospect wasn't concerned because X-rays at the time revealed that it was more likely just a deep bone bruise. Not so. When the pain persisted for three weeks, the Brampton Battalion centre had another X-ray and this one showed a hairline fracture that will keep the first-round draft choice sidelined until the OHL playoffs."
Top line? More like third line
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March 8
Vancouver Province
 
"You need a calendar to measure the pace of Daniel and Henrik Sedin's goal output. It was January the last time either of them scored an NHL goal. The Mayans could build a pyramid, the Druids another Stonehenge to chart Danny's and Hank's goals and predict when the next one might come. It's been 10 games for both since either scored, Game 1 of the Canucks' Olympic banishment from GM Place in which both brothers scored and their line, with Alex Burrows, combined for nine points. Since then, nada. "You always want to score, but at the same time we put a lot of focus on being plus players, doing the little things right," Daniel said. "We're not scoring any goals, but our plus/ minus is still ..."
Canucks come back in third period to beat Nashville
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March 8
Vancouver Province
 
"The Canucks are the best team in the NHL at overcoming third-period deficits but, no, it wasn't the plan Sunday to blow a rare first-period lead to set up win No. 9 when trailing after two periods. "No, not necessarily," Alain Vigneault said after the Canucks rebounded for a 4-2 win over the Nashville Predators at the newly rechristened Bridgestone Arena in a matinee. "But you never critique a win." Mikael Samuelsson, at 33, scored his career-best 24th goal to tie the game at 9:32 of the third, then Jannik Hansen banged in his own rebound after Pekka Rinne stopped his breakaway shot for the winner at 14:18. For just the third time since the Canucks left GM Place 12 games ago, the Canucks ..."