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Ryan Kesler News & Rumors

Playing through grief, Kesler is Canucks golden boy again
February 7
Vancouver Province
 
"The last time Ryan Kesler was here he played like a Macy's parade balloon. Six stories high, three stories wide and 12,000 cubic feet of superlatives. The Canucks, who can't lose for trying these days, may need him to get out his air pump. They are without Chris Higgins, whose latest illness is a troubling turn. They have seen the Sedin twins' energy levels needle toward empty. And the shutdown duo of Kevin Bieksa and Dan Hamhuis has played with lots of down but not much shut. Kesler has been one of the few Canucks outside of the well-fortified crease making a difference, keeping the Canucks pretty on paper despite being so ugly on the ice."
A numerical perspective on Ryan Kesler
January 19
Winnipeg Free Press
 columnist
"It would be easy to pin Ryan Kesler's struggles on a 10.6% shooting rate, the lowest that he's had since before he'd established himself as a 20-goal scorer. Or, it would also be too simplistic to say that Kesler's shot distance, on average, is from a foot further back this season than it was last. But it is easy because it simply not true—not the extra 5% of shooting percentage or the foot can properly explain why Ryan Kesler has seemed to have devolved from a 41-goal scorer into one on pace for 23 over 82 games."
Canucks' Kesler not happy with coach Vigneault's critique of his game
January 17
Vancouver Sun
 
"If an angry Ryan Kesler is a better Ryan Kesler, then the Los Angeles Kings might want to pay particular attention to No. 17 Tuesday night. The Canucks centre was clearly displeased Monday to hear about a comment made about his game by coach Alain Vigneault. After Sunday's lacklustre 4-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, Vigneault was asked what was wrong with Kesler, whose numbers are down this season and in more than 19 minutes of ice time Sunday night failed to register a shot on goal. "I think he has to use the players around him a little bit more so that he can get into open space and create the type of offensive chances and be the type of defensive player that he can be," Vigneault said."
Gillis defends Kesler's bravado in brush-up with Red Wings' Kronwall
December 23
Vancouver Province
 
"In a post-game summation with the needle on his intensity meter still cranked high, Ryan Kesler offered one perspective on a night that turned out right — even if he didn't get the chance to avenge a heavy hit from Niklas Kronwall by challenging the big blueliner to a third-period fight. "It always feels good to get a win against those guys personally and team wise," said Kesler. "Bragging rights for next summer, right? We played fast and got in on a couple of their older defencemen to make them turn it over so, yeah, it feels good.""
Canucks' Ryan Kesler objects to hit by Red Wings' Niklas Kronwall
December 22
Detroit Free Press
 
"Canucks forward Ryan Kesler called out Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall after a bone-crushing hit. Kesler -- whose Canucks took the game, 4-2, at Rogers Arena -- was furious after getting slammed into the boards early in the third period of a 3-2 game. Kesler was near the puck and had his head down, and Kronwall wasn't called for a penalty on the play. "I saw that he's backing up, put my head down for a second, he hits me," Kesler said. "That's obviously his go-to move. My only problem with the hit is that he doesn't stand up for himself afterwards. I think if you're going to hit guys like that, you're going to have to drop the gloves.""
Chris Conner, Ryan Kesler skate by odds
December 20
Detroit News
 
"Chris Conner still can't believe it sometimes, figuring the odds are astronomical. Conner and Vancouver's Ryan Kesler lived in the same neighborhood in Westland growing up, playing hockey whenever they could. Both would, obviously, reach the NHL. "I've thought about that," Conner said. "Maybe something like the Staal brothers, but they're all from the same family, it's a little bit different. It is kind of wild when you think about it. "I'd stay about 10 houses apart," Conner said. "We met in kindergarten, went to the same elementary (Washington) and middle (Frost) schools. Went to (Livonia) Churchill for high school. We grew up together. "We played hockey all the time. His dad had a pond"
Canuck notes: Kesler comeback coincides with Canuck run
December 12
Vancouver Sun
 
"It's like that scene from the movie Jerry Maguire, when Jerry (Tom Cruise) says to Dorothy (Renee Zellweger), "you. . .you complete me." That's kind of the way the Vancouver Canucks feel about Ryan Kesler. He may not exactly complete them, but he sure makes them better when he is at the top of his game. And if he's not quite there, Kesler is certainly close. He had two goals and an assist in Vancouver's 4-1 win over the Ottawa Senators here on Saturday night and is beginning to look like the player who scored 41 goals last season and won the Frank Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward."
Ryan Kesler a no-show at Canucks practice
November 17
Vancouver Sun
 
"Struggling centre Ryan Kesler was a surprise no-show at the Vancouver Canucks' practice this morning. Kesler crashed heavily into the boards during Wednesday's 5-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks and also has been bothered at times by lingering soreness after major hip surgery last July. Canuck coach Alain Vigneault is expected to brief reporters later today on the status of Kesler and defenceman Keith Ballard, who also missed practice after leaving Wednesday's game with a back injury."
Kesler speeds along road to recovery
November 13
Vancouver Province
 
"Ryan Kesler isn't Superman. He just played like it last season. Kesler set the bar so high that even if he hadn't had off-season hip surgery, he'd likely still have trouble living up to it. Kesler, 27, had an encouraging start when he first got back into the lineup on Oct. 18, after the playoff injury and subsequent July 25 surgery on his hip labrum caused him to miss most of a summer's training, all of the preseason and the first five games of the season. Since then, it's been a mixed bag and some in Canucks Nation are beginning to express impatience about when the guy with the cape is going to show up. After collecting a goal and an assist in his first three games, Kesler now sits at"
Ryan Kesler gaining strength, still not fully fit
November 9
Vancouver Sun
 
"Ryan Kesler has a hard time accepting the free passes people want to give him. No player from the Vancouver Canucks' core group gets less criticism when he's inert than Kesler, who's rarely scorched in print or on airwaves the way goaltender Roberto Luongo is and forwards Daniel and Henrik Sedin are. Or any of the other Canucks whose helmets must be made of tin for amount of lightning strikes they attract from critics. The good reason for this, of course, is that Kesler plays with such overt drive and heart and other noble attributes we'd call "Canadian" if he weren't American, that if his bottom line is disappointing there's surely a reason for it. When he went pointless in the final six"
Welcome back, Kes - we missed ya: Canucks
October 21
Vancouver Province
 
"Finally there can be an official welcome back Ryan Kesler celebration in Vancouver even though he returned to the lineup in Tuesday night's disappointing loss to the New York Rangers. And while the easy win over the Nashville Predators might also be filed under the 'Roxy effect' folder given the days the visitors spent in this berg, getting Kesler back in the middle of the second line makes this team purr the way they did in the first two periods Tuesday. In this one however, they finished enough chances to put it away after one period, Kesler's first goal of the season in the third nothing more than power play window dressing when the Preds started getting goofy."
Tanev and Sturm demoted with Kesler's return
October 18
Vancouver Province
 
"The absence of Chris Tanev at Monday's practice wasn't the only thing different about the Canucks defence corps — it was just the most noticeable. The 21-year-old was sent to Canucks' AHL farm club Chicago Wolves earlier Monday to make room on the NHL team's 23-man roster for the returning Ryan Kesler. Another option would have been dispatching Alexander Sulzer, who's yet to see game action this season, but the German D-man requires waivers and may well have been claimed. Tanev is on the second year of a three-year entry level contract and doesn't require waivers, so was the risk-free choice."
Kesler ready for war with Rangers
October 18
Vancouver Province
 
"After a mediocre first five games and a 2-2-1 record that reflects their inconsistent start to the NHL season, the Canucks are about to get a huge boost. Make that a jump-start, because that's what the return of Ryan Kesler amounts to. When Kesler confirmed following practice on Monday that he was ready to play in Tuesday's game against the visiting New York Rangers, the Canucks instantly got better in a number of ways. They'll be better in the face-off circle, they'll be better on special teams and — perhaps most importantly — we should begin to see some signs of the secondary scoring that's mostly gone missing in the early going."
Ryan Kesler '100 per cent' to return vs. Rangers, as Tanev thrown to the Wolves
October 18
Vancouver Sun
 
"Two weeks ago, Ryan Kesler made headlines throughout the hockey world when he appeared undressed for ESPN magazine. Now he is making headlines again, this time because he is going to dress Tuesday for the Vancouver Canucks. You could call it a clothes call. Or no nudes is good news. Whatever the case, Kesler will be wearing both his familiar No. 17 and his game-face when the Canucks tangle with the winless New York Rangers at Rogers Arena (7 p.m., TSN, Team 1040). He's healthy again, instead of being out with a tragically torn hip. He announced his return following Monday's full-out practice. "My hip is 100 per cent," Kesler declared. "I'm definitely not going out there to limp into the"
Kesler eager to play, but cautious
October 17
Vancouver Province
 
"His teammates didn't skate Sunday, but Ryan Kesler did. Hard and fast for an hour. It was another significant step following late July surgery on his left hip but the Vancouver Canucks centre was also guarded in projecting a return to the lineup — even though he's entering the 10-12 week recovery window with the procedure. However, this is where it gets tricky. The Selke Trophy winner plays through people and not around them. He willingly blocks shots, sets picks and screens and has the war wounds to show for unselfishness that produced a career 41 goals last season. And as much as Kesler wants to return as soon as possible knowing the spotty 2-2-1 Canucks could use his two-way presence,"
Kesler's Detroit homecoming will have to wait
October 9
Vancouver Province
 
"You know Ryan Kesler loves playing at Joe Louis Arena, but don't expect him back in the Canucks' lineup for that game on Thursday when the Canucks take play their third game of their impending four-game road trip in Detroit. The Canucks play in Detroit one other time this regular season – on Feb. 23 – and that's when Kesler's family and friends can take the short drive in from his Livonia, Mich., hometown to see him play. Kesler confirmed on Saturday that, although he'll be going on the road trip to practice and take game day skates with the team, playing in a game was out of the question. "I'm not going to play," said Kesler, following the Canucks' annual open practice at Rogers Arena."
Recovering Kesler gets the all clear to suit up again
October 6
Vancouver Province
 
"First, his wife cleared him for nudity, and now Ryan Kesler has been cleared for contact. Before showing off his body in a nude picture for ESPN magazine, Kesler said he got permission from his wife. It was good news for anyone who's been itching to see his exposed obliques (check provincesports.com for a sneak peak). Also for his teammates. They now have some pretty effective ammunition. "It's on the wallpaper on one of the computers in the lounge, so it's out there now. I don't think he is ever going to live this one down," Kevin Bieksa said."
Kesler keeps his clothes on at practice
October 6
Vancouver Sun
 
"Here's the naked truth about Ryan Kesler. He is probably not going to miss as much time as some have suggested. Kesler, who is recovering from off-season hip surgery, practised Wednesday with the Vancouver Canucks. And yes, he had his jersey on. Kesler's first full practice was overshadowed by the release of his nude picture in ESPN magazine. Kesler was the subject of considerable ribbing from his teammates. "I think everybody has seen it by now," defenceman Kevin Bieksa said. "It's on the wallpaper on one of the computers in the (players') lounge, so it's out there now. I don't think he is ever going to live this one down.""
Kesler injury opens door for Canucks prospects
September 10
Vancouver Sun
 
"The biggest news out of the opening of the Vancouver Canucks prospects training camp on Friday really didn't come from Rogers Arena at all. It came from the NHL's plush offices in downtown New York, where the league is holding its annual Players Media Tour. Ryan Kesler may not be ready for the start of the season. And while this shouldn't come as too much of a shock to anyone following his recovery from hip labrum surgery, his comments to nhl.com had a trickle-down effect. One was felt 4,000 kilometres west in Vancouver, where 30 of the Canucks' top prospects gathered for testing before travelling east to Penticton for the five-team Young Stars Tournament. Take Jordan Schroeder, for"
Kesler still unsure when he'll be able to return
September 9
NHL.com
 
"The only guarantee Selke Trophy winner Ryan Kesler can offer is that he won't be able to join his teammates on the ice in Vancouver when training camp begins next week. The Canucks center had surgery to repair a tear in his hip in late July and he's nowhere near being ready to play yet. "Not a chance," Kesler told NHL.com Friday during the Player Media Tour. So if he's not ready for training camp, can it be assumed he won't be ready for the start of the season either? "Uh, maybe, but who knows," Kesler said, hesitating in order to make sure he got his point across. "I'm telling the truth when I tell you I don't know. To be honest, right now if you ask me if I'll be ready for the start of"
Kesler feels optimistic
August 23
Toronto Sun
 
"Vancouver Canucks forward Ryan Kesler thinks he'll be ready to play in time for the season opener. Kesler had surgery to repair the labrum in his hip four weeks ago and was expected to be out of action for 10-12 weeks. But he is optimistic he'll be in the lineup when the Canucks open the season Oct. 6 at home to Pittsburgh. "I'll start skating here in the next couple of weeks and hopefully be back by that first game," Kelser told Canucks TV. "I know what it takes. I know the rehab. It might even make me braver to try things I probably shouldn't be trying, but it's going to make me come back quicker and hopefully I can play in that first game." Kesler is experienced in matters of the hip."
Kesler optimistic he'll be ready for opener
August 22
NHL.com
 
"Ryan Kesler remains optimistic he will be able to play in the Vancouver Canucks' season opener despite undergoing hip surgery only four weeks ago. Kesler was given a time frame that included 10-12 weeks of rehab after he had the labrum in his hip repaired late last month. The Canucks open at home against Pittsburgh on Oct. 6. "It's going good; small victories here and there," Kesler told Canucks TV from his hometown of Livonia, Mich. "I just got off my crutches and I'll start strengthening so everything is back to normal. I'll start skating here in the next couple of weeks and hopefully be back by that first game.""
Ryan Kesler should recover quickly. But if he doesn't?
August 5
Vancouver Province
 
"Everyone around Ryan Kesler believes he is going to make a full recovery. His surgeon, Dr. Marc Phillipon, a renowned hip specialist who has treated stars like Alex Rodriguez, Greg Norman, Mario Lemieux and, most recently, elite sprinter Tyson Gay, believes he should be "as good as new." All of the news for Kesler following last week's surgery is encouraging. He's a quick healer and he's been through this before. But .... If the Sedins are the pilots, engineers and mechanics who keep the Canucks churning over the course of a season, Kesler is the engine. He's all pistons, cylinders and air pumps. He's the do-it-all centre who plays the biggest minutes, does the spade work on the all-too"
Kesler could use some help on the Canucks' second line following surgery
August 4
Vancouver Province
 
"Everyone around Ryan Kesler believes he is going to make a full recovery. His surgeon, Dr. Marc Phillipon, a renowned hip specialist who has treated stars like Alex Rodriguez, Greg Norman, Mario Lemieux and, most recently, elite sprinter Tyson Gay, believes he should be "as good as new." All of the news for Kesler following last week's surgery is encouraging. He's a quick healer and he's been through this before. But .... If the Sedins are the pilots, engineers and mechanics who keep the Canucks churning over the course of a season, Kesler is the engine. He's all pistons, cylinders and air pumps. He's the do-it-all centre who plays the biggest minutes, does the spade work on the all-too"
Ryan Kesler undergoes hip surgery, could miss start of NHL season
August 3
Vancouver Sun
 
"It had taken Ryan Kesler almost 13 months from the day he opened his Twitter account on July 9, 2010 to reach 100 tweets. So it seemed a little curious when just recently the Vancouver Canucks centre had sent no less than 20 messages via the social networking site in a span of only a few days. Well, mystery solved. It turns out the Selke winner has had some extra time on his hands after undergoing successful hip labral surgery on July 25. It's expected to take 10-12 weeks to recover from the procedure, making Kesler doubtful for Vancouver's home and regular-season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 6 at Rogers Arena. Both the Canucks and Kesler – who suffered the injury during"
Kesler underwent arthroscopic hip surgery last week
August 3
Vancouver Province
 
"The Canucks are paying some tolls for their long playoff run. The latest was revealed Tuesday when it was announced Ryan Kesler had arthroscopic hip surgery a week ago. He may not be ready for the start of the season, but could be playing within 10 to 12 weeks. The Canucks' NHL season opens here Oct. 6 against the Penguins. Kesler joins a list of players recovering from relatively-serious surgical procedures, including Dan Hamhuis, Mason Raymond and Mikael Samuelsson. These are some significant injuries which could impact how the Canucks start the season. The question, however, in Kesler's case is: ''What took so long?'' Everyone saw the play where it's believed Kesler tore his labrum. He"
Kesler a runaway winner of Selke
June 23
Vancouver Province
 columnist Ed Willes
"For David Poile, it was bad enough that Ryan Kesler beat the Nashville Predators almost single-handedly in their second-round playoff series. But it was the way Kesler did it that rankled the Predators' GM. In Game 3, Kesler drew a weak penalty on Shea Weber, then scored the game-winning goal in overtime on the ensuing power play. With Preds' coach Barry Trotz making pointed comments about "embellishment," Kesler then scored a highlight-reel game-winner in Game 4. In Game 5, there was another highlight-reel goal followed by a preening, dig-me celebration before the Canucks finished off the Preds in Game 6 with, of course, Kesler assisting on both goals. So given all that – and given some"
Kesler a runaway winner of Selke Trophy
June 23
Vancouver Sun
 
"It was as lopsided a result as Games 3, 4, 6 and 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, only this time there was a better ending for Ryan Kesler. The Vancouver Canuck centre just didn't win the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the National Hockey League's top defensive forward, he absolutely obliterated fellow finalists Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wing Pavel Datsyuk. Kesler received 105 of the 127 first-place votes. He was named on 126 ballots and collected 1,179 points. Toews had 476, while Datsyuk finished third with 348. There was no need for a recount. "I guess all those years my dad was yelling back-check at me finally paid off," Kesler said shortly after receiving the"
Ryan Kesler, Daniel Sedin, Mike Gillis receive honors at NHL Awards
June 23
Vancouver Province
 
"On Wednesday, Mike Gillis watched as Daniel Sedin was named the NHL's best player by his peers in the NHL Players Association and Ryan Kesler run away with the Selke as the league's best defensive forward. He also watched his goaltending tandem of Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider cart off the Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals in the NHL, then watched as Canucks' Alain Vigneault, Luongo and Sedin were edged out for, respectively, the Adams, Vezina and Hart Trophies. Somewhere in there, Gillis was also named the league's general manager of the year as voted on by his fellow GMs. So given, the NHL Awards Show looked like a Canucks' team photo, it's hard to think of the team's"
Kesler checks in for third shot at Selke
June 22
Vancouver Sun
 
"As a youngster learning the game in suburban Detroit, there was one word that was a more important part of Ryan Kesler's hockey vocabulary than any other. It wasn't shooting and it certainly wasn't scoring. It was back-checking, a word Kesler's dad, Mike, ingrained into his young son's hockey soul. It has served him well. For the third straight year, Kesler finds himself one of three finalists for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, handed out to the NHL's top defensive forward. Kesler was a distant third to Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk two years ago, a close second to Datsyuk last year and this year just may win it all. Datsyuk, who has won the award the last three years, and Chicago Blackhawks centre"
Canucks' Ryan Kesler has edge vs. Blackhawks' Jonathan Toews
June 22
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"Months have passed since Jonathan Toews and Ryan Kesler took a faceoff against each other. But they're up against each other again — this time in Las Vegas. It's the Blackhawks against the Vancouver Canucks for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, which goes to the best defensive forward. Despite all the compliments Toews and Kesler paid each other Tuesday at the Palms, the rivalry between the teams and players is still festering. "It means a lot," said Toews, who brought his parents, brother David and some friends from Winnipeg to Las Vegas. "It's just another one of those things. It gets really competitive and maybe personal at times, especially when it's off the ice. "But whatever happens"
Canucks played despite brutal injuries
June 16
Vancouver Province
 
"Alex Edler admitted he played with two broken fingers. Christian Ehrhoff admitted that he had to get a troublesome shoulder shot up and it will need addressing in the offseason. Chris Higgins admitted that his foot was never quite right after blocking a shot in the second-round series with Nashville and will need further attention. And Dan Hamhuis wasn't around to admit that he was probably sidelined in the Stanley Cup final series opener by a torn groin muscle. Ryan Kesler? He wouldn't admit to anything. Despite playing on one leg and having his teammates marvel at his resolve to take shots to endure the pain of a suspected groin tear and hip labrum tear, the Vancouver Canucks bit his"
Injured Canuck Ryan Kesler says 'no excuses' after Cup final loss
June 16
Vancouver Sun
 
"Ryan Kesler struggled to find the words, but the Vancouver Canucks' gritty centre really didn't have to. His face told the whole story. His tear-filled, red eyes, his quivering lip, said it all. This one hurt more than words could ever say. "Tough," Kesler said before pausing to compose himself. "I really thought we were going to win. I can't put it into words right now." Kesler had just one assist in the seven-game Stanley Cup final that ended Wednesday night when the Boston Bruins beat the Canucks 4-0 at Rogers Arena. He was one of the big guns on the Canucks who couldn't score. Vancouver was outscored 23-8 by the Bruins in the series. Kesler clearly did not have all the bullets in his"
Kesler confident of Game 7 win despite losing Raymond to speculated fractured vertebrae
June 14
Vancouver Province
 
"As captain, you either rally the crew to bail harder or go down with the sinking ship. Henrik Sedin has done an admirable job of accentuating the positive to keep the Vancouver Canucks afloat in rough Stanley Cup final series waters. He called for the return of a swagger before a 5-2 loss in Game 6 here on Monday, was convinced the Presidents' Trophy winners were better than critiqued and deserved a better fate — despite a first-period meltdown that saw the Boston Bruins set an NHL record with four goals in 4:14 — and has no doubt that victory is there for the taking in Game 7 on Wednesday at Rogers Arena. "We've done it before — that's the only thing," he said. "We've got a good team in"
Ryan Kesler: He'll play, you know he'll play!
June 13
Vancouver Province
 
"They won't talk about it. They'd like to but they can't. It's like mentioning a shutout before the event actually occurs. It's a jinx. Imagine the Vancouver Canucks communicating about what it would mean to capture the Stanley Cup here Monday. What it would mean to skate around the TD Garden hoisting that trophy for the first time in franchise history. And what it would mean to have family and friends present to share the celebration. For that all that to occur, the Canucks must replicate their home game on foreign ice, where they've been outscored 12-1 in two sour Stanley Cup final outings. They must find a power play that's an abysmal 1-for-25 and send a search party to find the second"
Kesler is hurting and misses practice, but won't miss biggest game of his life
June 13
Vancouver Province
 
"They won't talk about it. They'd like to but they can't. Like mentioning a shutout before the event actually occurs, it's a jinx. Imagine the Vancouver Canucks communicating about what it would mean to capture the Stanley Cup here Monday. What it would mean to skate around the TD Garden hoisting that trophy for the first time in franchise history. And what it would mean to have family and friends present to share the celebration. For that all that to occur, the Canucks must replicate their home game on foreign ice where they're been outscored 12-1 in two sour Stanley Cup final outings. They must find a power play that's an abysmal 1-for-25 and send a search party to find a second line"
Canucks' 2 Sedins + Kesler = 3 points in 4 games
June 9
Vancouver Sun
 
"Television analyst Mike Milbury referred Wednesday to Daniel and Henrik Sedin as Thelma and Louise. So, at least they're dangerous. The twins have just two points in four games in the Stanley Cup Final — both by Daniel — and Ryan Kesler has one assist. So Vancouver's three world-class forwards are tied in scoring with Boston Bruin Nick Peverley and trail Michael Ryder by one point in the National Hockey League championship. Kesler, who appeared for the last two minutes of post-game media availability, answered several questions with the promise to reporters that he would "look at film and I'll tell you tomorrow." Personally, I don't believe him. But Daniel and Henrik stood for their usual"
Kesler not the player he was
June 7
Vancouver Province
 
"If this is turning into the Nashville series for the Vancouver Canucks, they're going to need their predatorial anecdote. That happens to be Ryan Kesler, the fellow who put himself into the Smythe trophy lead with perhaps the greatest playoff series ever authored by a Canuck player although Richard Brodeur might have something to say about that. But right now Kesler has a problem. He's not the same player. The attention he's getting and the pounding he's taken has him a very frustrated young man at the moment and apparently limited player in many ways despite his eloquent denials. When a dwarf like Brad Marchand can cuff him aside and score the third goal the way he did Monday night, it's"
Burrows, Kesler, Luongo are true standouts on deep Canucks squad
June 6
Toronto Star
 columnist Damien Cox
"Each has had moments, each has laboured, each has surged, each has made the difference. The Vancouver Canucks, to be sure, are a team of depth, a team that can lose a good defenceman like Dan Hamhuis to injury in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final and see Andrew Alberts enter the fray and contribute useful muscle and minutes. Manny Malhotra returns after months away, and makes a compelling difference. That's a special group the hockey world has learned to admire."
Kesler's been putting a hurting on his foes
May 31
Boston Globe
 
"Even as Ryan Kesler limped off the ice in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals against the Sharks, taking the majority of Vancouver's offense with him, it figured he would be back. It figured, too, that he would be the one to score the tying goal with 13 seconds left, the one that sent the teams to overtime in a game the Canucks eventually would win to put them in the Stanley Cup finals. His stat line explains that, with his seven goals and 11 assists this postseason, his 23-plus minutes each game, his 54.7 percent of faceoffs won. So too does his toughness, his desire to be on the ice whenever, wherever, no matter how injured. As teammate Alex Burrows said yesterday, explaining"
Kesler raring to go, despite groin issue
May 31
Vancouver Province
 
"When Ryan Kesler took a one-time scrimmage slapshot that drifted wide Monday and then took time to deal with some discomfort, it was hard to know what to make of it all. The Vancouver Canucks centre has heroically played on one leg and a stitched up chin in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He has driven the opposition crazy and driven his stature as one of the game's two-way greats to new heights with 18 points in 18 playoff games and by limiting three notable centres to a combined 11 points in 18 outings. The odds of Kesler making life miserable for Boston Bruins centre David Krejci, who shares the playoff lead with 10 goals, are as good as the Selke Trophy front-runner contending for the Conn"
Iron Man worried he'd left it on
May 28
Vancouver Province
 
"The question was really a softball lobbed right into his wheelhouse for one of those home-run moments. Surely, the response by Ryan Kesler would be worthy and link him to legendary playoff performers like Steve Yzerman, who played on one knee in leading the Detroit Red Wings to 2002 Stanley Cup glory. When the Vancouver Canucks centre was asked what went racing through his mind when he hobbled off the ice Tuesday with an obvious groin strain before returning to force overtime in a stunning conferenceclinching double-overtime victory, he offered up his best Kevin Bieksa dry-wit impersonation. "I just had to call my wife [Andrea] and I thought I left the iron on," said Kesler. "There wasn't"
Even Kesler shows humourous side as Canucks chill before Cup final
May 27
Vancouver Province
 
"The question was really a softball lobbed right into his wheelhouse for one of those home-run moments. Surely, the response by Ryan Kesler would be worthy and link him to legendary playoff performers like Steve Yzeman, who played on one knee in leading the Detroit Red Wings to 2002 Stanley Cup glory. When the Vancouver Canucks centre was asked what went racing through his mind when he hobbled off the ice Tuesday with an obvious groin strain before returning to force overtime in a stunning conference-clinching double-overtime victory, he offered up his best Kevin Bieksa dry-wit impersonation. "I just had to call my wife [Andrea] and I thought I left the iron on," said Kesler. "There wasn't"
Kesler capers: Honey, I left the iron on
May 27
Vancouver Sun
 
"The mystery surrounding Ryan Kesler's second-period exit to the Vancouver Canucks dressing room on Tuesday night has finally been solved. So what was it, Ryan? Pulled groin? Bad ankle? Bum knee? "I just had to go call my wife," Kesler said Thursday. "I thought I'd left the iron on." See, that's why B.C. Hydro hired him to do those Power Smart commercials. Of course, Kesler, nor anyone else in the Canuck organization, is saying what exactly the problem was when he limped to the dressing room favouring his left leg. All Kesler would say Thursday was that he feels fine and he knew Tuesday night that he'd be back. Not only did he return, but he scored the tying goal that forced overtime in"
Kesler delivers strong performance for Canucks
May 25
TSN.ca
 columnist Bob McKenzie
"Ryan Kesler's performance in Game 5 was the story of the hockey game. When Kesler got injured late in the second period it looked as though he and the Vancouver Canucks were going south, both in the game and maybe the series, heading back to San Jose. However, as the game wore on Kesler found another gear. Kesler found a way to get it done in that epic folklore of Stanley Cup playoff history and he will always be remembered for tipping the puck in, which sent the game to overtime."
Ryan Kesler: Profile in courage
May 25
Vancouver Sun
 columnist Cam Cole
"The phrase "more guts than brains" probably covers it, but that's not meant to be a criticism. More like a tribute. Nights like this, we who only witness and report on the plays hockey players make, while never really knowing what they're doing to their bodies behind the medical room door, truly are not worthy. By the end of regulation time in Game 5 of the Western Conference final, fans at Rogers Arena had witnessed the kind of courage that people write paeans about, the kind that leaves a crowd buzzing long after the siren has gone. If the faithful weren't quite generous enough to notice that San Jose Sharks captain Joe Thornton — with what sure looked like a classic shoulder separation"
Kesler vs. Thornton? It'll be a great fight … even with gloves on
May 18
Vancouver Sun
 columnist Iain MacIntyre
"It was a clash of the titans. Or it would have been, except Ryan Kesler just said no. Darn the Vancouver Canuck's new discipline and focus. The first puck hadn't even dropped on the National Hockey League's Western Conference final when San Jose Shark Joe Thornton challenged Kesler to fight. Each had managed to get himself thrown out of the opening faceoff of the Stanley Cup semifinal — a draw that typically is only slightly more contested than the puck Queen Elizabeth II dropped between Mike Ricci and Markus Naslund when the Canucks and Sharks played a few years ago. Things have changed. A few years, Thornton, maligned for a perceived lack of playoff heart, probably wouldn't have"
San Jose focus on Kesler could help Sedins line
May 15
Vancouver Province
 
"That the San Jose Sharks must do something to contend with Ryan Kesler is obvious. The interesting spin-off is that it may result in more opportunity for the Sedins. Kesler played arguably the greatest playoff round in Canucks history against Nashville. After going pointless in the first game, he then reeled off an amazing 11 points (5-6) in the final five games of the second-round series. But that was just scoring. He also led the Canucks in just about every other area. The Sharks may try to get their No. 1 line of Joe Thornton between Patrick Marleau and Devin Setoguchi out against Kesler – hoping that it deflects more of his energies to the defensive side of the puck, as it did with the"
Eye spy a Ryan Kesler … 'weakness'
May 12
Vancouver Sun
 columnist Iain MacIntyre
"A day too late to help the Nashville Predators, warrior Ryan Kesler revealed Tuesday his secret weakness. We'll never know how close it came to destroying the Vancouver Canucks. "I'm scared of laservision," Kesler told reporters. We're not sure how the Predators could have game-planned for that, but coach Barry Trotz would have found a way. With a contact lens missing, Kesler played some third-period shifts Monday with one good eye, chasing a blurry puck and listing slightly to one side. Must have been how Derek Sanderson felt. At least the impaired vision explains why Kesler went a couple a minutes without scoring. He is scared of eye surgery. Kesler finished Game 5 and played all of Game"