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Canucks’ Tanev won’t come cheap

Posted on May 15, 2013 by admin in Province Hockey | No comments

The Canucks say they need to get younger next year, for salary cap reasons, but it appears their top young player is not going to be re-signed cheaply.

With the NHL salary cap dropping by $5.9 million next season, a number of teams — the Canucks among them — will be scrambling to find ways to reduce their salary commitments under the new fiscal constraints.

So getting pending restricted free agent defenceman Chris Tanev, 23, locked up for a modest raise is unlikely.

It’s thought by some in the hockey world that, with this dramatic lowering of the cap, some NHL clubs may be more encouraged to tender offer sheets to unsigned RFAs, with the thinking that cap-crunched clubs will be less able to match.

Tanev, who just finished a three-year contract that paid him a $900,000 salary at the NHL level, would be an attractive target for clubs that decide to buck the trend and go after other teams’ RFAs.

In...

Lookahead: Who will the Canucks face in the playoffs? (with video)

Posted on April 25, 2013 by admin in Province Hockey | No comments

They’re calling it a possible playoff option, and defenceman Keith Ballard is expected to return to the lineup disguised as a fourth-line winger tonight against the Anaheim Ducks.

Ballard, 30, has been a defenceman since he switched from forward at 17, so it’s an unorthodox move that isn’t seen that often at the NHL level. A lack of confidence in the veteran when the Canucks are playing rookie Frank Corrado in the top four? Or a compliment to Ballard's versatility? You be the judge.

Ballard, who’s ready to return to the lineup after missing a game due to a sore back suffered in a fight on Saturday against Detroit, played forward three times in a short stretch in late March.

“Not real extensively,” said Ballard, following the Canucks’ optional morning skate. “I think I did well over maybe four or five games when I was there. I don’t know exactly their line of thinking that far ahead. I try to do...

Messier the new $6 Million Man after Canucks pay up

Posted on August 3, 2012 by admin in Province Hockey | No comments

Many would argue that bringing Mark Messier to Vancouver 15 years ago at a cost of $20 million was a colossally poor investment, but the remarkable thing is the Canucks were still required to pay for it as recently as this week.

Thanks to a ruling by New York-base arbitrator George Nicolau, Messier, 51, was awarded just over $6 million US to settle a grievance claim for deferred money he believed was owed him from the lucrative contract he signed as a free agent in 1997 when he left the New York Rangers to come to Vancouver.

It's a different ownership now, of course, than the John McCaw-led Orca Bay Sports Entertainment that pulled out all stops in the summer of 1997 to get the future Hall of Famer into a Canucks uniform a year after missing an opportunity to lure Wayne Gretzky to Vancouver.

The Canucks' eye-popping offer committed a potential $30 million to the 36-year-old Messier --...

Manny Malhotra marching in Pride Parade for You Can Play

Posted on August 1, 2012 by admin in Province Hockey | No comments

Manny Malhotra will march in Sunday’s Vancouver Pride Parade as part of his support for You Can Play, an organization dedicated to eliminating homophobia in sports.

Malhotra, along with Canucks mascot Fin, will march with players from the Vancouver Cutting Edges, the only gay hockey club in Western Canada. Vancouver’s Pride Parade is one of the largest of its kind in North America.

“I think it’s a good message in general,” said Malhotra on Wednesday. “I don’t think things like race, religion, creed, age or sexual orientation should be how people are judged in society. That’s especially in sports, which is meant to be an inclusive activity.”

Malhotra will also be joined in the parade by You Can Play co-founder Patrick Burke, son of Toronto GM Brian Burke and a scout for Philadelphia. The initiative was launched after Brendan Burke, son of Brian and brother to Patrick, was killed in a car crash on Feb. 5, 2010. Brendan was openly gay...

Guillaume Desbiens aims for Canucks’ roster

Posted on July 30, 2012 by admin in Province Hockey | No comments

Guillaume Desbiens knows he’ll be flying under the radar at Canucks training camp if and when it takes place this September.

But putting aside for a moment the uncertainty surrounding current negotiations around a new collective bargaining agreement between players and owners, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound winger would like to show the Canucks they made the right move in bringing him back after he’d spent the past season in the Calgary Flames organization.

Desbiens, 27, agreed to a one-year, two-way deal that pays him $600,000 in the NHL and $105,000 in the minors.

Realistically, the Alma, Que., native will be minor league injury insurance and play in Chicago for the AHL Wolves, but Desbiens is quietly confident he has a shot at making the NHL club if he has a strong training camp — as he did two seasons ago.

“I know I’m a depth player and I don’t think anybody expects me to make the team out of training camp, and that’s...

Desbiens believes Canucks a huge opporunity

Posted on July 30, 2012 by admin in Province Hockey | No comments

Guillaume Desbiens knows he'll be flying under the radar at Canucks training camp if and when it takes place this September.

But putting aside for a moment the uncertainty surrounding current negotiations around a new collective bargaining agreement between players and owners, the 6-foo-2, 215-pound winger would like to show the Canucks they made the right move in bringing him back after he'd spent the past season in the Calgary Flames organization.

Desbien, 27, agreed to a one-year, two-way deal that pays him $600,000 in the NHL and $105,000 in the minors.

“It didn't take me long to say yes,” said Desbiens in an interview with The Province on Monday. “I liked my time in...

Wild fans can dream again after signing stars Suter, Parise

Posted on July 4, 2012 by admin in Province Hockey | No comments

With the coup of signing both mega free agents Zach Parise and Ryan Suter on Wednesday, the Minnesota Wild went from merely a team with a bright future to one with a present that is just as exciting.

The Wild suddenly have a superstar forward in winger Parise and a cornerstone defenceman in Suter.

Better news is that both players are excellent at both ends of the ice. Parise is known for having a work ethic that matches his goalscoring ability, while Suter can contribute on the power play as well as regularly playing against the opponents’ top lines.

What will be their impact on a Wild team that led the NHL’s standings at mid-December, then death spiralled to a 24th overall finish? That will be interesting, indeed.

Parise and Suter, both 27, are both go-to guys on special teams, so the Wild’s 27th overall power play and 15th overall penalty kill can’t help but be better.

You can expect Parise to be...

Canucks’ Nolan Baumgartner set to join AHL Wolves coaching staff

Posted on July 3, 2012 by admin in Province Hockey | No comments

Longtime Canucks farmhand Nolan Baumgartner is poised to hang up his skates and join the Chicago Wolves as an assistant coach, The Province has learned.

Baumgartner, 36, who played his 1,000th professional game this past season, said no contract is in place yet for him to be an assistant to new Chicago Wolves head man Scott Arniel – but he did acknowledge his playing days are over after 16 pro seasons.

Baumgartner attended the Canucks' prospects camp, which wound up on Tuesday, as an observer – so clearly something was up.

“My playing days are done, I'm just going to be a straight-up coach,” said Baumgartner, from his off-season home in Winnipeg.

“I knew it was coming. I'm not sad about it at all. When I look back on it, it was a great career. I played over 1,000 games and a lot of those games weren't done the easy way. I had a great career and I had a lot of...

Canucks’ Andrew Ebbett aims for pivot spot

Posted on July 3, 2012 by admin in Province Hockey | No comments

Neither of the two forwards the Canucks signed on Monday was named Zach Parise, but one of them can play centre.

That would be Andrew Ebbett, who will get a shot at the No. 2 or 3 pivot spot while Ryan Kesler recovers from shoulder surgery.

The other was fourth-line grit guy Steve Pinizzotto, who got a re-do of his deal from a year ago after missing the entire season with a shoulder injury suffered in just his second pre-season game.

It remains to be seen whether the Canucks decide to fill via trade the Kesler void at second-line centre that’s expected to last until some time in November, but it certainly won’t be with Jiri Hudler, who was signed out of free agency by Calgary on Monday in a four-year, $16-million deal.

Ebbett rejoiced when he got his first one-way NHL contract a year ago, but unfortunately for him followed it up with the most injury riddled season of his pro...

Canucks’ Ebbett re-ups for $600,000 and one year

Posted on July 2, 2012 by admin in Province Hockey | No comments

The Canucks have re-signed forward Andrew Ebbett to a one-year deal that pays him $600,000 at the NHL level and $300,000 in the minors.

Ebbett, 29, who missed much of last season with a fractured foot and then a broken collarbone, was trying for another one-way contract (he had a one-way deal for $525,000 with Vancouver last season) but had to settle for the two-way with more money.

A versatile forward who can play all three forward positions, the 5-foot-9, 175-pound Ebbett said he's looking at the start of the season as a big opportunity -- with No. 2 centre Ryan Kesler out until November with major shoulder surgery.

"We haven't talked much yet, but I expect my role will be the same as last season -- 13th forward who's versatile and can fill in," said Ebbett from his off-season home in Ann Arbor, Mich. "But with Kes out there will be some opportunity."

The Canucks also announced the signing of forward...

Canucks’ prospect Peter Andersson to test Edler comparisons this weekend

Posted on June 28, 2012 by admin in Province Hockey | No comments

Attendees at the Canucks’ prospects camp will hit the ice on Friday morning for the first of four days of workouts at Rogers Arena.

Among the 35 players participating — 11 prospects and 24 free agents — will be Swedish defenceman Peter Andersson, who’s finally ready to make the jump to North America after being drafted by the Canucks in 2009 (143rd overall).

Canucks director of player development Dave Gagner said the 6-foot-3, 195-pound Andersson, 21, has been compared to a young Alex Edler but that it’s unfair to take it too far at this point.

“He moves the puck really well and plays a similar game in that he moves the puck well, plays on the power play and sees the ice well,” said Gagner. “But don’t forget Edler came over to play in North America at a much younger age [Canucks D-man Edler played in Kelowna for the WHL Rockets at age 19] and that really helped his transition.”

Andersson...

Bure was overdue place in Hall of Fame, say Canucks teammates

Posted on June 26, 2012 by admin in Province Hockey | No comments

Two players who knew Pavel Bure the best when he wore the Canucks uniform said it was about time the superstar winger was recognized after he was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Tuesday.

Bure, the most exciting player to ever play for the Canucks and a five-time 50-goal scorer, had been passed over by the Hall for several years.

“I think for whatever reason there’s a little bit of prejudice [by the HHOF] toward Russian players in the NHL, so I’m not surprised [it’s taken some time],” said former Canuck Geoff Courtnall, who lives in Victoria.

“But they were probably getting so much pressure that how could they overlook this guy for so many years.

“I think he deserves to get a lot of recognition, especially in Vancouver. When I left here [as a free agent in 1995], that kid was the best player on the team and he was the reason the team was able to attract the...

Kesler takes a timeout from training to speak up against domestic violence in new PSA

Posted on June 22, 2012 by admin in Province Hockey | No comments

Ryan Kesler is lending his name and his face to aid awareness of domestic violence and community services dedicated to dealing with its effects.

The Canucks centre was in Vancouver on Friday to film a public service announcement on behalf of the B.C. Society of Transition Houses through the Game Changers program promoted by snack company Popchips.

“I’ve never known anyone personally who was affected but I picked this charity because I feel strongly about it,” said Kesler, who’s back training full-time after labrum surgery to his left shoulder six weeks ago.

“Too many kids are going through this. Violence against women is not right and when you involve kids. I have kids myself and I couldn’t imagine my kids going through something like that.”

As part of the Game Changers program, a short list of five possible charities was submitted to Kesler and he chose the B.C. Society of Transition Houses.

Shabna Ali, executive director of the B.C. Society of Transition Houses,...

Scott Arniel and Canucks close to Chicago deal

Posted on June 22, 2012 by admin in Province Hockey | No comments

According to a report in the Winnipeg Free Press, Scott Arniel is close to signing on as the Canucks head coach for their AHL affiliate in Chicago.

Arniel was the Canucks minor league head coach in Winnipeg with the Manitoba Moose three seasons ago, but left to take on the head coaching job for the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets. He was fired midway through last season but did some pro scouting for the Canucks.

It's believed Arniel was also talking to San Jose about an assistant coaching job there, but prefers to showcase his abilities in a head coaching role.

The Canucks have been in need of a head coach in Chicago after Craig MacTavish left the position to take a management job with the Oilers.

Arniel didn't return a call to his cell phone Friday morning.

jjamieson@theprovince.com

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