Can You Name the Entire 2010-11 Canucks Roster?

Be warned: this cat took the quiz, and now he struggles with confidence.

The Canucks dressed a lot of different guys this season. There were injuries on the backend that necessitated absurd callups. There was a season-long search for the right fit on the fourth line. There was cap trouble. Whatever the reason, 39 guys wore the orca in 2010-11, and PITB has created a Sporcle quiz that will test your ability to remember them all. You might be shocked to discover how quickly you forget.

Seriously. I made the quiz, took it five minutes later, and only got 36 of 39. Am I the biggest idiot ever? Maybe. Or maybe it's just more difficult than it sounds. Click the link below to see for yourself, and don't forget to come back here and let us know how you did.

| Fine, I'll Take Your Stupid Quiz |

Two helpful hints: the roster is alphabetical, and you only have to enter last names.

Canucks Bandwagon Fan Cheat Sheet Appendix

Back in January, we posted our second annual Canucks Bandwagon Fan Cheat Sheet, a guide to all of the players on the Vancouver Canucks for the recently baptized Canucks fan. It was an excellent introduction to the team for wives of diehard fans, Vancouverites who just noticed that the Canucks are at the top of the NHL standings, and Canadian hockey fans whose teams haven't won a game in the last 5 weeks.

The cheat sheet, unfortunately, is a little out of date. With the plethora of injuries to the Canucks' defensive corps, a number of prospects unexpectedly made their NHL debut. Additionally, the trade deadline brought two new players into the fold. With that in mind, we are introducing the first ever Appendix to the Bandwagon Fan Cheat Sheet.

The Pros and Cons of Mike Gillis's Trade Deadline Options

If Gillis's first name was Jack, and he made all the best trades, the headline could be, "Jack of All Trades."

The Vancouver Canucks have been one of the NHL's best teams for most of the season and, barring a major collapse, will go into the playoffs as a Stanley Cup frontrunner. They've never been better constructed or positioned to win. With that in mind, as the NHL trade deadline nears, general manager Mike Gillis faces tremendous pressure to do everything he can to fix any possible areas of weakness within his team.

But everything is questionable. Any move he makes or doesn't make comes with risks, and no matter what he does (even if he does nothing, maybe even especially if he does nothing), he will be immediately questioned and criticized. Let's examine his three choices and weigh the pros and cons for each:

Your Canucks Bandwagon Fan Cheat Sheet, 2010-11 Season

Raymond = Fast

Last year, we introduced the inaugural Canucks Bandwagon cheat sheet to give aid to the less informed, less involved fan who wanted to feel a part of the Canucks' playoff run. Unfortunately, two weeks later, the Canucks were eliminated by the Blackhawks, and the cheat sheet was forgotten.

It's eight months later, however, and the Canucks are once again the talk of the town. They've vaulted to the top of the NHL standings; Bodog thinks they're the odds-on favourite to win the Stanley Cup; the buzz is palpable. Its fair-weather for fans, which often means an onslaught of fairweather fans. But if you're going to be a Canucks fan, the last thing you want is to be smoked out as a bandwagoner. Diehard fans don't take kindly to conditional ones.

So how do you pass for a lifer? You need to know your team. And that's where PITB comes in. This year's Bandwagon Canucks Fan Cheat Sheet--a geyser of valuable information--will tell you everything you need to know about the Vancouver Canucks roster.

Now That Morrison is Gone, Let's Try to Gather Our Wits

Did you hear the news? Like many of us suspected he might, Brendan Morrison has signed with the Calgary Flames. Their sudden dearth of quality made the move a no-brainer for Flames GM Daryl Sutter, and thank goodness. That's about the only way Sutter makes a smart move; this offseason, he's appeared so brainless he might be zombie-proof. Morrison's contract in Calgary is a happy ending to an alarming moment of silliness for Vancouver fans, who seemed to lose all sense, reason and perspective after learning of Morrison's player tryout.

There was never a place for Morrison in Vancouver. The Canucks' big weakness in the bottom-six last year was lack of size and defensive ability. Was Morrison going to fill that void? Only half of it. Vigneault has long preferred a fourth-line that can crash and bang over one that can score. Problem was that last season's 4th line crashed and banged with utter disregard for whether or not the puck was going into their net. AV wanted better energy guys, not bottom-line offense. Morrison couldn't be that.

I gave in to the local hype not long after Skeeter tried to quell it, arguing that Morrison might be the ultimate depth guy. This was Morrison's argument as well. But wing depth is not something we were lacking either. Jannik Hansen and Jeff Tambellini are already going to be fighting one another to be the official utility winger. They're just as fleet of foot as Morrison, capable of offense, much more likely to throw a body-check, and already under contract. They showed they could play, and Morrison was superfluous there too.

One could argue that, if you play well enough, the team makes room for you. This is true, but Morrison didn't play well enough. He had one great game, one good game, and the others were forgettable. And yet, despite the reality (which I suspect most of us saw and ignored) that Brendan Morrison didn't deserve a contract here, the city of Vancouver was up in arms this weekend when he didn't get one. The Canucks message board exploded with doom-and-gloom posts so dumb I can't quote most of them without dulling my wit to comprehend them. If you're feeling brave, there's a lot of fun stuff in here. Even the media couldn't help but frown and bluster: "With Morrison out, looks again like Canucks have 4th line that wont score. Vigneault will love it. Then playoffs. Madden was CHI 4th line C," Iain MacIntyre tweeted dourly. Everyone was pissed. I had a slough of Vancouver fans tell me that the Canucks were stupid not to sign him, but they were speaking from their hearts, not from their heads.

Ian Walker summed it up nicely:

The 35-year-old former Canuck wasn't expected be out of work long, and I for one am glad it happened sooner than later. The dude is a class act all the way and it was hard not to feel for the guy throughout training camp. Here he was trying to extend his career while his wife was at home, schooling his three young children out of the family's rented two-bedroom townhouse. Now I know I'm going to get skewered for saying that as a lot of people wish they had Morrison's problems. But those people are missing the point. As anyone with a family can attest, you want the best for them. And when they're missing out on things because your job is up in the air, well, I'm just saying I'm sympathetic to the cause.

Despite our best efforts to pretend he did, Morrison didn't fit here. We just refused to face it because we liked him so much. B-Mo? He was that friend from back in the day who needed a place to stay. We didn't have a room for him, but we felt so bad for him we almost let him crash on the couch. Yes. Brendan Morrison was Dupree, and we narrowly lost sight of ourselves with him around.

Folks, let us finally let Brendan Morrison go. Be glad he's moved on to Calgary because, just like when an old college buddy visits from out of town, we all got a little silly with him around.

Canucks Training Camp Roster VII

Apparently unaware that the Sabbath is a day of rest, Alain Vigneault and his staff answered a lot of questions on Sunday about the opening night lineup. Sent to the minors were Victor Oreskovich and the Sweatt brothers (forward Billy and defenseman Lee), and Brendan Morrison was released from his player tryout. And if that wasn't enough for you on a weekend afternoon, AV went on the record, stating that the Canucks' would open the season with a fourth line consisting of Alex Bolduc between Guillaume Desbiens and Tanner Glass.

It's no surprise about the Sweatt brothers. I wold argue that both Billy and Lee have NHL talent, but neither is quite ready for regular action. Ironically, Lee the defenseman needs to work on his defensive coverage, and Billy the forward needs to work on his hands. Still, Billy's checking speed and Lee's poise and puck-moving ability are excellent assets to have down on the farm. They're sure to make that team better, as well as push one another to see which can get to the NHL level first. Here's hoping we see another brother tandem on the Canucks someday soon. We seem to have good success with brothers.

Victor Oreskovich's demotion was a disappointment, but he'll play games with the Canucks this season. Count on that. He has great skating ability and he hits like a truck, but his defensive coverage was suspect. Oreskovich is a real wild-card and could have paid off in spades, but I like that Vigneault and the coaching staff avoided the risky, sexy pick and went with big guys they were confident weren't going to get scored on.

Brendan Morrison's release is really disappointing, both for fans and for B-Mo himself. But, like Skeeter said earlier in the preseason, the only available job is one he wasn't quite cut out for. He could have brought wing depth, but so can Jannik Hansen and Jeff Tambellini, who were already Canucks property. Unlike Edmonton, Vancouver is aware you can only have so many small forwards under contract, and Morrison's lack of a contract coming into training camp made it easy not to give him one. Here's hoping he can land on his feet somewhere. As much as it pains me to say it, Calgary would be a good fit for him.

There are a few more questions, but they're all likely be resolved in exactly the way we think they will. Joel Perrault, Eddie Lack, and Cody Hodgson are more than likely headed to Manitoba. Peter Schaefer is more than likely being released. But, if Alex Burrows goes on LTI, and with Rypien hurt to start the season, the Canucks could keep 15 of the 17 forwards below. Something to think about if you're wondering, like I am, why Hodgson hasn't yet been spotted at YVR. Here are the 28 guys who remain in training camp.

Forwards (17)
Alex Bolduc, Alex Burrows, Guillaume Desbiens, Tanner Glass, Jannik Hansen, Cody Hodgson, Ryan Kesler, Manny Malhotra, Joel Perrault, Mason Raymond, Rick Rypien, Mikael Samuelsson, Peter Schaefer, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Jeff Tambellini, Raffi Torres.

Defensemen (8)
Andrew Alberts, Keith Ballard, Kevin Bieksa, Alex Edler, Christian Ehrhoff, Dan Hamhuis, Aaron Rome, Sami Salo.

Goalies (3)
Eddie Lack, Roberto Luongo, Cory Schneider.

Canucks Training Camp Roster VI

In this visual metaphor, Ryan Hollweg is Darcy Hordichuk, and Darcy Hordichuk is the harsh reality of the new NHL.

We're a little late on the draw here but I just found out that, before the Anaheim game, the Canucks sent two more players down to Manitoba: Sergei Shirokov and Yann Sauve. As well, since our last roster update, Shane O'Brien and Darcy Hordichuk were put on waivers in what might have been the most shocking moves of the preseason, for some. Skeeter and I kinda figured. I don't think the Canucks were ever happy with Shane O'Brien's play here, and his ticket out of town was punched when Andrew Alberts proved he could provide what the Canucks acquired him for. Hordichuk lost his job two years ago when the NHL changed and he didn't, but, like Office Space's Milton Waddams, he somehow stuck around doing nothing. We wish he and his red Swingline stapler all the best in Manitoba. Skeeter has more on these two big-time demotions.

Shirokov and Sauve's causes for demotion are completely opposite. Sauve never even got a chance: he was in a car accident that left him unable to play for the time being. It sucks for him as he never got a chance to show the Canucks what he could do or how he'd improved. On the bright side, it was the sort of car accident one can walk away from and, as car accidents go, that's all you can really hope for.

Shirokov, on the other hand, was given every opportunity. It seems to me the Canucks figured he'd make the opening night roster, much like he did last year. The hope was that a year in the AHL had given him a new defensive awareness and ability to play North American-style hockey. The Canucks gave him a training regimen to follow over the summer, optimistic he'd follow it. Unfortunately, Shirokov didn't, instead becoming the fourth player in the Gillis era to have his conditioning publicly decried. Like Cody Hodgson (who spent the summer rehabbing his back rather than eating Arby's on it), he'll have to get himself back to NHL shape before he can challenge for the right to live in a hotel in Vancouver.

This leaves the Canucks with 32 guys on the training camp roster, below, and now the real questions begin. You'll notice that Alex Burrows and Sami Salo are still on these lists. That's by design, as they have to be put on the original 23-man roster before they can be put on Long-term injury and gives the Canucks the cap relief. You have to believe that's the plan.

On defense, that means that the opening night seven are basically set. Lee Sweatt will be sent down to Manitoba, and Aaron Rome will occupy the pressbox. The other six are the six you'll see. We can only hope that, among those six, Juice and Hips find different partners than one another.

At forward, questions continue to linger. Alex Burrows aside, the Canucks can keep twelve forwards with the club. The rest have to be sent down or waived before one of them can be brought back up. We know that Kesler, Malhotra, Raymond, Samuelsson, the Sedins and Raffi Torres are safe. The other five spots are a toss-up. I'm sure there will be at least one decision in the next week that will stir a hearty debate between Skeeter and I. For example: it could be argued that one of Peter Schaefer and Brendan Morrison could be offered a contract. Who and why?

Here are the remaining 32 guys:

Forwards (20)
Alex Bolduc, Alex Burrows, Guillaume Desbiens, Tanner Glass, Jannik Hansen, Cody Hodgson, Ryan Kesler, Manny Malhotra, Brendan Morrison, Victor Oreskovich, Joel Perrault, Mason Raymond, Rick Rypien, Mikael Samuelsson, Peter Schaefer, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Bill Sweatt, Jeff Tambellini, Raffi Torres.

Defensemen (9)
Andrew Alberts, Keith Ballard, Kevin Bieksa, Alex Edler, Christian Ehrhoff, Dan Hamhuis, Aaron Rome, Sami Salo, Lee Sweatt.

Goalies (3)
Eddie Lack, Roberto Luongo, Cory Schneider.

Shane O'Brien and Darcy Hordichuk on Waivers

As originally reported by Michael Russo and confirmed by Dan Murphy, Shane O'Brien and Darcy Hordichuk have been put on waivers by the Vancouver Canucks. According to Bruce Garrioch, Mike Gillis tried to deal SOB, but failed to find any takers.

As I said in yesterday's post on enforcers, I saw no need for Darcy Hordichuk in the lineup. He's been badly outplayed by other potential 4th-line players. Even Guillaume Desbiens has been better than Hordichuk. And while he's a great team guy, I made the argument that we don't need him if all he will do is fight other heavyweight enforcers around the league. There's no room on the team for someone who can't play hockey.

It's tough to hear that Shane "Pain Lion" O'Brien, because we honestly like the guy. I think he has far more skill than he was initially given credit for and he's great at protecting the puck in the defensive and offensive zone. He was, however, outplayed in the preseason by Andrew "Give Us Barrabas" Alberts. Alberts is cheaper, bigger, and won't give the Canucks the PR concerns that Shane "Meet Me at the Roxy" O'Brien did last season. Still, SOB is a solid 6th defenceman and will likely get picked up on waivers.

That gives the Canucks the following defencemen:

Hamhuis - Edler

Ballard - Ehrhoff

Bieksa - Alberts

Rome

LTIR: Salo

Canucks Training Camp Roster V

Are you ready for a huge round of shocking cuts? Here goes. According to the Vancouver Canucks Twitter account, Mario Bliznak, Kevin Connauton, Evan Oberg, Prab Rai, Jordan Schroeder, Chris Tanev, Aaron Volpatti have been assigned to the Moose, while Travis Ramsay, who does not have a contract with Vancouver, has been released to them outright. Also, Tyler Weiman is on waivers, which is understandable. While there is a goaltending battle brewing for the second spot, Weiman wasn't a part of it, and he'll back up either Schneider or, more likely, Lack, depending on what happens in these last two games.

As for the rest of them, there are very few unexpected moves here. Let's start on defense: Kevin Connauton showed he's nearly NHL-ready and might be in lie for a callup this season, but his defensive coverage needs to catch up to his offensive acumen before he can be considered a Canuck. Chris Tanev simply needs more seasoning, but he showed some promise. Evan Oberg, who surprised last year and was one of the Canucks' first defensive callups, seems to have either regressed, or worse, shrunk. It will be worth watching if he can get back to last year's level of play. I don't even remember Travis Ramsey, but he was never Canucks property, so that's okay.

As for the forwards, I thought Bliznak had moments, but that's all--he's not an NHL regular. He's a valuable checker when the game isn't too fast for him, so Manitoba will love him. Prab Rai, like Chris Tanev, needs more seasoning, but he got me more excited for him than I was prior to training camp. He'll come through Abbotsford a few times this season. Expect the Lower Mainland's high Indo-Canadian population to go nuts for him. I'm a bit bummed about Aaron Volpatti, who had such a great prospects camp, but, again, he was seven years older than most of those kids. Against men, he just didn't have it. He might be in line for a callup later on this year.

The big surprise is Jordan Schroeder. He was quiet during prospects camp and the early stages of training camp, but I really felt like he got his legs under him in the Anaheim game. He scored a goal, showed some good hands, and demonstrated his NHL skating. I guess it was too little, too late, however. Don't worry, Canuck fans: Schroeder will be a top-line guy in Manitoba, and he'll be in the NHL soon enough.

Now it gets interesting. This leaves the Canucks with 36 guys in training camp, below:

Forwards (22)
Alex Bolduc, Alex Burrows, Guillaume Desbiens, Tanner Glass, Jannik Hansen, Cody Hodgson, Darcy Hordichuk, Ryan Kesler, Manny Malhotra, Brendan Morrison, Victor Oreskovich, Joel Perrault, Mason Raymond, Rick Rypien, Mikael Samuelsson, Peter Schaefer, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Sergei Shirokov, Bill Sweatt, Jeff Tambellini, Raffi Torres.

Defensemen (11)
Andrew Alberts, Keith Ballard, Kevin Bieksa, Alex Edler, Christian Ehrhoff, Dan Hamhuis, Shane O’Brien, Aaron Rome, Sami Salo, Yann Sauve, Lee Sweatt.

Goalies (3)
Eddie Lack, Roberto Luongo, Cory Schneider.

Canucks Training Camp Roster IV

Edit: apparently, according to Sportsnet, the Canucks have also placed defensemen Nolan Baumgartner and Sean Zimmerman on waivers. Zimmerman I know nothing about, so he likely deserved it, but for Baumgartner, well, my heart goes out to him. Baumer is a great team guy with the skill set of an all-star--unfortunately, an AHL all-star. He's also a savvy veteran, so he kind of saw this coming, but nobody likes to predict their own demise. His consolation prize is the captaincy in Manitoba, but you've got to think he'd trade it in for a longer sniff of the big leagues. His other consolation prize? He and Wade Redden can meet up at that Burger King in Hartford way more often now.

According to Kristin Reid's Twitter, The Canucks have made one cut this Saturday, sending defenseman Taylor Ellington back to Manitoba. If, like me, you forgot that Taylor Ellington was even at training camp, you're not alone. The Canucks management felt the same way, which is why he's been sent down. But let's not be too hard on the kid. Ellington is still young, and it's not his fault that he was selected in the Draft of Many Tears (an accurate name for Dave Nonis's 2007 prospect selections), or that his game was a lot more tailor-made (pun resisted) for the old NHL than the new one. Ellington is an unflashy, bank-it-off-the-glass sort of defenceman, and he's going to have a hard time standing out in a training camp guys the likes of Lee Sweatt, Kevin Connauton, and Chris Tanev, who aren't allergic to the puck. There's still a place for a player of Ellington's ilk, but he needs to be absolutely rock-solid and a lot more hitty to be an NHLer. Ellington isn't there yet, which is why he isn't here now; he'll likely be a shutdown defenseman for the Moose this season.

This leaves the Canucks with 45 guys in training camp, below:

Forwards (26)
Mario Bliznak, Alex Bolduc, Alex Burrows, Guillaume Desbiens, Tanner Glass, Jannik Hansen, Cody Hodgson, Darcy Hordichuk, Ryan Kesler, Manny Malhotra, Brendan Morrison, Victor Oreskovich, Joel Perrault, Prab Rai, Mason Raymond, Rick Rypien, Mikael Samuelsson, Peter Schaefer, Jordan Schroeder, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Sergei Shirokov, Bill Sweatt, Jeff Tambellini, Raffi Torres, Aaron Volpatti.

Defensemen (15)
Andrew Alberts, Keith Ballard, Kevin Bieksa, Kevin Connauton, Alex Edler, Christian Ehrhoff, Dan Hamhuis, Shane O’Brien, Evan Oberg, Travis Ramsey, Aaron Rome, Sami Salo, Yann Sauve, Lee Sweatt, Chris Tanev.

Goalies (4)
Eddie Lack, Roberto Luongo, Cory Schneider, and Tyler Weiman.

Canucks Training Camp Roster III

There is quite a logjam among potential bottom-six forwards. These guys would have had to do this just to rise above it.

According to Kristin Reid's Twitter, The Canucks have made seven more cuts, sending Marco Rosa, Stefan Schneider, Shawn Weller, and David Shantz to the Moose, releasing Pierre-Olivier Morin outright, and sending Steven Anthony and Adam Polasek back to their junior clubs. That's too bad for Morin, who Skeeter sort of figured might be offered a contract before being sent back. Not so. Still, he made it the farthest of all the invitees, so there's at least a moral victory in it for him.

The cut was probably a kick in the pants to Rosa, who scored a goal tonight and showed some good hands and defensive skill. But, with a logjam among potential bottom-six guys, he never stood a chance. He would have had to dance on the logs like the guy from Log Driver's Waltz (obscure Canadiana reference, embedded above because we love our country).

Steven Anthony's cut is no surprise. He showed very little despite being given some plumb power-play time, and clearly needs more seasoning before he's ready to make any kind of jump.

Polasek, on the other hand, made it farther than anyone expected, especially considering he was drafted in the 5th round, this year. He showed some kill and he showed some toughness, but he also showed he didn't have the decision-making skill for this level when he let Jarome Iginla get in behind him in his first preseason game. That's like leaving a thing of lasagna out when you're Jon Arbuckle. Still, it looks like Polasek can play, and Canucks management was pleased with him. His extended stay will hopefully give him some confidence going back to junior.

Weller and Shantz I knew nothing about. I never saw them play, or at least, didn't notice them when they did play. Maybe we'll notice them when they come to Abbotsford to play the Heat.

Kristin Reid just about gave Canucks fans a heart attack by originally tweeting that "C Schneider" had been assigned to the Moose. Thankfully, she meant Stefan Schneider who plays Center, hence "C." Schneider was a darkhorse for the 4th-line center role. I'm talking The Phantom Blot dark. He didn't look out of place, but could certainly use some time in the AHL to get used to the professional game and fill out his frame. He has, after all, only been playing center for one season. With his size and defensive ability, he'll be a prime candidate for the role in a couple years.

This leaves the Canucks with 48 guys in training camp, below:

Forwards (26)
Mario Bliznak, Alex Bolduc, Alex Burrows, Guillaume Desbiens, Tanner Glass, Jannik Hansen, Cody Hodgson, Darcy Hordichuk, Ryan Kesler, Manny Malhotra, Brendan Morrison, Victor Oreskovich, Joel Perrault, Prab Rai, Mason Raymond, Rick Rypien, Mikael Samuelsson, Peter Schaefer, Jordan Schroeder, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Sergei Shirokov, Bill Sweatt, Jeff Tambellini, Raffi Torres, Aaron Volpatti.

Defensemen (18)
Andrew Alberts, Keith Ballard, Nolan Baumgartner, Kevin Bieksa, Kevin Connauton, Alex Edler, Christian Ehrhoff, Taylor Ellington, Dan Hamhuis, Shane O’Brien, Evan Oberg, Travis Ramsey, Aaron Rome, Sami Salo, Yann Sauve, Lee Sweatt, Chris Tanev, Sean Zimmerman.

Goalies (4)
Eddie Lack, Roberto Luongo, Cory Schneider, and Tyler Weiman.

Canucks Training Camp Roster II

According to the White Towel, The Canucks have made three cuts, sending Sawyer Hannay and Alex Friesen back to their junior clubs and releasing Matt Fraser outright. As the Canucks continue to trim the roster, PiTB will be following the dudes they keep, and saying a few words about the dearly departed, but there isn't much to say about these guys. Friesen and Hannay are recent draft picks that showed some kill, but, understandably, aren't ready for this level at all. We'll see them next year and hopefully their improvements impress. You've gotta feel for Fraser, though, who earned an invite to this camp out of the prospects tournament but didn't get a chance to get into a real preseason game. Hopefully this isn't the last we hear of him.

This leaves the Canucks with 55 guys in training camp, below:

Forwards (31)
Steven Anthony, Mario Bliznak, Alex Bolduc, Alex Burrows, Guillaume Desbiens, Tanner Glass, Jannik Hansen, Cody Hodgson, Darcy Hordichuk, Ryan Kesler, Manny Malhotra, Pierre-Olivier Morin, Brendan Morrison, Victor Oreskovich, Joel Perrault, Prab Rai, Mason Raymond, Marco Rosa, Rick Rypien, Mikael Samuelsson, Peter Schaefer, Stefan Schneider, Jordan Schroeder, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Sergei Shirokov, Bill Sweatt, Jeff Tambellini, Raffi Torres, Aaron Volpatti, Shawn Weller.

Defensemen (19)
Andrew Alberts, Keith Ballard, Nolan Baumgartner, Kevin Bieksa, Kevin Connauton, Alex Edler, Christian Ehrhoff, Taylor Ellington, Dan Hamhuis, Shane O’Brien, Evan Oberg, Adam Polasek, Travis Ramsey, Aaron Rome, Sami Salo, Yann Sauve, Lee Sweatt, Chris Tanev, Sean Zimmerman.

Goalies (5)
Eddie Lack, Roberto Luongo, David Shantz, Cory Schneider, and Tyler Weiman.

Is Lee Sweatt the Next Brian Rafalski?

Lee Sweatt is a little guy with pretty big potential.

It was easy to miss the acquisition of Lee Sweatt. The Canucks' announced the signing of the American-born defenseman at the same time they announced the signing of college standout Chris Tanev and 41st overall draft pick Yann Sauve--two defensemen with good size and better stories to tell. Tanev was a late bloomer who grew nearly a foot in the year as well as a standout for the Rochester Institute of Technology. Yann Sauve was a Canucks' prospect that appeared to be developing nicely, still a rare treat for Vancouver fans. Lee Sweatt was an undrafted, undersized d-man that had bounced around European leagues. Things got worse for Lee when he became not only the least publicized Canuck defense signing of the offseason, but the least publicized Canuck signing within his own family. Later in the summer, his brother Bill signed with the Canucks, amidst a typical Burkean maelstrom and some Twitter hullabaloo. Clearly, Lee Sweatt is a Milford man.

Often, NHL fans will overlook an undrafted player because the experts did, and we often shrug our shoulders at a European signing because of the non-success of much-discussed players like Fabian Brunnstrom. In Sweatt's particular case, he may be suffering from the soreness Vancouver fans still feel over Patrick Coulombe, a skilled but diminutive defenseman who played with Sidney Crosby in Rimouski, showed enough to get into an NHL game, then somehow got sent all the way down to the ECHL. And, after being pushed around by a larger Chicago Blackhawks team two years in a row, we're might just be tired of little guys in general. But, don't discount little Lee Sweatt: he's got the potential for big things. How big? Well, his career has an eerie similarity to Brian Rafalski's.

Who is Lee Sweatt? Born August 13, 1985, Sweatt played four years at Colorado College before getting on with the San Antonio Rampage for 11 games without landing an NHL contract. In 2007, he signed with the Finnish club TPS in the SM-liiga. Sweatt finished the season with 33 points in 56 games. In keeping with his pedigree, nobody seemed to take notice of him, despite solid point totals. From there, he bounced around, playing in the Austrian league, skating with the US men's inline hockey team, and serving a brief term in the KHL. He rejoined TPS well into the 09-10 season, and finally stood out, scoring 16 points in 21 games, setting a record for most points for a TPS defenseman during the playoffs, and winning the Pekka Rautakallio trophy for the best defenseman in the league.

This is a trophy that Brian Rafalski--the undrafted Detroit Red Wings defenseman who scored more points than anyone from the back end during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, if you recall--won twice: once in 96-97 and again in 98-99. Sweatt and Rafalski's European careers are nearly identical. They both bounced around Europe and found their best success in the SM-liiga, where they not only played in the same league and won the same award; they put up similar point totals. Interestingly, Rafalski's first-win came in a 35-point season, similar to Sweatt's totals. Rafalski's second-win came in a season where he averaged a point a game, which Sweatt nearly did in his most recent SM-liiga stint.

Like Sweatt, Rafalski could also be the mayor of Tiny Towne. Rafalski is 5'10", 191 lbs. Sweatt is 5'9", 193. Effectively, they're the same size, though word has it Sweatt's has a slightly thicker frame. Both are heady, puck-moving defensemen who play sound positionally and can quarterback a power play, but that sort of stature (as a defender) will always make teams think twice. The team that finally came calling for Rafalski was the New Jersey Devils, and they reaped the rewards. In his first season in the NHL, at 26 (one year older than Sweatt), Rafalski put up 32 points and was named to the NHL all-rookie team. He's been one of the league's best ever since. He's a two-time NHL all star and a three-time Stanley Cup winner. Rafalski is a potential Hall of Famer.

Can Sweatt come anywhere near these lofty achievements?

Probably not at first, but Sweatt could be a good NHLer someday soon, and, considering the above similarities, maybe even a very good one. In the short term, it's likely that Sweatt will do what he always does and get lost in the shuffle at training camp, as the Canucks have about nine NHL-calibre defenseman, as well as a pretty impressive roster of defensive prospects in guys like Kevin Connauton, Yann Sauve, Evan Oberg, and Chris Tanev. Hopefully, Sweatt can start by being a standout at the AHL level. On a two-way contract with a high AHL salary ($150,000), he will be called on to lead the Moose, and if he can show flashes of the guy to whom his career is eerily similar, he might be called on for more than that.


This post is drenched in Sweatt! Here is a video of every goal Lee scored last season in SM-liiga, if you're into that sort of thing. Just a warning, though: the video wants you to know it was created with some non-activated software. It can't help but remind you.

The Complete Canucks Training Camp

In case anybody was wondering about the complete training camp roster, the Canucks are currently carrying 58 players, listed below:

Forwards (33)
Steven Anthony, Mario Bliznak, Alex Bolduc, Alex Burrows, Guillaume Desbiens, Matt Fraser, Alex Friesen, Tanner Glass, Jannik Hansen, Cody Hodgson, Darcy Hordichuk, Ryan Kesler, Manny Malhotra, Pierre-Olivier Morin, Brendan Morrison, Victor Oreskovich, Joel Perrault, Prab Rai, Mason Raymond, Marco Rosa, Rick Rypien, Mikael Samuelsson, Peter Schaefer, Stefan Schneider, Jordan Schroeder, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Sergei Shirokov, Bill Sweatt, Jeff Tambellini, Raffi Torres, Aaron Volpatti, Shawn Weller.

Defensemen (20)
Andrew Alberts, Keith Ballard, Nolan Baumgartner, Kevin Bieksa, Kevin Connauton, Alex Edler, Christian Ehrhoff, Taylor Ellington, Dan Hamhuis, Sawyer Hannay, Shane O’Brien, Evan Oberg, Adam Polasek, Travis Ramsey, Aaron Rome, Sami Salo, Yann Sauve, Lee Sweatt, Chris Tanev, Sean Zimmerman.

Goalies (5)
Eddie Lack, Roberto Luongo, David Shantz, Cory Schneider, and Tyler Weiman.


We will be updating this list as players are cut, so check back often. Good luck to all these guys as they fight for spots. Hockey! Hockey! Hockey!

Morrison as a Fourth-Line Centre?

So the news has spread that Brendan Morrison will be attending Canucks training camp on a PTO (Professional Tryout). He claims it's to actually make the team and earn a contract, rather than simply to showcase his skills throughout the pre-season for the rest of the NHL. The problem is, where does he think he fits into the Canucks lineup?

Morrison is a natural centre who is decent at faceoffs and is still a functional playmaker at this point in his career. He put up 42 points as a third-line centre for the Capitals last season, the majority of them assists. While he's lost a step in his skating stride since the West Coast Express days, he can still skate.

The problem is, the top 3 lines are all set at centre: Henrik, Kesler, and new-arrival Malhotra aren't going to budge (though Malhotra indicated he might move to the wing if someone like Hodgson or Schroeder stepped into the lineup). The only vacant spot at centre is on the fourth-line.

Harrison wrote a post last month detailing the possible fourth-line centres currently in the Canucks system and it's admittedly not the most awe-inspiring list. But, quite frankly, they're all better suited for the job than Brendan Morrison. On a tertiary scoring line, Morrison fits. On a fourth-line that plays under 10 minutes a night, is expected to bang and crash, and might slot into penalty killing duty, Morrison doesn't come even close to fitting. Morrison doesn't hit often enough (he had 33 hits last season), doesn't kill penalties (he averaged a whopping 34 seconds of shorthanded ice-time per game last season), and he obviously doesn't fight. He's a playmaker who would have no one to pass to (a situation Kyle Wellwood faced constantly). His skills would be wasted and his role would require skills that he simply doesn't have.

So Morrison, the natural centre, doesn't fit at centre for the Canucks this season. And while he did some spot duty on the wing in Dallas, it's not an ideal fit. Still, with Burrows out to start the season and Hodgson questionable to be ready for training camp, Morrison has the opportunity to prove that he can fit on the wing for the third line or possibly slot into a top-six spot until Burrows returns from his injury. He will need to out-perform the youngsters, particularly Jordan "The Return of Cliff Ronning" Schroeder and Sergei "Remember Me?" Shirokov, with Cody "Seriously, Stop Asking Me About My Back" Hodgson being the darkhorse if he's cleared to play in the pre-season.

The other hiccup is that the Canucks are currently at their max 50-contract limit, meaning they would need to make a trade or buyout a contract in order to sign Morrison or one of the standout training camp invitees like Matt Fraser or Pierre-Olivier Morin.

Let's face it: I, along with many other Canucks fans, love Brendan Morrison. The West Coast Express brought excitement back to Vancouver after the agony of the Mike Keenan/Mark Messier era, and Morrison was a hometown favorite. He's an amiable guy who plays through injuries and works hard at all aspects of the game. I'd love to see him return to the Canucks and finish off his career in Vancouver, but I don't want him to be the fourth-line centre. It's not a role that fits his skillset.

But Who is Going to Center the Fourth Line?!!!

Yesterday's Raffi Torres signing, (which, for the record, I quite liked, while Skeeter was a little more sobering) seemed like as good a place as any to pronounce the Canucks offseason acquisitions complete. Most of the questions surrounding this hockey team have been answered (defensive depth, grit and size, special teams coaching, etc., etc.) save two: the first is the issue of the captaincy, and the second is the fourth-line center. There are a number of players who could do the job, each one with specific attributes that might help them succeed, and specific deficiencies. This isn't a bad thing: most fourth-line players have glaring weaknesses, and that's why they play where they play. But the right fit can still contribute in a big way, his weaknesses covered by the other three centers ahead of him on the depth chart. Unless a trade is made that answers the question for us, we can assume Mike Gillis is willing to let these guys battle it out to impress Coach AV and win the job for opening night. Let's take a look at who will be fighting for this role at training camp:


Rick Rypien is probably the odds-on favourite to do the job. We already know that the coach likes him, and his ability to throw a lot of punches really fast makes him, apparently, a valuable hockey player. Rypien is more of a rock 'em sock 'em robot than a scorer, but he has shown, on occasion, remarkable speed, tenacity on the forecheck, and surprisingly good hands. It's rare, but he tends to surprise with his skill. Those are the positives. The negatives are that, for a natural centerman, Ryp is a pretty underwhelming faceoff guy, and his defensive zone coverage is suspect. This means that if he loses a draw in his own end, the fans have cause for concern, because he might not get it out until the back of the net stops it from moving. He's also not the best passer in the world, probably because his knuckles are always bleeding, which makes the rush a bit of a headache. At 5'11", he's also a bit undersized. Still, he's an NHL veteran now, he's got experience, he's already a coach and fan favourite (unless his uselessness last offseason changed something) and if he's been working on his draws in the offseason he might be a nice surprise. Chances he makes the team? As a returning Canuck, fairly high. I don't think he'll be the center, though.


Alexandre Bolduc was an option last season, and he's likely ready to challenge for the fourth-line center job. At 6'1", he has the height advantage over Rypien, even if the Rypper outweights him by a good fifteen pounds. It's safe to say that he's not a bruiser, if not from his measurements than from this fiasco. Needless to say, Bolduc separated his shoulder in that scrum, and wound up missing a good chunk of the season. What's he good at? Well, he's apparently fairly defensively responsible, perhaps moreso than Rypien. He's been good for about thirty points a season with the Moose, so his hands aren't completely made of stone. The Canucks seem to like his reliability, and forechecking skill. However, he's not the best as physical play, although he tries hard (we call this the Tanner Glass conundrum), and this doesn't seem in keeping with Alain Vigneault's vision for the fourth line. Still, he's been the first call-up these past few seasons, so you have to think he's got a chance to start the season with the team. They're comfortable with him. Chances he makes the team: he's got an outside shot.


Mario Bliznak has been the shutdown center for the Moose for two seasons prior to performing the same job for the Vancouver Giants for three. He's never been much of a scorer, but he has an uncanny defensive ability, and a remarkable knack for increasing his offensive totals every season that he's with an organization. It's a great way to go about things, as Bliznak makes teams as a fourth-line guy, becomes the best guy on that line, and then graduates to the next level of competition. Against all odds, he's now on the bubble to make the NHL. If he were taller than 6'0", he'd probably be there already, but he makes the most of his size, checks hard, forechecks harder, and can be counted on for faceoffs and tough defensive assignments. He skates well, and has good speed. Isn't that what you want out of a fourth-line center? Unless Rypien makes the team on the wing, he and Bolduc are likely fighting for first call-up. Then, the question is what you want. Bolduc might be able to contribute more on the scoresheet, but Bliznak will likely be better at defending. Considering what a liability last season's fourth-line was, I think the coaching staff wants a fourth-line they can trust with some minutes. Still, it's hard to get noticed in training camp when you don't show anything offensively, so we'll have to see what happens. Chances he makes the team: the same as Bolduc.


Joel Perrault has all the qualities necessary to make this team. He's got size, at 6'2" and 212 lbs. In fact, he's been pencil-thin for most of his past few stints in the NHL, but word is he's filled out. He's got offensive ability as a point-a-game player for the AHL's San Antonio Rampage the past two seasons, and he's got NHL experience, having played 69 games for the Phoenix Coyotes. The problem? It took him five seasons to reach those numbers. He's really more of a scorer, and he simply hasn't been a consistent enough offensive threat at this level to stay in the NHL. His new plan? Remake himself as a defensive forward with some upside. If it works, it will really benefit the Canucks. Perrault's got an uphill battle to convince the coaches he can be as defensively responsible or as tough as shutdown guys like Bolduc, Bliznak, Schneider, but if he can show he's developed that side of his game (he's got the size!), he's got better hands than those guys and that's working in his favor. I think he'll do it. Chances he makes the team: fairly high.


Stefan Schneider could be a surprise. People seem to have forgotten we signed him last March, or perhaps they've confused him with the other Schneiders that have worn the Orca over the past few seasons. He's different. Also, his positives are plain to see: he's 6'4", 200 lbs, and still filling out. While he isn't known for his scoring ability, he is known for his defense. He was the top defensive forward on last year's Portland Winterhawks team after they converted him from defense and used him as a shutdown center. He has nice skating ability, good strength, and is a versatile player that can be slotted in anywhere. At 20, he's still growing physically, but his maturity is through the roof. He's won the Bill Anderson award two years in a row for his character and leadership. He's young, and he's coming right out of junior, though. Chances he makes the team: it's possible, though I doubt it.


Cody Hodgson might not be your prototypical fourth-line center, but let's immediately skip past this stupidity that putting him on the fourth-line will ruin him. He's known as a defensively responsible centerman, so what's the harm in putting him in a position that requires that? We already know he has great hands, we know he's got great defensive awareness and vision. All he wants is to make the Canucks, and he could very well do it as the fourth-line center. If he excels, bump him up the depth chart. Considering that nobody else is a lock to get this spot, Hodgson has just as good a shot as any. Naysayers will tell you that this would ruin his development. I'm sorry, but that's just foolish. Playing every night in the NHL, even on the fourth-line, can't hurt you. Expected to be a star player when you're not ready can, and expectations won't be too high if Hodgson's getting seven or eight minutes a night to start. Alex Burrows went from the fourth to the first line. In a better comparable, Ryan Kesler went from the fourth to the first. If Hodgson can contribute here, he'll be placed here, and I think he can. If he shows he's better than fourth-line center, bump him up a line and move Malhotra over. Isn't that what everybody wants? Chances he makes the team: if his skating has improved, fairly high. Chances he starts on the fourth-line? Higher than you think.

Your Canucks Bandwagon Fan Cheat Sheet: For Americans, East Coasters, Wives, and Fair-Weather Fans

Sedins = identical twins

So you've registered your heart for Vancouver Canucks fandom, and now, for whatever reason, you're ready to temporarily follow this team with gusto and passion. Perhaps you're an American, and, according to the Canadian stereotype, you know absolutely nothing about hockey. Perhaps you're a wife, and your husband's rabid allegiance to the team is suddenly tolerable because the games matter more now. Perhaps you're an older Canucks fan--you still call them the Canuckleheads, you mainly know what Squire Barnes tells you to know--and you can't be bothered to stay current with one of the most consistently good teams in hockey over the past decade.

Your largest problem won't be enjoying the hockey. The Canucks are a lot of fun to watch. They have the best forward line in hockey, one of its best goaltenders, and a ton of character guys who are good, genuine characters. But true Canucks fans are insanely knowledgeable, and you're bound to look ignorant if you show up at your local pub for a game and don't wince for the other guy when he drops the gloves with Rick Rypien. You need to know who that dude is.

I recognize your plight and I mourn for you. It doesn't have to be this way. Here is a handy cheat sheet of player information, things to say to make friends, what not to say, and anecdotes from players' pasts to help mask how new you are to the Canucks.

::::::::::::::: FORWARDS :::::::::::::::

Name: Steve Bernier
About: Bernier wears no. 18 and is what would be classified as a power forward. He hasn't had a very good season, but he always seems to play better in the playoffs. He hits a lot and he screens goalies.
If he touches the puck, you'd better hope it's a rebound and the net is wide open. Better yet, maybe it just bounces off his butt and goes in.
Thing to say: How did he not bury that?!
Never say: This guy would be perfect with the Sedins.


Name: Alex Burrows
About: Burrows wears no. 14 and typically skates with the Sedins. He's a fan favorite because he talks funny, annoys people incessantly, says hilarious things, and has a wicked goal celebration. The media loves him because he went undrafted and worked his way up from the East Coast Hockey League. He once played for the Baton Rouge Kingfish.
If he touches the puck, cross your fingers that it's a shorthanded breakaway, because he's money on those.
Thing to say: Can you believe he led the team in goals? What a story.
Never say: Burrows needs to work harder, I think.

Name: Pavol Demitra
About: Demitra wears no. 38 and is Slovakian. He used to be super good. Try him out on NHL 2001--he's so good you'd think it's a glitch. Sadly, he hasn't played at that level in years, save this winter when he played like that for Slovakia's national team at the Olympics.
If he touches the puck, anything's possible, but usually, nothing happens.
Thing to say: Demitra on the third line. Man, what forward depth this team has. (ignore that he only plays like a third liner anymore)
Never say: I think Demitra would play way, way better if we had gotten Hossa and Gaborik to play with him instead of re-signing the Sedins.

Name: Tanner Glass
About: Glass wears no. 15 and plays sparingly. He was signed out of training camp and has somehow stuck with the team. He overskates the puck, hits a lot, and is generally a good energy guy.
If he touches the puck, it had better be during a fourth line shift. I cannot stress with enough.
Thing to say: Glass brings good energy. He's a good fourth-line guy.
Never say: Put Glass on the third line!


Name: Michael Grabner
About: Grabner was a Canucks' first-round draft pick a few years back and, while many players selected after him have already established themselves as solid NHLers, this is Grabner's first season outside the farm team. He's as fast as Mason Raymond, not as strong, and not as experienced.
If he touches the puck, he might dazzle you with it. Probably, though, he'll skate down the wing and wrist it into the goalie's crest.
Thing to say: Baby banana-grabner!
Never say: Man, we should've drafted Milan Lucic.

Name: Jannik Hansen
About: Hansen wears no. 36 and plays the wing. He bounces around from line to line and is generally a good temporary fit anywhere. The jury's still out on whether he's a permanent NHLer , but he always seems to make the team out of training camp. He's got good speed, a good shot, and he tends to go to the right places, but sometimes, he's completely invisible. He's not quite gritty enough to have a spot as an energy guy, but he doesn't quite have the skill to be a consistent scorer. That said, he's got a little of both, and if he ever put it all together, he'd be money.
If he touches the puck it's a crapshoot. Sometimes, this guy is lights out. Other times, you wonder why he's in the lineup. Hansen has moved from the fourth line to the first line and back in the same game before.
Thing to say: Hansen's got big-league skill, if only his hands could catch up.
Never say: Hansen should fight that guy.

Name: Ryan Johnson
About: Johnson wears no. 10 and is a fourth-line center. He's got good speed, he's a veteran, and he's the star of the penalty kill. He wins faceoffs and he blocks shots. That's literally all he does. It's no wonder, then, that he's always injured, but he'll give you a good string of games before his injury swells up to the point where he can't play through it. He played all year last year with this. Gross.
If he touches the puck, it just shattered a bone in his leg. But don't worry, he'll play through it.
Thing to say: Gosh, that looked like it hurt.
Never say: If he didn't try to block everything, maybe he'd get hurt less.

Name: Ryan Kesler
About: Kesler wears no. 17 and is a fan favorite because of how hard he checks. He often gets the assignments of checking the other team's top player, and has seen a lot of success with that. Kesler takes the game very seriously, and will do anything to win, including making enemies of his friends. You might remember him from the Olympics, when he dissed and mocked Roberto Luongo and slagged the country he lives in just to win. His European teammates back home were rooting for Canada because they didn't want to have to deal with a Kesler that won gold. He's kind of a prick, but he's our prick. That's right. Don't let the other Ryan confuse you; Kesler is johnson of this city. Here's a useful tidbit: people will compare him to Jonathan Toews in the Chicago-Vancouver series, but Kesler had more points, was nominated for a Selke, and was just as instrumental in his team's success in the Olympics. The pundits will say Toews; it's a wash.
If he touches the puck, let's hope it's in the high slot on a powerplay. He scores goals in bunches from there.
Thing to say: Kesler wants it more than anybody on the ice.
Never say: This guy hates Canada. I don't want him on my team!

Name: Mason Raymond
About: Raymond wears no. 21 and is a top-six winger. He's lightning-fast, maybe the fastest in the league. He's got a good wrist shot, too. He's got a lot of skill and potential, but he needs his head to catch up with his feet.
If he touches the puck, he'll probably do a lap around the offensive zone, then pass it to a defenseman.
Thing to say: Raymond just needs to use his wingers a little more, and he'll be a consistently dangerous offensive threat.
Never say: Raymond is just another Brandon Reid.

Name: Rick Rypien
About: Rypien wears no. 37 and is a fourth-line winger or center. He's not known for his scoring touch. He's known for his fighting ability. Which he has. In spades. Rypien's dad Wes is a former Canadian boxing champion and it shows. Rypien shields his face, uses both fists, employs combinations, hooks, and uppercuts. He'll literally fight anybody. Seriously. Anybody.
If he touches the puck, it was probably incidentally. He meant to take the body.
Thing to say: Get Rypien on the ice to bash that guy's head in!
Never say: I don't know about this one. That guy's got fifty pounds on him.

Name: Mikael Samuelsson
About: Samuelsson wears no. 26 and is a first or second-line forward, depending on the weather. He played for Detroit last year and is known for his willingness to shoot the puck. He's got a deadly shot, a deadly sense of humour, and a special message for Team Sweden.
If he touches the puck, he will shoot the puck. From wherever he is.
Thing to say: Can you believe Team Sweden didn't want this guy? Ha!
Never say: You know who this team needs? Matthias Weinhandl.


Name: Daniel Sedin
About: Daniel wears no. 22 and plays wing. For reason unknown, he is often referred to as Brother Daniel, but he is not to be confused with this guy. Henrik and Daniel have a system. Henrik makes all the passes, Daniel scores all the goals.
If he touches the puck, expect magic to happen.
Thing to say: OHMYGODTHATWASAMAZING
Never say: Man, we need to come up with a name for this line!



Name: Henrik Sedin
About: Henrik wears no. 33 and plays center. He won the Art Ross trophy this season, which means he led the league in scoring. He makes blind passes, through-the-legs passes, and saucer passes. He wears an A on his jersey, so if you can't see the number on the back, you can still tell him apart.
If he touches the puck, he will pass it to Daniel.
Thing to say: Henrik is tha best evah! East Coast bias! If he played in Toronto he'd be John the Baptist!
Never say: Personally? He's got too many second assists to win the Hart.

Name: Kyle Wellwood
About: Wellwood wears no. 42 and is the Canucks third-line center. He was once the center for Mats Sundin, but Toronto got sick of his lack of work ethic and gave him away for nothing. Somehow, he has held onto this third-line spot, even though that spot normally goes to big, gritty centers. Wellwood is neither of those things. He plays with a super tiny hockey stick. He's weird as all Hell and he doesn't really seem to care about anything. You either love him or you hate him.
If he touches the puck, he will wow you with his stickhandling wizardry, or turn the puck over. There is no in-between.
Thing to say: More like Kyle Swellwood, amirite?
Never say: Wellwood is fat!

::::::::::::::: DEFENSEMEN :::::::::::::::

Name: Andrew Alberts
About: Alberts wears no. 41 for the Canucks and is their largest player, at 6'5". He was acquired in a trade late in this season, and hasn't been good so far. He's taken enough penalties to earn the nickname A Minor, he's been completely embarrassed a couple times, and he's not that fast. But, if he limits the mental mistakes, he could be a very valuable player. Also, he looks a little like Mallrats-era Ben Affleck. Point that out to hear a room full of people go, "huh."
If he touches the puck, it had better be because he just poked it away from somebody. Otherwise, pray he gets rid of it.
Thing to say: I like this guy's size.
Never say: I like this guy's mobility.

Name: Kevin Bieksa
About: Bieksa wears no. 3 for the Canucks, and has the talent to be one of the Canucks' best defensemen. Sometimes, he gets caught behind the play, however, resulting in odd-man rushes. He is much, much better when he's angry, and if he perceives a slight against him, will hit any member of the opposition as his revenge. He always looked pissed, whether he actually is or not. He is known for suffering bizarre skate cuts to his leg. That almost never happens to anyone. It's happened to him twice.
If he touches the puck, he can be expected to make a good outlet pass, or rush the puck up the ice while standing straight up, like the Michael Johnson of hockey.
Thing to say: Bieksa should superman punch the puck into the net.
Never say: I don't think Bieksa pinches enough.

Name: Alexander Edler
About: Edler wears no. 23 and has the potential to be one of the Canucks best defensemen (see the theme here? The Canucks blueline is a bit of a question mark, Edler the chief enigma). Normally, he's known as the Iceman because he's so mild-mannered, but, in the first-round of the playoffs, he was amazing, and he made a ton of good hits. Like this one. Or this one.
If he touches the puck, hope he shoots it. Edler has the hardest shot on the team.
Thing to say: Edler's gonna be the next Lidstrom.
Never say: He's big. How come he doesn't play big?

Name: Christian Ehrhoff
About: Ehrhoff wears no. 5 and was acquired in the offseason from San Jose in the most lopsided trade in history. Ehrhoff creates a lot of offense from the blueline and can quarterback a powerplay. He is beloved and was voted as the team's best defenseman this season.
If he touches the puck, good things are likely to happen.
Thing to say: Finally, a defenseman who can join the rush!
Never say: He's good, but I wasn't quite ready to give up on Patrick White.


Name: Shane O'Brien
About: O'Brien wears no. 55 and has been playing for the Canucks for two years, although sometimes I wonder if he was actually meant to play football. Like Plaxico Burress, he likes to party, and he's always packing heat. When O'Brien's on his game, he's reliable, defensively sound, and smarter with the puck then we give him credit for. But he also tends to get on the coach's bad side for funny stuff.
If he touches the puck, do not encourage him to shoot it. He's not good at that.
Thing to say: Here comes the gun show!
Never say: This guy's a clown.

Name: Sami Salo
About: Salo wears no. 6 for the Canucks and has been playing for them a long time. He is known for his remarkable injury history. He's never healthy; just between injuries. Skeeter thinks it's a cover. Salo has a hard, lethal shot and just might be the Canucks' best defenseman. If he gets hurt, expect everyone around you to take suicide pills, because we need him. Salo is blonde, balding, and pale. He looks like a ghost. He is not a ghost, however. Do not fear him.
If he touches the puck, hopefully he is shooting it.
Thing to say: Hurt again??!!
Never say: This guy is invincible!

::::::::::::::: GOALIES :::::::::::::::

Name: Roberto Luongo
About: Luongo wears no. 1 because he is the best. He's also the captain of the team, which is technically against the rules, so he has a C painted on his mask instead of wearing it on his jersey. Luongo was the goalie for Team Canada when they won that gold medal. He's really, really good, but people question him because sometimes he gets scored on. He is the Canucks Messiah, and the longer the Canucks are in the playoffs, the more he'll look like Jesus.
If he touches the puck, he just made a save. That's called a save. If he touches the puck with the knob of his stick, however, it's in the back of the net.
Thing to say: Louuuuuuu!
Never say: I don't see how he's an upgrade on Cloutier.

Name: Andrew Raycroft
About: Raycroft wears no. 30, and is the back-up goalie. He won't play a game in these playoffs unless Luongo is injured or having a really bad game. He once won the Calder trophy for rookie of the year, but he's been garbage ever since. He got run out of Toronto, which is normal for players. He's played much, much better since leaving, which is also normal for players.
If he touches the puck, play is dead, because the puck's on the bench.
Thing to say: I have a lot of faith in our backup.
Never say: How come they never play Raycroft?