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Fred Lee – The Province | December 22, 2013 CANUCKS HIGH ROLLER: Continuing their winning ways, the Canucks brass, coach John Tortorella, goaltender Roberto Luongo and the rest of the team suited up for the franchise’s signature off-ice gala. Some 800 supporters and sponsors converged at the Vancouver Convention Centre for the club’s 14th Dice And Ice fundraiser, presented by Scotiabank. Players including Chris Higgins, Michael Santorelli and David Booth fronted the casino tables for games of chance with team boosters. Fan faves Alex Burrows and Luongo held court with high rollers and special guests behind the velvet rope in the VIP Poker Lounge. With funny money in hand, fans — each shelling out a minimum of $350 a ticket or $3,500 a table — mixed, mingled and had their photos taken with their favourite Canuck before sitting down to a sumptuous dinner prepared by executive chef Blair Rasmussen. The three star highlights of the event, which was hosted by Canucks commentator John Shorthouse, were: more than $500,000 netted for the Canucks for Kid Fund; the parade of ugly Christmas sweaters by the team’s top line; and Canucks rookies Eddie Lack, Ryan Stanton, Jeremy Welsh and Zac Dalpe performing on stage with surprise musical guest Sarah McLachlan. Getting props was Dalpe for his vocal prowess and declaration of love for the Lilith Fair siren. Notables spotted at the casino dinner and auction included team owner Paulo Aquilini and chief operations officer Victor de Bonis; Canucks alumni Kirk McLean, Stan Smyl and Thomas Gradin; Scotiabank VPs Rob Wilkins and Bruce Arthurs; The Surreal Gourmet, a.k.a. Bob Blumer; and Canucks For Kids Fund director Alex Mitchell. Since the fund’s inception, more than $40 million has been raised for children’s charities in B.C., including the Canucks Autism Network and Canuck Place Children’s Hospice.

Some wins worth more than two points

Ed Willes – The Province | December 22, 2013

Eddie Lack keeps his cool as Vancouver claims improbable shootout victory over high-flying ‘Hawks

John Tortorella isn’t one for context or the big picture but, to paraphrase George Orwell, he does

realize some games are more equal than others.

Friday night, following two straight road losses which had taken the shine off their seven-game

winning streak, the Vancouver Canucks faced the Stanley Cup champs at the madhouse on

Madison with a rookie goalie.

So, yes, this one was different. Then again, so was the result, right down to the improbable

ending.

“It was the way we won it,” said Tortorella. “The way we hung in there. It was a long travel day

and this has been a long trip. It’s something you can hang your hat on as a team.”

In a game that could have ended up 100 different ways, 98 of which would have been bad for the

Canucks, the locals rode the nerveless goalkeeping of Eddie Lack and a resilient team game to,

zounds, a 3-2 shootout win over the Blackhawks. Suddenly their world seemed like a different

place.

An 0-2-1 road trip had turned into a respectable 1-1-1 swing through the Central time zone. They

were back in sixth place in the West with one more game on their schedule — a home date

against Winnipeg on Sunday — before a weeklong Christmas break.

That break will now have a different feel to it. So maybe it was appropriate a different goalie was

the hero on this night.

“When you’re in it, you don’t really think about it,” Lack said of his starring turn. “It was the

same thing when you’re playing in the AHL. You just focus on what they’re going to do next

and try to anticipate.”

Except, in the AHL, you’re not staring down Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and the most

dangerous offence in the NHL.

Lack, who’s now 5-2 in his rookie campaign, surrendered an odiferous goal to Kris Versteeg

seven minutes in, then was beaten by Kane with the Hawks’ first shot of the second period.

At that point, the Canucks looked deader than Blockbuster stock, but that was also the point

when Lack boarded up the net and his teammates found their legs.

The Canucks outshot the Hawks 20-15 over the final two periods and tied the game on goals by

Zack Kassian and Daniel Sedin.

In overtime, Tortorella, as promised, played most of the last two minutes with an extra forward

in a desperate attempt to end the game there and avoid the shootout.

Still, it said something about Lack’s night that the Canucks, who are to the skills competition

what the Canadian men’s team is to soccer, won their second shootout of the season.

Lack would stop seven of the eight shooters he faced — including Kane and Toews right off the

bat — before Ryan Kesler finally ended the drama by beating Hawks rookie Antti Raanta on the

Canucks’ eighth shot.

Tortorella’s team had come into the game with a 1-4 record in shootout games and an abysmal 2-

for-18 in individual attempts. In truth, they weren’t a whole lot better on Friday night — the

Sedins tried, the Sedins failed, this is a recording — but their goalie was up to the challenge.

“He’s a world-class goalie already,” said Kesler. “He’s calm back there. He settles us down.

Look at him in the shootout. He stops two of the best players in the game right off the bat.”

Lack was asked about his save on Kane. “To be honest, I don’t remember,” he said.

He was the first shooter, someone prompted. “How did I stop him?” Your glove. “Oh yeah.”

This wasn’t Lack’s first taste of the United Center. As a member of the Chicago Wolves, he

regularly attended games at the Hawks’ rink.

His girlfriend Joanna is also from Chicago and there were a few friends among the 21,000 in

attendance.

“I was prepared for this,” Lack said. “I was looking forward to it.”

Tortorella was asked about his choices for the shootout, which included the Sedins, Yannick

Weber and Zac Dalpe.

“We wanted to try different people,” he said. “It didn’t work.”

Which you’ve come to expect of the twins.

“I want the Sedins to do it,” he answered. “They’re our best players and it’s their responsibility.

“I just have a helluva time not using top players. I’ve had top players who don’t want any part of

it. Those two want to do it.”

And who knows? Maybe one of these years they’ll get the hang of it.

“If you lose games like this and you don’t come back, I think it creeps in your head that you

can’t,” said Kesler. “These games are big. Going into the third period, it doesn’t matter if we’re

up or down. You have to keep pushing and believe in it.”

They were believers on this night. Others might follow.

Coach’s tactics frustrate at times

Tony Gallagher – The Province | December 22, 2013

Win over Chicago was a mere illusion, but Vancouver does want to compete again

There is just something that feels right about having the Winnipeg Jets in the Western

Conference again and back playing in Vancouver on some kind of a regular basis.

It’s where they belong if you’re any kind of Canuck fan that’s been around since the early ‘90s

when Pat Quinn first introduced good teams to Vancouver. If you’ve followed the team longer

than that and remember the WHA Jets, you know how good this feels.

From Ulf Nilsson, Bobby Hull and Anders Hedberg of those years through the likes of Dale

Hawerchuk and Teemu Selanne, the Jets have always belonged in the west and when the NHL

and CFL declare them otherwise they are like King Canute raging against the waves lapping

against the shore. And while none of the players on the roster of the Jets at the moment will have

the slightest idea of what is being discussed here, they don’t need to. One day soon the Canucks

and Jets will meet again in the playoffs and there will be new memories made between these

cities to match those of Greg Adams, Cliff Ronning and Sergio Momesso, Kirk McLean and

Dave Babych.

In the meantime, the present Canucks will have to come back down off their Eddie Lack-induced

high and get back to work one more day before their extended Christmas break. And as they

approach the midway mark of their first season under this curious coach, John Tortorella, you

see some things you really like in this team.

This is a team that seemingly really wants to compete again, something that you certainly

questioned after the last two playoff exits.

They seem stimulated by Tortorella’s drive and, for the most part, welcome his pushes. When

they work and come out strong the system allows them to dominate even good teams for

extended periods.

That said, the win over Chicago was mere illusion. The Hawks’ speed overwhelmed the Canucks

at times Friday, indicating that any series between the teams is apt to be short unless Lack plays

like that in every game.

So many things seem to work under Torts that you can’t wait until the playoffs to see if it can

take them anywhere. But then there are some things that drive you nuts.

The obsession with Dan Hamhuis on the point of the first power play unit in Alex Edler’s

absence is just plain stubborn stupid.

It puts Henrik Sedin on the left side of the ice where the power play has rarely been successful

and the only hope of a goal is if Jason Garrison rockets one in from the right point, or they bang

in one of his rebounds.

But no matter how unsuccessful it is, they just keep doing the same thing over and over, which is

why they’re 23rd and fading in the power play standings.

The use of the Sedins on the shootout Friday surely had NHL security scrambling to send an

investigation team out to Vancouver.

After all, why would any sane person use players who are a combined 4-46 career in the

shootout, even if they are your two top scorers? Tortorella’s reasoning may — repeat may —

make some sense with Daniel.

But Henrik has never been much of a goal scorer save for 2009-10 when he got 29 as the twins

dominated virtually every game they played. Most of those goals came on shots into an empty

net after a series of jaw-dropping passes.

But even though it didn’t work, give him credit for trying something different, at least different

from recent history. Because just as in Hamhuis on the first unit power play and the similar

obsession with Jannik Hansen on the Sedins’ line (despite the fact the twins have combined for

just 27 goals in 38 games total, including the PP this season), to keep doing the same thing in this

arena doesn’t make sense either.

With luck, the return of Edler and Alex Burrows will eventually prevent Canuck fans from

rending their garments in frustration and allow them to fully enjoy this team’s rediscovered joy

in competing.

Tortorella will try anything to break a tie

Jason Botchford – The Province | December 22, 2013

In games past regulation time, Canucks coach’s creativity is matched only by his stubbornness

By suggesting he’d pull his goalie in overtime if NHL rules didn’t essentially prohibit it, John

Tortorella acknowledged two things.

One, the Canucks aren’t equipped to win a majority of shootouts.

And two, this coach is not shy about innovation.

Too bad the NHL has a ridiculous, little-known rule that if you hook your goalie for an extra

skater and lose in overtime, your team loses the point it just earned. Of course it does. No one

would want to see coaches respond to Tortorella if he could roll out four forwards, one

defenceman and no goalie in OT, trying to get the win, right?

Instead of that kind of breakneck fun, and fascinating strategy, we get lamentable shootouts,

which, in terms of engaging entertainment, jumped the shark back in 2007 or so.

But the point here is Tortorella has not been reluctant to try new things. Ryan Kesler had never

played with the Sedins before this year. The Sedins hadn’t killed penalties in seven years. And

Friday, in the second half of OT, Tortorella gave us his three-forwards-and-one-defenceman

look.

It didn’t work. But the creativity was admirable.

But as creative as Tortorella can be in some areas, he can be equally stubborn in others.

In the “most curious decision making of the 2013-14 season” category, the team’s insistence to

keep Dan Hamhuis on the first powerplay unit is trumped only by Tortorella’s insistence Friday

that he plans to keep tapping the Sedins for the shootout.

The Sedins are now a combined 4-for-31 in the skills competition. But, apparently, that’s not

going to deter Tortorella, who said postgame Friday he plans to keep rolling the twins out there,

because they told him they want him to.

Funny, watching Henrik Sedin’s feeble, half-speed attempt Friday, which had all the life of an

American Idol judges’ panel, you’d think he’d rather be centring the Buffalo Sabres top line than

participating in another shootout.

Maybe it will pay off at some point — it can’t get worse, can it?

But, for now, it makes for an easy decision to have some secondguessing fun with. It’s hardly the

only one. On Saturday, Hamhuis ranked 34th among defencemen in power-play minutes played.

He has just one power-play point, an assist, for the season.

That’s a remarkable run of futility.

Thing is, the Canucks’ power play should be far better than its 23rd overall ranking. They

generate power-play shots at an elite level. The team ranks second overall with 210 shots on net,

despite being 22nd overall for total power-play minutes played.

When a team produces those kind of shot totals with a man advantage, it means it is doing a lot

right.

But its lack of production suggests it could use some tweaks. The most obvious, logical one is to

stop letting Hamhuis kill both penalties and power plays every game.

Then, there is the Jannik Hansen situation.

The Canucks continue to play him on the top line, even as the Sedins have been fighting through

a threeweek slump. The line did produce a huge goal on Friday, so it probably means Hansen

will be with the Sedins until Burrows ultimately returns.

Too bad, because the coach lost a great opportunity to experiment.

The Burrows injury provided the best chance this year to give Zack Kassian some shifts with the

Sedins.

Sure, Kassian has been on the ice for five of the past six goals against, but the centre he has been

playing with, Brad Richardson, has consistently been getting smoked in his matchups all season

long.

On Friday, Richardson was on the ice for three shots for, and eight shots against. Out of 398

players, Richardson now ranks 396th in shot differential at 39.2 per cent. That’s not good.

Overall, Richardson has been on the ice for 150 shots for, and 233 against.

Those numbers suggest he’s not a third-line centre in reality, and could use all the help a coach

can get him while he’s pretending to be one.

Flipping Hansen to the third line and Kassian to the top line could make two lines better.

But those ideas must be pretty far out there if the coach who wrote down Nos. 22 and 33 in the

shootout Friday won’t consider them.

Odjick vows to beat mental illness

Ed Willes – The Province | December 22, 2013

But Canucks great needs to be ready to ask for help, no matter how determined he is

He starts with a joke. “That’s the thing with headaches,” Gino Odjick says. “At least you know

you still have a head.”

And during a 30-minute phone conversation, there are long stretches when he’s funny and

coherent and to the point. At these moments, it’s hard to reconcile the man you’re talking to with

the man who’s fighting mental illness; the man so many people care for and so many are worried

about.

But isn’t that the way with this disease? Isn’t that its nature? There are no easy answers, no cut-

and-dried symptoms and cures. Odjick knows there’s something wrong. He just doesn’t know

how to treat it, and that is the source of anguish for the man, his family and his friends.

“I don’t care what medicine heals me,” he says. “I just want to heal. I don’t want to be in pain. I

don’t want to be angry.”

On that everyone agrees. The problem is how to get there.

“He thinks it’s our objective to throw him in the hospital and leave him there,” says a member of

his inner circle, who requested anonymity. “We just want him to get the best care possible. I love

the man to death. I truly do. It hurts. We’re all waiting for the shoe to drop.” What does that

mean? “Honestly, we don’t know,” the Odjick confidante says. “Mental illness goes 100

different ways.” And it’s never in a straight line. On this day, Odjick says he’s calling from

Edmonton, where he’s getting some tests done. Why he chose this day to answer a text that was

sent two weeks ago is unclear but, generally, he seemed to be in good spirits and willing to talk

about a story that broke nationally in early December when he checked into the psychiatric unit

of a hospital in Gatineau, Que.

“I’ve been having the headaches since I retired (from the NHL in 2002),” he says. “It’s like

getting hit over the head with an axe. You learn to suppress the pain and you try to live a healthy

life.

“I’m not going to function as a normal human being. There will be times when I have to go and

rest. But I’ll focus, eat healthy, live healthy and stay in shape.”

And that’s the way he thinks he can beat this thing.

Others aren’t as sure. “Is it manageable?” the Odjick source says. “Yes. But it’s not manageable

until he gets some help, and it has to be serious help.”

That, however, would mean slowing down, and Odjick says he has too much work to do to take a

break. A great deal of the phone conversation, in fact, revolves around his involvement with First

Nations causes and businesses.

He said he was put on Earth to “eradicate poverty among aboriginals.” To that end, he’s involved

in land deals with Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini.

“When I see people on Hastings Street (in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside) I know how they

got there. There’s no opportunity. That’s why I’m in a rush to get things done, to help my people.

It’s expensive to keep people poor.”

Odjick says his mental-health issues date back to his hockey career and are the by-product of

post-concussion syndrome. He says it wasn’t the fighting that injured his brain but the “cheap

shots, the high sticks, the elbows.” Through the NHL, he began seeing a recognized expert in this

field in Toronto. But he didn’t stick with the program and that’s part of a frustrating pattern to

his family and friends.

“What’s the difference between depression and concussions?” Odjick asks. “It is what it is, but

I’m not going to lie down and die. I’m going to make a difference. They’re telling me one thing,

but I’m going to fight with what I have. I believe I’ll live until I’m 150.”

“I think his intentions are pure, but he needs to look after himself first,” the Odjick friend says.

Still, the fighter remains. Odjick vows his condition won’t defeat him, and he’s never backed

down from anything in his life or his hockey career. And maybe that’s the problem. Sometimes a

different kind of toughness is needed; sometimes it has to start with the admission you’re

vulnerable and need help. Serious help.

That would be the first step of a journey. You just hope he takes that step.

Who’s been naughty, and who’s been nice,

both on and off the ice

Jordan Bowman, Wyatt Arndt – The Province | December 22, 2013

Christmas is in the air, and as diehard Canucks fans (don’t let the jokes fool you, we love this

team), the only present we want would be delivered in June and weighs about 35¼ lbs.

But as they say, ‘tis the season of giving, and as Canucks fans there are certain figures that

deserve gifts, and others that deserve a swift kick in the butt.

So we here at the Legion of Blog have compiled our Nice and Naughty list and are hoping to

deliver the following presents before Santa beats us to it:

Nice

JOHN TORTORELLA

Why: Rescued us from the deadpuck loving Alain Vigneault, and gave all media in Vancouver

something to write about every single day.

What we’d put in his stocking: A golden bust of Chris Tanev’s legs, so he can go to sleep every

night picturing blocked shot after blocked shot.

ELLIOT FRIEDMAN

Why: Called out CBC analyst/ career backup goalie Glenn Healy for being an immature dink

when attacking John Tortorella.

What we’d put in his stocking: A contract to be lead analyst on “Rogers Sportsnet Presents:

Rogers Hockey Night in Canada ... Rogers!” CANUCKS HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER MIKE

BURNSTEIN

Why: With Torts’ new shotblocking initiative, this guy works harder than most keeping blue and

green from being black and blue.

What we’d put in his stocking: Roll of Tensor bandage. It’s like duct tape for athletic trainers.

They can never have enough.

ARTHUR GRIFFITHS

Why: In the face of Milan Lucic lambasting the city of Vancouver, the ex- Canucks/Grizzlies

owner jumped in the ring and defended this city’s honour. We didn’t see that coming, but were

glad it did.

What we’d put in his stocking: A promise to never ever mention the name “Big Country Reeves”

around him ever again. This was hard. What do you get a man who has everything?

ROBERTO LUONGO

Why: Handled all the Cory Schneider nonsense of the last year like a pro, and returned to the

Canucks with his mind focused on winning us that big silver trophy.

What we’d put in his stocking: A photoshopped picture of Roberto Luongo with his new backup

goalie: Roberto Luongo.

EDDIE LACK

Why: He has quickly transitioned from a question mark in net to an emphatic exclamation mark

in net. That’s a fun of way of saying he’s been pretty awesome this year.

What we’d put in his stocking: A Team Canada jersey, because even though we like the guy, he

needs to support a winning team for the Olympics. WHOEVER MADE THE DECISION TO

FINALLY RETIRE PAVEL

BURE’S NUMBER

Why: Because Bure was the most exciting Canuck ever and this honour was long overdue.

What we’d put in his stocking: A Pavel Bure hockey card where he’s wearing #96 with a note

saying “Retire in 2014?”

Naughty

BRAD MARCHAND

Why: If he isn’t punching a Sedin in the face or low-bridging Sami Salo, he’s miming kissing his

Stanley Cup ring. He is probably enemy No. 1 in B.C. right now.

What we’d put in his stocking: Cheese, because even though we dislike him, you should always

feed your pet rats.

GLENN HEALY

Why: Glenn Healy’s personal mission in life seems to be dedicated to finding things wrong with

Vancouver.

What we’d put in his stocking: Tapes from the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals so he can see video of

the players on his team who actually earned that Cup ring.

GARY BETTMAN

Why: He is a mainstay on the naughty list. His inclusion provides the very foundation of the

naughty list. We hate him, basically.

What we’d put in his stocking: Phoenix Coyotes attendance records, and a postcard from

Quebec.

MARK MESSIER

Why: Reasons to numerous to list here, if we had a three-page spread we’d get into it.

What we’d put in his stocking: It would be smelly. That’s all we’re going to say on the matter.

Pay Santo? Or let him prove worth?

Jason Botchford – The Province | December 22, 2013

Santorelli has been indispensable; the big question now is when to reward him

To win, every NHL team needs a Mike Santorelli.

Every team needs a player who outruns his contract. And Santorelli is lapping his.

Every team needs a player who can put up 50 points and do it without the marquee power-play

minutes generally reserved for first-liners.

Santorelli sat 16th in the NHL Friday with 24 even-strength points. That is pretty good. Every

team needs to get lucky, and it’s been a long time since the Vancouver Canucks got as lucky as

they did when they signed Santorelli to a one-year, two-way, league-minimum contract.

To find a better deal, you probably have to go back to Anson Carter, who scored 33 goals for the

Canucks in 2005-06 for $1 million.

Then, there was Alex Burrows who signed that bargain-bin, four-year, $8 million deal. Then,

there is Santorelli. Offering the 28-year-old, Vancouver-born Santorelli a two-way contract on

the first day of free agency was the easy part for the Canucks.

There was no risk in betting they’d get a motivated player, out to prove he belongs in the NHL.

They got it by offering him something money couldn’t buy — opportunity.

If he proved to be an effective, versatile forward with the Canucks, great. There was lots of room

on a team with only three other NHL centres, the third being Brad Richardson, who was a fourth-

liner in L.A.

If things didn’t work out, that was great too. Santorelli would have been Utica bound, and it

would have only cost the Canucks a $250,000 AHL salary.

If there ever was a no-lose contract for a hockey team, this was close to it. But now what? Well,

now, nearing the season’s midpoint, the Canucks are faced with one of their most difficult

decisions of the year.

Santorelli hasn’t just been effective, he’s been indispensable.

He’s flourished playing both centre and wing, and has helped to drive play on the Canucks’

second line, especially when paired with Chris Higgins.

The 58-point pace Santorelli was at on Friday is ridiculously good when compared to the four

points he produced in 34 games last year, and the 11 in 60 he had the year before.

The underlying analytical numbers suggest it’s even more impressive, when you consider he’s

producing these numbers in a shutdown-like role.

He’s been facing tough competition with an offensive zone start percentage that is just 43.5 per

cent.

When playing with Higgins, Santorelli’s Corsi-for percentage is 55.9 per cent at even strength.

That is pretty great.

It all suggests this would be an ideal time for the Canucks to initiate talks for a contract

extension. Because the longer the Canucks wait, the worse it’s going to get if Santorelli comes

close to sustaining this rate.

It’s not unreasonable to suggest the Canucks could still get Santorelli to agree to a three-year

deal in the $5.25 million range if they were eager to bargain now.

The $1.75 million average salary in that scenario is more than Santorelli has ever made. The

three years would give him the type of security he hasn’t had yet in his NHL career. But this is

not the Canucks’ plan. They are not out to re-sign Santorelli, and they don’t plan to. Not anytime

soon, anyway.

If they don’t deviate from that plan, it could mean, by the time they do engage in talks with

Santorelli, he is worth $3 million a year. You can bank on that if he finishes this season in the

50-point range and is a pending unrestricted free agent.

Last offseason, centre Boyd Gordon got a three-year, $9-million deal out of Edmonton and he

was averaging just 20 points per 82 games in his career.

So, this is a significant bet for the Canucks. But you can understand why they are making it.

A player’s success is often a delicate balancing act, and the Canucks — for now — aren’t in a

position to mess with Santorelli’s centre of gravity.

One of the key reasons they targeted him on the first day of free agency was the drive they

thought they’d be getting from a player on the edge of falling out of the league. Santorelli didn’t

disappoint. He came to camp in terrific shape, winning over head coach John Tortorella from

Day 1.

What if that were to change with a new contract? What if re-signing him would unconsciously

cause him to ease off, taking the foot off the gas?

The Canucks can’t risk it happening even slightly, considering where they are in the standings

and how difficult it’s going to be to make the playoffs in the Western Conference this season.

If part of Santorelli’s motivation is the fact he’s trying to earn his next contract, why would the

Canucks want to take it away?

More accurately, the Canucks can’t afford to take that away.

And it’s not like Santorelli doesn’t have things left to prove. His success has been for just half a

season. Let’s see him do it for an entire year.

More importantly, let’s see him do it in the playoffs.

His weight is under 190 pounds and he’s not six-feet tall.

Let’s see him prove he can keep this level of play up in the big, tough Western Conference in

April and May.

Because if the Canucks are going to lock up any player for three years, they better have a good

idea he can perform in the playoffs.

If Santorelli does, he’ll get his big payday.

And he’ll probably get it from the Canucks.

The tale of the Bure draft

Tony Gallagher – The Province | December 22, 2013

Connected Swede, a lawsuit and an anxious president are all part of the story

“The guy who really helped us was a Swede named Goran Stubb.” — MIKE PENNY

Whenever one sees Mike Penny in the press box at Vancouver Canuck games, you are reminded

about some of his experiences here when he was the chief scout for the team beginning way back

in 1980.

Easily one of the funniest men in hockey because of his ability to tell a story, Penny could write

half a dozen hockey books and just be warming up, but he was recently asked what really

happened once Pavel Bure was surprisingly taken in that 1989 draft.

When Bure had his number retired recently, the Sun’s Mike Beamish did a nice job describing

the work of Igor Kuperman in providing documentation that the Russian Rocket had, in fact,

played enough games in the Soviet league so that he could legally meet the requirements to be

drafted that season.

But that doesn’t even come close to telling the whole story, Penny being the fellow who

prompted then-recently recruited and disputed GM Pat Quinn to go ahead and take Bure in that

sixth round.

And, he added, at the draft table that day, Brian Burke — who was Quinn’s right-hand man at

the time — didn’t think Bure was worth the pick, having seen him play at the world juniors that

year.

The now-Flames head’s feeling back then was that Bure was too small to play at a high level in

the NHL and wasn’t worth the gambled pick. But let’s not digress in that direction.

“The guy who really helped us was a Swede named Goran Stubb,” Penny said of the fellow who

did a lot of the digging and research on behalf of the Canucks to get information out of the

Soviet Union, a process which, at the time, required generous amounts creativity.

And while Penny didn’t want to elaborate, we can only assume what must have taken place.

So they get the documentation, and that’s when the story really begins. Because when the

information was presented to the league, then president John Ziegler Jr. shrugged it off and

essentially said, “So what?”

He had no intention of changing his ruling that Bure had to go back into the draft and stuck to

that stance for nearly 10 months.

The information didn’t mean a row of pins to him.

But at the time, Quinn had filed a suit against Ziegler and the league for what he felt was their

wrongful “expulsion” of him from the league in 1988 when he left the L.A. Kings and joined the

Canucks.

And that suit was evidently so wellcrafted, and Quinn’s case so strong, that Ziegler was spooked.

With the league president facing the prospect of having to come to Vancouver and stand in front

of the largest-ever crowd to attend a draft — the more than 19,000 fans at B.C. Place Stadium —

and be booed mercilessly, a deal was struck.

If Quinn and the Canucks agreed to drop their suit against he and the league, he would reverse

his initial ruling and award Bure to the Canucks.

Quinn clearly took the personal hit of being unable to vindicate his actions in court for the good

of the team. It was that apparent agreement which got Bure when it looked for months as though

he would go back into the draft, although at that point it pretty much went under the radar

because nobody had any idea how great a player this kid would eventually become.

When the rest of the league found out, to say they were enraged would be an understatement.

They had missed their shot at one of the world’s top prospects, but more importantly, they were

sick of the way they felt the league affairs were being handled.

Many governors at the time took notice and began a campaign to make some changes at the top,

and that little deal apparently greased the president’s skids.

In less that two years, Ziegler was out and Gary Bettman was on his way from the NBA to his

present post.

Three minutes to show their stuff

Ben Kuzma – The Province | December 22, 2013

Under Tortorella, fourth-liners learn to make the most of their limited ice time

Zac Dalpe gained more notoriety for a few musical minutes on the charity stage with Sarah

McLachlan than he has on the ice with the Vancouver Canucks.

Singing off-key during the rookie show portion of the annual Dice and Ice gala earlier this month

was easily tolerated by the celebrated songstress.

Turning over the puck as a fourthliner under the tough tutelage of John Tortorella will never be

tolerated. That gets you a seat on the bench or in the press box.

It’s far from a rousing ovation for harmonizing with McLachlan and then gushing an “I love

you” to her before the large Convention Centre gathering.

Such is the life of maintaining your balance on the slippery slope of being a reluctant option for

Tortorella.

While the past three league champions — the Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings and

Boston Bruins — have thrived by maintaining familiar and formidable fourth lines, that’s never

really been the case in Vancouver.

In their run to the 2011 Stanley Cup final, the Canucks used 17 players on the fourth line.

Through indifferent play and injuries, it was either a dumping ground for struggling players, a

place for rehabbed players to get up to speed or for budding enforcers to try and stay in the game.

In Game 7 against the Bruins in 2011, it was Manny Malhotra centring Tanner Glass and Victor

Oreskovich on the fourth line.

Fast forward to today and constants in the fourth-line mix are Tom Sestito, Dale Weise, Jeremy

Welsh and Dalpe.

But what never changes is doing the most with limited ice time.

For those who have excelled offensively to some degree in the minors — Weise, Dalpe and

Welsh have had 28, 23 and 14-goal seasons respectively in the AHL — preventing goals is a

tough transition to stay NHL employed.

“I’m not going to use them like a Bruins’ fourth line because I don’t think I can — and until I

feel I can, I won’t,” stressed Tortorella.

“Games are so close and it’s important to have the confidence of the staff. They’re improving but

to find them the time, I use my stomach when I feel I can put them on the ice. If it’s just fourth

line versus fourth line, they lose ice. I just haven’t been totally comfortable yet.

“Welsh is still trying to find his way, Dalpe is skating well and seems to be quicker on pucks.

Weise has struggled, and it’s his concentration and staying consistent. Sestito has made good

strides, and with him it comes down to conditioning. It’s hard. It’s difficult to improve when

you’re playing three, four, five or six minutes. That’s the world they live in.”

Away from the rink, Dalpe can entertain with guitar and a decent voice.

On the ice, entertaining means he’s doing everything to warrant less ice, not more.

It’s a tough transition for a 24-yearold Paris, Ont., native who started his NHL ascension with a

27-goal season with the Penticton Vees in 2007-08 and was traded along with Welsh to the

Canucks in October.

“There wasn’t an identity and we’re starting to find one because you have to defend,” said Dalpe.

“That’s been a knock on me the last couple of years — running around in the D-zone. I’m

getting comfortable even though you don’t get much leeway.

“But that’s the role and I’m not upset about it at all because you’ve got to do the little things.

They matter.

“I chased the game before. I analyze things differently, I’m more efficient and it’s huge for me.

I’m getting to where I don’t have to think — I just do.”

Welsh played on instinct when recalled and was instantly inserted into the lineup Oct. 20 in

Columbus, and didn’t look out of place with two scoring chances in a strong first period. It’s

been a steep learning curve after that outing for the 25-year-old Bayfield, Ont., native.

“Once you lose the jitters, it’s an adjustment playing four or five minutes a night,” said Welsh.

“It’s a mental game trying to stay ready and not letting your mind drift when you’re sitting there.

And when you do get out there in the second or third periods, you’ve got to get your legs going.

It’s almost like every shift is your first shift of the game.

“It’s a balancing act. Maybe earlier, I wanted to bust it open, but I’m learning and maturing to

play my role.

“Getting the puck deep is going to go further than an offensive flash.”

Not that fourth-liners don’t want to become third-liners.

Weise has bounced between lines and had already hit a career high with nine points heading into

weekend play.

“You kno my stance, it’s nice to be involved,” said the 25-year-old Winnipeg native. “I want to

contribute.” Ditto for Dalpe, Sestito and Welsh.

Q&A with ... David Booth

Jordan Bowman – The Province | December 22, 2013

David Booth is known as one of the most outspoken Canucks, and displays a quirky personality

that hockey needs. He sat down with The Province for a White Towel Q&A. (For a longer

version, visit thelegionofblog.com)

Q Bowman: A lot was made of it earlier this season when Coach Tortorella infamously referred

to you as a “weird dude.” What’s your relationship like with the coach these days?

A Booth: Yeah, you know, he talked to me after that one and he said people think he’s weird too

(laughs). So I don’t know, it wasn’t a negative thing, I understand that and I think it’s good to

have some personality and bring an element to the locker-room that some people may like, some

people ... I don’t know. You know, I don’t really look into it that much, I’ve been called a lot

worse things by coaches than just “weird.”

As a fan and writer, it is very refreshing to have some personality in the dressing room rather

than the standard ...

Yeah, it is, I know. That’s the thing, you see everyone just trying ... well, I’m not, you know,

belittling my teammates by any means, but you kinda see a lot of similar personalities. I’ve had a

tough year, I guess I just try to keep it as light as I can, ‘cause if you let it get to you it can be

very frustrating.

Now, it’s well known that your nickname around here is “Boother.” Are there any nicknames

that you would like to have?

Well, a lot of guys call me “Grizz.”

Grizz?

(smiles) Yeah. Grizz. After “Grizzly.” So I think that’s a cool name, you know, I kinda

recommended it, and the guys liked it so ... Grizz.

(At this point in the interview, Mike Santorelli walks by and calls Booth “Boothy.” Awkward.)

You know, I think Weisey, Sestito, even the Sedins, they’ll call me Grizz. I think it’s starting to

catch on.

It’s too bad, though, Mike Santorelli just walked by and called you “Boothy,” that would have

been the perfect opportunity for him to walk by and say “Hey, Grizz.”

Santorelli, he doesn’t really know. Sometimes that guy is a little “out to lunch.” If you get

Weisey to walk by, he’ll say “Hey, Grizz.”

Being an avid outdoorsman, were you excited to join the Canucks a few years ago given how

expansive the B.C. wilderness is, or did you not know until you got here?

I honestly didn’t know. I thought Vancouver was more of just a city. I really didn’t realize all the

opportunities British Columbia has to offer in the outdoors, and I’m still learning about the

absolutely expansive wilderness that there is here. I want to move here now, I want to make a

home here. I have had some good friends show me parts of British Columbia that I didn’t really

know existed.

Would you say it was better than the Floridian wilderness?

Oh, it’s not even close. B.C., I think, is the best place on Earth. I really believe that.

What is the best place for an outdoor adventure in B. C.?

I went up to Deeks Lake with a buddy, he took me up there and that was really, really neat. We

did a little 10-day trip, just living out of a suitcase. Sleeping in tents in the rain, in the cold, in the

wind. It was actually quite challenging, but fun nonetheless.

Well, Christmas is almost here, so I’ll ask a couple holiday-themed questions. What would you

rather do, build a snowman or go sledding?

Sledding. It’s more adventurous. It’s fun, there’s a sense of danger involved with how fast you

can go, if you can hit any jumps.

Sledding or snowball fight?

Sledding. I don’t want to hurt anyone, and then feel guilty for hurting them, so sledding.

Any holiday wishes for Province readers or Canucks fans?

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Perron a what-could-have-been

Ben Kuzma – The Province | December 22, 2013

For some reason, Vancouver passed on passionate winger back in 2007 draft

David Perron could have easily become an MVP, as in Most Vexing Player.

From being tabbed too flamboyant by showing up to a prospects camp with white skates, to

being too hard to coach because of his creative nature or because he was too much of a

troublemaker, the mercurial winger has become too valuable.

From being a first-round 2007 draft pick by the St. Louis Blues — after being passed over by the

Vancouver Canucks after putting on a stellar Memorial Cup display at the Pacific Coliseum —

the first meaningful trade by Edmonton general manager Craig MacTavish has been telling.

By shipping the under-achieving Magnus Paajarvi and a secondround 2014 draft pick to the

Blues in July, the Oilers didn’t take a chance. They did their homework.

Perron is playing like an MVP, as in, the Oilers’ Most Valuable Player.

While the floundering club continues to struggle in its own zone and an astounding array of

young talent can’t get a grip on the two-way game concept, the Oilers don’t have to look far for

inspiration.

On a nightly basis, Perron competes. He does the spade work in the corners. He wins puck

battles. He scores.

After 37 games, the Oilers were 20 points shy of a playoff position, but Perron soldiered on and

led the club at that point with 14 goals, including a team high six power-play goals.

He also led in shots, was second in shooting percentage and first in moxie. All for a palatable

$3.8 million US cap hit for two more years.

Imagine having the 25-year-old right winger in the current Canucks’ top-six mix.

“He’s always in the face of the opposition,” said MacTavish. “I really believe the game is best

played at a high emotional level and he gets himself there. He’s a great teammate who has really

fit in well. The players appreciate his passion for the game, not just the way he plays, but the way

he practises. He’s made every line better that he’s played on. So far, so good.”

Perron has also played with an edge.

He admitted the Zack Kassian high stick that broke the jaw of teammate Sam Gagner “was still

on our minds for sure” and when nobody went after the Canucks winger on Dec. 13 at Rogers

Arena — Kassian’s first meeting with the Oilers since being suspended — it was a late-game

shot to the helmet at the sideboards delivered by Perron.

It was the most bite the visitors showed in a listless 4-0 drubbing.

“I don’t want to point anybody out, but you’ve got to play every guy hard and finish it (check)

hard every time,” stressed Perron. “I’m trying to lead the way in that department. It (win) is not

going to happen every night, but I feel I can have an impact that way to get us going. We need to

find some positives out of some of the performances and if it’s not positive, we’ve got to find a

way to learn from it.

“The biggest thing for me is to create momentum when I get in the corners, make smart decisions

and create some offence. It’s the leadership side that I love.”

It’s not so much the manner in which Perron has adhered to new Oilers coach Dallas Eakins and

new linemates in Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle, it’s the way he’s willing to lead by

example.

The 200-foot game for Perron wasn’t always there and Blues coach Ken Hitchcock had to

hammer the rudiments of the game into a player who wasn’t always willing.

“He’s definitely a coach that I’m going to look back on later in my career,” said Perron. “I find

myself telling the guys in our room some of the stuff he was telling me and the team in St. Louis.

This is a different team and a different fit for me, but we still have to clean up the mistakes and

having a coach like him really helped.

“But Hitch is Hitch. He can say whatever he wants about changing. He’s always going to be the

same coach and that’s his biggest strength. That’s why he’s had success and he’s not going to go

away from that. I’ve just got to bring what I learned here and bring best effort.”

As for the Vancouver connection, Perron knew about the Canucks picking Minnesota high

school centre Patrick White in 2007 with the 25th pick and the Blues eagerly taking him with the

next selection.

White never played an NHL game, although the Canucks were able to deal him to the salary-

dumping San Jose Sharks in a package that included landing Christian Ehrhoff.

But he’s long gone, and Perron is a now a prominent Oiler.

“I thought I would be drafted by the Canucks, but I don’t make the (draft) decisions,” he

shrugged.

The Oilers appear to have made a good one.

Stoked about mini miracle in the Madhouse

Brad Ziemer – The Vancouver Sun | December 21, 2013

Lack stands tall as Vancouver ends grinding road trip with gritty win in marathon shootout

CHICAGO — The win was worth, like all the others, two points in the standings for the

Vancouver Canucks.

But really, Friday’s mini pre- Christmas miracle at the United Center — also known as the

Madhouse on Madison — had much more value to it than that.

“It’s something you can hang your hat on a little bit as a team,” coach John Tortorella said after

watching his team battle back from a 2- 0 deficit and beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3- 2 in a

shootout. Yes, a shootout.

The Canucks head home with a .500 road trip that now feels so much better than that. This trip

looked like it was going to be an absolute disaster after the rested Blackhawks, a team that hardly

ever loses after it scores first, grabbed that lead.

But backed by rookie goalie Eddie Lack, who added another line to his impressive resume, the

Canucks dug down and found a way to win.

They beat, arguably, the best team in the National Hockey League while playing on fumes.

Vancouver was playing its third game in four nights.

“They showed us a little balls, that’s what they did,” said Tortorella, who was clearly proud of

his players.

The win was eerily reminiscent of the one the Canucks pulled off in St. Louis at the end of a

marathon, seven- game trip in October.

Lack was the common denominator in both games, neither of which the Canucks were given

much of a chance to win.

His record this season is now 5- 2- 0 and his numbers keep getting better: a 1.98 goalsagainst

average and a .927 save percentage.

“Well, I have been saying it all along here, nothing fazes him,” Tortorella said of Lack. “He just

goes about his business. I’m sure he’d like to have the first one back, but it doesn’t affect his

game. He’s staring down some pretty good forwards in the shootout. It’s impressive and it’s

good for us now and it’s good for us in the future.”

Lack was mad at himself after allowing that first goal to Kris Versteeg, who tipped a Patrick

Kane floater by him at 7: 49 of the first.

“I thought I had let the first goal in a little bit cheap and I wanted to get it back and keep my

team in it,” Lack said. “I thought we did a huge job coming back from 2- 0 and taking it to a

shootout. It’s a good game, for sure.”

The fact that the win came over Finnish rookie goalie Antti Raanta undoubtedly made it even

sweeter for the 25- yearold Swede.

The last time Lack was in the United Center was last season, when he hobbled into the press box

on crutches to watch the Canucks play the Blackhawks. Lack was recuperating from hip surgery

and there were whispers that he’d never be ready to be Vancouver’s backup this season.

“Tonight was a little more fun,” Lack said with a smile that never seems to leave his face.

He insisted he was not nervous as he stood during Jim Cornelison’s magnificent national anthem

with the United Center crowd of 21,000plus roaring.

“I have watched a lot of games here during my two years in Chicago with the ( AHL) Wolves,”

Lack said. “I was prepared for it.”

What he wasn’t prepared for was an eight- round shootout with a virtual murderer’s row of

snipers coming at him.

Kane came first and Lack was asked about his glove save.

“To be honest, I don’t really remember,” Lack said. “Where did I save it?”

Reminded it was a glove save, Lack said: “OK, I kind of felt like he had me and then he shot it

maybe a little too quick and I made a glove save.”

He later denied Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Brandon Saad, Ben Smith, Versteeg and Michal

Handzus. Only Patrick Sharp beat him. Lack did not do it alone, of course. Daniel Sedin dove to

the ice midway through the third period to chip a puck over Raanta and force overtime. Zack

Kassian started the comeback midway through the second.

Ryan Kesler and Mike Santorelli, the latter like Lack one of this team’s feel- good stories, scored

in the shootout.

“We talked about the St. Louis game prior to this game, how we played in St. Louis, and I

thought after the first period was done I thought we held our structure, relied on that a little bit

and just stayed with it and found a way,” Tortorella said.

Kesler, who iced it in the shootout, said a win like Friday’s is something that can have a lasting

effect.

“For us, it builds character,” Kesler said. “If you lose games like this and you don’t come back, I

think it creeps into your head that you can’t. These games are big.”

“For us to come back and take over the game like we did, I think that’s a really good sign for this

club,” added Daniel Sedin.

Slowed by injuries, Shinkaruk suffers

toughest cut

Brad Ziemer- The Vancouver Sun | December 21, 2013

Management will reach out to disappointed prospect after Team Canada trims him from junior roster

CHICAGO — Assistant general manager Laurence Gilman will have one less Canuck prospect

to watch when he heads to the World Junior Hockey Championship in Malmo, Sweden next

week.

Hunter Shinkaruk, the speedy Medicine Hat Tigers winger the Canucks selected late in the first

round of this year’s NHL entry draft, was one of two final cuts Friday by Team Canada.

Gilman knows Shinkaruk, who has battled hip and shoulder injuries this season, will be

profoundly disappointed.

“First of all, I think every kid playing hockey in Canada wants to play for Team Canada at their

level,” Gilman said before the Canucks beat the Blackhawks at the United Center on Friday.

“I’m sure it is extremely disappointing for Hunter. Unfortunately for him, he has had a tough

year. He sustained two different injuries that have clearly impacted his performance. It is a

testament to him and his skill set, and what Hockey Canada thinks about him, that they brought

him to Copenhagen for their pre- tournament.

“Unfortunately, guys that he was competing with outplayed him and that’s hockey. That

happens. We think that Hunter is going to be more than fine in the long run. There will be other

opportunities for him to wear the Maple Leaf and he’ll get over this.”

Canuck prospect Bo Horvat, the London Knights’ centre selected ninth overall this summer,

remains with the team and scored a goal in Canada’s 4- 2 win over Finland in a pre- tournament

game Friday in Copenhagen.

Gilman said the team will reach out to Shinkaruk to try to cushion the blow.

“In the next day or two either Stan Smyl or Mike ( Gillis) or Lorne ( Henning) or I or perhaps all

of us will reach out and talk to him,” Gilman said.

Gilman said the team has no concern over the lingering injuries that have hampered Shinkaruk

this season.

“No, we brought him in last month, we got him assessed by our doctors and he has seen doctors

in his hometown in Calgary,” Gilman said. “We feel we have a handle on what has occurred with

him and he will recover fully.” TAKING A GAMBLE: Given his team’s shootout woes before

Friday’s win, John Tortorella had talked about gambling a bit in overtime to try to avoid the

penalty- shot competition.

He lived up to his word as he used three forwards and just one defenceman late in OT to try to

press for the win.

“Yeah, we tried that in the second half of the four- onfour,” Tortorella said. “We are going to try

to stay aggressive in that four- on- four.”

FINE AND DAN- DY: Defenceman Dan Hamhuis continues to log monster minutes after

injuries to Alex Edler and Ryan Stanton.

Hamhuis was just shy of the 30- minute mark on Friday and Tortorella said all those minutes are

a reflection of his strong play.

Hamhuis has bounced back after a tough start to his season.

“He has played very well,” Tortorella said. “I told you, I thought he was awful earlier in the year.

I had watched him from afar and I didn’t even recognize him. I think he settles us down. Even

with the power play, he doesn’t have the big shot, he doesn’t have a lot of power- play points,

but he settles our power play down ... That is what he brings, he is cerebral and he just brings us

that type of attitude.” RIVALRY LIVES: NHL realignment means the Canucks and Blackhawks

don’t see quite as much of one another as they used to. But defenceman Kevin Bieksa doesn’t

think that means the rivalry will be diminished.

“Maybe it gets exponentially greater because we only play them twice ( or three times) a year,”

Bieksa said. “There is going to be positives and negatives to realignment. It is not going to be the

perfect solution for everything, but they feel like right now it’s in the best interests of the fans to

be able to see every team every year. ... Obviously, we’d like to play Chicago more. We feel like

they bring out the best in us.”

Jets not focused on win, but next game

Melissa Martin – Winnipeg Free Press | December 21, 2013, 12:52pm

Before flying off to Vancouver, the Jets hit the practice ice on Saturday morning following their

first home win in over a month. But though there is surely a rise in spirits after a solid victory,

head coach Claude Noel said he didn’t focus on that with his team.

"I don’t say too much," Noel said. "We all have responsibilities. Winning is just a by-product of

playing well as a group of 20, and if you can produce and play well as a group of 20, and work

hard and perform, the results will follow that. We haven’t had that kind of game that much.

We’ve been in and out."

The Jets now head to Vancouver, where they face the Canucks on Sunday. The Jets haven’t seen

much of the ’Nucks in recent years, and not since they installed John Tortorella as coach.

"Vancouver’s a good team, they have a lot of good players, we have to be physical against

them," said defenceman Zach Bogosian, who made his return to the lineup on Friday after sitting

out a month with a groin injury.

Captain Andrew Ladd stayed out of Saturday’s practice as a maintenance day, while defenceman

Grant Clitsome didn’t skate after missing Friday’s game due to illness. The blueliner is also

banged up, Noel said, and noted the team’s physical therapists have really been earning their

keep as of late.

"The workload, it’s a lot of games," Noel said. "You’re always playing, it seems... it’s an

Olympic year, they condensed the schedule, and the people who know it are our training staff.

There’s a lot of work to do all the time."

Michael Frolik doesn’t tend to razzle-dazzle, but he’s quietly continued to be one of the most

effective players on the squad. His five points in the last five tilts are swell, and his 21 on the

season — sixth on the team and 106th in the NHL — is a very solid figure for a second-line

winger.

Best of all, he’s making hay while the sun shines: Frolik’s point-production rate per 60 minutes

of ice time sits third on the team, just a hair behind Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler.

Meanwhile, the 25-year-old is still a restricted free agent after this season. And all of that came

at the bargain price of a third- and fifth-round draft pick, both statistically unlikely to net an NHL

player.

If we were Kevin Cheveldayoff, we’d relax this holiday season by taking a nice hot bath, pouring

a glass of wine and reliving the Frolik trade over and over again. He’s the gift from Chicago that

just keeps on giving.

***

Mark Scheifele climbed into the top 10 in rookie scoring, mostly by capitalizing on the offensive

opportunities he’s had in December: As of Saturday he was tied with Los Angeles Kings forward

Tyler Toffoli for second in rookie scoring over the month. Worth noting: Of the eight rookies

above Scheifele in the top 10 scoring conversation, only Dallas Stars scorer Valeri Nichushkin,

2013 first-overall pick Nathan MacKinnon and San Jose phenom Tomas Hertl are younger.

On that note, Scheifele is now tied with Toby Enstrom for the Jets’ longest point streak so far

this season, as Enstrom started the year with a five-game flurry of assists.

No rest for training staff

Melissa Martin – Winnipeg Free Press | December 22, 2013

Bumps and bruises pile up with condensed schedule

The Jets wrapped up a short homestand on Saturday with a round of drills on the ice, their bags

already packed for Vancouver where they face the Canucks tonight.

Captain Andrew Ladd didn't skate, as he rested some bumps, and defenceman Grant Clitsome

also missed practice; he's a little banged up.

Head coach Claude Noel hears that a lot lately, with the Jets sitting at 16-16-5 and the season's

midway pole fast approaching.

"We could probably keep a lot of guys off the ice," Noel said, after putting his squad through

their paces. "It's just the workload... you're always playing it seems. It's an Olympic year, they

condensed the schedule, and the people that know it are our training staff. There are guys

(getting worked on) all the time. They got a lot of work to do in there all the time."

Surely, the solid 5-2 win over Florida on Friday night helped the Jets shake the soreness off their

bodies. The win wasn't perfect, and Noel thought the first period especially was a bit of a mess,

and not just because of the parade to the penalty box. To the coach's eye, the new defence

pairings -- including Zach Bogosian next to Tobias Enstrom, and Dustin Byfuglien with Adam

Pardy -- also looked unsettled that frame.

"It was a little bit of an adjustment for us," Noel said. "Our puck management wasn't great with

the forwards in our D-zone. But I thought as the game went on, we were quite a bit better. I

thought that they were good. I thought that everyone was aligned pretty well in that game."

It showed on the back end, it showed in the front. While the more experienced Ladd-Little-

Wheeler line shouldered much of the load of busting out of the Jets' own end, the line of Evander

Kane, Mark Scheifele and Michael Frolik gobbled up tasty minutes on the attack -- not counting

changes on the fly, Kane started just over 87 per cent of his even-strength shifts in the opponent's

zone and Frolik close to the same -- and they thrived.

Kane potted a goal and an assist -- as did Frolik -- and Scheifele kept his now five-game point

streak alive. Those are the numbers, while the eye test suggests that trio had fun on Friday, often

confounding defenders and driving the net. They look, these days, like they're finding the joy of

the game.

"I don't use 'joy' as my word, I'll leave that to Claude," quipped Kane before hopping the plane to

his Vancouver hometown. "But when the puck goes in the net, everybody's happy."

But that's enough looking back. The win on Friday snapped a six-game home losing streak, but

Noel said the team doesn't get caught up in streaks.

"We try to focus on the game, or the task, and try to keep a balance of things," he said. "We

move off of games. We don't drag games with us, six games or five games or these things. We

don't get too involved in these numbers."

On Saturday, that meant moving past the euphoria of a win, letting go of the Panthers and getting

ready for the Vancouver test ahead, and the Edmonton Oilers on Monday after that. No, the

coach didn't need to remind his team the win was in the past.

"I don't say too much," Noel said.

"We all have responsibilities. Winning is just a byproduct of playing well as a group of 20, and if

you can produce and play well as a group of 20, and work hard, perform and do well, then the

results will follow that. We haven't had that kind of game that much... I'm not gonna sit there and

motivate them from one game to the next. That's all our responsibilities."

Frolik pleasant surprise for Jets

Kevin Wiebe – Winnipeg Sun | December 21, 2013, 9:03pm

VANCOUVER -

Michael Frolik wasn't the highest-profile addition to the Winnipeg Jets during the off-season.

That distinction belongs to former 30-goal scorer Devin Setoguchi.

However, as the Jets get set to face the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday at Rogers Arena, Frolik

has been one of the most consistent players on the roster to this point.

Brought in to bolster the Top-9 forwards, Frolik has worked his way onto what has been a

productive second line, skating alongside Evander Kane and rookie Mark Scheifele.

Frolik, who played more of a checking-line role with the Chicago Blackhawks the past two

seasons and change, has shown his versatility since his arrival.

But after easing him into the mix, Jets head coach Claude Noel has been leaning on Frolik more

heavily, providing him with more ice time and responsibility.

That's led to an increase in offensive input, as Frolik has two goals and five points during his past

five games to give him nine goals and 21 points in 36 games this season.

"Frolik is a guy that is defensive, but he makes plays, he's a smart player and makes some things

happen," said Noel. "He just quietly goes about (his business). He's been consistent pretty much

all year. He doesn't get a lot of accolades, but he's done a pretty good job."

With Matt Halischuk out of the lineup with a fractured forearm, Frolik is finally getting some

substantial time with the Jets' penalty killers during the past few games and that's another area of

strength for him.

Frolik partnered with Marcus Kruger on the Blackhawks and were a dominant force while

playing shorthanded during Chicago's run to the Stanley Cup last spring.

With the Jets involved in so many one-goal games, it would be wise for the Jets to continue

using him as part of their penalty kill.

There have also been times recently when Frolik found himself with some time on the power

play as well.

That's dried up with the return of Kane from a lower-body injury, but showing he was

comfortable in that role will also help Frolik moving forward.

Having an expanded role has suited Frolik just fine.

"Who doesn't, right?," said Frolik, who was uncomfortable when a reporter suggested he might

be the most consistent Jet to this point of the season. "The comfort level is getting better every

game. Hopefully, I can still be better. I never want to quit. I'm still trying to improve my game

and work hard."

Frolik was acquired on June 30 for third and fifth round picks in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

And while the Jets cherish their precious draft picks, this trade is tracking to be one of the best

deals general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has made since taking over the big chair.

Frolik, 25, will be a restricted free agent this summer, but the Jets can retain his services with a

qualifying offer.

However, based on his play this season, the Jets should be looking into locking him up on a

multiyear deal and adding him to the core group going forward.

Frolik is a hard-working, low-maintenance player that is smart defensively and can chip in

offensively, equally comfortable in a second or third-line role.

He's tracking toward the third 20-goal season of his career -- and first since leaving the Florida

Panthers organization via trade in February of 2011 and is in the final year of a three-year, $7

million dollar deal he signed with the Blackhawks.

With a salary of only $1.9 million this season and a salary-cap hit of $2.33 million, Frolik is well

on his way to earning himself a well-deserved raise.

The only questions left to answer are how much and for how long.

Bogosian makes presence felt in return to

Jets lineup

Ken Wiebe – Winnipeg Sun | December 21, 2013, 9:13pm

VANCOUVER -

Zach Bogosian probably felt it was merely a coincidence that the Winnipeg Jets snapped a six-

game home-ice losing streak in his return to the lineup.

But judging by the comments from his teammates in the aftermath of Friday's 5-2 win over the

Florida Panthers, Bogosian certainly made his presence felt after missing the previous 15 games

with a groin injury.

Bogosian didn't suffer any setbacks as his powerful stride was on display throughout the contest.

"Just the way he skates, the way he moves the puck and his physical presence he brings to the

table back there is huge for our team," said Jets right-winger Blake Wheeler. "We've missed him

a lot back there."

Bogosian took 25 shifts for 17 minutes and 44 seconds of ice time, chipping in an assist in his

first game since Nov. 15, a 3-2 victory over Philadelphia in the Jets last home victory before

Friday.

ENDING THE DROUGHT

Jets blue-liner Toby Enstrom scored an important goal on Friday, blasting home a slapshot

during a 5-on-3 power play for his third goal of the season and first since Nov. 2, ending a 21-

game drought.

"I haven't been a big goal-scorer my whole life, I love passing the puck," said Enstrom, who has

three goals and 11 points in 37 games this season. "Anyway I can help the team, it doesn't really

matter. But it's always fun to score goals, I'm not going to lie."

HAPPY HOMECOMING

Jets left-winger Evander Kane has two goals and four points in three games since returning from

a lower-body injury and he's excited to play the only game in his hometown this season -- and

first since 2011.

"I'm looking forward to it, I don't get to play there too often," said Kane, who played two-plus

seasons with the Vancouver Giants in the Western Hockey League before turning pro. "Yeah,

there will be a lot of support, so it will be good."

Kane has nine goals and 18 points in 29 games this season.

MISSING MEN

Jets captain Andrew Ladd skipped Saturday's workout for maintenance, but is expected to be in

the lineup on Sunday against the Vancouver Canucks.

However, defenceman Grant Clitsome, who was sick on Friday, is expected to miss Sunday's

game because he's "banged up" with an undisclosed injury.

SANTORELLI SHINING

Former Jets winger Mike Santorelli is proving to be one of the biggest bargains in the NHL this

season.

Santorelli, who joined the Jets off waivers from the Florida Panthers at the NHL trade deadline

last season, is currently tied for third in Canucks' scoring with Ryan Kesler.

The versatile forward and shootout specialist has eight goals (including two game-winners) and

26 points in 38 games after signing a one-year, two-way deal last summer with his hometown

team that pays him $550,000 in the NHL

Santorelli, 28, will be an unrestricted free agent again this summer.

The Canucks continue to be led by Daniel and Henrik Sedin, as the twins each have 33 points in

38 games this season.

Winnipegger Dale Weise has three goals, nine points and 14 penalty minutes in 28 games this

season.

The Jets are expected to see Roberto Luongo in goal on Sunday.

Luongo is 16-9-6 with three shutouts and a 2.26 goals against average in 31 starts this season.

Former Manitoba Moose netminder Eddie Lack earned the shootout victory over the Chicago

Blackhawks on Friday and is 5-2 with a 1.98 goals against average in 10 appearances (seven

starts) during his first full NHL season.