Top WHL goaltender leaves for school ... Seattle, Lethbridge take leads ... Vees win BCHL title

F Aaron Gagnon (Seattle, 2001-07) has signed a one-year contract with Langnau (Switzerland, NL A). This season, with Lukko Rauma (Finland, Liiga), he had 11 goals and 15 assists in 43 games. He also played seven games with Bern (Switzerland, NL A), scoring three times and adding two assists. . . . 

F Brandon Segal (Calgary, 1999-2004) has signed a one-year extension with the Nuremberg Ice Tigers (Germany, DEL). This season, he had 16 goals and 16 assists in 52 games.

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Thank you @MJWARRIORS for 4 great years pic.twitter.com/NSJPbSxyAb

— Zach Sawchenko (@Chunko_31) April 25, 2017

Zach Sawchenko, one of the WHL’s premier goaltenders, revealed on Tuesday that he won’t be returning to the Moose Jaw Warriors for his 20-year-old season. Instead, he will be attending the U of Alberta and playing for the Golden Bears.

ZACH SAWCHENKO

It seems the insecurity inherent with a professional career doesn’t appeal to Sawchenko, at least not without a backup plan.

“This is going to come as a surprise to most, but now more than ever, the uncertainty in the game is through the roof,” Sawchenko told Marc Smith of discovermoosejaw.com. “You're seeing guys like Zach Fucale end up in the (ECHL) where they're making $40,000 a year, it's tough to live off that, it's tough to live off a signing bonus. Your career could end at any time and you have to have a plan B.”

This season, Sawchenko went 30-14-7, 2.79, .917 in the regular season. He was selected as the Eastern Conference’s top goaltender and named to the conference’s first all-star team, the latter for a second straight season.

A native of Calgary, Sawchenko played four seasons in Moose Jaw, going 88-65-16, 3.11, .908 in 177 games.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder never was selected in the NHL draft. He went into the 2016 draft ranked by NHL Central Scouting as No. 6 among North American goaltenders.

The Warriors selected Sawchenko in the second round of the WHL’s 2012 bantam draft.

The Warriors’ depth chart now will show Brody Willms as the organization’s No. 1 goaltender, with Adam Evanoff sliding into the No. 2 spot.

Willms, who turns 19 on July 21, is from Coquitlam, B.C. He was an eighth-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. This season, he got into 25 games, going 12-7-2, 3.11, .907.

Evanoff is from Penticton, B.C., and was a 10th-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft. He will turn 17 on Aug. 16. He played this season at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton, going 2.44, .918 in 19 appearances.

Smith’s story is right here.

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The Victoria Royals have signed F Tyus Gent, who was a fourth-round selection in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. Gent, 16, is from Delta, B.C. He played this season with the Delta Hockey Academy’s Elite 15s of the Canadian Sports School Hockey League, putting up 25 goals and 25 assists in 25 games. He led the Elite 15s in goals and points, and was saluted as the MVP at season’s end. . . . He also got into eight games with the academy’s prep team, scoring twice and adding an assist.

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F Judd Caulfield, a highly touted prospect out of the North Dakota high school ranks, has decided to join the U.S. National Team Development Program, according to Brad Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald. . . . Caulfield, 16, will be part of the U-17 program. . . . Caulfield, whose WHL rights belong to the Portland Winterhawks, put up 64 points, including 25 goals, in 27 games this season with Grand Forks Central, which won the state championship to conclude an undefeated season. . . . Caulfield was selected by Portland in the 10th round of the 2016 WHL bantam draft. He committed to the U of North Dakota on Oct. 5.

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Here is the OT & #FredPageCup winner by @dunkaroosoup11 for @PentictonVees pic.twitter.com/vg47ZDDNHb

— BC Hockey League (@bchllive) April 26, 2017

In the BCHL, F Duncan Campbell scored on a rebound at 9:25 of OT to give the Penticton Vees a 1-0

DUNCAN CAMPBELL

victory over the host Chilliwack Chiefs in Game 7 of the championship final. . . . Campbell, 20, is from Brandon and spent the previous two seasons playing for the Wheat Kings. He joined the Vees early this season and put up 28 points, including 11 goals, in 40 games. . . . Three of the last four games in the BCHL final were decided in OT. . . . Both teams advanced to the Western Canada Cup that runs in Penticton from April 29 through May 7. It also features the AJHL-champion Brooks Bandits, SJHL-champion Battlefords North Stars and MJHL-champion Portage Terriers. . . . Interestingly, F Keegan Kolesar, whose two goals helped the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 2-1 victory over the Rockets in Kelowna last night, also was born in Brandon.

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The NHL’s Vancouver Canucks will introduce Travis Green, a former WHL player and coach, as their new head coach at a news conference today. . . . Green, 46, is from Castlegar, B.C. He played four seasons (1986-90) in the WHL, three-plus with the Spokane Chiefs and the last 25 with the Medicine Hat Tigers before going on to a pro career that included 970 NHL games. As a coach, he spent three seasons (2010-13) on the Portland Winterhawks’ staff. For the past four seasons, Green has been the head coach of the Utica Comets, the Canucks’ AHL affiliate. . . . In Vancouver, he replaces Willie Desjardins, who was relieved of his duties when their season ended. . . . You can look for Green to bring along Nolan Baumgartner, a former WHL defenceman, as his lead assistant coach. Baumgartner, 41, has been an assistant through all four seasons with Green in Utica. Baumgartner played four seasons (1992-96) with the Kamloops Blazers and was twice named the WHL’s top defenceman.

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The junior B Port Moody Panthers of the Pacific Junior Hockey League have hired David McLellan as their head coach. He replaces Mike Renner, who was dropped on March 29. . . . McLellan has PJHL experience, having worked as head coach of the Delta IceHawks (2010-13), where he won a league championship in 2012. Most recently, he was the GM/head coach with the junior B Nelson Leafs of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. He also has coached in the BCHL, B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League and in Japan.

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Jeff Brown resigned Tuesday as the general manager and head coach of the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s. He cited personal reasons in leaving after three seasons. . . . He served as head coach for three seasons and GM for the past two. . . . “The move back to Ottawa has been difficult at times for my family,” Brown said in a news release, “and it’s time I put them first and became a full-time father as we transition back to our hometown of St. Louis.” . . . That news release is right here.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have fired Ted Dent, who was the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. Dent had been with Rockford through six seasons, going 221-179-54. Before taking over as head coach, he had been an assistant with the Blackhawks’ AHL team, either in Rockford or Norfolk, for five seasons.

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Best site of the night, I saw and got to visit Parry Shockey at tonight's game between the #Pats and #Hurricanes.

— Darren Steinke (@StanksSports) April 26, 2017

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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

Getting his second of the night with :20 left in the game, Keegan Kolesar has now scored 5 of the @SeattleTbirds last 13 goals.

— TBird Tidbits (@TBirdTidbits) April 26, 2017

At Kelowna, F Keegan Kolesar scored his second goal of the game with 20 seconds left in the third period to give the Seattle Thunderbirds a 2-1 victory over the Rockets. . . . Seattle leads the Western

KEEGAN KOLESAR

Conference final, 2-1, with Game 4 in Kelowna tonight. . . . The Thunderbirds won the opener, 5-4, on a PP goal by D Ethan Bear with 12 seconds left in the third period. The Rockets won Game 2, 4-3 in OT. . . . Last night, the winner came off a faceoff in Kelowna’s, with F Mathew Barzal getting the puck back to D Turner Ottenbreit. His shot didn’t get through to the net, but the puck went to Kolesar who snapped a shot from the slot that beat G Michael Herringer through traffic. . . . Kolesar, who has nine goals, gave Seattle a 1-0 lead at 11:33 of the second period. . . . The Rockets tied it on a PP at 13:53 when F Calvin Thurkauf (7) scored a goal that was confirmed after a lengthy video review. A shot by F Nick Merkley went off the end boards and rebounded over the Seattle net, where Thurkauf batted it past G Carl Stankowski. . . . “They said that it was right at the cross bar,” Seattle head coach Steve Konowalchuk told Andy Eide of 710 ESPN Seattle. “It seems in the three games, we’re not getting any calls. Two goals last game, there were plays on the goals that could have been called and we’re just not getting the calls right now. We have to persevere and control what we can control.” . . . Kelowna was 1-7 on the PP; Seattle was 0-1. The Thunderbirds enjoyed the game’s first PP opportunity, then watched the Rockets get the last seven. . . . The Rockets have at least one PP goal in eight straight games. . . . Stankowski finished with 34 saves and was the game’s first star as he continued to weave his playoff magic. He is 10-1 in the playoffs since replacing injured starter Rylan Toth, who has yet to dress for a game. . . . Herringer finished with 12 saves. . . . Seattle had four shots on goal in each of the first and third periods. . . . Kelowna F Reid Gardiner, who leads the playoffs in goals (15) and points (27), had his point streak snapped at nine games. Gardiner had put up eight straight multi-point games, getting 24 points over that stretch. . . . Seattle F Donovan Neuls had his point streak end at 10 games, the longest in the playoffs this season. . . . Announced attendance: 5,085. . . . Eide’s story is right here. . . . Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Daily Courier has a game story right here.

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Tonight's feels. #REGvsLET #30YearsStrong #AllAboard #WHLPlayoffs #WHLCanes #YQL pic.twitter.com/b0sN9MRJs3

— #AllAboard (@WHLHurricanes) April 26, 2017

At Lethbridge, F Jadon Joseph broke a 1-1 tie in the second period and the Hurricanes went on to score a 3-1 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Lethbridge leads the Eastern Conference final, 2-1, and will play

JADON JOSEPH

host to Game 4 tonight. . . . Joseph, who has two goals in these playoffs, took a slashing minor at 11:46 of the second period. He stepped out of the penalty box and went in to score the go-ahead goal at 13:54. . . . Joseph, a freshman from Sherwood Park, Alta., had three goals in 68 regular-season games. . . . D Brennan Menell (5) had given the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead just 16 seconds into the first period. . . . Regina tied it when F Dawson Leedahl (9) scored at 10:43 of the second period. . . . The Hurricanes got some insurance from F Egor Babenko (8), at 4:08 of the third period. . . . D Brady Poteau and F Tyler Wong each had two assists for Lethbridge. . . . The Hurricanes got 28 stops from G Stuart Skinner, who won his 10th game of the playoffs. . . . G Tyler Brown blocked 24 shots for Regina. . . . Each team was 0-3 on the PP. . . . The Pats received the game’s first three PP opportunities but weren’t able to score. That may well have been a turning point. Regina’s PP is 0-9 in the series. It was No. 1 (31.5 per cent) in the regular season. . . . Regina F Austin Wagner left the game in the second period and didn’t return. He has 12 goals and two assists in 14 games. . . . The Hurricanes remain without F Matt Alfaro, 20. . . . Announced attendance: 5,178. . . . Darren Steinke, the Travellin’ Blogger, is in Lethbridge and his Game 3 post is right here. . . . Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has a game story right here.

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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Seattle at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m. (Seattle leads, 2-1)

Regina at Lethbridge, 7 p.m. (Lethbridge leads, 2-1)

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Kelowna, Portland suspensions finalized ... Warriors sign defenceman ... Reddekopp gets NHL deal

The Regina Pats expect to have F Filip Ahl back from a bout with mumps tonight (Friday) as they try to stave of elimination. They won’t have F Adam Brooks (knee) back, though. The feisty Swift Current Broncos, who were 1-7-0 against the Pats in the regular season, take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven second-round series into Game 5 in Regina.

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A note from Phil Andrews, the Pats’ radio voice: “In the column of crazy stats: Despite being down 3-1 in the series, Pats have led the Broncos for 105:58 in game time and trailed for just 10:12.”

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The WHL lost one of its division winners, the Prince George Cougars, in the first round. Two more, the Regina Pats and Everett Silvertips, could go by the wayside tonight. The other, the Medicine Hat Tigers, is 2-2 with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. I don’t know what it means, but it’s happening.

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Since the NHL playoffs began on Thursday, home teams are 3-5, with one of the two victories having come in OT. On Thursday, WHL home teams were 0-2. . . . BTW, each of the five Canadian teams that qualified for the NHL playoffs is 0-1. Of course, that means the Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets are the only Canadian team not to have suffered a loss this week.

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Former MLB starter David Cone, now on the New York Yankees’ TV crew, explained during a Thursday telecast that pitchers refer to wins as Willies and losses as Larrys. That, he said, is why pitchers never have sons named Larry. . . . As play-by-play man Michael Kay said: “You learn something new every day.”

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G Dylan Wells of the OHL’s Peterborough Petes scored a playoff goal last night in a 6-2 victory over the Kingston Frontenacs. The Petes swept the series, 4-0. . . . There is a good video of the goal right here, starting at the 2:47 mark. . . . BTW, Well’s NHL rights belong to the Edmonton Oilers. He’s stopping pucks, too. He’s 8-0, 1.94, .944 in these playoffs.

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Just spitballin’ here, but might there be a chance that Kamloops Blazers head coach Don Hay could end up on the coaching staff of the Dallas Stars? Tom Gaglardi, the Stars’ owner and the majority owner of the Blazers, is a huge Hay fan. Ken Hitchcock, who returned to Dallas as head coach on Thursday, and Hay worked together in Kamloops back in the day and remain close. Hay, 63, still loves coaching, but maybe he has had enough of bus travel, at least for now?

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If you’re old enough, you likely will remember when cross-checking was a penalty.

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The City of Vancouver will be a lot poorer if Rhonda and Willie Desjardins move elsewhere, now that he no longer is the Canucks’ head coach. Desjardins said farewell at a news conference on Thursday, and during his remarks he apologized to the city for the lack of positive results during his three-year run. He’s a person you really want to see given the opportunity to coach a team with better players than the mess he dealt with this season.

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As Willie Desjardins contemplated signing with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks three years ago, he also had an opportunity to join the Pittsburgh Penguins. He went with the Canucks because it felt right and because Trevor Linden was firmly ensconced there as the president of hockey operations. Desjardins and Linden both had come out of the Medicine Hat Tigers organization, so there was that. At a Thursday news conference, Desjardins thanked a whole lot of people, including owner Francesco Aquilini and general manager Jim Benning. Desjardins didn’t mention Linden.

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The Toronto Blue Jays are 1-8 and Josh Donaldson didn’t bring rain on Thursday; rather, he brought fans to tears as he limped off the field, a strained calf muscle proving to be too much. Sheesh, this could be a long, long season for the cheerleading team of Buck and Pat.

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Obviously a suspension is coming. Right @TheWHL? @pdxwinterhawks @Kelowna_Rockets #dirtyhit #WHLPlayoffs #KELvsPOR #cantwinontheirownmerits pic.twitter.com/2XSCSPaPbO

— Michele Dwiggins (@shellbell278) April 13, 2017

Followers of the second-round WHL playoff series between the Portland Winterhawks and Kelowna were waiting on Thursday to see whether F Carsen Twarynski of the Rockets would be suspended before the teams meet for Game 5 tonight in the Little Apple.

Late Thursday afternoon, the news came down that Twarynski had become the fourth player suspended

during what has become a fractious series.

The Rockets hold a 3-1 edge, with the Winterhawks needing a victory tonight in order to force Game 6 in Portland on Sunday.

On Wednesday night, the Rockets posted a 7-2 victory in Portland in a game that featured 121 penalty minutes, 101 of which were doled out in the game’s last four minutes.

The Winterhawks took 64 of the 121, but the two penalties that may have mattered the most went to Twarynski, who was hit with a boarding major and game misconduct at 16:12 of the third period.

Prior to Game 4, the WHL hit three players with TBD suspensions, all under supplemental discipline.

The Rockets lost D Cal Foote, who had elbowed Portland F Skyler McKenzie in the head. The Winterhawks have said that McKenzie, who was scratched from Game 4, has a concussion.

The Winterhawks lost F Alex Overhardt and F Evan Weinger to suspensions. Overhardt hooked Kelowna D Braydyn Chizen to the ice during a bit of a scrum. Chizen left the ice with an apparent leg injury and didn’t return. He didn’t play on Wednesday night. Although the WHL doesn’t provide much in the way of explanations when issuing suspensions, Weinger is believed to have cross-checked Kelowna F Erik Gardiner, who was scratched from Game 4.

On Thursday, the WHL put numbers to those suspensions. Foote ended up with three games, meaning he will miss his club’s next two games, while Weinger got two games, so will sit out tonight, and Overhardt got one game, so is eligible to play tonight.

Twarynski, meanwhile, was placed on the TBD list, meaning he won’t play tonight. Twarynski hit Portland F Keegan Iverson from behind. Iverson didn’t appear to be injured, though, something that could have an impact on the length of Twarynski’s suspension.

“The league’s going to do what they feel they got to do,” Bruce Hamilton, the Rockets’ president and general manager, told Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Daily Courier on Thursday. “You kind of commit a crime, you serve your time.”

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Coaching.

It’s a disease. It really is.

In the diamond-shaking baseball book Ball Four, author/knuckleballer Jim Bouton wrote: “A ballplayer spends a good piece of his life gripping a baseball, and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time.”

The same could be said of hockey and coaching. The sport of hockey and all that is involved in it — from the people to the teaching, from the practices to the travel to the games — has a grip on coaches that

Ken Hitchcock is back in Dallas as head coach
of the Stars. (Photo: nhl.com)

really is so deep as to be unfathomable . . . unless you are one of them.

On May 26, the NHL’s St. Louis Blues and Ken Hitchcock announced that he was returning for one last season as head coach.

At a news conference, Hitchock said that he realized two days after the Blues’ 2015-16 season ended that he only had one more season in him.

"We have a 12-month clock as coaches," Hitchcock said. "A fanatical clock that we run on and the 12-month clock is the clock in the offseason. And the clock in the offseason is the stuff that I start doing in July, and I'm gunned up and ready to do the stuff I need to do in July and August this year to get ready for next season.

"You have to sign up a year in advance, and the stuff I do to get better to stay current, which quite frankly really helped us this year in some areas, those things have been on my desk for two months and I'm not willing to sign them. If you're not willing to sign them, it means you're ready to flat-line and you're going to go backwards. I thought the playoffs, getting through it, I'd take a look at it again and I'm not willing to do it, so I'm done. So to me, I'm ready to go for next year, I'm excited. This is an unbelievable group of guys with a lot of potential and I'm ready to do it, but if I'm not going to get better myself during the offseason, then I'm doing a disservice to the hockey club and I'm not going to do it."
Of course, Hitchcock didn’t make it to the end of his last season, as the Blues fired him on Feb. 1.

On Thursday, Hitchcock, 65, was in Dallas where he was introduced as the Stars’ new head coach. Never mind that this season was going to be Hitchcock’s last rodeo, he now has a multi-year deal with the Stars, one that will spin him into a consulting role when either he or the team decides that the coaching is over.

This is Hitchcock’s second go-round in Dallas, where he helped the Stars to five straight division titles and a Stanley Cup title in 1999, before he was fired in January 2002.

He will tell you that after he was fired by the Blues, he felt like he was done. But in the weeks to come he had conversations with numerous coaches at various levels of the game and it was as though someone hit the refresh button . . . or like the coaching bug bit him all over again.

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The Moose Jaw Warriors have signed D Chase Hartje, 17, who is from Bemidji, Minn. This season, Hartje played high school hockey in his hometown, putting up 25 points, including 21 assists, in 25 games with the Bemidji High Lumberjacks. He also got into nine games with the NAHL’s Bismarck, N.D., Bobcats, recording six points, including two goals. . . . A list player, Hartje has been in the Warriors’ training camp prior to each of the past two seasons.

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Officials with the Victoria Royals are shaking their heads at an online report in the Victoria Sports News that claims head coach Dave Lowry has been in talks with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks and also has spoken with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants.

According to a piece written by Christopher Kelsall, “An anonymous, but a reliable source close to Victoria Sports News as well as the Victoria Royals Western Hockey League franchise, claims that Dave Lowry has been talking to the Vancouver Canucks for at least six weeks. . . .

“Apparently, Lowry has also talked to the Vancouver Giants; however, this scenario does not seem likely as it would be a parallel move.”

Never mind that the Giants already have a head coach, Jason McKee, and that he has two seasons remaining on his contract.

Oh, and let’s not forget that, according to the Royals, neither the Canucks nor the Giants have asked for permission to speak with Lowry.

“I guess you can’t stop people from being, or quoting, ‘reliable sources’,” Victoria general manager Cam Hope told Taking Note. “All you can do is smile and shake your head.”

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D Chaz Reddekopp of the Victoria Royals has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Los Angeles Kings, who selected him in the seventh round of the NHL’s 2015 draft. Reddekopp, from West Kelowna, B.C., has played four seasons with the Royals. This season, he had 10 goals and 33 assists in 55 games. He missed time late in the regular season after breaking an ankle while blocking a shot. Earlier this week, he joined the Ontario Reign, the Kings’ AHL affiliate.

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Canada won its first game at the IIHF U-18 World Championship on Thursday, beating Latvia 4-1 in Poprad, Slovakia. F Stelio Mattheos of the Brandon Wheat Kings had one of Canada’s goals, scoring on a first-period penalty shot. . . . G Ian Scott of the Prince Albert Raiders earned the victory with 17 saves. . . . Canada next plays on Saturday when it meets the host Slovakian side. . . . The Canadian roster includes five other WHLers — defencemen Josh Brook and Jett Woo of the Moose Jaw Warriors and Ty Smith of the Spokane Chiefs, and forwards Jaret Anderson-Dolan of Spokane, who is the team captain, and Kyle Olson of the Tri-City Americans.

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As of April 7, the City of Nanaimo had spent $858,961 on what some people there had hoped would be a new events centre. You may recall that Nanaimo held a referendum on March 11, with the City looking for the OK to borrow $80 million in order to build an events centre that would have been home to a WHL franchise, presumably the Kootenay Ice. The Nanaimo News Bulletin reports that the referendum alone cost taxpayers $166,906, which was well above the budgeted figure of $130,000. The City also spent hundreds of thousands on planners and consultants, etc. “Nanaimo city council started to explore a potential sports and entertainment centre last year after naming it a strategic priority, hiring consultants to holding open houses with the public,” writes Tamara Cunningham of the News Bulletin. “It held a referendum in March on borrowing up to $80 million over 20 years to build the centre, which saw a 35.3 per cent voter turnout and 80.3 per cent of residents reject the borrowing.” . . . The story is right here.

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If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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The BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs have relieved Kevin Willison of his duties as general manager and head coach. Willison had been head coach since Dec. 7, 2011. Before signing with the Bulldogs, he had been head coach of the AJHL’s Olds Grizzlies. . . . The Bulldogs made the playoffs in four of Willison’s five seasons. They didn’t qualify this season, as they finished 16-32-7-3, good for fifth place in the five-team Island Division.

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Go Broncos Go! #OurTeamOurTown Wishing the @SCBroncos all the best in game 5. @ChinookSD pic.twitter.com/4tVOgqh1aq

— O.M. Irwin School (@irwin_school) April 13, 2017

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THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.

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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Everett vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m. (Seattle leads, 3-0)

Swift Current at Regina, 7 p.m. (Swift Current leads, 3-1)

Portland at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m. (Kelowna leads, 3-1)

Lethbridge at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m. (Series tied, 2-2)

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Go West, young men, go West!

It was in the early 1980s when the late Ed Chynoweth, then the WHL’s leader, admitted that his greatest fear had to do with NHL teams moving affiliate teams into Western Canada and setting up a new league.

At the time, he said he could see the day when pro teams were in Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Regina and Saskatoon, just for starters.
The Saskatoon Blades are near the end of lease negotiations with the SaskTel Centre. When the papers are signed, the Blades will again have hockey exclusivity in the building. That is something that Chynoweth, all those years ago, felt was of the utmost importance and something that most, if not all, WHL teams insist upon in their leases.
Now here we are more than 30 years later and NHL teams are moving affiliates west, just not into Canada.
The AHL made it official on Thursday — it will have a five-team Pacific Division next season, with all teams located in California.
The Anaheim Ducks will move the Norfolk, Va., Admirals to San Diego; the Calgary Flames will move the Adirondack Flames from Glens Falls, N.Y., to Stockton; the Edmonton Oilers will move the Oklahoma City Barons to Bakersfield; the Los Angeles Kings are moving the Manchester, N.H., Monarchs to Ontario; and the San Jose Sharks are taking the Worcester, Mass., Sharks and relocating them to, yes, San Jose.
The Adirondack Flames are in their first season in Glens Falls, after relocating from Abbotsford, B.C. Adirondack head coach Ryan Huska left the Kelowna Rockets after last season to sign with the Flames.
Mike Stothers, who left the Moose Jaw Warriors after last season, is the first-year head coach of the Monarchs.
San Jose will play its AHL affiliate out of its home building — the SAP Center. Interestingly, San Jose is planning on scheduling Saturday doubleheaders, with the AHL team playing matinees and the NHL team playing at night.
The primary reason for the moves is to get affiliate players closer to the parent clubs to make it that much easier for recalls. Scheduling details are scarce but the five Pacific Division teams will play fewer games than other AHL teams. That and less travel should result in more practice time, all of which should make for happy coaches and better development.
There also is speculation that more NHL teams will get involved in moving their AHL teams in the near future.
The Vancouver Canucks are in their second season with the AHL’s Utica, N.Y., Comets. Pat Conacher, a former head coach of the Regina Pats, is the Comets’ director of hockey operations, with Travis Green, the former assistant GM and assistant coach with the Portland Winterhawks, the head coach.
There is speculation that the Canucks will move the franchise to Abbotsford or Langley, B.C. The Abbotsford Centre seats 7,046 and no longer is home to a hockey team. The 5,276-seat Langley Events Centre is home to, among other things, the BCHL’s Langley Rivermen and the National Lacrosse League’s Vancouver Stealth.
Jim Benning, the Canucks’ general manager, told TSN Radio Vancouver on Thursday that his organization will continue to monitor the situation.
“We're really happy in Utica — players love it there,” Benning said. “We'll continue to monitor it.”
The Winnipeg Jets’ AHL affiliate is in St. John’s, Nfld. There have been rumours since the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg that the Jets would like to have that franchise in Thunder Bay, Ont. That’s hardly close to the Pacific Northwest or California, but it’s closer than Newfoundland.
The Arizona Coyotes, who are hooked up with the AHL’s Portland, Me., Pirates, also are said to be interested in having a team closer to Phoenix.
Some of the communities being vacated by AHL teams are expected to end up being home to ECHL franchises. There also is speculation that the QMJHL would like to expand by two teams and is looking at the vacant arenas.
What impact, if any, will this have as far as the WHL is concerned?
I doubt that there will be any immediate impact, but it certainly could have repercussions down the road.
When these AHL teams get relocated and organized, you can bet that they will be pouring resources into minor hockey programs as they attempt to attract fans. Eventually, that will mean more and better hockey players coming out of those areas.
It all could lead to a WHL team with a completely American roster. Don't scoff. The Portland Winterhawks have 12 players on their 23-man roster right now.


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Perfect timing for Burrows' return

Forward Alex Burrows returned at just the right time for the Vancouver Canucks.
When the Montreal Canadiens visit Vancouver, the energy around Rogers Arena is at an all-time high. It was no different on Oct. 30 as the Canucks defeated the Canadiens 3-2 in overtime.
“It was fun,” said Burrows, who is from Pincourt, Que.“There was a lot of energy in the building. The Montreal (fans) were great and they were battling with our fans. I thought the pace of the game was really good. They're a quick team and a very good team, too. We stuck with our game plan, we made a lot of plays, and I'm glad to came out on top.”
Sure, the Canucks got the victory, but it didn't come without some controversy.
You see, it was scoreless in the second period until Canadiens' defenceman Alexei Emelin turned the puck over to Vancouver forward Nick Bonino, which eventually led to the Canucks scoring at 8:29.
However, right after Emelin gave away the puck, Burrows hit him, and Emelin was slow to get up.
There wasn’t a penalty on the play, and Canadiens' head coach Michel Therrien was furious.
“Well, I was trying to finish my check,” Burrows explained. “My intent was not to hurt him. Obviously, you never want to hurt someone and I'm glad that he came back. He looked alright in the third, so I'm really happy that he was back and that he seemed alright.”
Emelin was able to return to the game. But, even then, Burrows' hit begged the question: Was it worthy of a suspension?
“I saw (the hit) afterward,” Burrows said. “I don't know, the angle wasn't great. I saw it quickly. Just as I said, I was trying to finish a check on a good player. He came back so I'm glad he's alright.
“I'm not going to speculate on what people are going to say about it. For me, my intention was not to hurt him. I was just trying to finish my hit, and he seemed alright. I'm glad he's fine.”
It was apparent on video replay that the hit was late.
“It's a fine line,” Burrows said. “Sometimes you can slow it down to 32 frames per second and it looks late. But when you are playing at a real game speed, for me, on the play, I was just trying to finish a check. I thought the timing was alright.”
Let's not forget, though, that despite his reputation of playing a hard-nosed games and as a player who likes to get under the skins of the opposition, Burrows never had been suspended.
The next day, it was revealed that that doesn't matter. The NHL's department of player safety, led by Stephane Quintal, announced that Burrows had been given a three-game suspension.
“There's not much we can do about it,” Canucks' general manager Jim Benning said. “We respect the league's decision. Our focus is going to remain the same and that's to keep working hard and competing hard to win hockey games.”
Vancouver was 2-1-0-0 without Burrows.
The Canucks defeated the host Colorado Avalanche 5-2 on Tuesday in the last game of Burrows’ suspension and then left Wednesday for San Jose where they were scheduled to visit the Sharks at the SAP Center on Thursday.
“First of all, I'm really excited to get back at it,” Burrows said. “Joining the boys tomorrow in San Jose should be fun, especially after how they played last night (against the Avalanche). They battled hard, and stuck with the game plan and stayed focused and found a way to win. I'm looking forward to joining that.
“I never try to target anyone's head on the ice. I respect the league's decision. It was tough. I try to play with passion and bring energy and play on that fine line. But sometimes, I just, maybe, went over that line that time and I'm glad he's alright. My intentions were never to hurt him, but it's a fast game out there. Sometimes, in split seconds, guys moves or you stop. (Unfortunate) things are going to happen, but I'm glad he's alright.”
The suspension is history.
There were more important things on which to focus.
After all, Vancouver only had two victories against California teams last season.
So, it was a chance for  the Canucks to to redeem themselves.
Fortunately for Vancouver,  Burrows has had success when visiting the Sharks in his career.
“In San Jose, I like that building,” Burrows said. “I find I play some of my best hockey in that building personally.”
Willie Desjardins, the Canucks' head coach, knows what Burrows can add to the lineup, too.
“It'll be good to have him back,” Desjardins said prior to the game.
“We missed him when he was gone, for sure. Having him back in the lineup should give us some life. We'll need it, because this is a tough rink to play in.”
Burrows didn't just give the team some life, but also contributed his an assist on a goal from Bonino to put the Canucks up 3-2 at 17:20. That would hold up to be the final score.
They got the victory, but they may have not deserved it.
“I didn't think it was our best,” Desjardins said. “The first two (periods) weren't too good, so it was easier to be better in the third, I think. Tonight, we were lucky. Our goaltender played real well tonight. “That's not a game we deserved to win tonight and we're lucky to get it.”
NOTES: Canucks G Ryan Miller made 34 saves. . . . Vancouver F Zack Kassian (lower body) didn't play. . . . Canucks F Bo Horvat played in his second NHL game. . . . Sharks' F Joe Thornton scored during the dying moments of the game, but time had run out. . . . Canucks' F Radim Vrbata left the game in the second period, but returned . . . The Canucks visit the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.

(Dickson Liong is Taking Note’s Vancouver correspondent. Follow him on Twitter at @DLLiong.)

Canucks come back for win against Avs in Horvat's debut

It only happens once.
Forward Bo Horvat of the Vancouver Canucks suffered a shoulder injury after getting hit by Edmonton Oilers forward Tyler Pitlick in a pre-season game on Oct. 2.
The Canucks, led by president of hockey operations Trevor Linden and general manager Jim Benning, had been open about giving Horvat every chance to make the NHL team.
His debut would have to wait, though.
The injury was worse than just a day-to-day one.
But then, On Oct. 15, two games into the regular season, Horvat took part in a entire practice session with the team.
“It was awesome,” he said. “I was getting a little stressed being off the ice for so long and stuff like that. After a good pre-season, it was awesome to get back out there with the guys and start practising again and start getting my speed back and my timing. I was really happy to be out on the ice.”
It wasn't only the first time Horvat had practised with the team; it was also the first time he disclosed his thoughts on Pitlick's hit to the media.
He wasn't bitter.
“It was just a hockey play,” Horvat said. “There was nothing dirty about the hit. I saw him coming in the last second and just tried to brace myself and, unfortunately, he hit me a little awkwardly. I kind of injured myself there. It’s definitely not a a dirty hit by any means, it was just unfortunate that it hurt me.
“It was definitely tough. You definitely want to stay healthy. This is the first time I've been hurt . . . It was a little frustrating, but it's going to happen in hockey. I just have to move forward and start thinking positive and just take it day by day.”
Horvat skating with the team led many observers to believe that he was going to make his debut, and soon.
That wouldn't be the case, as he was sent down to the Utica Comets, the Canucks' AHL affiliate, on Oct. 19 for a conditioning stint.
After that was completed, Horvat was officially recalled to the Canucks. In five games with the Comets, he was pointless.
“It was awesome,” he said. “I was actually really happy  to go down there and to get my legs back under me, and to start playing some hockey games before I stepped into my first NHL game. I definitely need to get my speed back and stuff like that, and my timing. My time there was really good.
“(I played in) my regular role, playing that 200-foot game. I had some power-play time, some penalty-killing time. (Comets' head coach Travis Green played me) in every situation. I couldn't complain about my ice time and stuff like that. I think in playing in all those key roles and playing in my regular position is really going to benefit me. I was jumped around in the lineup a little bit. I was pretty much playing with everybody. It was good to play with all different types of players with (different skills).”
This time around, it was only a matter of time until he wore a Vancouver sweater for his debut.
“It's going to be awesome,” Horvat said. “I can't wait to finally play a NHL game in the regular season. Hopefully, it's going to come soon and I'm going to have to make the most of it.”
It came on Tuesday, when the Canucks made a visit to Denver to face the Colorado Avalanche. It marked the beginning of a four-game road trip.
“I'm just really excited,” he said. “I had trouble sleeping last night, actually. I was thinking about the game pretty much all night. Now that today's come, I'm really excited and I can't wait to step out there on the ice.
Horvat's brother, along with his parents, were slated to be attendance.
“It's definitely going to be emotional,” he confessed. "It's going to be really exciting and stuff like that. I'm definitely going to be a little bit nervous. But I think I'm more excited than anything. I just can't wait to finally play in my first NHL game, it's something I've dreamed about since I was a little kid, and it's finally going to come true today. I think it's going to be lots of fun.”
His parents and brother weren’t the only ones excited for him. Willie Desjardins, the Canucks' head coach, was, too.
“(To) enjoy it,” he said when asked what he said to Horvat prior to the game. “You only get to do that once. I think that it's a big accomplishment. So many players set out to do that and not many make it. So, it's a big accomplishment. Just make sure you're having fun and go hard.”
However, where Desjardins was going to put him, remained unconfirmed.
“Playing centre is definitely my most comfortable position,” Horvat stated. “We'll see what happens tonight, (to see) who I'm playing with and where I'm playing. If I do get (a) centre spot, it's going to be more comfortable for me and hopefully I have a good game there.”
It turned out that he would get what he wanted, as he was placed on the fourth line, flanked by forwards Derek Dorsett and Jannik Hansen.
That being said, Desjardins started the game with Horvat at centre with Henrik Sedin and right-winger Radim Vrbata. Sedin, who usually takes the opening faceoff, gave Horvat the honour of doing so.
He won it.
“Oh gawd, no,” Horvat said with a laugh when asked if he was expecting to start the game. “That was probably the last thing I thought I was going to be doing. Then, when they announced that I was going to be starting with (Vrbata and Henrik) there, it was pretty special. I was nervous, but I was glad to get the first draw and the first shift out of my way.”
The freshman almost scored his first goal, as well.
Vancouver was trailing 2-1, when the Canucks scored at 2:27 of the second period to tie the game. It looked like it may have been Horvat who put the puck in the net.
 But after further review, it was Dorsett who scored.
“It was pretty close,” Horvat said. “I was trying to get to the net there. They made a great play putting it on net and I just wanted to go to the net and cause havoc. Unfortunately, it just went by me. I was just happy that we scored.”
His debut would come in a victory, as Vancouver went on to defeat the Avalanche, 5-2.
“It was unbelievable,” Horvat said. “It's hard to describe. It's a moment that I been dreaming about ever since I've been a little kid. I always wanted to play in the NHL, and to finally make that dream come true today was definitely something special
“I'll never forget this.”
NOTES: Horvat was a plus-1 and led the team in faceoff percentage. . . . Vancouver D Kevin Bieksa, who suffered an eye injury against the visiting Nashville Predators on Sunday, dressed against Colorado and was a plus-2. . . . Canucks D Ryan Stanton returned to the lineup for the first time this season. . . . Vancouver will travel to San Jose to face the Sharks on Thursday.

(Dickson Liong is Taking Note’s Vancouver correspondent. Follow him on Twitter at @DLLiong.)

Malhotra proving he's back where he belongs . . . in the NHL

Forward Manny Malhotra of the Montreal Canadiens has risen above his naysayers.
Hockey is a fast, hard-hitting sport. It is a fun game to play, and a majority of Canadians have a strong passion for it.
That being said, it can be a dangerous game, one that is capable of changing someone's life in a second.
Malhotra was playing for the Vancouver Canucks when his life changed.
There had been debate on whether visors should be mandatory. However, Malhotra wasn't a fan of wearing a visor and wouldn’t wear one, which meant his eyes were left unprotected.
On March 16, 2011, Malhotra, in the second season of a three-year, US$7.5-million contract, learned the consequences of not wearing one.
Vancouver was leading the visiting Colorado Avalanche 2-0 when, at 15:54 of the second period, Canucks defenceman Christian Ehrhoff made what looked like a harmless pass to Malhotra. However, the pass wasn't a clean one, and deflected off Malhotra's stick and struck him on the left eye. With blood gushing from the wound, Malhotra headed for the locker room. His season was over.
Malhotra underwent two surgeries, and was determined to be in the Canucks' lineup for the 2012-13 season, which was shortened to 48 games due to a lockout.
Vancouver management gave him a chance to do so, but with caution. After dressing for nine games, the Canucks decided it wasn’t safe for him to be on the ice. After all, it was believed that he had only regained 70 per cent of his vision.
Vancouver officially announced that Malhotra was placed on the team's injury reserve on Feb. 14 and he was shut down for the season again.
“For me, it's the hardest thing I've done in this job,” Mike Gillis, then the Canucks' general manager, said that day. “Watching what he did to try and recover from that and the difficulty of it, it was a very difficult decision for me to make and one that has been thought about for some time. It wasn't done in the spur of the moment at all. We came to the conclusion that for his long-term health and his long-term safety that it was the best thing we can do.
“I spoke to him at the end of the (2011-12) season, and he felt very strongly that if he had a full summer of training, that there would be improvement in a variety of ways, but most importantly, that he would elevate my fear of his vulnerability on the ice. I agreed that I was going to give him a period of time this season and if things didn't change we would have this conversation with him. I observed and watched. We watched him every day. I didn't feel that there had been a change and I felt that he was at risk.”
This led many observers to believe that Malhotra's career was over.
He would have none of it.
Malhotra signed a 25-game professional tryout contract with the Charlotte Checkers, the AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, on Oct. 3, 2013.
It was the start of a comeback.
Four weeks later, he had only played eight games with the Checkers, but the Carolina Hurricanes were happy enough with what they saw to offer him a one-year contract.
He gladly accepted.
The deal would pay him $600,000 if he stayed with the team, and $125,000 if he was sent back to the Checkers.
This time, though, he would need to wear a visor whether he liked it or not. And understandably so.
He played 69 games with the Hurricanes, scoring seven goals, drawing six assists and winning 59.4 per cent of his faceoffs. He was No. 2 in the NHL in the latter category.
Throughout his career, he has been known as one of the best players at taking the draws.
Malhotra's journey earned him the honour of being one of three finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy that season. The trophy is awarded "to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.”
Despite having interest in re-signing with the Hurricanes, both sides couldn't get a deal done.
Instead, on July 1, Malhotra signed a one-year contract with the Canadiens. The deal was similar to the one he had signed with Carolina.
Just 10 games into this season, he had proven to be more than a feel-good story.
He was No. 1 in faceoffs, at 63.6 per cent. As well, the Canadiens were 8-2-0, which put them at No. 1 in not just the Eastern Conference, but the entire league.
The Anaheim Ducks were tied with 16 points, but Montreal had played one less game.
However, Malhotra's faceoff percentage would be trimmed after he was 43 per cent in a 3-2 overtime loss to the host Canucks on Thursday. The game-winning goal came from forward Daniel Sedin, whose Canucks watched a 2-0 lead disappear late in the third period.
“You shouldn't give up a 2-0 lead at home,” said Sedin. “It happened, but I think we stuck with our game plan. No panic, nothing. We stayed with our game and it paid off.”
Malhotra, on the other hand, wasn't able to get on the scoresheet, but he did what he does best: take faceoffs.
Despite his vision not being what it once was, it has been apparent that Malhotra has returned to being the player people are accustomed to watching.
His return to the league was no fluke.
NOTES: The Canucks are on a three-game winning streak for the second time this season. . . . Sedin has 310 career goals. . . . The Canucks visit the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. Vancouver will be without F Alex Burrows, who was suspended for three games after a late hit on Montreal D Alexei Emelin.

(Dickson Liong is Taking Note’s Vancouver correspondent. Follow him on Twitter at @DLLiong.)

Dickson Liong: Canucks represent country with win over Blues

A Canuck is more than someone who plays for the Vancouver Canucks.
At 10 o’clock every morning in most cities, children are in school studying, while other folks are busy in their work places.
Not in Ottawa on Wednesday. 
Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, a Canadian honour guard, was in front of the National War Memorial. He was on location to greet anyone who came by. But, on this day, he met a man with a rifle and was shot dead.
That gunman was later identified as 32-year-old Michael Zehab-Bibeau.
After killing Cirillo, Zehab-Bibeau made his way to Parliament Hill, where all three of the major political parties were holding their weekly caucus meetings. He managed to enter the building and began firing.
Officers returned fire, and Zehab-Bibeau was shot dead.
Immediately, a lot of the city was placed on lockdown. People were told to stay at home, employees stayed in their offices, and students were locked in schools. No one was doing what they had expected to be doing.
Meanwhile, the Ottawa Senators were scheduled to play host to the Toronto Maple Leafs at 4 p.m.
“I can't speak for the players,” Dave Nonis, the Toronto Maple Leafs general manager said when asked how the team was handling the situation. “From what I saw, they handled (the situation) very well. We're very fortunate to be in a safe environment here. You think more about what's going on outside.
“You hear a lot, obviously from the sirens and what you follow on television, that it was a serious and  significant event. I don't think the players could probably shield themselves from that. It's something that was in every players' room and, unfortunately, that's the world we live in today.”
The NHL only had one decision to make, though, and that was  to postpone the game after such tragic events.
“It catches you off-guard,” Nonis told reporters. “But unfortunately these events have happened in the past, (just) not necessarily with hockey. The league was quick to react to it. We were aware very early on that this was a possibility that the game may be cancelled. The players prepared to play, they went through the morning rituals that they normally would. But, unfortunately, the situation put out that it wasn't possible.”
It goes to show that there are more things in life than hockey.
“Well, obviously, we respect the league's decision to cancel the game,” Nonis said. “(These) events far outweigh a hockey game. We look forward to coming back and playing the game when they see fit to schedule it. Our thoughts go out to all the people affected and the police force that you could hear working so hard all day. Again, a hockey game is definitely secondary (to this).”
The shootings didn't just affect Ottawa and the everyone in the city. They took a toll on the entire country.
“On behalf of our organization, we'd like to (send) all of our thoughts and prayers (to) everyone affected by the events this morning in Ottawa,” Edmonton Oilers' head coach Dallas Eakins said. “It's a sobering day.”
While the game in Ottawa was postponed, the Oilers were scheduled to play host to the Washington Capitals.
Barry Trotz, the Capitals' head coach, was born in Winnipeg, so has Canada in his blood.
“That's just where society is right now,” Trotz said. “I mean, we probably face a little more of that type of thing in the United States, but we also have 10 times the population. It is becoming a little more common. I think the NHL is doing the right thing by keeping people safe and keeping people off the streets until they can find if there's more people involved. I think it's a real strong move by not only the city of Ottawa, but also by the NHL to recognize that, (to) keep people in their houses and safe.”
A moment of silence was held prior to Edmonton facing off with Washington.
The Oilers were able to honour the military with a 3-2 victory over the Capitals.
As well, the United States showed great support during Canada's difficult times. So did the Pittsburgh Penguins.
When two American teams play, as a rule only the Star Spangled Banner is played prior to a game. When a Canadian team visits an American team or vice versa, both anthems are played.
But the Penguins decided Wednesday would be an exception to the rule. They played host to one of their arch-rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers, and O Canada, the Canadian national anthem, was included as a way to pay tribute.
One day after the horrific goings-on,  the Vancouver Canucks had to find a way to do the same. After all, a Canuck is a Canadian.
Vancouver not only represented the city, but also the country.
The visiting Canucks defeated the host St. Louis Blues 4-1 on Thursday night, snapping their two-game losing streak.
“I think that was a total team effort,” Vancouver forward Nick Bonino, who finished with a goal and an assist and was a plus-2, said. “That's something we've had all season. We just weren't getting the wins the last two games. So it's good to get (this) one, especially for (goaltender Ryan Miller, who played his former team for the first time). He was a wall back there. He made some huge saves and we are happy to win it for him.”
Miller made 31 saves.
But this victory was more than just two points. It was more than just the end of a two-game losing skid. It was more than a victory for Miller, who played against his former team.
This was a victory for all the soldiers who put on the uniforms for the nation.
They are the true Canucks.
NOTES: The game between Toronto and Ottawa has been re-scheduled for Nov. 9 at 3 p.m. PST. . . . Canucks F Daniel Sedin's point streak ended at six games in St. Louis. . . . Vancouver D Alex Edler played in his 500th career game. . . . The Canucks are right back at it on Friday when they visit the Colorado Avalanche.

(Dickson Liong is Taking Note’s Vancouver correspondent. Follow him on Twitter at @DLLiong.)

Stars' home rink not a friendly place for Canucks

Six doesn't seem to be a lucky number for the Vancouver Canucks, at least not when they play at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Last season, Vancouver had a two-game road trip on which it visited the Phoenix Coyotes and Dallas Stars on March 4 and 6, respectively.
The Canucks were shut out by the Coyotes, 1-0, and things didn't get any better in Dallas.
In fact, they got worse, as the Canucks trailed the Stars 4-0 after 20 minutes in a game they would lose, 6-1. That brought back memories of a Jan. 15 game in which Vancouver visited the Anaheim Ducks. The Canucks gave up two first-period goals in that one, en route to a 9-1 loss.
“It was a tough one,” Canucks' defenceman Kevin Bieksa said after that March 6 game in Dallas. “Our effort and our execution wasn't good enough. We were flat out outplayed in the first 30 minutes of the game and the second-best team on the ice. It's very disappointing right now. This road trip is very disappointing, and if this isn't rock bottom, I don't know what is.”
“With what was at stake . . . was this even worse than the 9-1 game in Anaheim?” a reporter asked. 
“I don't know what's worse,” Bieksa replied. “It was a humiliating game to be a part of, just to be outplayed. I don't care what the shots were, but in the first 30 minutes of the game when the game was on the line, we were just flat out outplayed by a team that executed better than us. Here we are again.”
At the time, the Canucks were still battling for a playoff spot. They came into that game with a 28-26-10 record, but had been 1-8-1 in their previous 10 games.
Vancouver needed a victory if it wanted a chance of playing in the post-season. Vancouver went on to finish 36-35-11 for 83 points, good for only No. 12 in the Western Conference.
But, really, that is history.
With the 2014-15 season underway, the Canucks got off to a 3-0-0 start, and looked to be heading in more of a positive direction.
Let's not forget, though, that those three victories were against the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers, two teams that remain in the rebuilding stage, and are considered to be two of the NHL’s weaker teams.
When Vancouver played host to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, it was the beginning of a stretch in which the Canucks will face teams that should be more competitive. The Canucks lost 4-2 as Lightning captain Steven Stamkos scored twice and added an assist.
Vancouver didn't seem to have any answer for him.
The talent and skill on teams that the Canucks were going to face next wasn't going to do down, either. Vancouver was scheduled to to head out on a three-game road trip beginning in Dallas.
With the Stars led by forwards Jason Spezza, Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, the Canucks knew they needed all four lines to produce if they were to obtain a victory.
So, Canucks' head coach Willie Desjardins decided to move forward Linden Vey from the third-line centre spot to the fourth line. Desjardins replaced Vey with forward Brad Richardson. As well, Desjardins moved Shawn Matthias, who had been the fourth-line centre, to left wing on the third line.
“I don't think we've had quite what we want out of (the fourth line),” Desjardins said. “But I think it's a lot of different things, it's not necessarily the players. I think it's a mixture. I think it's the ice time, lots of different things.
“At the same time, during the season, they've gone against the high-end line, too. I haven't just played them against the other teams' fourth lines.  They've done a good job defensively, maybe we just haven't got enough offence.”
Despite the changes, the Canucks re-lived the horrors when visiting the Stars, as they fell 6-3.
“I thought they put lots of pressure on us,” a clearly unhappy Desjardins said after the game. “They've got good speed on their attack, and they went to the net hard. The goals may have looked fortunate, but they got goals and put pressure on our net.”
Vancouver was able to put 46 shots on Stars' goaltender Kari Lehtonen. But, even at that, Desjardins didn't sound all too impressed.
“I don't know,” Desjardins said. “I think when you are down, you always gamble more. You know, when you're gambling more sometimes you have more shots out of it. I think we had to gamble a little bit more, and as a result, we got quite a few shots.”
However, Vancouver's fourth line did appear on the scoresheet, as Vey and left-winger Derek Dorsett assisted on right-winger Jannik Hansen's first goal of the season at 6:45 of the third period.
“We got a couple bounces here and there,” Hansen said. “This could have been a different game. But again, push comes to shove, we can't put ourselves in a hole like that.”
NOTES: RW Radim Vrbata, C Henrik Sedin and LW Daniel Sedin have combined for seven  goals and 14 assists in four games. Vrbata finished with a goal, while the Sedins each had an assist. . . . Canucks G Ryan Miller made eight saves on 13 shots before getting pulled at 1:17 of the second period. G Eddie Lack stopped 14 shots in relief. . . . It was Desjardins’ first time back in Dallas since he was hired by Vancouver. He had been the head coach of Dallas’s AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars. . . . Vancouver will visit the St. Louis Blues on Thursday as part of their three-game road trip.

(Dickson Liong is Taking Note’s Vancouver correspondent. Follow him on Twitter at @DLLiong.)

So far, so good for Vrbata and Sedins

The pre-season is experiment-time for Henrik and Daniel Sedin.
No matter who is coaching the Canucks, one of the tasks on the list is to decide who will play with the Sedin twins.
When Alain Vigneault was the head coach, he was able to do that successfully by putting Alex Burrows, then 27, in that role in 2008-09.
It has hardly changed since, and understandably so.
After all, while he was on that line, the Sedins were able to do things they had never done. In 2009-10, Henrik finished with 112 points, including 83 assists. By doing so, he won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer and the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player.
Meanwhile, Burrows led the Canucks with 35 goals as he finished with 67 points.
The next season, it was Daniel's turn to do the same as his brother. He led the NHL with 104 points and won the Ted Lindsay Award as the most outstanding player as voted by the NHLPA.
However, the trio started to break down last season.
The Sedins, who had been consistently healthy throughout their careers, suffered injuries that were longer than just day-to-day. The injuries resulted in Henrik and Daniel being out of the lineup for 12 and nine games, respectively.
But even when they were in the lineup, Henrik  finished with only 50 points and Daniel with 47, career lows for both.
It doesn't stop there, though.
The injury bug hit Burrows, too, as he dressed for just 49 games and scored only five goals.
It was time for the newly hired brass of Trevor Linden, the president of hockey operations, and general manager Jim Benning to attempt to find a solution.
Two days after the July 1 opening of free-agent season, they believe they were able to find one when they signed unrestricted free-agent forward Radim Vrbata to a two-year deal worth US$10 million.
Prior to joining the Canucks, he had played for the Phoenix Coyotes for the past five seasons. The best of those was 2011-12, when he scored 35 goals.
Vancouver not only added a player who can score, but he is a right-hand shot, something that Burrows isn't.
The Canucks have stated openly that they want Vrbata to play on the first line with the Sedins. But the thing is, nobody had seen them play together in a competitive game.
That changed on Tuesday, as the Canucks played host to the San Jose Sharks in one of two split-squad pre-season games.
“Well, I think every time you start the pre-season anywhere, it's important to get into game situations and get used to hitting again,” Vrbata said prior to the game. "I don't think it matters too much if you are on a new team or an old team.
"It was a long summer without real hockey and as I said, you want to prepare yourself for the regular season. So that's why the pre-season is important. That's where it all shows. It's all good that you feel good in a practice or scrimmages or power-play practices, but I'm looking forward to playing the game to see we are at.”
How did Henrik feel?    
“It's going to be a lot of fun,” he said. “It's been a good feeling from the get-go, on and off the ice. Mostly on the power play, he's going to be a big help for us. So we'll see. It's going to be a work in progress and we're going to take it day-by-day and try to get better. I'm sure there is a lot of things we need to talk about after the game, but that's the way it should be.”
Of course, it remains to be seen if Vrbata will have chemistry with the Sedins, something that is necessary for any winger playing with the twins.
"I think just chemistry,” Henrik said. “To see how we read each other and so far in practice it's been nothing but good. We're excited, I hope he is and, like I said, we'll take it day-by-day here.”
The Canucks defeated the Sharks 3-2, and Henrik was impressed with the new trio.
“I thought it felt good,” Henrik stated. “There are things that we can work on but I mean, for the first game together, right from the get-go, we had some good chemistry. He was close to scoring some goals. In the second period, we didn't have a lot of shifts five-on-five, but in the third, we had a good third period as well.”
Doug Lidster, one of the Canucks' assistant coaches, also was impressed.
“They had a shift I recall in the third period where they showed quite a bit of zone time and control and stuff like that,” he said “I thought that kind of fed the rest of our guys and I thought that was kind of a momentum changer for us, so they did real well.”
Despite that, it remains a learning process for Vrbata.
“It's always good to get a win and start the season right,” he stated. “It was the first pre-season game so I think it was tough for everybody to kind of get into it after a long summer. I think it was a good start and we can build from here. We had some good shifts and some good looks. Unfortunately, nothing went in. But we can learn from this game and look at the shifts we had and try to see what should have been differently.
“First game we learn, and we'll be better next game.”

(Dickson Liong is Taking Note's Vancouver correspondent)

Valk working to make most of invitation

Curtis Valk is another former member of the Medicine Hat Tigers to with connections to the Vancouver Canucks.
When the Canucks drafted Tigers' forward Hunter Shinkaruk with the 24th selection in the 2013 NHL draft, it seems to have started a trend.
At the time Shinkaruk was selected, Mike Gillis was entering his sixth season as Vancouver's president and general manager. But after the Canucks weren't able to exceed expectations and missed the playoffs, he, head coach John Tortorella and associate coach Mike Sullivan, all were relieved of their duties.
At the same time, the relationship between the Canucks and their fans was clearly damaged.
So, it was time to add someone who had a strong connection with the team and someone whom the Vancouver faithful had trust in to turn the franchise around.
That person is Trevor Linden.
He had  spent three seasons with the Tigers, and another 16 with the Canucks. Throughout his time with Vancouver, he had become one of the most respected sports figures the city has ever had.
While the relationship with the fans may take a while to get back to where it was, filling the presidential position was complete.
The Canucks still needed a general manager, though.
They officially announced the hiring of Jim Benning on May 21. He had spent seven seasons with the Boston Bruins as their assistant general manager.
No, he didn't have any previous history with the Tigers.
What he did have, though, was a connection with Linden. The two played for the Canucks in 1988-89 and 1989-90.
With the vacancies in the Canucks' management filled, they still had to do the same with their coaching staff.
Vancouver named Willie Desjardins as its head coach on June 23.
It had to be patient in order to be granted an interview with the 57-year-old, as he was the head coach of the AHL's Texas Stars, who battled all the way to the Calder Cup final. They went up against the St. John's IceDogs in a best-of-seven series, and defeated them in five games to win the championship.
After Desjardins was named the head coach of the Canucks, he decided to bring Doug Lidster, one of his assistant coaches in Texas, to Vancouver in the same role.
It just happens that, prior to running the same bench in Texas, the duo coached together with the Tigers in 2002-03. Desjardins would spend seven more seasons with the team, while Lidster took a promotion and became the head coach of the OHL's Saginaw Spirit the following season.
With such a strong presence in the Canucks organization that had a track record with Medicine Hat, it didn't come as much of a surprise when they invited Valk to their development camp in July.
He was in his last season with the Tigers in 2013-14 and ended up with 92 points, including 45 goals.
Earlier, Valk dressed for four games with Medicine Hat in Desjardins' last season with the Tigers in 2009-10.
For the 21-year-old, earning an invite from Vancouver meant that he would be on the Canucks' roster for the annual Young Stars tournament in Penticton, B.C.
This was an opportunity for the Canucks to allow media, and management to see how their prospects compete with the futures of the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets.
“You train all summer, you train hard,” Desjardins told the prospects prior to playing the Edmonton Oilers in the tournament opener for both teams on Friday. “You got to be excited about getting to play to see where you are at. Especially as a coach, you always wonder how guys have (improved) over the summer. You can make a difference in your summer training in terms of where you are at.
“So I think for the guys that are here, you can make a name and spot for yourself, and maybe get yourself on a different line or whatever. I encourage you to go hard. A couple things that the organization is about is pretty simple. We're about winning, and we're about playing hard. Winning will take care of itself if you play hard so just focus on playing hard. Good luck at the tournament and I look forward to watching you.”
Valk, a 21-year-old Medicine Hat native, took Desjardins' words to heart.
He scored two goals, as the Canucks lost 4-3 in overtime.
“It was a good game for myself,” Valk stated. “I think there is still room for improvement, though. I think for myself and the team, we got off to a little bit of s slow start and it seemed to cost us in this one.”
Some observers may consider the Young Stars tournament as an opportunity to simply get back into game action.
Not Valk.
"I think it's just a huge opportunity to make an impression,” he said. “I think that my job here in Penticton is to prove that I deserve to play at this level and I am just going to try to do that.”
So far, so good.


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