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Vancouver Canucks: Prospect Watch, TSN Radio Rebrand Confirmed

August 28, 2014, 2:36 PM ET [110 Comments]
Carol Schram
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
With Labour Day weekend just around the corner, we have only a couple more weeks to wait until we'll see the Canucks' prospects on the ice in Penticton for the Young Stars tournament.

As part of the "30 in 30" package, Adam Kimelman of NHL.com ranked the team's top 10 youngsters, and offered an estimated timeline for their arrival in the NHL.

No surprise—Bo Horvat and Brendan Gaunce top the list, with projections that they could make the team this season. Frank Corrado is listed at No. 5 and Nicklas Jensen at No. 6, also both pencilled in by Kimelman as part of the big club.

To me, the most interesting entry belongs to Hunter Shinkaruk. He's unfazed by the doubts that surround his year of lost development due to his injury and surgery last season, explaining that he faced the same issues when he broke his leg before coming into junior.

I had a lot of meetings with the [Medicine Hat] coaching staff during training camp. I kept telling them, 'I'm ready. I'm ready.' I went on to have a good year (42 points in 63 games in 2010-11 in a season that he started when he was 16 years old). I've been through it before. I know what the worries are going to be. The only one who can change [those worries] is me.


I'm constantly impressed by Shinkaruk's positive mindset and infectious enthusiasm. Kimelman still expects him to start the season with Utica to gain some seasoning, and management has made plenty of noise about wanting to bring players along slowly, but he's one of the players I'm most interested in seeing during the Young Stars tournament and at training camp.

To get you pumped up, here's a look at Shinkaruk's Top 10 goals of his young career so far:



TSN Radio Rebrand is Official

After talking yesterday about the imminent re-branding of the TEAM radio stations in Vancouver as TSN radio, Bell Media has now made it official. The switch will take place on September 8.




Who Wore it Best?

Though our poll fell firmly in favour of the late Luc Bourdon at No. 28, Canucks.com served up the honours to former coach Marc Crawford. Here, he speaks about the magic of the 1982 team that made the run to the Stanley Cup Final.



I'm guessing that No. 29 won't be much of a contest, but a couple of names beyond the obvious do merit some attention:

Jiri Bubla:An acclaimed defenseman in international hockey circles who boasted three gold medals from the World Championships, Bubla joined the Canucks in 1981 as a 31-year-old. He and Ivan Hlinka were the first Czech players officially allowed to join the NHL.

Bubla played just 23 games in his debut season, missing the 1982 playoff run due to injury.

All told, he spent five seasons with the Canucks, never managing more than 72 games in a year. He retired at age 36 with 256 NHL games, 17 goals and 118 assists.

Shockingly, Bubla was sentenced to four years in prison after being arrested at the 1987 World Championships for smuggling heroin. Here's the story from 1987, courtesy of the Chicago Tribune.

Jack McIlhargey: Originally undrafted, McIlhargey started his NHL career with the Philadelphia Flyers before being traded to the Canucks with Larry Goodenough in exchange for defenseman Bob Dailey in January of 1977. A tough defensive defenseman who wasn't afraid to drop the gloves, McIlhargey had six goals and 24 points in 167 games with Vancouver before being traded back to the Flyers for cash three years later.

After his retirement, McIlhargey became a key part of the Canucks' coaching staff for years. He served as an assistant under multiple regimes and spent several years as head coach of Vancouver's various minor-league affiliates.

In 1988, McIlhargey and goaltending prospect Troy Gamble took the trip to Russia that began to set the foundation for the eventual arrival of Igor Larionov, Vladimir Krutov and ultimately, Pavel Bure, as this long read from NHL.com details.

McIlhargey also spent time scouting for the Canucks was responsible for starting the Canucks' alumni association. He still lives in Vancouver, where he currently works as a scout for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Gino Odjick: Do we have a winner? Of course, Gino Odjick was one of the most beloved Canucks of all time, even before the news surfaced this spring about his illness.



Originally drafted in the fifth round in 1990, Gino was a feared enforcer who also managed to score a few goals playing on the wing with Pavel Bure. His best year was 1993-94, when he scored 16 goals and 29 points in the regular season and appeared in 10 playoff games.

Gino also broke the 300-minute mark in penalties on three occasions, leading the league with 371 penalty minutes in 1996-97.

All told, he scored 46 goals and 98 points in 444 games as a Canuck. He was traded to the New York Islanders for defenseman Jason Strudwick on March 23, 1998.

In June, Gino announced that he had been diagnosed with a disease called AL amyloidosis, which is nearly always fatal. He has returned to Eastern Canada for treatment near his hometown of Maniwaki, Quebec. There hasn't been much recent news on his health, but Gino is still re-tweeting good wishes from time to time on his Twitter.

Other notable Canucks to wear No. 29 include Felix Potvin and Aaron Rome—who would qualify for voting since he's not currently on an NHL roster. Rome's contract was bought out by the Dallas Stars earlier this summer.

So—probably a formality, but...

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