A later-than-usual blog today because I wanted to catch you up on the notes from the Vancouver Canucks' first home practice in more than two weeks.
Here's what we have so far:
Doesn't sound like Hamhuis or Kassian will be back in the lineup anytime soon, though it was nice to see both players at the Children's Hospital visit on Thursday:
Wait! Hamhuis is, at least, at the rink today.
Not sure why Dorsett's missing. He talked about having a "bad hand" when goaded into his fight against Chris Neil in the Ottawa game, but played (and scored) in Montreal.
The good news is that Shawn Matthias is not on the list of absentees. Hopefully he'll be ready to go tomorrow against the Rangers.
After sending Frank Corrado back to Utica earlier in the week, the Canucks announced today that they've recalled defenseman Alex Biega.
This is the first-ever NHL call-up for the 26-year-old, who was drafted in the fifth round by Buffalo back in 2006. He's in his second season with Utica after being signed as a free agent by the Canucks during the summer of 2013.
We've talked about Vancouver's need to generate offense from the defense. Biega is second in scoring among Comets defensemen this season with two goals and eight assists. He's not the biggest guy at 5'10" and 187 pounds, but he could fill a need if he gets a look in Vancouver.
Will he get a chance to play, or will he fill Corrado's role as "insurance guy" in the press box?
Willie has mixed up his lines this morning, given Jannik Hansen yet another look with the twins:
Again, we'll have to wait and see whether these changes roll over into Saturday's game against the Rangers.
Holiday Hockey Books
As you'd expect at this time of year, there's a wide selection of new hockey books on the market for holiday giving.
I made my way through
Bruce Dowbiggin's "Ice Storm," which basically covers the Mike Gillis years in Vancouver.
For those of you who were talking about the pain you still feel thinking back on the 2011 Cup Run, I'm not sure I can recommend it. Dowbiggin has good access to Gillis and offers up a few behind-the-scenes insights, but he takes his time in the early part of the book going through the 2011 playoffs in excruciating detail. Though my memories of that time are sharp, there were some perspectives and incidents along the way that I found very hard to take.
Approach with caution.
Instead, you might want to consider
Bob McKenzie's "Hockey Confidential." Though his stories cover the full spectrum of hockey, there's plenty of interesting insight for a Canucks fan.
Right now, I'm in the midst of the chapter that traces the history of the Subban family since their arrival in Canada in 1970, with a particular focus on father Karl Subban—a teacher first and a hockey dad second. I also enjoyed the chapters on the development of New York Islanders star John Tavares and future superstar Connor McDavid and appreciated the insight into the world of the NHL tough guy from Montreal's Brandon Prust.
Prust is especially informative when it comes to explaining "The Code" and how he has chosen to deal with injuries and potential head trauma through his career.
McKenzie's tales can get a big long-winded at times, but his subjects are interesting and the book is well-written. Thumbs-up.
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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