We're one step closer to hockey season!
#Canucks arena staff were busy yesterday. #IsItOctoberYet pic.twitter.com/Zuy33JcPor
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) August 31, 2016
Up in Haida Gwaii, the Fishing for Kids tournament wrapped up on Wednesday, with an impressive $820,000 raised for the Canucks Autism Network. Apparently Jim Benning was the best of the Canucks' fishermen, reeling in a 27.2 pound Chinook salmon.
I know we have plenty of fishermen among our regular readers. How'd Baertschi do here, on his first try?
Baertschi was all smiles after reeling in his 1st fish ever. Jump on board with him & Dorsett at #FFK2016. pic.twitter.com/BzgVN7sv3X
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) September 1, 2016
One other interesting note before I get into my analysis of the second half of the Canucks' upcoming schedule.
September 7 marks the five-year anniversary of the Yaroslavl Lokomotiv plane crash that claimed the lives of 44 people, including former Vancouver Canuck Pavol Demitra.
Beloved as a superstar in his native Slovakia, Demitra's life was captured in a documentary that was originally released in 2014. It's running (in Slovak with English subtitles) next Monday, September 5, at the Rio Theatre in East Vancouver.
Also—an update on Anton Rodin, who has been out of action since January after suffering that skate cut to his a tendon in his knee.
Just to confirm on Rodin:
— Jon Abbott (@HockeyAbbs) September 1, 2016
Rehab is day-to-day#Canucks think he will be ready for training camp Sep 23rd, in Whistler#CanucksOn1040
Sounds like it's a race against time for Rodin. I think he'll be in for a tough fight to show his best stuff in camp.
With that, on to my look at the second half of his season's schedule for the Vancouver Canucks. Click here for yesterday's look at what's in store for the rest of 2016—a balance home-and-road schedule, with just one big six-game road trip out east and not too many four-pointers against the other teams in the Pacific Division.
That starts to change when the calendar flips to 2017.
January: 12 games in total: 6 home, 6 road
• 4 games against Pacific Division: 2 Calgary, 2 Arizona • Eastern Conference teams to visit Rogers Arena: it's old goalie month with Cory Schneider's New Jersey Devils on Jan. 15 and Roberto Luongo's Florida Panthers on Jan. 20. • two back-to-backs: a home-and-home with Calgary and two road games against Colorado and Arizona near the end of the month • the Canucks will get six days off for the All-Star Break, from Jan. 27 - Feb. 1.
February: 12 games in total: 6 home, 6 road
• 3 games against Pacific Division: 2 San Jose, 1 Calgary • final six-game Eastern road trip runs from Feb. 7-16 and includes stops in Columbus, Boston, Buffalo and Pittsburgh • two back-to-backs—against Boston and Buffalo on the road trip, then at home against Calgary and Philadelphia as soon as they return to Rogers Arena • Eastern Conference teams to visit Rogers Arena: Flyers and Red Wings • Canucks will get another five-day break between Feb. 20-24. That could be a key time to rest up and heal some injuries before a busy stretch run.
March: 15 games in total! 7 home, 8 road
• 6 games against Pacific Division: 2 Los Angeles, 2 Anaheim, 1 San Jose, 1 Edmonton • awesome five-game homestand from Mar. 7-16 features games against Montreal, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh, Boston and Dallas • two back-to-backs, both on the road: L.A. and Anaheim at the beginning of the month; Minnesota and Winnipeg near the end • no more than two days between games at any point in March
April: last 5 regular-season games: 2 home, 3 road
• all 5 games against Pacific Division: 2 San Jose, 1 Arizona, 2 Edmonton • season ends with back-to-back home-and-home games against the Oilers and finishes, for a change, on the road
Despite the slightly later start to the season due to the World Cup of Hockey and that newly-mandated "bye week" that gives Vancouver its five-day break in February, the team's overall schedule looks more balanced than last year.
BUT...
On the Forecheck has some numbers for us.
Last season, the Canucks had the fifth-heaviest travel schedule, flying 45,711 miles, and had 13 back-to-backs on their schedule. That was up slightly from 2013-14, when they flew 45,173 miles and had 12 back-to-backs.
This year, On the Forecheck shows the Canucks once again ranked fifth. Travel miles actually jump to 45,782, and they'll be up to 16 back-to-backs.
Naturally, the Pacific Division teams once again dominate the mileage charts, but the teams with the most back-to-backs are in the Eastern Conference: Columbus and Buffalo have 19 each, while New Jersey, Toronto and Philadelphia each have 18.