The banged-up Vancouver Canucks will practice at Rogers Arena at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday ahead of back-to-back games that could feature some real emotion over the next few days.
I'll try not to focus too much on the sorry on-ice state of our team today, but if there's any big news from practice, you'll find it on my Twitter this afternoon.
Looking ahead, will Martin Hanzal be a marked man for the Coyotes on Sunday after knocking both Henrik Sedin and Mike Santorelli out of the lineup last week in Phoenix?
Will the Edmonton Oilers finally exact their revenge on Zack Kassian when they visit Rogers Arena on Monday?
There's no immediate help on the horizon for Vancouver, as Vinny Prospal's future with the team didn't even go as far as signing a tryout contract. By noon yesterday, Prospal informed the Canucks that he wouldn't be continuing with his pursuit of a roster spot, and headed home to Tampa.
Prospal says he knew after the 1st practice with the #Comets that he can't give the game 100% anymore.
— News1130 Sports (@News1130Sports) January 24, 2014I guess that really is the end for Prospal. At just 38, he's far too young to join the Czech Olympic team with the likes of Jagr and Nedved.
Stadium Series Weekend:
Though the Canucks are off tonight, there's lots of excitement surrounding Saturday's game at Dodger Stadium between the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks. The New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils face off at Yankee Stadium on Sunday.
Do you enjoy the spectacle of these outdoor events? I'll tune in tonight to check out the action from L.A., but I don't get charged up by documentaries on how the brave icemakers defy the odds in 80 degree heat. I'm not that interested in how ice is made.
I won't be attending our Heritage Classic game at B.C. Place here in March and that's okay by me—pretty sure I'd have a very tough time following the game action in the stadium. Have any of you purchased tickets? Do you think it does anything to grow the game in our market?
I'm excited for the Olympics, but I think this rash of outdoor games is overkill and will detract from the once-a-year uniqueness of the Winter Classic in future seasons.
NHL Revealed:
Did you watch NHL Revealed on Thursday? When the show opened by setting up a matchup between the Canucks and Ducks, I was relieved when I realized it was only the game where Vancouver lost in the last second thanks to Corey Perry, not the 9-1 debacle the following week. Ah, the nostalgia of watching Torts in action!
I thought the show had a few quality moments. It veered into infomercial territory at times, pumping the outdoor games, but I liked seeing John Tavares pay tribute to the plaque honouring Mike Bossy at Nassau Coliseum before putting up five points against the Dallas Stars.
My first look at Tavares came on his first-ever five point night in the NHL, when the rookie led the Islanders to a 5-2 win over Vancouver on March 16, 2010—back when the Canucks rarely lost at home. After seeing that performance, his ascent to Olympian hasn't surprised me one bit.
Tavares seems like a real leader on an Islander team that's still struggling to find its way. I'm curious to see if he'll be able to shine under the brighter spotlight in Sochi.
Comets Take Game 1:
Even without Vinny Prospal, the Utica Comets won the first game of their weekend series with Abbotsford out in the valley on Friday night, though it doesn't appear that any untapped offensive help is hiding out on the farm these days.
True to the reputations of the parent clubs, the game was scoreless through 60 minutes before Benn Ferriero finally won it 1-0 for Utica at 2:22 of overtime. Joacim Ericsson picked up the shutout, stopping all 36 shots from the Heat.
The two teams will go at it again tonight in Abbotsford.
#FreeTorts Asked to Cease and Desist
I put up a link a couple of days ago to a #FreeTorts T-shirt that just contained those words. As far as I can tell, that link's still active and those shirts are still available.
The story over the last couple of days has been about the shirts with Torts' likeness on them, where the Canucks have cracked down and asked them to stop selling. Click here for the story.
You really can't blame the Canucks for cracking down: it's illegal to profit from an image of someone that you haven't licensed. Unless Tortorella and/or the team authorized these guys to use his likeness on the shirts, they're breaking the law. In this case, it's not a question of the Canucks trying to kibosh a little fun from their fans; the t-shirt makers left them with little choice.
Enough hockey talk for today. It's a beautiful, sunny Saturday in Vancouver. Get outside and enjoy the great weather! I'll be back tomorrow to set up the Coyotes game.