Kukla's Korner Hockey

Category: Vancouver-Canucks

Northwest Division Wide Open

by Paul on 09/11/07 at 09:20 AM ET
Comments (0)

from Wes Goldstein at CBS Sportsline,

One man’s competitiveness might be another’s mediocrity, but it makes things intriguing in the Northwest Division, where most teams start the season with as good a chance of finishing first as missing the playoffs entirely.

Not much actually separates the top from the bottom in this cutthroat division, where the best two teams last season were playoff outsiders the year before and the last-place club was a Stanley Cup Finalist only months before. Things can and do change quickly in the Northwest, even in the middle of the season as the Colorado Avalanche proved last year when they were given up for dead around the All-Star break.

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Vancouver Canucks, | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Roberto Luongo Knows Pressure

by Alanah McGinley on 09/11/07 at 01:35 AM ET
Comments (0)

From TSN via CTV,

Last season was all that anyone would have expected of Roberto Luongo, who carried his team to a division title and was runner-up for the Vezina and Hart Trophies in the process.

But his biggest accomplishment was the hope that he gave the franchise. So what does Luongo do for an encore?

“There’s always room for improvement,” he told reporters on Monday. “The more experience you get, the better you become. The harder you work in practice and better your game in aspects you know you can be better at, that’s how you improve yourself.”

more…

Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks, | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Willie Mitchell Deals With Popularity

by Paul on 09/09/07 at 11:10 AM ET
Comments (0)

from the Times Colonist,

“Hockey is popular in Minnesota [where Mitchell spent more than three NHL seasons with the Wild], but being back playing in a Canadian city is a whole different ball game with the crazy amount of attention you receive,” says Mitchell.

And this isn’t just any Canadian team Mitchell finds himself with, but the home-province team he grew up adoring as a kid.

“It gets a little crazy, but it’s all part of it and I enjoy what I do,” said the product of the North Island Eagles minor hockey teams.

“I’m lucky to be doing it. But it can be a little overwhelming being a Canuck in B.C. and trying to balance that with personal and family time.”

more

Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: willie+mitchell

Canucks Coach Alain Vigneault Responds

by Paul on 09/06/07 at 10:54 AM ET
Comments (0)

from the Vancouver Province,

Q: Roberto Luongo was often treated like a piñata by crease-crashing forwards? How much can Aaron Miller help protect your starter at age 36?
A: It’s not just Aaron. He’s a physical presence and has a lot of experience and with that comes leadership. It has to be a team effort to protect Louie and we feel our six defencemen are as good as any in the league.
Q: How do you convince Luongo that he might want to take the odd practice off, let alone the odd game?
A: Louie is a special person and a special athlete. We like his competitive spirit and as much as I thought last year we needed to rest him, it sometimes became issues. With the overtimes, he played 96 games and his best one was his last one. Fatigue shouldn’t be a concern to anyone any more. We know he can take anything we throw at him.

much more

Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks, | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Isbister Has The Talent

by Paul on 09/05/07 at 10:56 AM ET
Comments (0)

from the Vancouver Province,

Beset by injuries and looking for a playoff spark last spring, Tom Renney inserted Brad Isbister on a line with Jaromir Jagr and Michael Nylander.
For the well-travelled Isbister, mired in the minors until recalled for the second time Feb. 21, it was a vote of confidence from the New York Rangers coach. It piqued the Vancouver Canucks’ interest in the big winger even more.
“You have to have some ability to play with those players,” Canucks general manager Dave Nonis said Tuesday. “We’ve had some interest in him for a couple of years. He can fill a lot of roles and played with a little more edge the last few years.

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks, | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Wear Red

by Paul on 08/30/07 at 11:30 AM ET
Comments (0)

from the Vancouver Province,

In 50 years of Stanley Cup wins, red has been the dominant jersey colour. By a long shot.
Thirty-one times teams in red have triumphed, with orange and blue a distant second at 12 times each.
This doesn’t mean the Canucks in their new dark-blue and forest-green sweaters won’t drink from the Cup, but consider that the only two times they came close (‘82, ‘94) they were wearing red and orange.

continued... Canucks jersey talk…

Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks, Hockey Related Stories, | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

The Whale Unveiled

by Paul on 08/29/07 at 05:33 PM ET
Comments (0)

Alanah at Canucks and Beyond is all over the release of the Canucks jersey today. Check in and get the official look, finally!

Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks, | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Naslund Ready For The New Season

by Paul on 08/29/07 at 10:04 AM ET
Comments (0)

from the Vancouver Province,

Following his second skate since arriving from his off-season home in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, late last week, Naslund said he feels settled and full of energy heading into his 14th NHL season and the final year of a three-year, $18-million US contract.
It’s a huge difference from a year ago, when Naslund came to a camp run by new head coach Alain Vigneault, a new, more defensively responsible system and a dressing room full of new faces.
“I feel great,” said Naslund. “I feel that I’ve got peace of mind for some reason. I feel excited about going into this year. I feel a lot better about coming in this year than I did last year.
“With all the personnel changes and the coaching changes, it was exciting in one way, but on the other hand it’s nicer having the certainty of knowing the guys and knowing what we’re supposed to do.”

read on

Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks, | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Hints Given Regarding New Vancouver Look

by Paul on 08/28/07 at 08:33 AM ET
Comments (0)

from the Vancouver Sun,

In case you’ve been hiding under a puck, tomorrow’s the day the Vancouver Canucks’ newest jersey will be unveiled….
There have been rumours aplenty about tomorrow’s debut, and blogs and message boards have been abuzz—will the new sweater be ugly, will it be bold, will it be the magic that finally brings home the Cup?
The truth has been locked up tighter than Roberto Luongo’s curls, though Orca Bay’s top dog, Chris Zimmerman, has teasingly suggested that the current whale logo could be a primary factor in the new design.
Oh, and that the vintage hockey stick logo, and perhaps even the old Johnny Canuck logo that Luongo wears on his goalie mask, might also be incorporated, maybe as shoulder patches.

read on and a history of the Cauncks jersey…

Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks, | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Looking At The Canadian Teams

by Paul on 08/26/07 at 02:27 PM ET
Comments (0)

from TSN,

Over the past week, SportsCentre filed look-ahead reports for Canada’s six NHL teams, getting you primed for the start of training camp. Now follow it up with TSN.ca’s Canadian six-pack, an online synopsis with all the reports on where your favourite Canadian team is headed this season.

read on for reports on all the Canadian teams in the NHL…

Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

« Previous       ‹ First  < 128 129 130 131 132 >  Last ›      Next »