Granted they can say they gave these kids, and the long-shot tryout types, a lot of ice time but it really had nothing to do with a realistic NHL look. All they did in the case of the tryouts was put these guys through a tough week and allow them access to the faint hope of keeping their wheezing career hopes alive while keeping the vets on the sidelines for that much longer to shorten their season. And that may have been the right thing to do. But let’s not be deluded into thinking anyone has any better idea now whether anyone, prospects or tryouts, will fit into a real Canucks lineup than they did before last week began.

As a fan-observer, I’m feeling a bit cynical about it, though Gallagher himself goes on to suggest it might help the team come out of the gates quicker in October, than in years past.

I can’t see the logic of his reasoning there, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Police in Ontario have laid charges in the infamous banana-toss of last week. Their angle (and I imagine it’s a long-shot) is to prosecute based on ‘trespassing’ statutes… ultimately, a glorified littering charge, from the looks of it.

But I don’t think angry hockey fans need to despair much. Consider this: As of this morning, 732 articles had been indexed on Google about charges against Chris Moorhouse. Wonder if he still thinks that banana toss was a good idea?

Justice for something like this is a complicated thing, and probably elusive in the sense that nothing can really atone for such appalling behavior and attitudes in our hockey family.

But still, I imagine it’s not a lot of fun being Mr. Moorhouse right now.

And—assuming he’s the guilty one—I’m just fine with that.

In other embarrassing hockey fan newsinvolving yet another police department...

The VPD has served warrants on numerous major media outlets in Vancouver and beyond, seeking more footage of the rioters, and are now beginning the process of laying charges:

The move on media outlets comes on the same day investigators announced that they’re in the process of laying dozens of charges over the riots.

Police did not reveal what the charges were or how many people were involved. But Yeo said investigators plan to deliver 40 charges to the Crown by Oct. 31, “and more charges will continue to flow in the weeks and months to follow.”

Yeo also said police are reviewing more than 1,600 hours of video captured during the riots, and are working with forensic analysts from across North America and the United Kingdom.

I’m not sure why an international team of forensic analysts is necessary in a case like this where there seems to be more evidence than anyone even knows what to do with, but I’ll keep hoping for the best.

If the VPD gets it right and the guilty parties are ultimately held accountable in the end, then I suppose the means will have served the ends.