June 2, 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

in

 

I I were Mike Gillis, the new general
manager of the Vancouver Canucks, I
would certainly be eager to sign some
free-agent players come July and make
some trades to improve my team for
the upcoming season. But who should
I sign and who should I trade?

I believe that Curtis Sanford will
not re-sign with the Canucks before
July 1. So who will be the new backup
goalie behind Roberto Luongo next
season? Calgary’s Curtis Joseph would
be my choice.

Although Joseph is 41, his
experience and ability could help his
team get some victories when the
number one goalie does not perform
well or get injured. For instance, Joseph

Who do the Canucks need?

By Kevin Wong

recently played a game against the San
Jose Sharks during the first round of
the playoffs back in April. The Flames
were down 0-3 in the first period, but
then Joseph replaced Kiprusoff to play
in net. Soon after, the Flames defeated
the Sharks 4-3. Cujo boosted up the
team’s morale and helped the Flames
make an amazing comeback. So I
think Joseph is the right man to be the
number two goalie for Vancouver next
season.

I don’t think defensemen
Aaron Miller and Mike Weaver will
re-sign with Vancouver before July
1. So who should replace them? I’d
like to sign Brian Campbell, 29,
and Mike Green, 22. Both of them
are offensive defensemen. They can
score and bring lots of energy on the
blue-line. Green especially is a very
talented D-man, scoring 18 goals
and 38 assists in his last season with
the Capitals. He has likewise posted
three goals and four assists in the first
round of the playoffs. Lastly, he also

played for Team Canada at the ITHF
World Hockey Championship in May.
The statistics indicates that Green has
great ability to score lots of goals as
the Canucks’ new defenseman.

For the forward positions, I
would try to sign Marian Hossa, one
of the best forwards in the NHL. He
could easily score at least 30 goals and
get at least 90 points in a season. If he
is going to sign with us, he should be
played on the first line.

My second choice would be
Evgeni Malkin. This young Russian
player could score at least 50 goals
in a season, just like ex-Canucks
Alexander Mogilny and Pavel Bure.
Brad Richards for the number one
playmaker on my team would be
another sure bet.

As far as trades go, I would like to
trade Daniel and Henrik Sedin to the
Columbus Blue Jackets for Rick Nash.
Why? Well, the twins have only one
year remaining on their contracts with
the Canucks. Both of them will be

free-agent players come July 1, 2009,
and I’m sure that they will ask for
increased salaries after the ’08 season
concludes. If they are not going to
re-sign with us, other teams will try
to sign them. It makes sense to trade
the Sedins when they have maximum
trading value.
On the other hand, Rick Nash has
an excellent scoring ability, skill, and
plays more consistently than either
of the Sedins in my opinion. His
NHL career stats likewise continue to
improve each season. For instance, last
season Nash scored a truly beautiful
goal that will likely go down as one of
the finest goals ever in NHL history.
Plus, Nash could play left wing or
right wing on the team, making him the
ideal power forward for the Canucks.
Finally, I would try to resign
Brendan Morrison and Markus
Naslund as Canucks for one more
year. I would, however, lower their
salaries.

 

‘Where Are They Now?

By Garth McLennan, Sports Editor

 

 

   

Tiger Williams
The NHL’s all time leader in penalty
minutes may be 54 but is still just as
fiery and outspoken as ever. Since
retirement, he’s been particularly
known for spoking out against the
quality of refereeing in todays game,
condemning its strictness and often
erratic nature.

Williams hung up his blades
in 1988 after skating with five teams,
including the Vancouver Canucks.
He’ll always be remembered in this
city as one of the leading guys in
Vancouver’s stunning run to the 1982
Stanley Cup finals, where they lost
in four straight games to the dynastic
New York Islanders.

Williams has also branched
outside of hockey. In 1987, he
released a full-length cookbook
called Done Like Dinner: Tiger in the
Kitchen. Three years before, in 1987,
he had an autobiography published.

 

z ~~ Li PES §
Bryant Reeves
Without a doubt one of biggest busts
in sports history, Bryant ‘Big Country’
Reeves is now 34, but he retired from
professional basketball at the ripe old
age of 28.

Reeves was the sixth overall
pick by the Vancouver Grizzlies in
the 1995 NBA entry draft. He played
his entire forgettable career with the
Grizzlies, and never even came close
to earning a fraction of the monstrous
six-year, $61.8 million contract he
signed with the team in 1997.

While he was the team’s first-
ever draft pick, Reeves was expected
to be the savior of the Vancouver
franchise. After the team departed
to Memphis, Reeves never played
another game. Chronic injuries and a
penchant for showing up to camp up to
forty pounds overweight combined to
end his brief NBA career.

Reeves now spends his days
on his hunting ranch in Oklahoma.

 

   

 

 

   

Kelly Law

in 2002, curling star Kelly Law took
home a bronze medal for Canada
alongside Julie Skinner, Georgina
Wheatcroft and Diane Nelson.

Law would then take several
years off for personal reasons,
including having a child and pursuing
a career as a real estate agent for
RE/MAX. During that time, her
world championship winning squad
disbanded.

Law returned to the high
level curling scene in 2007 at the
Scotties Tournament of Hearts,
where she accumulated a 5-6 record.
However, her recent comeback was
destined to be a brief one, as she opted
to not curl at all for the duration of the
2007-08 season due to work reasons.

As a result of her recent
departure, the new team she
assembled has once again disbanded,
with Wheatcroft taking over Law’s
position as team skipper.

 

 

 

Bob Lenarduzzi

A soccer icon in Vancouver, Bob
Lenarduzzi retired from the game in
1987, but has been more than active
in retirement. Beginning in 1987,
Lenarduzzi coached the Vancouver
86’ers for six seasons. His record
spoke for itself as he led the team to
four straight CSL championships.

From 1993-1997,
Lenarduzzi was the head coach of
Canada’s national team. He also has
led a distinguished administrative and
managerial career. He was the general
manager of the 86’ers from 1988-
1993. He took up the job again in
1998 and in 2000 was awarded with
executive of the year honors.

In 2003, he was presented
with the Order of British Columbia,
and in 2005, he was inducted into the
Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame.

Now, Lenarduzzi
occasionally serves as Toronto FC’s
color commentator and he frequently
writes for The Province newspaper.

 

 

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