Canucks players have their coach's back

Vancouver Canuck players showed Monday that they support coach Willie Desjardins.

 For months, Desjardins, who became an NHL head coach for the first time at the age of 57 and never played in the league, has faced speculation about his ability to get players to accept his message and his methods. But captain Henrik Sedin said he and his teammates believe that Desjardins is the right coach for the club.

“Absolutely. There’s never been a question about that from this team,” said Henrik Sedin. “We really like him as a coach and a person, so that’s never been a question from any of the players – since day one.”

The Canucks missed the playoffs, finishing 28th overall with a 31-38-13 record while battling several injuries and integrating many young players into the lineup. Media types and fans calling into radio talk shows have wondered publicly about the decision to keep Desjardins for next season, which was confirmed in March. Desjardins has been heavily criticized for everything from his dedication to juggling four lines to line combinations to the use of young players on the power play and in high-pressure situations.

Desjardins’ previous championships at the university, junior and minor-pro levels have quickly been forgotten as a result of the Canucks’ plight. But the coach drew praise from veteran players for his efforts this season.

“Last year, I think Bo (Horvat) was the only young guy coming in,” said winger Jannik Hansen. “It’s a lot easier to manage a team of older players that knows what is expected of them and knows how to play. This year, with so many young guys coming in, all of a sudden you’re back to teaching hockey again instead of worrying, maybe, about smaller finesses in the game. It’s always tough when there’s a big rotation in the lineup. It’s always tough to become an NHL player, and it takes experience and it takes games.”

Goalie Ryan Miller likes Desjardins’ approach to the game and how he wants his players to feel.

“ I like his outlook,” said Miller. “He’s always positive and when he has a group of guys, he wants that group to believe in themselves. I think there were a lot of things this year that were difficult to meet head-on, and he remained pretty much who he is throughout all that. Given the circumstances, he did the best he could.”

Meanwhile, Henrik and Daniel Sedin, who have two years remaining on their contracts and, theoretically, fewer opportunities to win a Stanley Cup, are willing to stick with the Canucks as they continue to rebuild on the fly while still seeking to make the playoffs each year. Both expressed support for general manager Jim Benning and president of hockey operations Trevor Linden and their ability to execute a development plan which, critics contend, has not always been clear.

“For us, it’s important to see that there’s a place where they want to go and just to see that they follow through (on) that,” said Henrik Sedin. “We knew it was going to be a tough year. We could have fought for a playoff spot, for sure. That didn’t happen, but they’re not changing the way they think about this, and I’m totally confident we’re going to be in a better spot next year. Before we’re done, I’m sure we’re going to have another run at (the Stanley Cup). That’s the way we look at it.”

He said all players realize that the Canucks need to get younger before they get better, but the solution is not just to finish near the bottom of the overall standings to get a good draft pick.

“I think the difference this year from, maybe, two years ago is that now I think we’re on the way up again,” he said. “Two years ago, with (former coach John Tortorella) I thought, as a team, we were on the way down. Now, we’ve got (building) pieces, but it’s dangerous to keep, from year to year, thinking about getting a high draft pick. We’ve seen other teams not being successful. Now, we have pieces and we have to surround them, I feel, with good (veteran) players – because it’s not easy as a young player coming in.”

Daniel Sedin said injuries compounded the difficult season. The Canucks lost key veterans like centre Brandon Sutter, winger Radim Vrbata  and defencemen Alex Edler, Chris Tanev  and Luca Sbisa for extended stretches while other ailments sidelined several other players. But the Sedins have faith in  Benning and Linden’s effort to improve the club.

“We trust (Benning) and (Linden),” said Daniel Sedin. “They have a plan in place and they’re going to follow through with their plan. That’s all you could ask for. So there’s – for sure – 100 per cent buy-in.”

Canucks refuse to tank in final week

Lose games on purpose?

No tanks, say the Vancouver Canucks.

As the Canucks play the final week of their 2015-16 NHL regular season, they are damned if they do win games and damned if they don’t. Wins could hurt their draft position, but losses could also leave a bad taste in fans’ mouths.

Long eliminated from the playoffs, the Canucks will take moral victories over reduced odds for the top overall pick, which is likely to be American forward Auston Matthews.

“We wanna win games,” said Canucks rookie Jake Virtanen. “That’s what we wanna do, and that’s what matters right now. We’re not gonna throw away games just to get a good draft pick. We wanna, obviously, end the year off with a bang here and build team character and team identity for next year.”

The Canucks had a Monday night date with the Los Angeles Kings at home, and then travel to Calgary and Edmonton for games Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, before closing out the season Saturday at home against the Oilers.

Defenceman Dan Hamhuis, a pending unrestricted free agent who might not return to the Canucks next season, said the goal is to play. He contended it’s “silly” that the Canucks should lose in order to get a better draft pick.

“Our job is to play hard and put a good product on the ice,” said Hamhuis. “We take a lot of pride as individuals and as a team in representing the Canucks, and losing games is just not something you ever want to do.  I think that’s a poor representation of the jersey.”

Hamhuis said it’s difficult to get up for games with nothing on the line, but the club had played better in the previous six or seven games.

“You don’t want to be put in a situation like this, when the games aren’t building towards the playoffs or anything, but I think you can say we are building towards next year a bit,” he said.

What’s captain Henrik Sedin’s message to fans as the Canucks complete the final week of their campaign.

“That we’re gonna finish the season off and play the best hockey that we can,” said Sedin.

Accordingly, fans can expect coach Willie Desjardins to ice the strongest he can each night, even as the the team continues to evaluate players for next season. But a high draft pick is few rungs down on his priority list.

“A good pick is something that you always want,” said Desjardins. “It’s something that can help you down the road, but I think the thing that’s most important, more than one player, is the culture you have on your team. I think the culture has to be that you play every game to win.”

Desjardins, who has been heavily criticized but is slated to return next season, would rather continue to build a winning culture rather than have a chance at a top young player who might or might not live up to his potential.

“If you ever lose that culture, you’re set back for years – and one player can’t even help you get out of it,” said Desjardins.

Willie Desjardins aims to keep Sedins fresh

Vancouver Canucks coach Willie Desjardins is not fazed by criticism over his use of stars Daniel and Henrik Sedin in the first game of their opening-round playoff series with the Calgary Flames.
“I think all our lines are playing pretty good,” said Desjardins as the Canucks prepared to face the Flames in Game 2 at Rogers Arena on Friday night. “And, I think we play our best when we’re fresh. Maybe they should have had a couple more minutes. Probably, it wouldn’t hurt. But there was times during the year when they had those minutes and we won, and everything was great because they weren’t given the minutes. We feel we’ve gotta work hard every night. There’s no sense burning them out (in) one game.”
Critics were quick to blast Desjardins for not using his top point producers more often as the Canucks lost 2-1 on a last-minute goal while the Sedins were on the bench Wednesday night. Daniel Sedin played 16:14, slightly more than two minutes below his season average of 18:21. Henrik Sedin played 17:29, about a minute less than his average.
But Desjardins plans to stick with his season-long practice of rolling four lines, a method which players have praised. Accordingly, the Sedins were not complaining about their reduced ice time.
“We wouldn’t be standing here talking about it if we had won,” Henrik Sedin said. “We would have been standing here saying, ‘We’re still fresh, they played a lot of minutes and can they keep up with us?’ So here we are.”
Earlier, Henrik drew chuckles when he told reporters: “We have always said we want to play 25 minutes. We did it last year and it didn’t work, so now we are standing here talking about us playing too little.”
The Canucks hope to make a strong run after missing the playoffs under former coach John Tortorella in 2013-14. Consequently, Daniel Sedin was not about to dispute his coach's strategy, either.
“It’s made us successful throughout the year, to roll four lines," said Daniel Sedin. "If we just keep doing that, the longer the series goes, we’ll be fresh – and I like that. You shouldn’t change what has brought you here.”

Canucks showing signs of improved health

The Vancouver Canucks have endured injuries to key players for several weeks, but they are about to get some reinforcements.
Centre Brad Richardson, winger Chris Higgins and defencemen Kevin Bieksa and Yannick Weber could return for Saturday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“I can’t confirm that they’ll be in the lineup, but I think they’re real close, and I think we just have to make a choice,” said coach Willie Desjardins. “I don’t think they’re 100 per cent (healthy), but this time of year a lot of guys aren’t 100 per cent. We just have to make a choice on the lineup. At least they’re healthy enough that they’re into that discussion.”
The Canucks are looking to regroup after a 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night. Richardson is especially eager to play after being out since Jan. 16 with a foot and ankle issue that was expected to take much less time to heal. The extended stay in sick bay frustrated both him and Desjardins.
“I tried to play in Tampa,” said Richardson. “It was two weeks later, so I took a break, and I thought I’d be back for sure after that. I just couldn’t. It was really bad and then we had to get it checked some more and it just needed time.”
Richardson will be particularly handy in third-line and penalty-killing roles.
Some soreness lingers, but he will soldier through it as the Canucks, third in the Pacific Division, seek to hold on to a playoff spot with Calgary and Los Angeles applying pressure.
“I’m going to have to fight through it, but it’s pretty good, and it has to be tested in battle and all that kind of stuff,” Richardson said. “But it’s definitely something that’s going to bother me for a little bit. I wouldn’t be coming back if I didn’t think I could. There’s no point coming back if you can’t play your role.”
Bieksa, one of the team’s top defencemen, is on the verge of returning after suffering a broken hand while blocking a shot Jan. 27 against Tampa Bay. His presence will shore up an injury-riddled blue-line corps and lighten the load of Alex Edler and Dan Hamhuis, who have played extended minutes.
“I’m in that range right now for a return and, like I said, I’ve been feeling good the last couple of days,” Bieksa said. “Sometimes it takes just a little push to get over that hump, and I feel like I’m right there.”
The Grimsby, Ont., native is not taking any special meaning from possibly coming back against the team that he grew up watching.
“To be honest, no,” he said. “It doesn’t really matter. It’s nice to play in Toronto. Playing against them outside is not really a big deal for me personally. It’s the time of the year, though, where points are so crucial right now. When you look at the standings, it’s just so tight.
“When you’re out (injured), you get a chance to watch a few more games (involving) other teams.
It doesn’t seem like Calgary is going to lose too many games, or not get a point in too many games, and L.A., obviously, they showed (Thursday) night that they’re going to be a top team down the stretch. So we have to get points every game we can, so I want to help out as much as I can. … I want to be out there helping my teammates. It’s hard to sit back and watch – really hard, actually.”
Higgins is slated to return after missing three games with an undisclosed injury suffered in a practice following a win over Arizona.
“It was just a little (lower-body) strain, so it was nothing too serious,” he said. “I was hoping to get back earlier than that, but the coach gave me three games (off.)”
Higgins will be a candidate for second-line duty when he returns. Weber is close to returning after missing two games.
Higgins hopes the Canucks can show their full potential after missing several players at different times since Christmas. The Smithtown, N.Y., native and his teammates are also anxious to avoid a letdown against a struggling Toronto club that is playing out the string before wide-scale changes in the off-season.
“We can’t afford to have two or three games to get back in the groove,” Higgins said. “Guys that have been out, they need to chip in right away.”
“It doesn’t matter who (the other team) is,” said Richardson. “We just need the win.”
The Canucks have a habit of playing down to lower-level opposition. They have lost to weaker teams like Buffalo and Arizona while needing critical points to improve their post-season chances.
The Leafs shape up as another visiting club that could again steal the show in Vancouver. Richardson warned that they are desperate to win as they fight for jobs and new contracts in advance of next season.
Goaltender Eddie Lack said the Canucks should be wary, based on past performance against also-rans.
“We’ve been playing bad against teams below us in the standings, so we’ve gotta come out with lots of energy (Saturday) and get the crowd with us from the start,” said Lack.
He and captain Henrik Sedin expect the Leafs, who always draw a strong legion of fans clad in blue and white in Vancouver, to give the Canucks a jolt of emotion just by their presence at Rogers Arena.
“It’s always fun when the crowd gets into it,” said Lack. “It’ll probably be a crowd battle or something … in the stands. I was on the bench last year when we played the Leafs, but it was a great atmosphere and a fun game. So, hopefully, we’ll have a similar atmosphere (Saturday).”
Sedin said the Canucks must make sure they get off to a good start.
"The first five minutes, we've gotta come out and show we're not gonna let this one slip away, and not give Toronto any life," he said.

Bruins-Canucks rivalry lingers four years later

Circa 2011, games between the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins generated considerable buzz, along with plenty of venom. Now? Not so much.
But it was evident Friday that some of rivalry that reached a feverish height in the 2011 Stanley Cup final, when Boston overcame a 3-1 series deficit to win in seven games, is still there.
“Maybe a little bit,” said Canucks winger Alex Burrows before Vancouver hosted the Bruins. “I would have liked to win four years ago. But they’re a much different team and we’re a much different team now. So, personally, maybe a little bit. But now, we’ve moved on from that.”
Burrows was at the centre of many brouhahas with the Bruins, notably with Patrice Bergeron in a finger-biting incident. But, in a sign, perhaps, of lingering animosity, Burrows has not chatted amicably with Bergeron or anyone else about the memorable 2011 finals.
“Honestly, I don’t know where I could have (talked to) most of them,” said Burrows. “I know, maybe, (Patrice) Bergeron. But he’s from Quebec City. I’m from Montreal. That’s a four-hour drive. So it’s not like I see them or have any friends on the team, really. I’ve never really gone out of my way to talk about (the 2011 final loss) or anything. But I’ve been to Fenway Park and I’ve watched the Red Sox. That’s probably as close as I’ve gotten to Boston ever since then.”
Canucks captain Henrik Sedin said Boston is still “a team that brings out the best in us,” but the rivalry is not even close to what it used to be.
“When you play against them in the finals, the heat is going to be there,” he said. “But they have a lot of new faces, and we don’t have too many guys left from that year. So it’s different – for sure.”
The lack of games between the teams – only two per season – also prevents things from heating up.
“Yeah, a little bit,” he said. “The only game where the same kind of rivalry has been there was the year after when we played them in Boston.”
Former general manager Mike Gillis believed that his club was never the same after that highly physical and emotional affair. But some Vancouver players, such as Zack Kassian, who was not with the team then, believe that the final loss “still stings.”
Times are much different now, because both the Canucks and Bruins are battling for playoff berths instead of vying for first overall in the NHL like they once did. But Bruins winger Milan Lucic, a Vancouver native, believes there always will be a strong rivalry between the clubs.
“That’s what makes these games so exciting,” he said.
But he also believes the fight for two points is what counts the most now.
“I think that whole revenge thing is out the window as far as the final goes,” said Lucic.
Bruins captain Zdeno Chara also believes the rivalry is much different. He noted that both clubs have changed many players and the Canucks “changed their whole management and coaching staff.”
But Chara thinks the rivalry would “probably” be more intense if the Bruins and Canucks faced each other more often.
“That’s what happens when you play teams more often,” he said. “Different things might cause more more emotional games (to) come out of that, but the schedule is set before the season and, usually, you only play some teams once or twice.”
Bruins coach Claude Julien has been known to stoke the fires between the teams. But the Bruins and Canucks have some ties now following former Boston executive Jim Benning’s appointment as Canucks GM last summer. So Julien actually had some nice things to say about a member of Canucks management.
“Jim is a good man,” said Julien. “He’s a good hockey man. He’s a good person. Great hockey knowledge. Very calm. Sees deficiencies. Sees also assets. I’ve had good talks with Jim. When he was in Boston, we chatted about our team and other players and stuff like that. In my mind, it was too bad that we lost a good man, but I think Vancouver made a really good decision. To be very honest in my comment, I think they got themselves a good man who’s gonna make this team a good team if you give him some time.”
Julien has also been known to say good things about former Canucks coach Alain Vigneault, an old friends. Of course, new Canucks coach Willie Desjardins wasn’t with the club in 2011. But Dejardins, who has won championships at every level, believes that a Boston-Vancouver game will always be emotional for Canuck players who were with the team in 2011.
“I don’t see how it couldn’t be,” said Dejardins. “That’s something you never forget, the guys that were here, the run, that series.
“I think it’ll always mean something to play against Boston.”

Canucks keeping their eyes on world junior tourney as finals approach

It’s that time of year again.
The world junior hockey finals are approaching, and some Vancouver Canuck players are getting into betting mode.
“There’s been a few (bets) back and forth,” said Daniel Sedin after the Canucks held an optional morning skate Saturday before their game against the Detroit Red Wings at Rogers Arena.
“But we’ll see. If Sweden ends up playing Canada, it’ll be a lot of fun.”
In other words, the betting action in the Canucks dressing room will pick up considerably if Canada beats the Slovaks in a semifinal Sunday and the Swedes prevail over Russia. Captain Henrik Sedin is known for being quite active on the betting front whenever his native Sweden has a chance to go for junior gold.
“It’s a little bit more for dinners and stuff like that,” said Daniel Sedin of the stakes. “So it’s smaller things.”
But the wagers still hold considerable meaning for some Canucks, especially those, like the Sedins, who have played in past world junior tournaments. Some of the younger players, like rookie centre Bo Horvat, who played for Canada last year, are not up to speed on the traditional wagering.
But Horvat, a close friend of Team Canada winger Max Domi, is actively engaged in the tournament being held in Montreal and Toronto.
“Any time you can represent your country, it’s special and these guys are making Canada really proud right now,” said Horvat, 19.
The Rodney, Ont., native was not granted permission from the Canucks to play in the tournament, because management felt he was needed more with the NHL club, particularly in the face-off circle. Instead, he will have a chance to get in on the betting action in the Vancouver dressing room.
One Canuck has already been stung by his bets against the Canadian squad. Winger Jannik Hansen bet on his homeland of Denmark, which was trounced 8-0 by Canada in a quarter-final game Friday.
“It was pretty funny coming in this morning when (Hansen) was pretty upset, but I was happy for Canada,” said Horvat.
So far, Horvat has stayed on the sidelines, but it sounded like he will soon enter the action.
“I haven’t been a part of any, but I’m sure there are going to be a couple bets going around, especially with finals and semis and stuff like that,” he said.
Backup goaltender Eddie Lack hasn’t entered the fray yet, either, but he is already scouting for opponents.
“If Sweden and Canada go to the finals, I’m sure I’ll get a couple bets going,” said Lack, a 26-year-old Swede. “Zack Kassian is a big bettor, so I’m probably going to go to him. Now that Tommy (Sestito) has gone (to the minors) and U.S.A. is out, I don’t know who else (to bet).”
Horvat perhaps?
“I don’t know. He looks like kind of a cheap guy, so I don’t know if he wants to,” said Lack with a wry grin.
And what will Lack bet?
“I don’t know if I want to put that on the (Internet),” he said, chuckling. “It’ll probably be something fun, like a dinner on the road or something like that.”
Whatever the wager, Lack is looking forward to betting against his Canuck teammates. Bragging rights, in the event of a Swedish victory in the final, hold considerable meaning – along with the potential prize.
“It’s kind of weird, because I never got to play (in the world juniors), myself, but just being in Canada and seeing all the news and watching every day, it’s pretty exciting,” he said. “Obviously, you get dragged into it a little bit, too. It’s a really fun tournament and it’s a lot of fun to watch.”

Tortorella calls for Canucks to improve on their lack of depth

It’s time for the Vancouver Canucks to stop dwelling on their 2011 Stanley Cup finals appearance and start retooling for the future, says coach John Tortorella.
“This is a group that’s been together for a long time,” he said Monday, a day after the Canucks’ 2013-14 season ended. “It’s stale. It needs youth. It needs a change – it needs a change – and I felt that from day one.
“We’re not in 2011. We have to stop talking about 2011. The team needs to be retooled, and that’s where change is. It is a young man’s game. It’s certainly not a criticism of them. We need to surround them with some enthusiasm.”
But he also called for changes to “some of the team’s core” as part of the “evolution” that’s necessary. He does not want to see massive changes, but noted "there is a heartbeat of a team, and it needs to be surrounded.”
Tortorella made his comments less than 24 hours after the Canucks missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008, knowing that he might not be around next season. In other words, even with his job on the line, nobody could accuse him of trying to be politically correct.
And, he wasn’t about to try to spin things as he prepares to discuss his future with new team president Trevor Linden.
“I don’t coach to keep my job,” said Tortorella. “I’m not going to go into any meeting trying to save my job. I just don’t do it that way. I am going to tell him what I think. Trevor is very efficient and, from what I understand, he is on top of everything as far as the interviews and what he’s doing. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. I loved him as a player and, (in) just a short time I’ve seen him here, you’re in good hands. The team is in good hands. But I’m not going to be rehearsed.”
The Canucks finished 12th in the Western Conference with a 36-35-11 record for 83 points. Only the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers finished behind them in the conference. The Winnipeg Jets, who fired their coach in mid-season, finished with one more point than Vancouver.
Tortorella said his biggest regret was not staying on top of his team to keep it playing well after a strong first half. But he contended that he did not know how his six-game suspension for storming the Calgary Flames dressing room area Jan. 18 affected his team, which battled numerous injuries that he and players contend forced it to play a different way, which they have described as less aggressive, more conservative and defensive-oriented.
But in addition to the injuries and inconsistency, Tortorella pointed to an obvious fact that was at the root of their woes: A lack of depth. While he has come under criticism for over-playing Daniel and Henrik Sedin at times, Tortorella said that when the outcome of a 2-1 game was on the line with six or seven minutes to go, he did not feel comfortable putting out other players.
“I did the things I needed to do to try to win games, because sometimes I looked down (the bench) and guys just weren’t ready, some other guys in our lineup” he said. “We lack depth, and that’s where we’re at. That isn’t being critical. It’s the truth.”
Well, it’s also an indictment of former general manager Mike Gillis’ poor drafting and trade records. The recently fired GM’s legacy will likely be botched trades involving goaltenders Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider, whose deals did not appear to bring back suitable asset returns. But Tortorella was not pointing a finger at him intentionally.
Tortorella also contended that, contrary to public perception, he gets along well with centre Ryan Kesler, whose future with the team is uncertain, although the Livonia, Mich., native said Monday that he never asked for a trade and hopes to stay.
“Kes and I have a tremendous relationship,” said Tortorella. “You guys think we hate one another (and) we don’t speak, but we have a tremendous relationship. We have a very honest relationship. I think he has stood in there and played hard every night.”
Kesler led the team in goals with 25 after a turnaround season following two seasons derailed by injuries. But Tortorella criticized himself for not getting through to defenceman Alex Edler, who is clearly Vancouver’s most gifted rearguard but finished minus-39.
(One of these years, a coach might realize that he just needs to let Edler play his game and not let him over-think it, which he admitted Monday that he does. But that realization might not come in Vancouver, if Edler agrees to waive a no-trade clause and gets moved.)
Kesler lamented the loss of what he thought would be a good season after former coach Alain Vigneault was fired last summer and all players felt they had something to prove after being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year.
“We’re all flabbergasted right now that we’re sitting up here talking about the year that we just had. Going into this year, I would never think that we’d be sitting here in this situation,” said Kesler.
He agreed with Daniel Sedin’s contention that players, not the team’s system, were to blame for the club’s woes.
“It’s not like Torts is in there telling us not to play offence,” said Kesler. ‘He wants us to score. He wants us to produce.”
Added defenceman Kevin Bieksa: “Having a coach let go last year and a GM a (week) ago, it’s not a good feeling right now, especially (for) the four guys up here,” said Bieksa. “We feel responsible for it. The bottom line is, we win more games and guys don’t lose their jobs.”
With Gillis fired and Tortorella’s job anything but certain, players know that they are next in line to face the team’s revolving door.
“With Torts’ future in question, it’s a tough time for everybody,” said Bieksa. “We’ll see what decisions are made. But, right now, we look at ourselves first and foremost … and think: We could have been better. We should have been better. There are people that are suffering because of it.”
Notes_Daniel Sedin, who left Sunday’s season finale on a stretcher after Paul Byron sent him into the boards head-first, said he did not suffer a concussion or any other serious injuries. He was placed on the stretcher for “precautionary reasons” only. … Vancouver winger Alex Burrows will play for Canada in the upcoming world championships. … Edler does not plan to play for Sweden at the worlds. Lack said he is willing, but has not yet heard from Team Sweden.

How times have changed for Owen Nolan

Notes and quotes from the Vancouver Canucks training camp on Sunday …

Nolan undergoes role reversal at Canucks camp

How times have changed for Owen Nolan.
In 1990, he was selected first overall in the NHL draft and received the red-carpet treatment the way Edmonton No. 1 picks Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have the past two years. But at the age of 39, Nolan now finds himself without a contract as he tries out for the Canucks.
He used to be able to count on big minutes in a top-line role. But after spending a season in Switzerland, his role, along with his contract status is uncertain.
“My goal right now is just to make the team, and once I do, we’ll discuss what role the coach wants me to have,” says Nolan. “I have a lot of experience under my belt and can handle a lot of different situations, whether it’s kill penalties, play power plays. Whatever they need me to do, I’m more than willing to do.”
If Nolan can play the way he has in the past, before injuries and age took their toll, he will likely make an impact with the Canucks. As the Stanley Cup finals showed, Vancouver needs more grit, especially on the third and fourth lines, where Nolan is most likely to play.
“Especially not playing (in the NHL) last year, I have no excuses for bumps and bruises,” says Nolan. “I feel fit. I feel ready to get at it.”
Nolan, who last played in the NHL two seasons ago with Minnesota, says he has to rely more on his intelligence now than his physical skills.
“Everyone knows you lose a step the older you get, but I think at some point you learn to read the game a lot better,” says Nolan. “You see those situations a lot more and you know how to react to them.”
Canucks captain Henrik Sedin says Nolan has reacted well to the rigors of training camp. Now, it’s just a question of seeing what he can do in exhibition play, which begins Tuesday in a pair of split-squad games against Calgary at home and away.
Nolan is among a handful of veterans who are trying out. Goaltender Manny Legace, enforcer Todd Fedoruk and journeyman Steve Begin are the others.
“It’s a tough spot to be in, but they’re coming in, they’re working hard,” says Sedin. “They’ve been around so they know what it takes. I’m sure they want to prove, when the game starts, what they can do.”
“I think different guys can bring different things, but the one thing they can all bring is experience. “They’ve been around and they’ve played this game for a long time, so I think that’s their nature.”
It’s often said that when you try out for one team, you’re actually trying out for 29 other teams that scout you in the preseason. But Nolan does not pay heed to such comments.
“I just want to be part of a winner,” says Nolan. “I’m not expecting to come in here and play 20 minutes. I know that my job is to come in here and chip in any way I can when I’m on the ice.”

Undrafted Archibald fills into pro frame

Add Darren Archibald to the list of players that Vancouver general manager Mike Gillis has granted a second chance to make a first impression.
In Archibald’s case, it’s a third chance. Unlike the aforementioned Nolan, the 21-year-old rookie was never drafted and had unsuccessful tryouts with Columbus and Detroit in the past two training camps. But Gillis saw something in Archibald and signed him last December while he was completing his last season of junior eligibility with Niagara and Barrie of the OHL.
“I think it has a lot to do with what team you go to and how much availability there is for a contract,” says Archibald, who was one of Vancouver’s better players at the recently concluded Young Stars tournament in Penticton, B.C. “It’s such a numbers game and sometimes it just doesn’t work with certain teams. Certain teams already have their style of player and, fortunately, for me, Vancouver was looking for their big guys to get in the hard-nosed areas.”
So why wasn’t Archibald drafted? At six-foot-three and 209 pounds bears the classic build of a power forward.
“Everybody’s kind of labelled me as a late bloomer,” says Archibald. “Within the last couple of years, I guess, I’ve just really started to fill out into my frame. I was always tall, but I was never really thick. In the last couple of years, I’ve started to put on a balance and started to feel more comfortable with my body.”
Soon, he will try to get comfortable in the Chicago Wolves lineup. But he will be one to watch as the Canucks look for more grit and toughness to avoid being bounced around in the playoffs.

Tanev sporting new Chinese-friendly number

Don’t be surprised if second-year Vancouver defenceman Chris Tanev becomes a favourite of the club’s large Chinese fan base.
Tanev will sport No. 8 on his jersey this season instead of his former No. 18. According to Chinese numerology and folklore, the No. 8 is considered the number that brings the most good fortune.
“Really?” says Tanev.
He was unaware of the benefit of his new number. But perhaps Gillis knew something he didn’t.
“I didn’t ask for it to be changed,” says Tanev. “That’s the number I wore in college. Mr. Gillis told the trainers to change it from 18 to eight, and I’m happy with that. That’s what I wore growing up. I prefer that.”
Perhaps the No. 8 will help Tanev, who was also undrafted before being spotted while playing for little-known Rochester Institute of Technology two seasons ago, put more bulk on his slim frame. Unlike Archibald, Tanev does not fit the hockey prototype. Sporting shorts and a tee-shirt, he looks like he would fit in well with the Vancouver Whitecaps soccer club.
He has bulked up a bit, gaining about 10 pounds.
“I’m still working on my strength,” says Tanev. “I’m still working on my shot. Things are coming. They’re a lot better than last year.”
Veteran Keith Ballard figures the extra weight will help Tanev, who is extremely strong when it comes to getting the puck out of his zone, but not strength-wise. Ballard believes the added pounds will help him win some one-on-one battles in the corner and elsewhere.
“He’s not an overly physical player, so he’s not going to use that strength to be running guys every night,” says Ballard.

Eddie doesn’t lack foresight

Eddie Lack, who appears destined to be Vancouver’s top goaltender on the farm this season, is watching and learning from incumbents Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider in training camp.
“I watched them in practice and I learned a lot,” says Lack. “I just know, if I continue to develop, my time will come.”
He recognizes that Luongo still has a decade to go on his long-term contract and Schneider is here until his inevitable trade. Possibly this season. Why else would the Canucks bring in Legace for a look-see? So Lack, a native of Norrtalje, Sweden, is staying patient and following the example of the goaltender who did in the Canucks in the Stanley Cup finals – Tim Thomas – en route to being selected as the Conn Smythe Trophy winner.
“I’m just 23 years old and I’m a goalie,” says Lack. “Just look at Tim Thomas. I think he played four or five games in the NHL before he turned 30. So (I’m go to) just be patient and play my game and have fun out there.”
“I’m just trying to take care of my business,” says Lack. “It’s not something that I can control or anything. I have to play good to eventually get a shot up here, and that’s what my plan is.”
“I’m just 23 years old and I’m a goalie,” says Lack. “Just look at Tim Thomas. I think he played four or five games in the NHL before he turned 30. So (I’m go to) just be patient and play my game and have fun out there.”

Sedins like short off-season

The Sedin twins aren’t getting older, they’re getting fitter.
Despite a longer season in 2010-11, the Sedins scored better in some aspects of physical testing at camp. Henrik won’t say exactly which ones, but he admitted the gruelling VO2 exam, which measure oxygen intake during a high-intensity stationary bike ride, was one of them.
“I feel better this year,” says Sedin. “You play longer and you stay in shape and ou don’t really get those weeks where you’re not doing anything. Nowadays, if you get three or four weeks off, it’s a long time to recover from.”
He endorses tennis star Roger Federer’s claim that 40 is the new 30. Obviously, 30, which is the twins’ age until Sept. 26, ain’t what it used to be, either.
“Guys would start to tail off before, but now I think you’re going to see more guys playing longer, because you work out differently in the summer time,” says Henrik. “You get back, you’re never really out of shape, you’re always trying to stay in shape, and that makes things easy.”
But the Sedins, who led the league in scoring the past two seasons, with Henrik prevailing in 2009-10 and Daniel earning top honours last season, made sure they didn’t take it easy in the gym between June and August.
“We had a really good summer,” says Henrik Sedin. “We really tried to push ourselves. Maybe, when you get up to this age, you try to be just where you are and you don’t really try to push yourself. In the summer, we pushed ourselves to try to get in better shape. We’re happy with the results.”
If the past two seasons are any indication, Canucks fans likely will be, too.

Ballard anxious to start season

Still on the feeling-comfortable theme, defenceman Ballard is feeling much better than he did a year ago, when he was recovering from hip surgery and getting to know his teammates following a trade from Florida.
Now, Ballard, who was a frequent healthy scratch in the playoffs and at other times last season, is anxious to start the preseason. He is glad that training camps not the drawn-out affairs that they used to be. Vancouver’s camp will comprise just three days on ice – and Ballard likes it that way.
“You don’t need to be beating up on your own teammates,” says Ballard. “So you want to get out there and compete against some of the other guys.”