Vancouver canucks News

It is one of the most coveted gigs in hockey, the job of an NHL general manager, and the Vancouver Canucks have not had one since Mike Gillis beat a forced but hasty retreat. Newly-appointed president Trevor Linden has a GM uppermost on his to-do list.

Here's the thing about hits from behind, hits near the boards and on the numbers: it's a crap shoot. The player being hit might skate away unharmed or, like so many have, be severely concussed.

The prospects of a second season behind the bench of the Vancouver Canucks don't look good for John Tortorella. But this pundit is of the opinion that he'll be back. There are a variety of reasons, number one of which is he's a good coach.

Mike Gillis has been fired, Trevor Linden has been hired, and the Vancouver Canucks are playing out the string. The talk shows, media, fans, even the players, the entire Canuck Nation, is speculating on the future and there's been lots of doom and gloom.

Two days after his 35th birthday Roberto Luongo gave his former Vancouver Canuck teammates a gift by beating the Dallas Stars, 3-2, on Sunday. The Canucks have a slim chance of making the Stanley Cup playoffs and a Dallas win would have eliminated them.

It's over! Done! Yes, at last the unthinkable but constantly thought of has occurred, now nearly a month ago, and Roberto Luongo was dealt back to the Florida Panthers. It's taken time to process but I am ready to speak. First word out of the gap?

The injury parade that has plagued the NHLs Vancouver Canucks this season looks to be continuing. On a day forwards Daniel Sedin and Ryan Kesler returned to practice, winger Alex Burrows was absent. GM Mike Gillis suggested he might be out a while.

So take that coach John Tortorella! Roberto Luongo, dissed by his former coach, who gave a key start to his back-up, got lots of respect in his first game after being traded back to the Florida Panthers. Lou got the club's first shutout in two years.

When it comes to hockey opinions and the NHL, any pundit with a forum likely to reach others - hey, I got one! - is sure to have a take on a trade the magnitude of the Roberto Luongo deal. It was a newsworthy exchange of NHL goods, no question.

I haven't gotten a bead on exactly who did all the griping about Vancouver Canucks' coach John Tortorella's words to the effect that he'd prefer Sweden to beat Canada for the gold at Sochi. But whomsoever it was needs a course in sucking it up.