If you've been living in a cave for the past two weeks, here's the
big news: Matt Cooke has been returned to Syracuse of the AHL.
They traded Bure and fired Keenan too, but back to Cooke.
His stay in Vancouver was longer and more successful this time round,
and his final game in Canuck colours, for now, was a memorable one in
which he assisted on Trent Klatt's third-period marker that
eventually earned the team a tie.
Matt Cooke could only comment on his recent assignment by stating, "
Jeff, pull your head out of your rear and talk about Bure and
Keenan!". All the Bure/Keenan news you can stand is contained in a
feature column on the main screen. It is understandable that you
missed it when rushing to read my team report, and you are
forgiven. Since all the extra-curricular stuff is in that feature,
we'll stick to a short on-ice outline here!
The Canucks sailed into the All-Star Break with an
impressive...wait, less than impressive 15-24-6 record. Canucks
fans again learned that to gather hope from one or two games is a
futile practice at best. The Canucks came off an impressive shutout
win against Dallas, had three days of rest and had Todd Bertuzzi
back in the lineup, but fell to Edmonton 3-1 in a game I was lucky
to have not attended.
They then took three out of four points against Detroit and Dallas
before being out-classed by Nashville in their last game before the
break. Ed Jovanovski, the newest addition to the blue line, shone
in his first two Canucks games, finishing as a plus in both and
hitting solidly. Dave Gagner assisted on two goals in his first
Canucks period before trailing off in his last five. After these
two games, the average Canuck fan has labeled Jovanovski the next
Scott Stevens and Dave Gagner a bust.
Mark Messier hit a couple milestones in the Dallas game, tying Bobby
Hull in career goals and Marcel Dionne in career assists. It will
be interesting to see how Messier deals with Crawford as the new
coach. It was well-known that Keenan gave Messier special
treatment, and the two were close friends. It would not be
surprising to see Messier's enthusiasm level drop as the Canucks
are clearly rebuilding after the Bure trade.
Last week, I mentioned the contribution of Mr. Wayne Axford, my
high school history teacher, whose presence has been nothing short
of an inspiration these past few months. I have decided to begin an
award to be handed out every issue that will recognize the Canuck
whose effort, performance and hygiene has been the most exemplary
over the previous two week span.
Seeing as the criteria for this award so closely match the example I
see every day in Mr. Axford, I have decided to name the award in his
honour. Mr. Axford graciously accepted this nomination, stating," I
am humbled and honoured to be associated with the Vancouver Canucks
organization. I think". Thank you, Mr. Axford.
The first Mr. Wayne Axford Award for Sporting Excellence goes to left
winger Markus Naslund, who scored two goals and added an assist over
the previous four games. Above all, he worked hard, an attribute Mr.
Axford has instilled in me. Congratulations, Markus.
The next Canucks report will appear on Wednesday, February 10.
Questions and comments, and nominations for the Wayne Axford Award
can be e-mailed to: canucks_eh@hotmail.com
