Official: Vancouver Canucks W00T

[Aquaman]

Bertuzzi hearing over, awaiting ruling

Canadian Press
4/26/2005

NEW YORK (CP) - Todd Bertuzzi had his reinstatement hearing with the NHL on Tuesday but there was no word on when he will hear his fate.

The Vancouver Canucks star has been suspended since an on-ice attack on Colorado Avalanche rookie Steve Moore in March 2004.

''We conducted a hearing today on Todd Bertuzzi's request for reinstatement to eligible playing status in the National Hockey League,'' Bill Daly, the NHL's executive vice-president and chief legal officer, said in a statement.

''All interested parties, including Mr. Bertuzzi, Mr. Moore, the Vancouver Canucks and the NHL Players' Association, had a full and fair opportunity to participate in the hearing and to offer relevant evidence and testimony. At the conclusion of the hearing, commissioner (Gary) Bettman took the matter under advisement. There is no immediate timetable for a decision.''

Moore is currently a free agent and hasn't fully recovered from his injuries.

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Aquaman]

Players voice support for Bertuzzi

Canadian Press
4/26/2005

PRAGUE (CP) - Brendan Morrison hopes Todd Bertuzzi is reinstated so his Vancouver Canucks teammate can begin rebuilding his NHL career.

And Morrison gets no arguments from other Team Canada players getting ready to take part in the IIHF world hockey championship.

''I think he should be reinstated,'' Morrison said Tuesday as Canada prepared for Thursday's exhibition game against the Czechs. ''Some people will disagree.''

Bertuzzi was suspended indefinitely for a sucker punch to the head of Moore on March 8, 2004 that left the Colorado Avalanche forward with broken vertebrae and a severe concussion. Moore is still recovering and may never play again.

''It's not to take anything away from Steve Moore,'' said Morrison. ''Obviously, he suffered a lot, but to start the healing process for Todd, the best thing is to reinstate him. That would be a big step toward him being accepted, in my opinion.''

Bertuzzi, the Canucks power forward, faced a hearing Tuesday in New York with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on his request for reinstatement. The league said at the end of the meeting there was no timetable for its decision.

With the suspension, and after pleading guilty in court to assault causing bodily harm, which drew one year's probation and 80 days of community service, Bertuzzi's fellow NHL players say he should be allowed to play again when the NHL returns from the lockout that shut down the 2004-05 season.

''It would be nice to see it done with, finalized, and for him to carry forth,'' said Team Canada captain Ryan Smyth of the Edmonton Oilers.

Former Canuck Martin Rucinsky, a free agent who will play for the Czech Republic at the worlds, agreed.

''I think he paid his debt,'' Rucinsky said. ''It's unfortunate what happened.

''Nobody wants to see anybody get hurt like that. But (Bertuzzi) is a good hockey player and he belongs on the ice.''

There was speculation earlier this month that Bertuzzi may be named to Team Canada, but he would first need reinstatement. With the tournament about to begin on Saturday, it is unlikely he will be added to the team even if the NHL allows him back into the sport.

Canada must file its 23-man roster on Friday, although players can be added as injury replacements until the start of the medal round.

Bertuzzi has not played a serious game in more than a year.

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Aquaman]

Delay on decision hurting Bertuzzi

Canadian Press
4/27/2005

TORONTO (CP) - Delaying the decision on Todd Bertuzzi's NHL reinstatement is jeopardizing his chances of playing next season, says Bertuzzi's agent Pat Morris.

"Currently the elite European teams are looking for signings right now with the NHL players that they're pursuing, so those jobs are disappearing as we speak," Morris told Toronto all-sports radio station The Fan 590 on Wednesday.

The Vancouver Canucks forward met with NHL officials Tuesday in New York seeking reinstatement from his indefinite suspension for his March 2004 on-ice attack on Moore, who was then a member of the Colorado Avalanche. Moore is currently a free agent and hasn't fully recovered from his injuries.

Morris, who eluded the media after the hearing, told The Fan on Wednesday that a June or July decision may be too late for Bertuzzi to find somewhere to play.

"Possibly," said Morris. "At the end of the day, you want to have a backup plan for next year because we have no certainty over the NHL starting again. So as much as there doesn't appear to be any urgency from the other side, there's certainly urgency to know where we stand from Todd's point of view to play hockey somewhere next year."

Morris said the NHL gave no indication after Tuesday's seven-hour meeting as to when a decision may be rendered.

"None at all," said Morris. "They have volumes of information to go through and many notes that they were taking.

"I would anticipate given other duties that the commissioner (Gary Bettman) has that he'll take his time and render a fair decision based upon the excellent presentations that he heard yesterday."

Bertuzzi was handed an indefinite suspension for his March 8, 2004 attack on Moore. He missed the final 13 regular-season games and Vancouver's seven-game first-round playoff loss to Calgary. The suspension also meant Bertuzzi was not selected to Canada's team for the IIHF world championships that begin Saturday in Austria.

Moore sustained a broken neck, cuts and a concussion in the incident.

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Aquaman]

Agent: Delay on decision hurts Bertuzzi

Canadian Press
4/27/2005

TORONTO (CP) - Delaying the decision on Todd Bertuzzi's NHL reinstatement is jeopardizing his chances of playing next season, says Bertuzzi's agent Pat Morris.

"Currently the elite European teams are looking for signings right now with the NHL players that they're pursuing, so those jobs are disappearing as we speak," Morris told Toronto all-sports radio station The Fan 590 on Wednesday.

The Vancouver Canucks forward met with NHL officials Tuesday in New York seeking reinstatement from his indefinite suspension for his March 2004 on-ice attack on Moore, who was then a member of the Colorado Avalanche. Moore is currently a free agent and hasn't fully recovered from his injuries.

Morris, who eluded the media after the hearing, told The Fan on Wednesday that a June or July decision may be too late for Bertuzzi to find somewhere to play.

"Possibly," said Morris. "At the end of the day, you want to have a backup plan for next year because we have no certainty over the NHL starting again. So as much as there doesn't appear to be any urgency from the other side, there's certainly urgency to know where we stand from Todd's point of view to play hockey somewhere next year."

Morris said the NHL gave no indication after Tuesday's seven-hour meeting as to when a decision may be rendered.

"None at all," said Morris. "They have volumes of information to go through and many notes that they were taking.

"I would anticipate given other duties that the commissioner (Gary Bettman) has that he'll take his time and render a fair decision based upon the excellent presentations that he heard yesterday."

Bertuzzi was handed an indefinite suspension for his March 8, 2004 attack on Moore. He missed the final 13 regular-season games and Vancouver's seven-game first-round playoff loss to Calgary. The suspension also meant Bertuzzi was not selected to Canada's team for the IIHF world championships that begin Saturday in Austria.

Moore sustained a broken neck, cuts and a concussion in the incident.

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[silverpig]

Geez this thread is huge. It took forever to load.

 

[Aquaman]

Solid start for Jovanovski in opener

Canadian Press
4/30/2005

INNSBRUCK, Austria (CP) - The ice is bigger over here and Ed Jovanovski likes it that way.

The Vancouver Canucks defenceman sliced through the Latvian lineup with pretty rushes in Canada's 6-4 win at the world hockey championship Saturday, and set up Rick Nash with a nifty pass for Canada's third goal.

Not bad for a guy who hasn't played hockey all year and missed Canada's last exhibition game with a hip flexor injury.

''The legs were there,'' said the 28-year-old. ''I tried to keep it as simple as possible but once I got my legs going I felt real good.''

Jovanovski's play was one of the highlights of an otherwise unimpressive win over Latvia. He sat out Thursday's exhibition win over the Czech Republic but felt good enough to play Saturday.

''I thought he was good, he had good energy,'' said Canadian head coach Marc Habscheid. ''It's a difficult situation for him, he hadn't played in a while because of that little injury and he gets thrown into a game like this. But he did well.''

Jovanovski is a major piece of the puzzle on Team Canada, playing on the top pairing with Robyn Regehr while logging both power-play and penalty killing time.

He does it all.

''He's real multidimensional,'' Habscheid said. ''He adds to the offence but he plays great defensively, he's physical as well. You can put him in any situation so he turns out to be a real important guy.''

As he rushed the puck up the ice Saturday, one could not but wonder how wasted Jovanovski's talent is sometimes on the smaller NHL ice, where dump and chase is a more reliable strategy because of the tighter quarters.

''It's my responsibility to contribute offensively and get the puck up the ice on this team,'' he said.

The native of Windsor, Ont., enjoys the bigger ice, although it limits the ability for the hip check along the boards.

''There's a bunch of room out there, more space to beat a guy,'' he said. ''But it's tougher to get those big hits. It's all containment. You're not going to see too many open-ice hits here.''

Goalie Martin Brodeur says he didn't know much about Jovanovski because he played three time zones away but the New Jersey Devils star has grown to appreciate the blue-liner's talent after playing with him in the 2002 Olympics, the 2004 World Cup and now the world championship.

''It's amazing how he's able to step up like that after being out, he's pretty smooth out there,'' Brodeur said. ''He impresses me every time I play with him.''

Jovanovski not only didn't play competitive hockey this year but also had to recover from a serious knee injury that knocked him out of the World Cup last September. But he downplayed the fact he can bring his game up to this level with so little hockey, saying today's pro athlete keeps in shape - lockout or no lockout.

''What people don't understand is that we still work out all year long,'' he said. ''I worked hard and got myself ready for this tournament. But hopefully I'll get better, it's only Game 1.''

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Brazen]

Originally posted by: Lounatik
Sweet, got the 6000th post!


Peace


Lounatik

Good job, although Aquaman got posts 6004, 6003, 6002, 6001, 5999, 5998, .....

 

[Aquaman]

Burke interested in Ducks' GM job

TSN.ca Staff
5/4/2005 9:24:37 AM

TSN hockey analyst and former Vancouver Canucks general manager Brian Burke is hopeful that an interview with proposed new Mighty Ducks ownership will lead to him becoming the team's new GM.

"I'm definitely interested in the job," Burke told the Vancouver Province on Tuesday.

Reports last month said that the Ducks are preparing to overhaul the front office, and that interim general manager Al Coates will not be retained. Coates' contract expires in June, as does head coach Mike Babcock's.

Former New York Rangers president and general manager Neil Smith was reportedly interviewed for the job.

Henry and Susan Samueli have agreed to purchase the team from the Walt Disney Co. as part of a $75 million US deal.

According to reports, other candidates considered are Kings assistant GM Kevin Gilmore, former San Jose Sharks general manager Dean Lombardi, and former Winnipeg Jets and Chicago Blackhawks GM Mike Smith.

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Aquaman]

Poll: Majority against Bertuzzi return

Canadian Press
5/5/2005 6:18:17 PM

A poll suggests most Canadians aren't ready to see Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi back on the ice yet.

In a Decima Research poll, 38 per cent of respondents said Bertuzzi's suspension for his attack on Steve Moore should continue. And 25 per cent said Bertuzzi should be suspended permanently from the NHL.

Another 23 per cent said he should be reinstated immediately while 13 per cent of those asked didn't care.

The poll also indicated that even though the NHL labour dispute has wiped out the season, people are not missing hockey any more now than they did in February. What has changed though is more people are now supporting the owners than players, according to the survey.

Some 28 per cent of those polled said they probably will follow less hockey next year, if the NHL resumes. Two-thirds said they will follow it the same as before.

Decima conducted the poll as part of its weekly omnibus survey. The results were made available exclusively to The Canadian Press.

With more than 1,000 respondents, the poll is considered accurate to within plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The poll was conducted between April 28 and May 4.

Not surprisingly, 40 per cent of B.C. residents polled believe Bertuzzi should be reinstated immediately compared to 21 per cent in the rest of Canada.

Just last week the NHL deferred its decision on when it might lift Bertuzzi's indefinite suspension for his March 8, 2004, attack on Moore. He missed the final 13 regular-season games and Vancouver's seven-game first-round playoff loss to Calgary.

In other findings, even at a time when the NHL playoffs should be in full swing, the poll indicates Canadians are no more likely to miss hockey than they did a few months ago.

Some 41 per cent of respondents identified themselves as people who follow the NHL. Of those, the proportion saying they miss the game has remained at 63 per cent, the same number as three months ago.

Alberta, home of the Calgary Flames who advanced to last year's Stanley Cup final, seemed to be the most hockey hungry. About 40 per cent of Alberta fans pooled said they miss the game, compared to just 19 per cent in Quebec.

The poll suggested that 44 per cent of fans support the owners in the dispute, up from 34 per cent in February.

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Aquaman]

Report: Burke among Duck GM finalists

The Sports Network
5/22/2005 9:32:25 AM

The Los Angeles Times reports that the new ownership of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim are meeting with finalists for the team's general manager position during the weekend.

Sources told the paper that Henry and Susan Samueli will hold discussions with former New York Rangers general manager Neil Smith, former Vancouver Canucks general manager and current TSN hockey analyst Brian Burke, and Ducks' interim general manager Al Coates.

The Times added that former Chicago Blackhawks general manager Mike Smith may also be interviewed.

The Samuelis have agreed to buy the team from the Walt Disney Co. for $75 million US, pending approval from the NHL.

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Aquaman]

Oy vey......... 254 days and counting

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[silverpig]

Looks like the players should have taken the February offer...

TSN story

gist:

PRESTO, Pa. (AP) - Pittsburgh Penguins owner-player Mario Lemieux said NHLers will almost certainly get a much worse deal in the soon-to-be-approved labour agreement than they would have got by accepting the owners' offer in February.

''Back in February, the (salary) cap was at $42.5 million (US), that was the offer from the owners; now it looks like it's going to be a lot less than that,'' Lemieux said Thursday at his charity golf tournament.

 

[sandorski]

Haven't been paying attention lately. Is this thing resolved yet? I want my Canucks on Ice damnit!!! :|

 

[Pastore]

Holy bloody bitch this has to be the longest running thread EVER.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: Beast1284
Holy bloody bitch this has to be the longest running thread EVER.

EvAr.

 

[Aquaman]

Ducks to announce Burke as new GM

TSN.ca Staff
6/13/2005 12:46:52 PM

The sale of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim from the Walt Disney Co. to Henry
Samueli is expected to be finalized and made official this week, paving the
way for the NHL club to announce Brian Burke as the team's new general
manager at a news conference next week.

Sources have confirmed the announcement, as reported by the Los Angeles
Times on the weekend, will be made June 20.

While Burke is new ownership's choice to oversee all hockey operations, the
contract has not yet been finalized. That is expected to happen this week.

The Times reported Burke's deal is for five years, but sources told TSN it
is actually a four-year contract.

Burke held his post in Vancouver for six seasons and turned the team into a
playoff contender. He joined the Canucks in June 1987 when he was named
vice-president and director of hockey operations. Burke left the Canucks in
1992 to serve as GM of the Hartford Whalers.

He joined the NHL front office in September 1993 as senior vice-president
and director of hockey operations and spent five years with the league.
During that time, he was visible in his role as the league's chief
disciplinarian.

Born in New England, Burke was raised in Minnesota. He attended Providence
College and played professionally for the Maine Mariners, the Philadelphia
Flyers' top farm team during the 1977-78 season.

After winning the Calder Cup that season. Burke returned to Harvard Law
School, graduating in 1981. He practised law for six years in Boston,
specializing in representing pro hockey players, before joining the Canucks.

Disney agreed to sell the Ducks to the Samueli family back in February.
Samueli's company operates the Arrowhead Pond, the Mighty Ducks' home arena.

Samueli has said he fully intends to keep the team in Anaheim, and that he
won't be changing the name to Los Angeles Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Artero
Moreno, who bought the Angels from Disney in 2003, caused a stir by changing
the team's name from Anaheim Angels to Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Disney paid $50 million US for the Ducks to join the NHL as an expansion
franchise in 1992. Samueli's initial offer to Disney reportedly was in the
$50 million to $60 million range.

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Aquaman]

Burke officially named Ducks GM

TSN.ca Staff
6/20/2005 2:52:40 PM

Henry and Susan Samueli, the new owners of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
announced today that Brian Burke has been named the Mighty Ducks' new
executive vice president and general manager.

"This is a very exciting day for both Susan and I, along with the entire
Mighty Ducks organization," said Henry Samueli. "From the moment we agreed
to purchase the club, we found it vital to put together the best possible
management team in order to succeed both on and off the ice. We believe
that's been accomplished, culminating with the hiring of Brian Burke as
executive vice president and general manager."

Burke, who had been part of TSN's hockey commentary team, was the president
and general manager of the Vancouver Canucks from 1998-2004. Under his
leadership, the team increased its point total four consecutive years from
1999-2003.

Burke originally joined the Canucks in June, 1987 as vice president and
director of hockey operations. He left the Canucks in 1992 to become general
manager of the Hartford Whalers, before being named NHL senior vice
president and director of hockey operations. While working at the NHL league
office, Burke worked closely with Commissioner Gary Bettman on a wide
variety of league issues and policies and was the NHL's chief
disciplinarian.

Burke was born in New England and raised in Minnesota. He signed with the
Philadelphia Flyers in 1977 as a player and was a member of the 1978 Calder
Cup Champion Maine Mariners. Burke then returned to Harvard Law School,
where he graduated in 1981 before practicing law for six years in Boston.

"I'm very proud and enthusiastic to be joining the Ducks organization," said
Burke. "My goals for the team are simple: have a consistent winning team on
the ice and ensure we become an integral part of the Orange County
community."

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Aquaman]

So............ will the Canucks trade Bert? Will Naslund come back?

Sigh

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Aquaman]

I can understand why Bert was not choosen for the Olympics but Mo should have got a try out since he played in the world championships recently while others who are on the list opted out

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Insane3D]

You questions are m00t without a CBA!!!

 

[Aquaman]

Originally posted by: Insane3D
You questions are m00t without a CBA!!!

It is coming

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Aquaman]

Originally posted by: Insane3D
You questions are m00t without a CBA!!!

A local sports guy here was postulating that Bert does not want to come back and he suggested that a Bert for Thornton trade be made.

As a Bruins fan.......... what do you think about that?

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: Aquaman

Originally posted by: Insane3D
You questions are m00t without a CBA!!!

A local sports guy here was postulating that Bert does not want to come back and he suggested that a Bert for Thornton trade be made.

As a Bruins fan.......... what do you think about that?

Cheers,
Aquaman

Yeah, that was Pratt. His ideas were way off though. He said Bert doesn't want to come back because he sold his house here and bought one in Kitchener. He sold his house shortly after his incident because all sorts of people were showing up at his door. That was really the basis of his argument. Weak if anything.

 

[Aquaman]

I feel this thread is going to come alive again

Go Canucks Go!!!

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[pyonir]

This thread needs to be locked. Took forever to load the last page.