I know, I know - this topic has been beaten to death. What else do you expect passionate Vancouver Canucks fans to do during the long summer months of no hockey?
When Roberto Luongo was named the captain of the Vancouver Canucks on Septmber 30, 2008 the move immediately raised certain questions. Was it wise to name a goalie as captain? Would it add too much extra pressure on Luongo? Would it distract him from stopping the puck? Was this the Canucks' way of ensuring that he signed a long term deal with them before his current 4-year deal expired? Luongo, for one, didn't seem fazed by these doubts. He embraced the role of captain and knew what the job entailed. He expressed his excitement and even went as far as getting a "C" painted on his goalie mask when the NHL ruled that goalies can't wear the captain's C on their jerseys.
"It really doesn't change anything for me," he said. "It's a matter of people knowing I'm captain. At the same time, I'm sure it involves a lot more stuff off the ice."
That, it turns out, was quite an accurate statement by Luongo. Coming from anonymity in Florida, adapting to the fishbowl of rabid Canucks fans was already an adjustment for him. Luongo reached saviour-like status in Vancouver during his first season with the team when he led them to a Northwest Division title and was nominated for the Hart, Pearson, and Vezina Trophies. Naming him captain only put more pressure on him and it thrust the soft-spoken Montreal native even more into the limelight. His every move was dissected by Vancouver's media and fans. Everyone was looking for an indication that he was in good form and was going to lead the team to a successful season again. At that time, Luongo was also going into the third year of a 4-year / $27 million contract with the Canucks. While there were still 2 season left before he became a UFA (unrestricted free agent), Canucks' management was keen to sign him to a long term extension as soon as possible. #1 goalies are a hot commodity on any open market but even more so now that the NHL's salary cap has made signing star players so competitive between all the teams. It was in the Canucks' best interest to re-sign him before he reached free agency. The Canucks finished the 08-09 season as the Northwest Division champions and during the ensuing off season Luongo signed a 12 year / $64 million contract extension. At the time, it seemed that the Canucks would not need to worry about naming a new captain for at least another decade. Yet the 09-10 season saw Luongo get increasing frustrated with certain aspects of his role. He even publicly admitted that he wasn't fond of having to address the media so often.
So now here we are after a long summer. The Canucks are a re-tooled team and are a favourite to go far in the playoffs. One question still remains - should Roberto Luongo remain the team's captain and, if not, who should take over the title? Here are my two cents:
Roberto Luongo is already the face of the franchise. He doesn't need a C on his sweater (or his helmet) to prove that. If we are to win a Cup anytime soon it will have to be on his back - he knows it and we know it. That's already enough pressure on him. To add to that, it is hard for a goalie to talk about his team mates to the media without sounding like he's throwing them under the bus. When previous captain Markus Naslund was asked to expain a loss he would respond with something to the effect of "we didn't play well defensively" or "we couldn't score goals." Luongo generally responds in the same way but there's a big difference when he does it compared to when Naslund did it. When Naslund did it he himself was a forward so "we" referred to him as well as his team mates. When Luongo does it "we" doesn't include him - the goalie. If he says "we didn't score goals" he's obviously not talking about himself because it's not his job to score goals. So there, inadvertently and by virute of the english language, Lui has thrown his team under the bus while protecting himself. The Vancouver fans and media are quick to jump on this and pretty soon Luongo's character is being questioned and he's being asked to defend what he said. Goaltending is a full-time job. It's mentally exhausting enough to play in a game and no goalie should be held accountable for his actions and the actions of 23 other team mates. Let Lui worry about stopping the puck and let someone else deal with random questions about refereeing and scoring slumps.
It seems the Canucks are leaning towards this as well. Over the past week, the internet has been abuzz over potential replacements for Luongo. While nothing official has happened yet, here are some candidates who are worthy of the C:
Henrik Sedin
The most likely choice, Henrik Sedin is fresh off Art Ross and Hart Trophy wins. Along with twin bro Daniel, Hank has become a quiet leader on the Canucks and is already an assistant captain. The Sedins are everything the Canucks look for in a leader. They are consistent, hardworking, well respected, classy, and they give back to the Vancouver community. The one aspect of doubt in the minds of Canucks fans may be due to the memories of our last Swedish captain - Markus Naslund. If fans wanted a leader who stood up in the locker room and yelled at his team to get them ready for a game Naslund was not to their liking. Naslund was a "lead by example" kind of guy. He was calm and collected and rarely showed emotion after a loss. As his own personal numbers began to decline he became more and more invisible on the ice. Many people asked: "if he's not scoring and he's not taking control of the team off the ice - how is he leading them?" Naslund remains one of the best players to ever put on a Canucks' sweater - his #19 will be retired by the team later this coming season - but his dominance as a member of the West Coast Express line with Todd Bertuzzi and Brendan Morisson is overshadowed by his later years - the fading leader.
Hank will be different though. He is quiet, as it seems all Swedes are (not including Mikael Samuelsson who once told Team Sweden to go f**k themselves), but he is well respected and has the ability to take control of his team. The twins have shown loyalty to the Canucks for years. They have embraced the attention and the passion of the fans and they understand how badly we want a Cup. It seems fitting thatif when we win, Hank be handed the Cup first.
Ryan Kesler
For the record, no he doesn't hate Canada and he doesn't hate Canadians. He's just a VERY passionate guy. Ryan Kesler is the future of the Canucks and it would not be suprising if the Canucks followed the latest NHL trend of naming younger players as captains by going with 25 year old Kesler over 29 year old Sedin. Kesler is a multi-talented and irreplaceable player who is an absolute pleasure to watch. His energy from puck drop to the final buzzer often has me wondering how many Red Bulls this guy drinks before each game. The problem with Kes is he sometimes rubs people the wrong way. He's one of the most passionate players in the league and will lay his body in front of rubber bullets to protect his team, but he is ruthless to opponents and has been known to cross the line with some of his on-ice comments. No one will forget the infamous "Tell Kelly I said hi" incident between David Backes of the St.Louis Blues, when during a playoff game Kesler dragged Backes' wife into a trash talking scrum.
Tell Kelly I said hi
While certain personal insults are a part of the game, they are sometimes a good way to lose respect from opponents. Even while Backes and Kesler were members of the 2010 US Olympic hockey team Backes admitted:
Cody Hodgson or Jordan Schroeder
Both Cody and Jordan are expected to see at least some action with the Canucks this season. Whether or not they spend the whole season here will be determined by how well they play at training camp and in pre-season games. They have both had tremendous success in their respective junior careers and, as first round draft picks, are both expected to have solid NHL careers. As they have yet to play a single NHL game, the Canucks could opt to name 3 or 4 assistant captains and no regular captain this season so that next season they could give the title to either Cody or Jordan. This is less likely than it was with players like Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, and Jonathan Toews. While those players have had a great deal of success leading their teams (Sid and Jonathan have already led their respective teams to Stanley Cup titles) Cody and Jordan are not in the same ballpark as them - at least not yet! I think the pressure would be slightly overwhelming for them and it would impede on their development as skilled NHL players. Let them establish themselves in the NHL over the next few seasons before thrusting the entire frachise's responsibilities on them.
Honourable mention
Honourable mention goes to longest serving Canuck Sami Salo. The quiet Finn should be next in line to the throne of Canucks captain but he spends so much time on the injured reserve that the team would likely find themselves having to replace him too often. His quiet and shy demeanour (burning sensation during urination comment notwithstanding!) is also not ideal for captaining a team with a lot of young players who will soon be making their NHL debuts.
The Canucks could go off the charts and name someone like newly-acquired defenseman Dan Hamhuis who is a BC boy (from Smithers) or even Alex Burrows - the always chatty and enigmatic francophone winger whose desire to win is unmatched by anyone else. In my opinion, Burrows will be given an "A" while Hamhuis will not be given a leadership role just yet. He is about to experience the adaptation into a fishbowl market and it'll take time to get used to. No need to add more pressure onto his shoulders.
At the end of the day, all Canucks fans really want is a Stanley Cup. To us it doesn't really matter who wears the C - as long as he leads us to a Cup we aren't too picky. The thing is, winning a Cup has a lot to do with who wears the C so it should matter to us and it does matter to the organization. They will take a long look at our team's needs and the personnel we have before they make their decision. One thing is for sure: we are closer than we ever have been to being a legitimate Cup contending team. Therefore, whomever is given the honour of captain could very well be the first Vancouver Canuck in history to hoist Lord Stanley into the air.
Watch for more blogs on the Vancouver Canucks:
http://vancanuckshockey.blogspot.com/
Also please follow my blogs on women's hockey:
http://womensprohockey.blogspot.com/
So now here we are after a long summer. The Canucks are a re-tooled team and are a favourite to go far in the playoffs. One question still remains - should Roberto Luongo remain the team's captain and, if not, who should take over the title? Here are my two cents:
Roberto Luongo is already the face of the franchise. He doesn't need a C on his sweater (or his helmet) to prove that. If we are to win a Cup anytime soon it will have to be on his back - he knows it and we know it. That's already enough pressure on him. To add to that, it is hard for a goalie to talk about his team mates to the media without sounding like he's throwing them under the bus. When previous captain Markus Naslund was asked to expain a loss he would respond with something to the effect of "we didn't play well defensively" or "we couldn't score goals." Luongo generally responds in the same way but there's a big difference when he does it compared to when Naslund did it. When Naslund did it he himself was a forward so "we" referred to him as well as his team mates. When Luongo does it "we" doesn't include him - the goalie. If he says "we didn't score goals" he's obviously not talking about himself because it's not his job to score goals. So there, inadvertently and by virute of the english language, Lui has thrown his team under the bus while protecting himself. The Vancouver fans and media are quick to jump on this and pretty soon Luongo's character is being questioned and he's being asked to defend what he said. Goaltending is a full-time job. It's mentally exhausting enough to play in a game and no goalie should be held accountable for his actions and the actions of 23 other team mates. Let Lui worry about stopping the puck and let someone else deal with random questions about refereeing and scoring slumps.
It seems the Canucks are leaning towards this as well. Over the past week, the internet has been abuzz over potential replacements for Luongo. While nothing official has happened yet, here are some candidates who are worthy of the C:
Henrik Sedin
The most likely choice, Henrik Sedin is fresh off Art Ross and Hart Trophy wins. Along with twin bro Daniel, Hank has become a quiet leader on the Canucks and is already an assistant captain. The Sedins are everything the Canucks look for in a leader. They are consistent, hardworking, well respected, classy, and they give back to the Vancouver community. The one aspect of doubt in the minds of Canucks fans may be due to the memories of our last Swedish captain - Markus Naslund. If fans wanted a leader who stood up in the locker room and yelled at his team to get them ready for a game Naslund was not to their liking. Naslund was a "lead by example" kind of guy. He was calm and collected and rarely showed emotion after a loss. As his own personal numbers began to decline he became more and more invisible on the ice. Many people asked: "if he's not scoring and he's not taking control of the team off the ice - how is he leading them?" Naslund remains one of the best players to ever put on a Canucks' sweater - his #19 will be retired by the team later this coming season - but his dominance as a member of the West Coast Express line with Todd Bertuzzi and Brendan Morisson is overshadowed by his later years - the fading leader.
Hank will be different though. He is quiet, as it seems all Swedes are (not including Mikael Samuelsson who once told Team Sweden to go f**k themselves), but he is well respected and has the ability to take control of his team. The twins have shown loyalty to the Canucks for years. They have embraced the attention and the passion of the fans and they understand how badly we want a Cup. It seems fitting that
Ryan Kesler
For the record, no he doesn't hate Canada and he doesn't hate Canadians. He's just a VERY passionate guy. Ryan Kesler is the future of the Canucks and it would not be suprising if the Canucks followed the latest NHL trend of naming younger players as captains by going with 25 year old Kesler over 29 year old Sedin. Kesler is a multi-talented and irreplaceable player who is an absolute pleasure to watch. His energy from puck drop to the final buzzer often has me wondering how many Red Bulls this guy drinks before each game. The problem with Kes is he sometimes rubs people the wrong way. He's one of the most passionate players in the league and will lay his body in front of rubber bullets to protect his team, but he is ruthless to opponents and has been known to cross the line with some of his on-ice comments. No one will forget the infamous "Tell Kelly I said hi" incident between David Backes of the St.Louis Blues, when during a playoff game Kesler dragged Backes' wife into a trash talking scrum.
Tell Kelly I said hi
While certain personal insults are a part of the game, they are sometimes a good way to lose respect from opponents. Even while Backes and Kesler were members of the 2010 US Olympic hockey team Backes admitted:
"I think it was just 'Tell Kelly I say hi' or something like that at the end of a period. To me, he can tell me I'm stupid or slow or bad hockey player, but bring my wife into it and now we get personal. As I said then, if he wants to pick a fight with my wife, he's better off picking a fight with me," he said.If Kesler is to be the next Canucks' captain he will have to tone down his brash approach to the game just a little bit. With younger draft picks set to join the Canucks they need positive role models to guide them through the process and Kesler would need to embrace this aspect of the role very quickly.
Cody Hodgson or Jordan Schroeder
Both Cody and Jordan are expected to see at least some action with the Canucks this season. Whether or not they spend the whole season here will be determined by how well they play at training camp and in pre-season games. They have both had tremendous success in their respective junior careers and, as first round draft picks, are both expected to have solid NHL careers. As they have yet to play a single NHL game, the Canucks could opt to name 3 or 4 assistant captains and no regular captain this season so that next season they could give the title to either Cody or Jordan. This is less likely than it was with players like Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, and Jonathan Toews. While those players have had a great deal of success leading their teams (Sid and Jonathan have already led their respective teams to Stanley Cup titles) Cody and Jordan are not in the same ballpark as them - at least not yet! I think the pressure would be slightly overwhelming for them and it would impede on their development as skilled NHL players. Let them establish themselves in the NHL over the next few seasons before thrusting the entire frachise's responsibilities on them.
Honourable mention
Honourable mention goes to longest serving Canuck Sami Salo. The quiet Finn should be next in line to the throne of Canucks captain but he spends so much time on the injured reserve that the team would likely find themselves having to replace him too often. His quiet and shy demeanour (burning sensation during urination comment notwithstanding!) is also not ideal for captaining a team with a lot of young players who will soon be making their NHL debuts.
The Canucks could go off the charts and name someone like newly-acquired defenseman Dan Hamhuis who is a BC boy (from Smithers) or even Alex Burrows - the always chatty and enigmatic francophone winger whose desire to win is unmatched by anyone else. In my opinion, Burrows will be given an "A" while Hamhuis will not be given a leadership role just yet. He is about to experience the adaptation into a fishbowl market and it'll take time to get used to. No need to add more pressure onto his shoulders.
At the end of the day, all Canucks fans really want is a Stanley Cup. To us it doesn't really matter who wears the C - as long as he leads us to a Cup we aren't too picky. The thing is, winning a Cup has a lot to do with who wears the C so it should matter to us and it does matter to the organization. They will take a long look at our team's needs and the personnel we have before they make their decision. One thing is for sure: we are closer than we ever have been to being a legitimate Cup contending team. Therefore, whomever is given the honour of captain could very well be the first Vancouver Canuck in history to hoist Lord Stanley into the air.
Watch for more blogs on the Vancouver Canucks:
http://vancanuckshockey.blogspot.com/
Also please follow my blogs on women's hockey:
http://womensprohockey.blogspot.com/
