The All-Star break is the unofficial halfway point of the season, so I thought I'd look back at the first half and share my personal Top 10 moments. Most happened on the ice, but a few happened off. Not a bad first half eh?
10. OWNED
Aquilini buys all. On November 8th, the Aquilini Investment Group purchases the remaining 50% ownership stake in the Vancouver Canucks from Seattle businessman John McCaw, making the Canucks 100% locally owned. Big news considering the trials and tribulations of the Pittsburgh Penguins this year.
9. IN THE PRESENCE OF GREATNESS
Ed Jovanovski made his first appearance at GM Place as a member of the Phoenix Coyotes. Jovo held a press conference at 4 pm, immediately followed by head coach Wayne Gretzky. There's only a few people in the sporting world who have the "stop and stare" effect. After Gretzky's presser, he was talking to the guys from Hockey Night in Canada and I wasn't the only one who just stood and stared in unspoken admiration. Other athletes who can stop fans in their tracks? Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan.
8. CAPTAIN CLASS
After scoring the game winner versus Columbus at the end of November, Markus Naslund is named the games third star. There's a young hockey fan near the Canucks tunnel wearing a unique red hockey sweater and celebrating loudly, so Naslund invites the boy into the dressing room after he gives his third star salute. Naslund then hands him his Nike hockey stick and the youngster stands in the corner of the room (actually he was bouncing with excitement) while his hero addresses the media scrum. I went up to the kid and said, "Nice hockey stick!" He was so giddy, he couldn't even answer.
7. RORYGATE
A 22 year-old from Buffalo decides to start an internet campaign to see if he can expose the flaws in the NHL voting system and maybe bring some excitement to the All-Star game. Canucks players are seen wearing "Vote for Rory" shirts in the dressing room and at one point Rory Fitzpatrick even leads in votes, thanks to a Firefox add on that allows fans to vote almost endlessly. In the end, Fitzpatrick falls just short, but the publicity for the NHL is over the top. Rory handles the entire ordeal with humility and a good nature. He's an All-Star in my books.
6. LUCKY STAR
The night was January 3rd and Roberto Luongo played one of his best games of the season to keep Vancouver tied with Dallas after regulation and then win it on an overtime shootout. As he's named first star, Roberto skates out of the tunnel, across the ice and picks out a youngster to give his stick to. When asked about it later, Luongo says, "I enjoy the looks on their faces. The fans have really shown their support here in Vancouver and it’s just a way for me to return the gesture.”
5. BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE
There was a powder keg in the Garage on December 14th and Vancouver sent a loud message to their division rival Calgary Flames. Not in our house! The Canucks pull together as a team for a 3-1 victory highlighted by an 0-8 Calgary power-play and lowlighted by Jarome Iginla hitting Ryan Kesler into the boards from behind. The dangerous play caused a scrum inside the Calgary blueline and out of nowhere, Kevin Bieksa nailed Andrei Zyuzin with a football style open field tackle. Character game for the Canucks and Bieksa.
4. A STAR ARRIVES
Alexander Ovechkin makes his long awaited debut at GM Place. The day before the game, Ovechkin and the Capitals practice at 8-Rinks and the young superstar signs jerseys, hats and hockey cards for fans who were "in the know" about the Caps practice. At the pre-game skate at GM Place, the lower bowl in the Capitals end is filled with the YouTube generation who have cell phones and cameras in the air capturing video of Ovechkin. The game is still tied after OT, so fans get to see Ovy do his flamingo leg kick in the shootout, only to be stopped by Luongo. Canucks win on Brendan Morrison's five hole deke. See you in three years Alex. So sad.
3. DALLAS BOUND
Luongo named to All-Star game. Louie becomes only the third Canucks player to be voted into the All-Star game by fans behind Kirk McLean in 1992 and Pavel Bure in 1993, 1994 and 1996. His All-Star nomination starts whispers of a possible Hart Trophy come seasons end. It could happen.
2. GIGGLY
Three soundbites haven't been erased from my voice recorder this year. I've kept the Ovechkin and Gretzky interviews and when I'm in the need for a chuckle, I'll replay the Alain Vigneault post game presser where he breaks down laughing after the 1-0 win versus Columbus. At first, the media look at each other not knowing how to react, but after a few moments, especially after Vigneault steals a Todd Bertuzzi line by saying, "It is what it is," the media and Vancouver fans listening on the radion and watching on TV join his laughter. Vigneault officially becomes a breath of fresh air.
1. STREAKING
The Christmas break couldn't have come at a better time for Vancouver. Losers of three straight before the holidays, Vancouver came back to win seven in a row, including three against Calgary and two versus Edmonton. After a minor hiccup against the Minnesota Wild, the Canucks went on their Eastern road trip and swept Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa, narrowly missing a 4 for 4 clean sweep when the Buffalo Sabres tied it with 40 seconds left and won in the shootout.
To finish it off, here are two of my favorite pictures from the first half. The first is Luongo and his pre-game ritual and the second is Sami Salo leaning into one at the Superskills competition. Thanks to Jeff Vinnick for both.
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