Indeed. It is also good publicity in the East for our future stars. It should help to get more Canuck fans in the East
- VANTEL

It'll never happen. Hatred for the Canucks runs deeper than just the hockey team. I've said it before, but if they couldn't get behind us against Boston, they never will.

Flames shopping Hudler, Avs shopping ROR
- VANTEL

Canucks shopping Bieksa.

Gillis Kesler gone Burrows next

Canucks shopping everyone.
- CubanBuffet

Fixed

https://instagram.com/p/35Jk6irYRw/


Says it all
- VANTEL

It really does. Not easy to be in good spirits after that.

I thought that Gillis was an idiot for plunking our farm team down in Utica but it actually seems like a great little hockey market. I hope they stay there.
- CubanBuffet

But he's still an idiot right?

But he's still an idiot right?
- thundachunk

Goes without saying.

I thought that Gillis was an idiot for plunking our farm team down in Utica but it actually seems like a great little hockey market. I hope they stay there.
- CubanBuffet

I hope they get a team to move there, but we get the current team out here. Having to have them fly from Utica to Vancouver for a game that night isn't fun. Have a team play at the Langley Events Center, every single game would be sold out regardless of whether it's the Calder Cup Finals or not.

I, for one, think we would be very sorry if we traded Juice. Hamuis is on the downswing, Edler is inconsistent... if you ask me, the team that needs a Juie-type player to round out the young kids IS Vancouver.

I hope they get a team to move there, but we get the current team out here. Having to have them fly from Utica to Vancouver for a game that night isn't fun. Have a team play at the Langley Events Center, every single game would be sold out regardless of whether it's the Calder Cup Finals or not.
- DariusKnight

Too much pressure and exposure on the kids. They are kids. They cannot play in the same market at the big team. (Or the one next door if you think Langley or even Abbotsford is too close.) They could have had abbotsford for a song once Calgary went bust but they did not choose to go in.

It'll never happen. Hatred for the Canucks runs deeper than just the hockey team. I've said it before, but if they couldn't get behind us against Boston, they never will.
- CubanBuffet

That is so true.

Everybody loved the B's in 2011 and then after that it was back to business as usual.

I, for one, think we would be very sorry if we traded Juice. Hamuis is on the downswing, Edler is inconsistent... if you ask me, the team that needs a Juie-type player to round out the young kids IS Vancouver.
- Beatle_john

I'd look at trading Hamhuis, for the right return. His value should still be high.

I hope they get a team to move there, but we get the current team out here. Having to have them fly from Utica to Vancouver for a game that night isn't fun. Have a team play at the Langley Events Center, every single game would be sold out regardless of whether it's the Calder Cup Finals or not.
- DariusKnight

Geographically it's ridiculous. There are not many places in North America they could go that would be further away. And it would be better for us. I know that I would make the trip out to Langley or Abbotsford a few times a year to see them play. But it might not be a bad thing to have the prospects developing away from the Vancouver market.

Too much pressure and exposure on the kids. They are kids. They cannot play in the same market at the big team. (Or the one next door if you think Langley or even Abbotsford is too close.) They could have had abbotsford for a song once Calgary went bust but they did not choose to go in.
- Beatle_john

Bullpoop, Grand Rapids is next door to Detroit. So is the Marlies (yes, probably a bad example), there are other examples of it. Saying that they can't play in the same market is ludicrous. If they can't handle the pressure and exposure then they aren't good prospects to begin with. Having to have them fly across country for call ups is assinine and makes them less likely to succeed.

I, for one, think we would be very sorry if we traded Juice. Hamuis is on the downswing, Edler is inconsistent... if you ask me, the team that needs a Juie-type player to round out the young kids IS Vancouver.
- Beatle_john

I suppose if the goal is to finish last and destroy our goalies... We should indeed keep Bieksa.

Bullpoop, Grand Rapids is next door to Detroit. So is the Marlies (yes, probably a bad example), there are other examples of it. Saying that they can't play in the same market is ludicrous. If they can't handle the pressure and exposure then they aren't good prospects to begin with. Having to have them fly across country for call ups is assinine and makes them less likely to succeed.
- DariusKnight

Detroit isn't Vancouver. They would be under almost as much scrutiny as the Canucks are. Honestly, I'd prefer they develop away from that.

Detroit isn't Vancouver. They would be under almost as much scrutiny as the Canucks are. Honestly, I'd prefer they develop away from that.
- CubanBuffet

I call BS on that, we draft/sign players to developmental deals expecting them to hopefully play on the team and yet we're unwilling to develop them under the kind of pressure they're likely to face? That seems backwards to me, better to find out before you invest hundreds and thousands of dollars and time developing a player if he can't hack the pressure of playing for the Canucks.

This is why you need to have the farm system close to the team, ok, maybe not IN the same market, but close by, like a farm team in Seattle or something along those lines. So that they're close enough that they can easily be called up, and so that the coaches/management don't have to take red-eyes just to watch them/help them.

Flames shopping Hudler, Avs shopping ROR
- VANTEL

I'm shopping my Dad's old Sinatra records.

I call BS on that, we draft/sign players to developmental deals expecting them to hopefully play on the team and yet we're unwilling to develop them under the kind of pressure they're likely to face? That seems backwards to me, better to find out before you invest hundreds and thousands of dollars and time developing a player if he can't hack the pressure of playing for the Canucks.

This is why you need to have the farm system close to the team, ok, maybe not IN the same market, but close by, like a farm team in Seattle or something along those lines. So that they're close enough that they can easily be called up, and so that the coaches/management don't have to take red-eyes just to watch them/help them.
- DariusKnight

I'm not saying that the extreme distance between Utica and Vancouver isn't a bit ridiculous, but I do not expect all of our prospects to come ready made with the skills to deal with the pressure of playing in a market like Vancouver. We're talking teenagers here. They're not mature, they're kids. Developing a prospect isn't just about their skills on the ice, if it was we'd have a lot more 18 year olds playing in the NHL.

Some prospects can have the mental strength to handle it, most don't. Part of developing them is allowing them to learn how to handle it, much like what has happened in Utica this season, not just thrusting them into it and saying deal with it 'cause this is what it's going to be like.

I'm not saying that the extreme distance between Utica and Vancouver isn't a bit ridiculous, but I do not expect all of our prospects to come ready made with the skills to deal with the pressure of playing in a market like Vancouver. We're talking teenagers here. They're not mature, they're kids. Developing a prospect isn't just about their skills on the ice, if it was we'd have a lot more 18 year olds playing in the NHL.

Some prospects can have the mental strength to handle it, most don't. Part of developing them is allowing them to learn how to handle it, much like what has happened in Utica this season, not just thrusting them into it and saying deal with it 'cause this is what it's going to be like.
- CubanBuffet

Then it goes back to drafting players with that sort of mental toughness. You either have it, or you don't, coddling players by playing them outside of the bubble that is the market you want them to eventually play for (Vancouver) is not going to prepare them. I can tell you flat out that some minor hockey teams and major junior teams are MUCH worse in terms of pressure/scrutiny than even in the NHL.

Again, it goes to identifying players that have the type of character that can handle the Vancouver market and not drafting those who don't. Get the team either just outside the Lower Mainland (like Abbotsford/Chilliwack or Victoria) and let them have it. If they aren't mature, then don't draft them, Bo didn't seem to have any trouble adjusting to the market and he's only 19.

Edit: Sorry, I get heated when this is brought up, I know what you're trying to say C_B and to a degree I even agree. But the fact is, you're drafting players to play IN Vancouver, not on your AHL team and it's better to prepare them to play in the type of environment they're going to face by approximating it as closely as possible.

Then it goes back to drafting players with that sort of mental toughness. You either have it, or you don't, coddling players by playing them outside of the bubble that is the market you want them to eventually play for (Vancouver) is not going to prepare them. I can tell you flat out that some minor hockey teams and major junior teams are MUCH worse in terms of pressure/scrutiny than even in the NHL.

Again, it goes to identifying players that have the type of character that can handle the Vancouver market and not drafting those who don't. Get the team either just outside the Lower Mainland (like Abbotsford/Chilliwack or Victoria) and let them have it. If they aren't mature, then don't draft them, Bo didn't seem to have any trouble adjusting to the market and he's only 19.
- DariusKnight

You are cherry picking the exception to the rule. I still have high hopes for Shinkaruk, but can you imagine what life would be like for him if he had the season he just had playing just outside of Vancouver? He wouldn't be able to get away from it. Horvat is mature, and even better, he had a great season with nothing to complain about, so he didn't have to deal with it. But most of the time you have to mature into it.

Just my two cents, but we'll see. I think that there's a good chance that our farm team joins the new AHL pacific division before too long.

Then it goes back to drafting players with that sort of mental toughness. You either have it, or you don't, coddling players by playing them outside of the bubble that is the market you want them to eventually play for (Vancouver) is not going to prepare them. I can tell you flat out that some minor hockey teams and major junior teams are MUCH worse in terms of pressure/scrutiny than even in the NHL.

Again, it goes to identifying players that have the type of character that can handle the Vancouver market and not drafting those who don't. Get the team either just outside the Lower Mainland (like Abbotsford/Chilliwack or Victoria) and let them have it. If they aren't mature, then don't draft them, Bo didn't seem to have any trouble adjusting to the market and he's only 19.

Edit: Sorry, I get heated when this is brought up, I know what you're trying to say C_B and to a degree I even agree. But the fact is, you're drafting players to play IN Vancouver, not on your AHL team and it's better to prepare them to play in the type of environment they're going to face by approximating it as closely as possible.
- DariusKnight

You don't have to be sorry, I never thought that you were heated. I thought that you made your point well. But I think that what we're arguing amounts to a gut feeling more than anything that you could factually prove. You can keep an argument like that going for infinity. If they do ever come to town I'll meet you there and buy you a beer and bltch about how I wished they were still in Utica.

You don't have to be sorry, I never thought that you were heated. I thought that you made your point well. But I think that what we're arguing amounts to a gut feeling more than anything that you could factually prove. You can keep an argument like that going for infinity. If they do ever come to town I'll meet you there and buy you a beer and bltch about how I wished they were still in Utica.
- CubanBuffet

Yeah, I guess you could be right, i'm glad we have our own AHL team, and not a deal with one like we did for years with the Manitoba Moose, Chicago Wolves, etc. I just think it should be within a couple hours drive to Vancouver for call up/monitoring progress purposes. If you ever head into the direction of Maple Ridge send me a PM, I'll buy you a beer and we can shoot the poop about the Canucks and Hockey in general.

Yeah, I guess you could be right, i'm glad we have our own AHL team, and not a deal with one like we did for years with the Manitoba Moose, Chicago Wolves, etc. I just think it should be within a couple hours drive to Vancouver for call up/monitoring progress purposes. If you ever head into the direction of Maple Ridge send me a PM, I'll buy you a beer and we can shoot the poop about the Canucks and Hockey in general.
- DariusKnight

Will do.

It'll never happen. Hatred for the Canucks runs deeper than just the hockey team. I've said it before, but if they couldn't get behind us against Boston, they never will.
- CubanBuffet

Who gives a shiite about what eastern canadians think... there are plenty of Americans who like the Canucks...