Well in any given exhibition game most of your “stars” aren’t going to play much if at all, after all, the Sedin’s, Luongo et al have made the team.
Normally exhibition games are used by the coaches to see if anyone from the farm or the newly signed junior and college kids are ready to make the jump, the big names don’t play in every game, and even in those they do play in they aren’t on the ice for very long.
That being said, it was the Hockeyville event, and considering all the promotion that the CBC, Kraft and the NHL give the thing, sending up the “stars” if even to sit in the stands and sign autographs couldn’t have hurt.
The Canucks kind of missed a PR opportunity there, just having their captain in the building would have made the day of those that attended and for the organizers
All in all though, the game was fairly entertaining for an exhibition game and the first at that after training camp.
I wouldn’t lay the blame on the players for being “no shows” that anger or disappointment should be directed at the coach and GM…
Terrace did a nice job of presenting the show, felt pretty happy for that little girl at the end of the anthems that had to be a pretty terrifying little event for her, and for the most part she pulled it off like a pro.
I totally agree. By not sending marquee players, the Canucks management has shown disrespect for smaller communities. I’m sure that game was entertaining. But without the stars, don’t call it an NHL game! There are other hockey leagues with entertaining games.
They do the same kind of things everywhere. In Halifax, a few years ago, NHL exhibition games were held and the price of tickets was insane. And the same thing happened: very few stars were there.
You guys are crazy. This was an exhibition game, it always has been advertised as an exhibition game from the time the contest was announced. If you feel that you were decieved in some way then you should be mad at the media for making you believe this was something it was not.
As an “exhibition” game the Canucks, and the Islanders for that matter, did nothing wrong. In fact, they did what they should do in this situation, which is play the players that the team wants to evaluate. The Canucks, as an orginization, know what to expect from the likes of the Sedins, Luongo, Kesler, Burrows, etc. Those types of players never play much in the preseason, just enough to get back in the grove and that’s it. It’s the other 20 to 30 guys that are in camp that the Canucks want, no make that need, to evaluate. Decisions need to be made as to what is in the best interest of the team. Are these players kept around to practise with the big club, do they go to Manitoba, or Victoria? Are they sent packing to find another team? That’s what the preseason is about. Whether you like it or not, NHL teams don’t have a lot of opportunity to gain information in making these decisions and can’t waste an opportunity just because some community won some contest to host an exhibition game.
I wasn’t ever under the impression that any of the stars were going to be up in Terrace, I’m not too sure why any of you are. Exibition games are never full of stars. Maybe the blunder of mis information should be blamed on the radio stations etc. Because I remember hearing exactly that from my dad when we found out about terrace winning hockeyville ages ago, that it would just be an exiibition game, and there would be no stars there…
That being said, Mitchell, Bieksa and Wellwood are still a pretty big line on the canucks, and are very much up and coming stars. Imagine, those kids will get to say to their kids, if those three go anywhere higher that they saw them in their rookie years. After all, rookie cards are always the more valuble ones.
So regardless of wether Louie and the twins decided to show up or not, that event was one that will never be forgotten by the kids. Period. Some of them don’t have the chance to see such fast, hard hockey being played right in front of them. I’m 22 and have been a fan all my life, and I would have LOVED to see that, I’ve never been to any sort of canucks game.
Sometimes we focus too much on what is NOT there, instead of seeing what we have. Take a look at the smile on those kids faces, and that’ll tell you wether it mattered that luongo was there or not…
I understand not having the “stars” play but in this instance, where the Canucks are the local NHL team, they could have at least gotten on the plane to make an appearance at “Hockeyville” and sign some autographs!
Like I said, it was never, ever, agreed that the stars would be there. It’s an exibition game, the stars of the teams are in training right now, to get ready for the season… I wonder what we would all complain about if the stars were there, it seems there’s always SOMETHING to complain about…
sigh
It was a positive and awesome experience for EVERYONE there. They got to be on NATIONAL telivision, they had PR for their community, and we will be VERY lucky if we see ANYTHING like that in the northwest of BC ever again…
At least kudos to Terrace for pulling this whole event off. Their community put so much effort into this for their own town and I wonder if Rupert could ever do any where near what they pulled off. With our City Council, I highly doubt that. They can’t see their noses in front of their cumulative faces! Terrace is trying to pull their town out of the same economic crisis that we are in and they seem to be winning the battle by taking risks and listening to their townsfolk. Maybe we should take notes.
If any of you follow hockey at all… have you EVER seen big names in the first exhibition game of the season? Regardless of if it’s played at home or not?
Give me a break. Whether the bulk of the team that came up were big names or not… THE CANUCKS CAME TO TERRACE!!! End of story.
ive been a canuck fan for 34 years i understand how training camps go but i still feel they coulda had a few name guys there . i lived in victoria when the canucks had training camp there stars were there early every year. maybe the stars came but went fishing instead lol
Well actually the Manitoba Moose went to Terrace, but hey if the kids in Terrace were happy, who are we to suggest anything otherwise.
Still, would have been nice had the Canucks sent up some of the players with the names that seem to adorn all those expensive hockey sweaters the kids ask for at Christmas.
No offence to Mr. Mitchell or Bieksa (and more power to them for the fine job they did by all accounts), but I don’t think they’re leading the sales list down at the Canuck’s store at GM Place (though I suspect that there will be more than a few orders placed from Terrace fans eh)
Vancouver Sun blog on whether or not Terrace was shortchanged.
Hard to say how many posters were from Terrace but those who said they were seemed very happy with the event.
There were some comments that more players could have shown up, done the morning skate, met the fans etc. and not played. That’s what Bieksa and Mitchell did. More power to those two.
Crosby, Kunitz and Gonchar were the three starters from last year that played. The rest of the roster was filled with similar players to what the Canucks used. Older players on a pro tryout and youngers players that are still trying to make a name for themselves.
Chris Kunitz scored his second goal of the game 44 seconds into overtime to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 5-4 pre-season win over the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Penguins’ first game since winning the Stanley Cup in June.
From The Chronicle Herald
Crosby, Kunitz lead Pens to exhibition win
Sidney Crosby had two goals and assisted on the winner for Pittsburgh, which also got a goal from Chris Conner.
Maxim Mayorov had two goals and Jakub Voracek and Alexandre Picard also scored for Columbus, which is coming off its first playoff appearance in franchise history.
Most stars on both teams did not play — including reigning NHL scoring champion Evgeni Malkin and Bill Guerin for the Penguins and Rick Nash and reigning Calder Trophy winner Steve Mason for the Blue Jackets.
