Former Canucks Thread 2023-24 Off-Season Edition

[Curm]

Ovechkin chase of Gretzky stirs memories for his 1st NHL coach with Capitals | NHL.com

Hanlon, who allowed Great One's 1st goal, had front-row seat to history

www.nhl.com

NHL article on Glen "The Franchise" Hanlon and mostly about his thoughts on Ovechkin chasing Gretzky's record. Reminding us too, that Hanlon, as a Canuck, "gave up" Gretzky's first goal in the NHL.

Thanks for posting this. I was a huge Hanlon fan when he was here. He was actually in the running for the Calder before getting injured, I think it was his knee, and Smyl, Gradin, Fraser, and Derlago were all rookies as well, and it was Harry Neale's first year as coach. There was so much promise, Hanlon's start along with the Gradin/Smyl/Fraser line, and Derlago's great return after being sent to the minors.

As you mentioned, Hanlon got the nickname "The Franchise", he was that good, and Derlago's was "King", he was really starting to show why he was the 4th overall pick after filling the net with Brandon. Funny, I couldn't believe when they drafted Derlago, he was so good, but then I saw him interviewed in studio on Sports Page, and he looked rather thick. lol

Anyway, Derlago got knocked out for the year during a HNIC game by Denis Potvin of the Islanders, then Hanlon was lost for the year not too long afterward.

Hanlon was also in net for the Canucks 1st ever win over the Habs at home, it was their 10th year in the league, and I remember seeing him interviewed after the game, and it was like they had just won the Stanley Cup he was so emotional. Hell, I was emotional, I absolutely despised the Habs growing up for how they routinely manhandled the Canucks. It meant so much, even though they had already beaten them once in Montreal in the regular season and again there the first time the Canucks made the playoffs. I was actually at the first ever Canucks home playoff game a couple nights later, a 4-1 loss.

I'll never forget "The Franchise", he was awesome, and, man, what could have been with some of the young talent they had.

 

[Bubbles]

I always find it fascinating to see what types of North Americans do well in the KHL, and what types of Russians do well in the NHL. Leivo and Kuzmenko are good examples - both players with a ton of skill but can't play the other parts of the game to be an NHL top player.

It's usually the "AAAA" players that rip up Euro leagues. They're good enough to rip up the AHL but can't make it in the NHL.

In Kuzmenko's case if you leave the guy in the top 6, he'll produce. He's just useless in other parts of the game.

For me, it's always a strange fascination when I see an ex-Canuck rip up random Euro league. Adam Cracknell is one of the top scorers in the Slovak league (at 39 years old, lol )

 

[archangel2]

He had 16 points in the first 26 games of the season (all at ES - basically quality 1st line production in the heart of the DPE) and then basically didn't play more than 10:00 on the 4th line next to Brashear/Hendrickson etc. after that.

It wasn't like he was scoring and then dried up in continued opportunity. He was scoring and then the opportunity was taken away.

you took a small sample size and made it smaller to suit you narrative. If you put some of the fat slobs on this board on a teams top line they will get pts. Did the players on the top line numbers drop when he got moved off the line? Nope. but his did. So are his numbers based upon him playing or the people he was playing with?

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

which of you fellow middle aged folks remember the “stevie and mo” billboards from that fall?

all due respect to morrison but it was like, after a ten year run of linden, nedved (who tbf underwhelmed majorly as a youngster), bure, and ohlund… this is what it’s come to?

 

[joelCAMEL]

The mention of a billboard reminds me when we traded:

Bobby Schmautz	Chris Oddleifson Fred O`Donnell rights to Mike Walton

February 7, 1974

O'Donnell would not report and I recall reading in the Vancouver Sun that a columnist suggested the team should place a billboard up with a " Fred O'Donnell, where are you " message.​