Canucks top Canadian hockey team in ESPN fan rankings

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1 Canucks top Canadian hockey team in ESPN fan rankings Toronto Maple Leafs sit 120th out of 122 North American sports franchises -an improvement over last year's position Postmedia News June 21, 2011 The Stanley Cup finalist Vancouver Canucks are the best, and the Toronto Maple Leafs the worst among Canadian NHL teams, according to ESPN The Magazine's Ultimate Standings. The ninth annual poll ranks teams in all four major professional sports based on how the team gives back to the fans for their emotion invested, their time and their money. Among the criteria used were bang for the buck (regular-season and playoff wins over the past three seasons per revenues directly from fans); fan relations; ownership; affordability; players (on-field effort, likability off); coaching; and title track, which is the number of titles a team has won or is estimated to win during the lifetime of its current fans. The Canucks ranked 43rd overall, while the Maple Leafs are ranked 120th overall of the 122 franchises, and last among NHL teams. The Montreal Canadiens are ranked 68th overall, followed by the Calgary Flames (73rd), Ottawa Senators (82nd) and Edmonton Oilers (95th). Major League Baseball's Toronto Blue Jays rank 63rd overall, while the National Basketball Association's Toronto Raptors are 116th. While the Canucks scored high in ownership (13th) and fan relations (22nd), they were 111th in affordability of tickets, parking and concession. The Leafs climbed one spot from 121st overall in last season's rankings. The only two franchises to score worse than the Leafs were the National Football League's Washington Redskins at 121st and Cincinnati Bengals. Earning top spot was the NFL's Green Bay Packers, while the Tampa Bay Lightning ranked second and were the top NHL team.

2 Among NHL teams, the Detroit Red Wings were 17th overall, but ranked first in ownership and second in fan relations. For the complete breakdown, log on to espn.go.com/ sportsnation/teamrankings. Gillis gets geared up for draft Of many possibilities, he wants not only the best player, but the best person By Ben Kuzma, The Province June 21, 2011 Mike Gillis isn't afraid to look at moving up or down the NHL entry draft selection order or package a pick in a trade scenario. What the Vancouver Canucks general manager shouldn't do is look in the mirror. He looks like crap. And that's a compliment. Those big bags under half-open eyes are a testament to a two-month Stanley Cup marathon that tested the mettle of players, coaches and management. Gillis looks like he should go into hiding in a dark room, not into the bright lights of the NHL awards in Las Vegas on Wednesday before the draft in St. Paul, Minn., on Friday and Saturday. And if his peers anoint Gillis manager-ofthe-year in Vegas, his first act might be to move the 29th pick Friday. If the Canucks choose in all seven rounds their additional selections will be 60th, 89th, 119th, 149th, 179th and 209th. "You always want to move up, but do we have the ability to do that? I don't know," Gillis said Monday. "There are good players sprinkled throughout. I'd go for the combination of the best player and the best person. Playing in Vancouver, you have to approach it in certain ways even understanding the media and the pressure in a Canadian city. We need players who can handle that. "We have a number of good defencemen in development and we may be looking at a different position if the top-ranked goalie (U.S. National Development Team stopper John Gibson) is available." Or if Vancouver Giants defencean David Musil is still there at end of the first round. While Gillis won't get a crack at and frankly doesn't need another centre in top-ranked Burnaby native Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -the Red Deer Rebels playmaker who could make B.C.-born hockey history by surpassing Barry Beck in 1977 and Ryan Walter in 1978 who were second-overall selections by Colorado and Washington respectively -the GM does need to make a solid first-round pick in his fourth draft at the helm.

3 After all, when Jordan Schroeder dropped to 22nd overall in 2009, the Canucks rolled the dice on the diminutive centre with the thought that he was a diamond in the rough that just needed some polishing. A year earlier, the Canucks took Cody Hodgson 10th overall, and while the centre's skating and strength often come into question, Schroeder's overall game has disappointed. He didn't even join the Canucks after the Manitoba Moose were eliminated from the AHL playoffs. Slowed by an ankle injury, Schroeder had just 10 goals and 28 assists in 61 games. "We didn't think he played well enough," admitted Gillis. "I'm not concerned. Everybody is coming at it [making the NHL] from a different place and he knows what he has to do and we're confident he's determined enough to do it." A rule of thumb is that two picks from any draft who advance to the NHL, whether with your team or another, is considered a good year. If Schroeder doesn't make it from the class of 2009, winger Anton Rodin (53rd) and defencemen Kevin Connauton (83rd) and Peter Andersson (143rd) might. While the window for draft analysis narrowed for Gillis this season, the club's draft process didn't. Meetings have been held and there will be more sessions on Thursday and Friday and in keeping with the franchise's out-of-the-box thinking when it comes to evaluating and interviewing draft prospects, Gillis thinks the Canucks have a leg up on the competition. "Just the analysis of how you get to your list and how it's put together and the intangibles. It's been a work in progress. We've developed our own questioning techniques that allow us to get to where we want to get to in terms of finding out things that are vital to this organization. I think we're better at it. It's different than the line of questioning here [in the past] and we're constantly evaluating results and we're well prepared." OF NOTE: According to Gillis, centre Ryan Kesler has a tendon problem rather than a hiplabrum injury and that should eliminate surgery. Same for winger Chris Higgins, who suffered a hairline foot fracture in the second round and aggravated it in the next two rounds. He needs three to five weeks of rehab. Defenceman Christian Ehrhoff has a left shoulder injury and will require four to six weeks of rehab, but not surgery.... The Canucks will hold their rookie training camp in Penticton and main camp in Vancouver.... The team's AHL affiliation is expected to be announced at the draft. bkuzma@theprovince.com Gillis needs to look hard at second line By Mike Halford and Jason Brough, The Province June 21, 2011

4 Read more: A few thoughts and observations as we struggle to name five players in the upcoming draft. - In 25 playoff games, Ryan Kesler had three even-strength goals for the Canucks. Not to be outdone, Mason Raymond had two in 24. Chris Higgins had three in 25. And Mikael Samuelsson had one in 11. Add it up and you get nine even-strength goals from the four players who spent considerable time on Vancouver's second line. It wasn't just the postseason when the second line struggled; it went down the final stretch of the regular season drier than a bag of bones in the desert. Offence isn't everything, of course. Kesler will always be called upon to play a significant defensive role, and he, along with his linemates, did an admirable job shutting down the top forwards, at least until the final. But considering the Sedins typically monopolize the time of top shutdown players (Zdeno Chara, Shea Weber, Duncan Keith), the second line should be able to put the puck in the net with regularity, not just keep it out. Of all the possible scapegoats, Raymond has taken the most heat for the lack of secondary scoring. The left-winger broke out with 25 goals two years ago but managed only 15 this season. He's been labelled too soft, with questionable hockey sense and a shot that takes enough time to read a novel (or at the very least a novella) to get off. His production was bound to decrease when the Canucks loaded the first power-play unit with the twins and Kesler, leaving Raymond and the rest of the second unit running around aimlessly without a talented centre. Some of the blame has to fall on Kesler, who tends to invoke Trevor Linden's ''screw it, I'll just do this myself'' philosophy when things aren't clicking. But regardless of the reasons the second line struggled, it is one of the areas which needs to be scrutinized by GM Mike Gillis as the draft and free agency approach. When you consider the impact Mark Recchi had for Boston, the Canucks might be wise to pursue a rugged, veteran winger with some goal-scoring ability. Potential unrestricted free agents include Erik Cole, the 32-year-old American who had 26 goals for Carolina. Cole might be most famous for coming back to play in the '06 Cup final months after suffering a fractured vertebra. Dumb move? Maybe, but at least he's got heart.

5 Or perhaps Brooks Laich, a centre who can play the wing, would be a fit alongside Kesler. Laich, 27, a three-time 20-goal scorer with the Washington Capitals, was among the team's leaders in blocked shots. So, again, heart doesn't seem to be an issue. If Mike Gillis values good people -he pursued Manny Malhotra in part because he saw the player inconspicuously give money to a homeless person -it's worth mentioning that Laich gained attention last year when he pulled over to help a woman and her daughter change a tire. He did this hours after the Caps were eliminated from the playoffs, falling in seven games to the Canadiens. Both Cole and Laich could very well end up re-signing with their teams but, what the hell, speculating is fun. - Speaking of speculation, it appears Florida's high-priced goalie Tomas Vokoun will be hitting the open market come July 1, leaving only backup Scott Clemmensen and prospect Jacob Markstrom between the pipes. According to capgeek.com, the Panthers have just $18.3 million committed to the cap payroll next season, meaning they'll have to take on some weighty contracts to get to the floor, which is expected to be around $48 million. The rumours have started. Roberto Luongo back to Florida. His wife's home. Out of the spotlight. And with $10 million of the 12-year, $64-million contract already paid off. - Be sure to follow the KB at twitter.com/kurtenblog, where you'll read tweets like, Didn't need to see Big Papi raising the Cup at Fenway today. When will the jealousy end? Ballard looks to prove himself in Vancouver next season Jim Morris VANCOUVER The Canadian Press Published Monday, Jun. 20, :29PM EDT Last updated Monday, Jun. 20, :30PM EDT A roller-coaster season ended with a thud for Vancouver Canucks defenceman Keith Ballard. Ballard did more watching than playing during Vancouver's run to the Stanley Cup final. Even with defenceman Dan Hamhuis sidelined by injury and Alex Edler playing with two broken fingers, coach Alain Vigneault still elected to sit Ballard and his US$4.2-million salary. I have said it all year, there have been some personal ups and downs, Ballard said in a recent interview. I'm not happy overall with my performance.

6 Instead of pouting, or asking for a trade, Ballard is confident he can be more productive next season. The bottom line is, there was times when I needed to play better, he said. I had plenty of opportunities to play well. I think if I would have played more consistently well, I don't think I would have had an issue. Ballard appeared in just 10 of Vancouver's 25 playoff games and dressed for one game in the final against the Boston Bruins, a 4-0 loss in Game 4. Ballard finished the playoffs with no points and was a minus-3 while averaging about 14 minutes of ice time. Vigneault said his decision not to dress Ballard was based on performance, not personality. I felt other guys were playing better than he was, it's that simple, said Vigneault. It was a learning experience for him. I see a lot of upside and he'll come back next year knowing what to expect. This was Ballard's sixth season in the NHL but his first playoff experience. He has four years remaining on his contract with Vancouver. The Canucks have four defencemen eligible to become unrestricted free agents July 1. Kevin Bieksa (who earned $3.75-million last season); Christian Ehrhoff ($3.1-million); Sami Salo ($3.5-million) and Andrew Alberts ($1.5-million) are all looking for new deals. Bieksa, who emerged as one of the team leaders this season, and Salo, who battled back from a career-threatening Achilles tendon tear, have both indicated they are willing to stay in Vancouver for less money than they could earn somewhere else. I know about money, said Bieksa, who turned 30 on Thursday. I understand its value and everything, but it's not my main priority. Salo, who turns 37 in September, also wants to stay with Vancouver. I like playing here so I don't think the money is going to be an issue at the end, he said. Ehrhoff, who came to Vancouver in a August 2009 trade from San Jose, may be more difficult to re-sign. His 14 goals and 50 points left him tied for seventh among NHL defencemen last season and he could command US$5 million on the open market. Canucks general manager Mike Gillis believes he can work deals that will keep both Bieksa and Ehrhoff happy.

7 The Canucks could also benefit with the salary cap expected to increase to $63-million from $59.4-million. Hamhuis, who will need surgery to determine the extent of the abdominal injury he suffered in Game 1 of the final, was the team's top-paid defenceman in at $4.5-million. Ballard, obtained in a trade from Florida last June, is the second highest paid. The season started badly for Ballard. His summer training was hampered by off-season hip surgery. He was a healthy scratch for four times in November and missed games due to a concussion in October and a knee injury in February. It was frustrating, said Ballard. I haven't had to deal with that before. I started to feel good, more comfortable with my game, then I'm out a couple of more weeks. In 65 regular season games, the 26-year-old native from Baudette, Min., had two goals, seven points, and led the team with 111 blocked shots. Given a full summer to train, Ballard is already looking forward to starting next season. He denies there is any conflict between himself and Vigneault. I am completely confident in my abilities, Ballard said. I have three months to train and come in and be ready for the season to start. If I come in and play well and play to my capabilities, I don't think there is any problem.

Bieksa s Buddies to play UBC Thunderbirds

Bieksa s Buddies to play UBC Thunderbirds By Jason Botchford, The Province October 3, 2012 Kevin Bieksa may not always be your favourite player. But in October he should be player of the month. His compassion