Notes from Opening Night 2009

Living on the West Coast, I'm usually subject to catching the end of the 1st period or the start of the 2nd on the Eastern Conference games as I flip on XM on my mad dash out of the office. So last night I decided I wouldn't turn on the picture box until the start of the 'Nucks vs. Flames matchup. Actually that's a lie, a flipped around just before then looking to see if I could get Joe's jersey retirement on the DirecTV Center Ice package. No such luck. God damn Versus and DirecTV. Anyway, all I got to watch was the previously mentioned game, and some highlights of the other three.


Vancouver Canucks @ Calgary Flames, 10/1/09

• First off, the throwback Flames jersey's are hideous, there's a reason why those went the way of the mothball. I mean come on, these jersey's are so bad ass, with the black helmet, gloves, and pants. All that red with the yellow and white was painful to look at, the black at least balances that out. Just sayin', they could have done a lot better with a third jersey choice than a recycle.
• Giordano's quick move at the blueline and subsequent rip past Luongo just inside the post was a thing of beauty. He played like a man possessed with something to prove. Very impressive.
• As goofy as Jay Bouwmeester looks, he's a smooth operator on the ice. You could tell how excited he was to play for a team in contention with his jumps into the play. Maybe I didn't watch a lot of Florida games, but I didn't see him having that kind of faith in the defensive responsibilities of his team back then.
• I don't think anyone expected Luongo to give up three goals in the first, but he made a big save early in the second to regain his composure, and give the Canucks a chance to get back in the game.
• For a while there, it looked like Alex Burrows was the only guy in a white jersey attempting to play hockey.
• I figured Mikael Samuelsson would be a major factor in the scoring for the Canucks this season, but I was kind of underwhelmed by his play, even with the goal.
• Shirokov seemed to be hungry, going to the net hard in a few plays, but was able to put one in. Keep a close eye on him this year.
• Couldn't believe how responsible Jokinen was in this game, backchecking, and coming all the way back to the crease to make a play. Sutter must have gotten his hooks into him good.

Other than that, I thought Kevin Weekes did a good job in the broadcast. He didn't add anything earth-shattering, but he spoke well and clearly, and diagrammed some highlights. It almost seemed like he played hockey so that he could work in the booth someday, like he was dying to retire so he could take the job he really wanted.


Just watched Joe's ceremony over here. Pretty awesome. Got goosebumps from it at certain points. I like how they had him walk from out front, and through the lobby and the locker room and back onto the ice. Foote looked real awkward in his talking part. I thought the enshrinement of his spot in the locker room was a little weird. Its cool for a display out in the Pepsi Center somewhere, but in the locker room forever? Paintings were a little odd too. Would have like the Denver crowd to have embarrassed Joe a little bit more, and really get a chant going. I think he used the same speech at the actual retirement annoucement. But it was pretty classy overall, for one helluva classy individual, and an outstanding hockey player. One of the greatest of my era. Thanks Joe.