Vancouver Canucks centre Ryan Kesler has been identified as an offender. While Kesler plays the game hard, he has been known to exaggerate contact to gain an advantage.

"I’m not the type of guy who looks for excuses, but when you go on a long ride like we did the year before, it’s tough physically and a different mentality to approach games," admitted Lapierre. "You’ve got a tired mind and a tired body. We knew we could have played better, but I guarantee we’ll play better this year."

#Canucks prospect Brendan Gaunce has been named Captain of the @OHLBulls - Brendan was as an assistant captain last season.

Canucks Sports & Entertainment (CS&E) in partnership with Metallica is pleased to announce they have made a gift of just over $35,000 to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society (GVFBS). All proceeds from Metallica’s sold-out concert taping at Rogers Arena on Monday, August 27th went to the GVFBS.

Gillis on UFA Doan: "We've been in constant contact. He's clearly a player we'd like to have in Vancouver and we're going to wait it out."

"Definitely trying to add more offence," said Tanev, still goalless through 54 regular season contests. "It comes with confidence I guess. I rarely shoot, so it is something everyone has told me I have to do. I've been working on my shot all summer, so I've got to get a shoot-first mentality instead of always passing."
Roberts is confident that Tanev can be an effective two-way player.
"I think he does have those abilities," Roberts said. "He's got great hands, moves the puck well and skates well. Once he gets a little confidence, I think that's going to be big for him. To go to camp and see that he's got that strength, and to see that he's got that speed and that ability to compete with guys in the National Hockey League, I think that'll really help him get off to a good start.
"I look for him to play lots of games for Vancouver this year and have a great season."

The buzz continues to escalate throughout the Fraser Valley real estate community that Francesco Aquilini has his sights on buying the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre and the land it occupies. By extension, Aquilini would cut a deal with the Calgary Flames that would result in the Vancouver Canucks’ No. 1 farm team, the Chicago Wolves, switched to Abbotsford.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman left little room for doubt on that Thursday, telling the assembled media after a short bargaining session in New York that the league will not play another season under the current agreement. If Sept. 15 comes and there's no deal in place, we're heading to a lockout.

"He's 6-foot-5, can play deep in the net because of his size, and has great reflexes. There are some games when you're watching you're just like, they're not scoring on him," Gagner told NHL.com. "He has that Pekka Rinne-like confidence that he brings to the team."

"It’s not happening," Overhardt said Thursday. "He’s [Kesler] not ahead of schedule and there’s no rushing him back. He’s on course to return in December and he’s not returning until he’s 100 per cent. Don’t expect him until December."