Canucks Daily: NHL Injury Reporting Absurdities, Coaching Carousel

Sorry, but did the last two days feel like two weeks? It doesn’t matter if you’re a Vancouver Canucks, Detroit Red Wings, or San Jose Sharks fan, if you’re out-of-market, as in not Tampa or Denver, and you’re into hockey enough to watch the Stanley Cup Final, then that extra day off was brutal.

Especially after such an entertaining and suspenseful Game-1.

The games are scheduled to be every-other-night the rest of the way starting this evening.

Dinged up, Damn it

Now the questions revolve around health. Remarkably, both Andrew Cogliano and Nazem Kadri have had hand surgery during these playoffs, Cogliano on a finger, Kadri on a thumb. It appears Cogliano is likelier to play in Game-2 tonight than Kadri, who is doubtful.

Cogliano was injured while blocking a shot in Game-4 of the Western Conference Final, while Kadri was hurt in the same series in a cheap shot check from behind by Evander Kane of the Oilers in Game-3.

Anyone else find it ironic that the Avalanche have been so open in describing these injuries, ones that easily could be attacked, whacked, and hacked upon the players’ return, while someone out with a groin injury, even during the regular season, must be described as ‘lower body’. Like someone’s going to attack their groin somehow?!

The top secret injury procedures are absurd.

Around We Go

Couple stops on the National Hockey Now ongoing daily tour.

— What team could Barry Trotz end up signing with and will it be as a head coach? He’s shown interest in returning to Nashville in management.

— Who are the best NHL restricted free agents coming up on the market right now?

— Congrats to former NHL winger Marco Sturm on being named head coach of the Ontario Reign, the AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings. The German adds to the growing list of European born coaches and GM’s finding their way to North American gigs.

One Stop Shopping

We’ll finish out our Vancouver Canucks Roll Calls in the coming days. Been busy, here were the last three … Luke Schenn, Travis Dermott, and Jason Dickinson.

And the latest on the Vancouver Canucks, and their fans, courtship of Russian free agent winger Andrey Kuzmenko.

Oh, Enjoy the Hockey Action !!