Vancouver Canucks
Simmer’s Skate: Abby Canucks Sign a D-man, Another New NHL Coach
Saturday morning, the Vancouver Canucks American Hockey League affiliate in Abbotsford announced the signing of defenceman Quinn Schmiemann to a two-year AHL contract. The Kamloops Blazers captain helped lead Kamloops to their third consecutive British Columbia Division title in the Western Hockey League.
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound, left-shot D-man played all of his 201 career WHL regular season games with the Blazers. The Wilcox, Saskatchewan native was the 6th-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2019 draft.
BC Boys
Not ‘the BC Boys’ as in the Vancouver Canucks, just ‘BC Boys’ as in those natives with a role in the Stanley Cup Final. Both defencemen were dynamic for the Colorado Avalanche Friday night despite the 3-2 losing effort to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Devon Toews – Colorado Avalanche – D-man – Abbotsford – 5 GP – 25:55 average ice time, 2 assists, 9 shot-on-goal, Minus-3, 4 blocked shots, 8 hits, 157 total shifts, 5:48 total power play ice time, 16:26 total penalty kill ice time
Bowen Byram – Colorado Avalanche – D-man – Cranbrook – 5 GP – 22:35 average ice time, 1 assist, 12 shots-on-goal, Plus-2, 8 blocked shots, 9 hits, 146 total shifts, 5:30 total power play time, 3:28 total penalty kill ice time
Jon Cooper – Tampa Bay Lightning – Head Coach – Prince George – 2 and 3 – Concerned but encouraged.
Joe Sakic – Colorado Avalanche – General Manager – Burnaby – 3-and-2 – Confident but nervous.
Canucks Calendar
The Vancouver Canucks still hold the 15th-overall selection for the 1st round of the upcoming NHL Draft on July 7th. Rounds two through seven will unfold on July 8th in Montreal. Vancouver does not have a 2nd round pick but they do have a pick in each of the subsequent rounds.
According to Vancouver Canucks GM Patrik Allvin, Assistant GM Cammi Granato and Assistant to the GM Ryan Johnson are filling out the roster for the Canucks Development/Prospects Camp which is still slated for July 10th to the 15th up the hill at UBC.
NHL Free Agent frenzy begins at 9 am pacific on July 13th.
The Young Stars Classic rookie tournament originally slated for September 14th to the 18th in Penticton was slid to September 16th through the 19th and involves the Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, and Winnipeg Jets.
National Hockey Now
The NHL coaching carousel dominates the national Hockey Now discussion.
— The Chicago Blackhawks have a new head coach. Luke Richardson, a Canadiens assistant, will get the big job. Montreal Canadiens news.
— Greg Cronin, the head coach of the Colorado Eagles โ the Avalanche AHL farm team โ is a Boston guy and interviewed with the Boston Bruins.
— Ex-players say the Flyers will love โmaniacโ John Tortorella.
— Pete DeBoer is the new head coach of the Dallas Stars. However, he admitted he was rattled after getting fired by the Vegas Golden Knights.
Instead of ‘Enjoy the Hockey Action’, that’s tomorrow, how about …. Get Outside Vancouver Canucks Fans!ย What a beauty. Cheers!