Canucks Daily: The Islanders Weren’t the $1.28-Billion Winners, Ryan Apologizes

Sidney Crosby went first overall to the Pittsburgh Penguins while the Vancouver Canucks selected defenceman Luc Bourdon 10th-overall. Seeing a lot of reflections on social media Saturday regarding the 2005 NHL Draft held on this very late date in Toronto because of delays due to the owner’s lock-out that wiped out the 2004-’05 season.

Bobby Ryan (news below) went second to the Anaheim Ducks, followed by Jack Johnson to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Bourdon was killed in a motorcycle accident in May of 2008 after playing in 27 games for the Vancouver Canucks and 41 for the affiliated Manitoba Moose of the AHL during the 2007-’08 season. The lefty D-man scored his 1st NHL goal on November 16th, 2007, one of two he’d get in his rookie season.

The Canucks 2nd-round pick that year, 51st-overall, was Mason Raymond, a winger who went on to play 546 NHL games with four different clubs. He had a 25 goal and 53 point campaign during the 2009-’10 season for the Vancouver Canucks before leaving as a free agent for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2013. He also played for the Calgary Flames and briefly the Anaheim Ducks before finishing his playing days in 2017 with Bern in Switzerland.

In the 5th-round the Canucks selected a kid named Matt, the son of what former Vancouver defenceman who was selected 10th-overall by the club in 1981? Answer at bottom.

Morning Twirl

The New York Islanders spent $50,000 on 25,000 Mega-Millions lottery tickets this week to try to win the $1.28-billion dollar lottery jackpot. The winning numbers, 13, 36, 45, 57, 67, and bonus ball 14 were selected Friday night. There was one winner of the jackpot. The Islanders said if they won, they’d split the proceeds between season ticket holders, staff, and the Islanders Children’s Foundation. Of course, there are lesser prizes for matching fewer numbers; no word on who has to check the 25,000 tickets. (Update: they didn’t win the big prize; the winner bought the ticket at a gas station just northwest of Chicago).

Ryan Response

Bobby Ryan, who played for Anaheim, Ottawa and Detroit, offered an apology for being publicly intoxicated at Nashville International Airport. Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now has the story on Ryan’s heartfelt response. 

Ryan, 35, scored 261 goals in his career and he won the Masterton Trophy in 2020 after publicly sharing his experience with alcohol abuse.

Answer

In 1981 the Vancouver Canucks selected right-shot defenceman Garth Butcher 10th-overall. The popular pugilist went on to play 610 games for the team before being moved to the St. Louis Blues at the trade deadline in 1991.

ICYMI on Friday – John Klingberg is off the right-shot D-man market.