Canucks Daily: Stars Owner Rips NHL Salaries, Russian Coach Wants Ovechkin and Malkin Home

September is upon us and the Vancouver Canucks will start moving to the forefront of sports fans’ minds in British Columbia. The Canucks rookie tournament begins in 15 days in Penticton with training camp for the big boys in Whistler a week later. The NHL is almost here, so …

Let’s Skate!

By the way, it’ll also be basketball season soon, and I was just thinking, based on past experience, it would be hard to find five guys on an NHL team that can effectively play basketball. Hockey players who can hoop it up; it’s a rare crossover. Just sayin’. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Know of any/many rare exceptions?

About fifteen years ago I somehow found myself on the North Carolina State basketball court with the Boston Bruins in lieu of a morning skate. Pretty sure I was the only guy who could dunk, other than Zdeno Chara. Maybe former Bruins and Canucks defenceman Andrew Alberts.

Sully’s ‘Revenge’

Speaking of the Bruins, one-time head coach Mike Sullivan got screwed by the club after coaching the 2005-’06 season. I’ll spare you the many details, but it’s fair to say the also one-time Vancouver Canucks assistant coach has bounced back rather nicely. In fact, Pittsburgh Hockey Now says that Sully could go down as one of the all-time greats. For now, he’s under contract for five more seasons. Pittsburgh Penguins.

Russians Go Home?

Canucks fans and others around the NHL have been somewhat emotional about the contrast between Russian hockey players working over here and that country’s invasion and war in Ukraine. There seems to be a near-consensus that the professional hockey players shouldn’t be held responsible for the actions of that country’s leader and government, nor should their families be put at risk should the players mouth off in protest.

Well, according to Washington Hockey Now, there’s one Russian coach who feels that the Alexander Ovechkins and Evgeni Malkins of the world should be playing at home. He’s angry the country and KHL have not done more to bring back stars like Malkin and Ovechkin.

Seeing Stars

We may have missed it on Tuesday, but Dallas Stars owner Tom Gaglardi did the opposite of team building. Listen on the tweet …

Stars owner Tom Gaglardi isn’t a fan of paying kids out of entry level big money…says veteran players are getting squeezed because star players are being paid all the money. 👇👇👇 🤔 ⁦@CamandStrick⁩ #Hockeytwitter pic.twitter.com/UgSOAzS9sM

— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) August 30, 2022