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Canucks Daily: Team Owner Accused of Abuse, Leafs Star Out
CBC News, Hockey Night in Canada, and the Province have reported that Vancouver Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini has been accused of earlier abuse by his now adult children, all surfacing during court proceedings related to a previous divorce settlement and ongoing financial obligations.
Mr. Aquilini has denied the allegations and has attested that all financial obligations are up to date. The CBC reported that ‘both parties agree that Francesco Aquilini has paid his obligated support up until August 2022’.
The graphic details of incidents of childhood abuse were spelled out in limited fashion during court hearings on Tuesday. He referred to them as outrageous and his lawyer called them irrelevant.
Yes, realizing the high profile nature of the proceedings, but also realizing that the B.C. Supreme Court beat is far from our favourite …
Let’s Skate!
You don’t need to tell the Vancouver Canucks; we’re still deep in the NHL preseason and the injuries are mounting. Toronto Maple Leafs centre John Tavares is the latest casualty.
Captain Tavares is out at least three weeks with an oblique injury.
โHeโs a huge part of our team and that alters our plan for sure,โ Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe told the Toronto Sun. โBut weโve played without guys before. Thereโs opportunity to step in and fill up that space.โ
Where have we heard that before?
Trade Talk
NHL ‘Insider’ Elliotte Friedman says the Ottawa Senators trade conversations with the Arizona Coyotes for veteran defenceman Jakob Chychrun have been on-again and off-again. The Coyotes apparently want 21-year-old right-shot centre Shane Pinto and the Senators wonโt budge.
The Czech Three
You likely recall the ‘Russian Five’ that helped the Detroit Red Wings win a Stanley Cup in 1997. The club also had an all-Red Wings Swedish unit playing and winning a Gold Medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy (Vancouver Canucks player development coach Mikael Samuelsson being one of them), and now they’re staring at an all-Czech line of Filip Zadina, Dominik Kubalik and Jakub Vrana.
The only problem is, head coach Derek Lalonde says ‘not so fast’.
Happy Hump Day!