With Coach V gone, who takes over as the Canucks' bench boss?

After being hired in 2006, Vigneault amassed a regular season record of 313-170-57, a Jack Adams award in 2007 and was one win away from a Stanley Cup championship in 2011. While not many expect Coach V to be out of work for too long given his resume, there was a feeling that he was losing his ability to motivate his lineup after over 6 years in Vancouver. Two years removed from the 2011 Stanley Cup final and despite continuing to win the Northwest division title, the Canucks have had lethargic showings down the stretch and in the playoffs. Their inability to score goals in the post-season has been well-documented, and calls for change could no longer be ignored after another disappointing finish this year. Vigneault’s dismissal is probably just the beginning of changes for the Canucks this summer, with an impatient fan base recognizing that the window to win for this group is rapidly closing.

With the coaching position now vacant, who do you think should take over behind the Canucks bench? There is no shortage of qualified candidates, with the likes of ex-Sabres coach Lindy Ruff and Marlies boss Dallas Eakins potentially available.

Patrick Marleau’s powerplay goal in overtime of Game 4 saw the Sharks captain sweep a loose puck and the Canucks out of the playoffs. In a way, it personified everything that went wrong for Vancouver in the series. Debate all you want on whether Daniel Sedin’s shoulder-to-shoulder hit on Tommy Wingels warranted a boarding penalty (in my opinion it was an awful call) but the writing was on the wall for the Canucks long before referee Kelly Sutherland’s arm went up for the last time in the hockey game. Vancouver was outworked and outhustled by the Sharks, and spent way too much time in the penalty box. Game 4 also marked the first time the Canucks scored 3 goals in a game, to bring their series-long total to just 8 goals. That’s simply not good enough, and now the Canucks face a long summer as an impatient fans and media in Vancouver wonder how a team that came one game away from a Stanley Cup in 2011 could post such mediocrity in the two years following.

There are some certainties. Coach Alain Vigneault will not be back. GM Mike Gillis is also on the on hot seat, after failing to move Roberto Luongo and making roster transactions that haven’t panned out into post-season success. This current Canucks core has been the most talented and successful in franchise history, but two early and decisive playoff exits provide plenty of evidence that change is needed. What’s not clear is how sweeping those changes need to be – do the Canucks blow up the roster for an early rebuild, or do they keep the faith that the current core has another 2011-esque run in them?

The slow sales of first-round playoff tickets this year are sure to get the attention of Canucks ownership. A message has been sent by the fan base – Vancouverites aren’t content to fork over big money for pricey seats unless they see clear signs that the team will go deep into the postseason. Call Vancouver fans spoiled, but the apathy should sound enough warning bells for management that a new direction is needed.

What do you think the Canucks should do in the off-season?

One of the things I personally look forward to when the playoffs roll around is watching CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada flex its creative muscle with its wonderfully-made video montages. Mike Brehm from USA TODAY sums it up quite nicely:

Two reasons to tune in to Hockey Night in Canada for the playoffs: To see if Don Cherry says anything controversial and to view CBC’s opening playoff montage video.

Here is the aforementioned intro, which highlights the 60 years of coverage by the venerable Canadian institution:

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As for the four Canadian teams in action, the Vancouver Canucks (3rd) kick things off at home on Wednesday as they host the San Jose Sharks (6th). Despite a trend of dominance in years past, the Sharks have had the edge in head-to-head play in this abbreviated season, winning all three regular season games (2 in regulation, one in a shootout). Both teams will have a lot to prove going into the playoffs.

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On Thursday, the other three Canadian teams get going on their series, with an all-Canadian matchup between the Ottawa Senators (7th) and Montreal Canadiens (2nd) at the Bell Centre, and an Original Six series between the Boston Bruins (4th) and Toronto Maple Leafs (5th).

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That wait is finally over.

Playoff tickets for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks went on sale today. For Canucks fans, the playoffs have become something they’ve grown accustomed to, having won five straight Northwest Division titles and back-to-back President’s Trophies in 2011 and 2012.
However, this marks the first time that Leafs Nation has entered the postseason since the 2004-2005 lockout (yes, the LAST lockout before this year’s). Needless to say, Leafs fans are excited. So excited, that is, that the CN Tower will glow blue during playoff games and fans have created a petition to turn it into a giant red goal light. These are jubilant times in Leaf Land to say the least.

ShowTimeTickets.com is your source for NHL playoff tickets to any of the 16 teams – We are Never Sold Out!

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TSN reported today that the National Hockey League intends to sign contracts with four additional stadiums to host outdoor games. In addition to the Winter Classic at Michigan’s Big House on January 1st, 2014 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings, five other outdoor games will be added to the regular season schedule.

Those dates are:

What do you think of the move towards more outdoor, high-capacity hockey games?

The new alignment will place 16 teams in the Eastern Conference and 14 in the Western Conference. Post-season play will still include 16 teams, eight from each conference with wild-card provisions in place.

The new divisions have yet to be named, but will consist of the following teams:

Division A (West):
Anaheim Ducks
Calgary Flames
Edmonton Oilers
Los Angeles Kings
Phoenix Coyotes
San Jose Sharks
Vancouver Canucks

Division B (West):
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Dallas Stars
Minnesota Wild
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues
Winnipeg Jets

Division C (East):
Boston Bruins
Detroit Red Wings
Montreal Canadiens
Toronto Maple Leafs
Ottawa Senators
Buffalo Sabres
Florida Panthers
Tampa Bay Lightning

Division D (East):
Columbus Blue Jackets
Carolina Hurricanes
Washington Capitals
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins

What do you think of the new divisions? Which new match-ups are you most looking forward to?

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Link to the full NHL game and broadcast schedule (via NHL.com)

While fans are probably more than a little excited about the return of NHL hockey to our arenas and televisions, they are likely disappointed with the fact that the schedule features in-conference games only. This means fans looking for a renewal of the Canucks-Bruins rivalry or for Sid the Kid to come out West will either have to hope for a match-up in the Stanley Cup Finals, or wait til next year.
Does the in-conference only schedule affect whether you’ll be going back to NHL hockey this year? Or are you excited for hockey anyway?

ShowTimeTickets.com is your source for NHL hockey tickets, no matter what team you root for. Whether you’re looking for tickets to the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs or Los Angeles Kings, we’ll get you to the big game!

On the eve of the tomorrow’s latest labour talks between the NHL and the NHLPA, the remainder of the 2012 NHL preseason was officially cancelled.

The regular season is scheduled to begin on October 11, but with no signs of optimism coming out talks to date, one might forgive a fan for being pessimistic of punctual start to the season.

Are we destined for another lost season? When do you predict we’ll see hockey return to our arenas?

It’s been one of the biggest give-ins in the NHL since Cory Schneider started Game 4 in the Canucks’ first-round playoff series against the LA Kings, but Roberto Luongo’s departure looks as inevitable as ever. In an interview with Vancouver’s CFOX radio station this morning, the man himself spoke of his future in no uncertain terms by stating the following:

“At the end of the day, it’s time to move on and I’m okay with that. I had a great six years in Vancouver. I think it’s a wonderful city, I really enjoyed my time there. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to bring a Stanley Cup there, which was probably my biggest regret. But it will be remembered for six great years.” Source: TSN.ca

With his remarks this morning on CFOX radio, Roberto Luongo essentially waved goodbye to Vancouver.

To be honest, for all the criticism Luongo’s endured in his six years here in Vancouver, you can’t argue that he’s been instrumental to the Canucks’ success this past half-decade. He’s easily the best goalie the franchise has ever had, and the only truly elite-calibre one we’ve seen in the Canucks’ crease. While Vancouver still hasn’t won a Stanley Cup yet, we likely would have in 2011 if Roberto had any sort of offensive help versus the Bruins. He helped carry the team to another President’s Trophy this year when the Canucks limped through the regular season for the most part, only to be hung out to dry again against the Kings. The fans cheered as Cory Schneider took over the crease, but the Canucks nonetheless were eliminated in five short games this spring. Make no mistake, Luongo is being replaced by Cory Schneider not because he’s played poorly the past two seasons, but because the Canucks can’t afford to let a budding star like Cory sit on the bench any longer.

The criticisms of Luongo in the media and by the absurdly fickle fans in Vancouver have often been unfair, but to his credit Roberto has never been anything but a class act the past six years. While Schneider could and should prove to be a great successor in Vancouver, it will still be a sad day when the “Luuu”s fall silent at Rogers Arena.

Where do you think Luongo will end up this summer? What’s been your favorite highlight in his time in Vancouver?

Whether it’s Cory Schneider or Roberto Luongo in the crease next season, fans can be sure that the Canucks will be looking for redemption after such a disappointing postseason. When the puck drops, ShowTimeTickets.com will have tickets for every Canucks game, as well as for all 30 teams in the NHL!