Another year of tough travelling for Vancouver
With the NHL schedules being released today, it’s no surprise that the Canucks once again regain the title of the team with the toughest trips.
And that travel begins right off the bat.
After their home opener against Calgary on October 9, Vancouver takes to the road for six straight games before coming back to face the Oilers and the Bruins - which will mark a return of Vancouver’s golden boy Milan Lucic.
If the lack of offense doesn’t already deter players from wanting to play on the squad, then the travel sure as hell might.
In addition to that first six-game road trip, Vancouver will also be sleeping in hotels for 15 nights - or a seven game trip - during the start of December as well as another six games away from home near the end of the season.
Another disappointment would be the fact that former captain Markus Naslund will not be making a return to GM Place as the New York Rangers are not visiting B.C. this season. Yes of course, the league does not set matches according to signings and trades, but the problem is that Vancouver fans won’t get to see every team in person this year; and that is a mistake.
On that same note, Northwest division fans won’t get to see Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin play in their home rink this year. Great.
One area that the league has improved on is that all Canadian teams will play at least a home-and-away series with every other Canadian team, giving this nation’s hockey fans an opportunity to see the opposing conference Canadian teams in action - something that was missing last season.
Also on a somewhat positive side of things for the NHL schedule, The Fastest Game’s article has you covered, especially on the games in Stockholm and Prague. But one game during the season, according to The Fastest Game, sums up all the stupidity that always accompanies the schedule.
Oh, and the final stroke of interest? Toronto will be playing a Thanksgiving matinee in Canada. Against the Blues.
I don’t know what the scheduler was smoking, but something had to convince him that watching a game between two non-rival bottom feeders would attract viewers on Thanksgiving. What a joke.
Other games of note for Vancouver includes Brendan Morrison’s return with the Ducks on December 22 and the Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings’ first visit here on November 2.
The full season schedule can be viewed here.
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Thanks for the link
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Good coverage of the Vancouver side of the schedule. Pacific teams in general have it pretty rough, but you’re probably right that Vancouver has it the worst, since they not only have to go East, they also have to pull South significantly to reach their American opponents. That hurts.
It’s too bad that we won’t see Nazzy. Ovechkin and Crosby, I’m not so worried about. If I had to choose between seeing Vancouver play Pittsburgh or Ottawa, I’d choose Ottawa, regardless of Crosby. Same thing goes if it was a choice between Pittsburgh and Colorado. You can only play so many teams in a year, and our team in Vancouver shouldn’t struggle financially from not having the Kid show up.
Considering this aspect makes me consider thing of interest that I hadn’t before, though. Why is it that each year, the man of top interest seems to end up in the East. Crosby, Ovechkin, and Stamkos all end up there. We get Kane, who though skilled, didn’t drum up nearly the intrigue these other superstars did. Weird.
Maybe it’s just better marketing on the part of the East.
No it’s because the East sucks, therefore they get the first overall pick and get the higher profile players in the right year, haha. I would love to watch Crosby and Ovechkin in action in Vancouver again. I believe they have only been here once…