Mr. Shark's ARTICLES

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Entry Draft - Top 5!

June 10, 1999

There seems to be some agreement on the top handful of players that should be taken. Maybe it is time the Vancouver Canucks not take the no-brainer pick and go off the board a bit. They�ve had no-brainer picks before that did not turn out to be the best available!

In the 1988 Entry Draft it was obvious that they would take the player left over. The Minnesota North Stars had the decision between Mike Modano and Trevor Linden and they chose correctly by choosing Modano. That left a �slam-dunk� decision for the Canucks to select Linden with the 2^nd overall pick. They wouldn�t be second-guessed, because he was the obvious choice any other team in the NHL would have done the same.

Here is a list of the players that arguably should�ve been selected over Linden. The Canucks could have had selected Jeremy Roenick (8^th), Rod Brind�Amour (9^th), Teemu Selanne (10^th), Mark Recchi (67^th), Rob Blake (70^th), Alex Mogilny (89^th). It turns out that maybe choosing the very good Linden was not quite as obvious a selection as first thought. Lets hope for the long-suffering Vancouver faithful the Canucks choose the best player available not just the safest and most obvious.

Here is a look at five of the top players eligible to be selected by the Vancouver Canucks at the 1999 Entry Draft scheduled for Saturday, June 26 at the FleetCenter in Boston.

-Patrik Stefan of Long Beach (IHL) had good statistics before he was injured. In 33 games he scored 11 times and added 24 assists for 35 points, he was also a plus 8. Stefan was having mixed results in his rookie season in pro hockey. He is a highly skilled 18yr old center and at 6�1 and 205lbs and still growing, you would think the Canucks couldn�t lose picking him.

There are dangers in selecting him though. His skating is poor and his long-term health must be a concern. Remember even though he had a good rookie season in the IHL this is the same league in which the Canucks� winless Kevin Weekes dominated in goal and mediocre Ottawa Senators� forward Radek Bonk starred.

-Czech Pavel Brendl played rightwing for the Calgary Hitmen (WHL) and had great numbers. In 68 regular season games he had 73 goals and 61 assists for 134 points. In the WHL playoffs he scored 21 times and added 25 assists in only 20 games. Unlike Stefan, the 6�, and 204lbs Brendl is very powerful and smooth on the ice.

He is however, a bit of a head case and is a big fan of Petr Nedved. He was suspended for game four in the WHL final for an obscene gesture he displayed in game three of that series. This is the player the Canucks need, an entertaining free spirit that scores.

-Daniel Sedin played with his twin brother for MoDo of the Swedish Elite league. Listed at 6�2 and 187lbs he is slightly smaller than his twin brother Henrik. He had 5 goals and 5 assists in 6 games in the 1999 WJC and was fairly impressive, especially earlier in the tournament. Daniel scored 21 times and added 21 assists in 50 games for MoDo tied for 13^th overall in scoring in the League.

Slightly more talented than his brother and listed at leftwing, but can play any forward position, Daniel would be a welcome addition in Vancouver. Like his brother he has is a great playmaker and good skater. In addition they both are superior stick-handlers with good vision. The big worry on taking Daniel or Henrik is would they sulk if not drafted by the same NHL team?

-Henrik Sedin played with his twin in Sweden. Like his brother he is able to play all forward positions, but is most comfortable at center. Being a natural center could make him a bit more valuable to the Canucks, who are desperately weak at center. He had 3 goals and 6 assists in 6 games in the 1999 WJC. Henrik Sedin scored 12 goals and added 22 assists in 49 games for MoDo tied for 25^th overall in scoring in the League.

Henrik Sedin is listed at 6�3 and 196 and nearly as skilled as his brother, he is just as unlikely to initiate physical contact. He is believed to be the twin that would stay in Sweden rather than be drafted by a different team than the one that selects his brother. The worry for the Canucks if they select this Sedin is, does he have what it takes to be an offensive star in the NHL? He may also not have quite the upside as some of the others in the top 5.

-Jamie Lundmark of the Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL), is the best bet of any Canadian born player to be chosen in the top 5 in this years NHL Entry Draft. Listed at 6� and 175lbs there is little doubt that it would be in his best interest to play another year in junior. He is 3^rd on the Central Scouting Bureau�s list of North American skaters. He produced 40 goals and 51 assists in 70 regular season games, making him 3^rd amongst all rookies in the WHL. In the WHL playoffs he chipped in with 5 goals and 4 assists in 11 games.

Lundmark is a smart offensive player that has great acceleration. He�s also a very good passer, playmaker and at the same time he possesses a hard and accurate shot. Still the Canucks would be dropping down the list a bit in picking him up and opening themselves up to terrible criticism. However, would they be able and interested in a trade to drop down a few spots to select Lundmark? What else could they pry out of team that would make a trade to move up is the big question.

The Vancouver Canucks will get the rewards that come with a dismal season finishing in last place in the Western Conference and second worst overall. Something that is becoming all too common for the franchise in the past few years.

There is no worry that they�ll take a defenseman this year with their first pick as the top 6 - 10 should all be forwards. The Canucks have a stated draft policy of going after the best player available in the first round, but this hasn�t always worked out. They also have tended to go after players that are big and physical. It is time to draft a player that is a pure point producer, preferably at the center position. The team already has too many mushers, it is time for some rushers.

A look at the BC Lion's No. 1 QB.

June 25, 1999

Preseason isn�t supposed to mean a thing, but Damon Allen�s 5 of 12 passing for 52 yards in BC�s first preseason game must be looked at as a sign of things to come under his guidance. Why does the management and coaching have so much faith in Allen, I don�t see the same faith in him displayed by the Lion�s fans. In fact it is arguable whether the players have faith in him. I�m sure Damon Allen is a fine human being and was once a great quarterback, but that was a few seasons ago. The team does not have the luxury of just putting out a good product they are already dangerously close to being a non-factor in the lives of any sports fan under the age of 40. Can they really afford to miss another generation of fans?

The BC Lions went out and spent and spent some more in the off season to make sure that they will be actually in the Grey Cup game at BC Place this season. Unfortunately they did not upgrade themselves at one key position, that of Quarterback. Damon Allen inspires little to no fan support, which is a big marketing problem. The Lions offense is rarely exciting and for fans that love the aerial attack another year of the �dump� pass has to leave all cringing. Why would the Lions, with such a promising offense on paper, put a QB that quite evidently doesn�t have what it takes any longer to lead a team all the way?

The Lions have to do two things for even the possibility of winning back the many fans they have lost in the last decade. They first have to win and win often! At least one home playoff game is a must this season. The second is to get those wins by playing an exciting brand of football that incorporates a high-powered offensive that will encourage rain soaked football fans throughout the Lowermainland to sit in the Dome even when the sun is shining..

Many fans are left wondering why they should go to a game with poor entertainment value, in a building with little atmosphere and even less comfort. It doesn�t have to be that way, just ask anyone who's ever been to a Lion's game when the Dome was full of �juiced up� fans! The infamous Western final against the Blue Bombers in 85� had an unbelievable atmosphere. Thirty minutes before the game started fans were unable to carry on a conversation with their neighbour. Nowadays the team would be hard pressed to fill the Dome at almost any cost.

The BC Lions have got to find a way to develop a quarterback from within. They haven�t developed a top notch QB since the days of Roy Dewalt. They should get some credit for bringing in Doug Flutie, who they lost almost as quickly, but they really can�t take any credit for developing him. Quick, name the last young QB the Lions have given any significant playing time to?

The list of players that have played for the Lions since the glory days of the 80�s reads like a who�s who of the Canadian Football League. QB�s such as Danny Barrett, Matt Dunigan, Doug Flutie, Conredge Holloway, Danny McManus & Kent Austin were all great in their prime. But by the time most of these guys ever tossed a football in anger for the Lions, they were definitely on the decline.

Damon Allen should be in the CFL hall-of-fame, but he is well passed his prime and he should be used to tutor a promising rookie or sophomore. Not, as Adam Rita would have you believe, who believes that Allen actually has as many as 6 years left. If Rita is serious about getting that many more years out of his QB, then he should be replaced at this moment. Could you imagine what the Lions� faithful would be subjected to on a nightly basis even a few seasons from now? It would make there mediocre passing game they displayed for most of last season; seem like Doug Flutie was back in a Lions uniform.

A look at the Lions Quarterback depth chart does not bring any more encouragement to fans this season with the likes of NFL washout/surfer dude Todd Marinovich, and untested Khari Jones who�s not even a household name at his house.

Marinovich may still work out with the Lions and he will take some time to adjust himself to all the motion of the CFL game compared with the much more conservative NFL game. But at 30yrs old and with a drug charge under his belt can he really be any type of a long-term solution to the QB position for BC? He appeared to be a bit confused with the motion of the CFL game in his first preseason game, which is understandable, but is he really a solution or a gimmick hatched by the promotions department? Marinovich was 4 of 7 for a total of 29 yards and threw with authority. But will he be given the time needed to develop to eventually help the BC Lions? Is he really ready to sit on the sidelines and watch game after game with little chance of getting in any quality playing time? How long before Marinovich says enough of living and playing in �Football Siberia� and pack it in to play for an Arena football team in the USA near a beach?

Third string Khari Jones is returning to the Lions and is hopeful of winning the back up role to Damon Allen. The question is whether this guy has the upside to one day take over the starters job? He is 28yrs old, which isn�t old for a Quarterback, but it makes you wonder how long before he goes from promising prospect with potential to a player that is quietly cut or not brought back the following season as the team decides to go in a different direction? It must be said that in his first preseason game he was by far the most successful of the quarterbacks. A great start, but it is only one game. Jones was good on nine of 12 passes for 133 yards. Two of those passes were for fourth quarter touchdowns. Even if he does beat out Marinovich for the back up role will that see him getting any quality playing time when the real season starts?

It is time for the team to stop thinking about today only. Granted they have to win now, but they must eventually build a team that fans can get behind and know that when they pay to see a game that the Lions will be entertaining and competitive. It appears that they will be able to field a competitive product this season. The jury is still out on whether this addition of the British Columbia Lions will be anymore entertaining than the 98� edition. Lets hope so, but if not look at the bright side you�ll be able to sit in your own section!

Mark Messier Broadway Bound?

July 2, 1999

The Mark Messier experiment can officially and finally be deemed a failure by one and all. Who is to blame for one of the greatest player�s failure to lift the fans let alone his teammates from amongst the NHL�s basement to a team that all can be proud of? Well the blame can be dished out to the New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks, and finally Mark Messier should all take their fair share of the blame.

The Rangers should be blamed because they let business get in the way of keeping the most popular player ever to wear a New York Ranger jersey. They could have had him much cheaper than what the Canucks paid for him, but they wanted to dicker over money. They showed little respect to the player that led them to their first Stanley Cup in over fifty years. They knew Messier loved New York and they thought he�d take what they wanted to give and if not, they would be able to blame the player for being greedy. All one had to do was listen to the Ranger faithful at Gretzky�s last game as Messier was introduced and was greeted as a conquering hero compared with the chorus of boo�s that befell GM Neil Smith.

The Rangers either didn�t believe he would go or didn�t care. They misjudged how hurt Messier�s feelings were and how truly slighted he was with their �take it or leave it� approach to contract negotiations. After he signed with Vancouver, the Rangers tried to spin it anyway they could, but the Ranger fans just didn�t care

The Vancouver Canucks should take the blame for not realizing that bringing in Messier would mean a radical shift in team chemistry. For truly being fooled that �on paper� they were just a player or two from being contenders, even though they couldn�t make the playoffs the year prior. Did they do enough to fix the problems the team quite obviously had before Messier arrived? What was former General Manager Pat Quinn�s role in this mess?

There have always been rumours that the decision was made without Pat Quinn�s consent, although publicly he has denied this. But let us for a moment say it is true, then why would such a proud man, not have quit on principle? He has admitted, after being fired, that his relationship with the suits at Orca Bay was fragile at best. By staying with the team he did endorse the signing as far as most Canuck fans are concerned. If however, Quinn did agree with the Messier signing, then this is even a greater example that he had lost touch with the team and the turmoil that is still haunting the club to this day.

Mark Messier should also take his share of the blame. He never truly wanted to leave New York. He let a combination of pride and greed get in his way of staying in the �Big Apple�. Messier is such a positive person and great leader that he could come to grips with his own immortality. He was aging and was not able to lead players like he has before. He could lead as much by his actions on the ice as he could by words off it.

The final nail in the coffin for Messier staying in New York was his last playoffs in New York, especially in how the Rangers lost the series to the Philadelphia Flyers. He showed that he was no longer a dominating center as Eric Lindros manhandled him and proved Messier was mortal. Rumblings of Messier not having it anymore had been around, but after the series with the Flyers they were louder than ever.

Why then would anyone involved want to have Messier come back to New York? Well for the Rangers it would be a great way to win back fans from two mediocre seasons. The team could use some good PR as they appear to be no closer to being a contender next season as they were this year.

With the retirement of Wayne Gretzky will the New York Rangers go after one of the big free agents of either Recchi and or Fleury? Even if they sign one of those players there could still be troubled times in New York. Brian Leetch did not act like a player that resigned with the club out of loyalty. Much of there talent is aging. How long do they hope to get anything out of players like Kevin Stevens. The Rangers staved off some of the major problems by not losing Leetch, but they did trade promising Dan Cloutier, Marc Savard and Niklas Sundstrom in draft day trades. That may help them in the future, but even John Muckler admitted that if the season started on draft day they would be weaker. A lot of these problems could be solved with bringing back Messier.

The Rangers will continue on building from within with their talented youth and watch for forwards Petr Nedved, Pavel Brendl, Manny Malhotra and Jamie Lundmark to get bigger roles with the club. The Rangers Neil Smith proved this season, to his credit, that he will not try to buy a playoff spot with a mediocre team. But is this a short-term thing or is he willing to take the abuse of rebuilding in New York? Getting Messier would buy him time in rebuilding the team.

The Vancouver Canucks are at least two seasons from making the playoffs. When that happens, it takes most teams another season or two to be real contenders. The Canucks could easily be four or five years away from being as competitive as the St. Louis Blues are now. Rebuilding this team can not be rushed, it will take more losing, and more high draft picks to right a ship that is so horribly of course. Why not make it known that for the price of any combination of Manny Maholtra, Jamie Lundmark & or draft picks, Mark Messier could be had? Heck, we would even be willing to pay part of his salary!

After being reminded of Mark Messier�s mega-star popularity in New York during Gretzky�s last game, and the lack of respect he gets in Vancouver with the faltering Canucks, it would be in both teams best interest to have Messier return to New York! All that it would take on the Rangers side is a bit of cash and maybe a player or two. The Canucks are a long way from being legitimate contenders for a Playoff spot let alone the Stanley Cup, so giving Messier a happier last few seasons would be a classy thing for the team to do.

Rightly or wrongly Messier has never clicked with Vancouver and we have never clicked with him. A future hall-of-famer deserves to be treated with the admiration of a city and fans that love him, unfortunately that will never be the case here.