Welcome Back || January 14th

Well well well...look who decided to stop being a Bettman-face and play some hockey...

If you're like me then you probably started out an expert on the lockout, then about by day 60, your patience and understanding slowly melted away along with the rinks.  Come January, and then all of the sudden the NHL and NHLPA got around to finally figuring out the revolving door and getting a deal done.

Damn you recessive hair loss gene!

Which brings us to the upcoming January 19th season opener against the Anaheim Ducks.  We waited 113 days, missed over half the season, and LADIES AND GENTLEMEN....Ryan Getzlaf's hairline!  All we can hope for is that the game - every game for that matter - goes into overtime and 10 rounds of a shootout.  I mean, we have 44 games to make up for, so they damn well better be 6 hours long.

Hands up if you are doing a hockey pool this year...Now hands up if you are doing a hockey pool and can remember who is is on what team...didn't think so.  Here is a quick refresher for what's happened for the Canucks.

1.  Lock out officially announced.
2.  Lock out officially ended
3.  Roberto Luongo trade rumors begin.

Other than that though, the Canucks have gotten a little tougher on defense by signing Jim Vandermeer and gotten a little 3rd round-ier in signing Cam Barker.  Barker is looking to rebound off of a slowly declining career after being traded to the Wild.

Forwards stay pretty well the same, minus Kesler for the first bit of the season.  Honestly though, that's never really been a problem for the most part.  The Sedin's will continue to score, Raymond will continue to fall on his ass, and Higgins will KEEP HIS DAMN JERSEY DOWN!

There isn't really much to say.  We can complain about the lockout, we can say the fans are going to lockout the league, but we won't.  We are all going to go watch the game on Saturday against Anaheim...and we're going to love it.