Under appreciated Canucks of All Time

[Mr. Canucklehead]

The Canucks award an Unsung Hero honour each season to a player that is usually under appreciated for their contributions. Over 50 seasons, there’s been more than a few good Canucks who have gone a bit under the radar with the fan base. Who are some for you guys?

I’ll kick things off with Murray Baron. A B.C. boy who was a leader in the room and on the ice, blocked a boat load of shots, and played with a reasonable amount of snarl on the back end for the Canucks. When they emerged once again as a fire wagon offensive team in the early 2000s, Baron was something of an anomaly on the roster with his slower, steadier brand of defense. “Bear” was a guy I always admired for standing up for his teammates and his willingness to throw himself in front of even the hardest slap shots.

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[vadim sharifijanov]

diduck. i still say he was our most important dman of the pat quinn era

 

[Intangibos]

Does Sundin get the 2010 unsung hero award?

 

[clunk]

Willie Mitchell is one for sure imo. I think we win the cup if we have him for 2011 instead of Ballard.

 

[Zombotron]

Willie Mitchell, Mikael Samuelsson and Kyle Wellwood. I remember Pavol Demitra occasionally being pilloried for an inconsistent effort level, but him too

 

[TryamkinPleaseReturn]

Higgins, Torres and Lapierre. Key depth pieces who all made an impact on our cup run. Rarely talked about.

...Not to take this thread off track, but after typing that out, it makes me think about how some people can put together a championship team... without giving up significant assets...

 

[PG Canuck]

I still think Edler doesn’t get the love he deserves to get. I’ve seen far more complaints about him than anything, I feel like. He’ll easily be one of the best defenseman for the Canucks ever.

 

[Didalee Hed]

Higgins, Torres and Lapierre. Key depth pieces who all made an impact on our cup run. Rarely talked about.

...Not to take this thread off track, but after typing that out, it makes me think about how some people can put together a championship team... without giving up significant assets...

A guy like Torres has unfortunately been legislated out of the game, but holy f***ing shit did I love him here.

 

[4Twenty]

Edler. If this guy put up this career in Toronto or Montreal he’d be lauded universally.

I like Scott Lachance too. Rock solid stay at homer who helped solidify the blue line from the messier era Into the WCE.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

A guy like Torres has unfortunately been legislated out of the game, but holy f***ing shit did I love him here.

Yeah, Torres was fun to watch when he went full wrecking ball out there. After so many years of people taking runs at our star players with impunity, it was kind of nice to have the shoe on the other foot.

 

[LuckyDay]

I was disappointed that Trent Klatt wasn't at the Sedin retirement ceremony because he was critical in teaching them what it takes to make it in the NHL. Here's a guy who played his way back into the NHL when his career seemed to be winding down. The guy killed himself out there and his commitment was eye opening. It was a brilliant move Crow putting him on their line.

He ended up being one of the hardliner holdouts in the union during the lockout (along with Domi and Chelios) and had real animosity towards Trevor Linden for even considering capitulating to Bettman but it may have been because he let himself go and wasn't anywhere near gameshape when the season resumed.
--
Andre Boudrias, the Canucks first real superstar, is almost forgotten for the talent he was.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

I was disappointed that Trent Klatt wasn't at the Sedin retirement ceremony because he was critical in teaching them what it takes to make it in the NHL. Here's a guy who played his way back into the NHL when his career seemed to be winding down. The guy killed himself out there and his commitment was eye opening. It was a brilliant move Crow putting him on their line.

He ended up being one of the hardliner holdouts in the union during the lockout (along with Domi and Chelios) and had real animosity towards Trevor Linden for even considering capitulating to Bettman but it may have been because he let himself go and wasn't anywhere near gameshape when the season resumed.
--
Andre Boudrias, the Canucks first real superstar, is almost forgotten for the talent he was.

Two great choices, especially Boudrias - his assists in a season mark stood for what, 37 years before Henrik eclipsed it?

 

[racerjoe]

I still think Edler doesn’t get the love he deserves to get. I’ve seen far more complaints about him than anything, I feel like. He’ll easily be one of the best defenseman for the Canucks ever.

He is for sure,

But if talking about a defenseman, I would still say Salo. If he had better health I think we would be talking about a Norris. Rock solid defensively good puck mover, and this isn't even talking about his shot.

 

[RobertKron]

Everyone likes to shit on Mason Raymond for, I guess falling down a lot, but imagine the fanfare of the team having a 2nd rounder turn into a 23 year old 25/25 scorer who skates like the wind, played on the PP and PK, could never be faulted on his effort or compete, and was good on both sides of the puck.

 

[racerjoe]

Everyone likes to shit on Mason Raymond for, I guess falling down a lot, but imagine the fanfare of the team having a 2nd rounder turn into a 23 year old 25/25 scorer who skates like the wind, played on the PP and PK, could never be faulted on his effort or compete, and was good on both sides of the puck.

He was unlucky and broke his back, meanwhile there was more people talking about Horton instead.

 

[lakai17]

Sami Salo

 

[Zippgunn]

Willie Mitchell is one for sure imo. I think we win the cup if we have him for 2011 instead of Ballard.

Beat me to it. It speaks volumes about this franchise and their philosophy of "winning" that we actually walked on this guy mainly because of a couple of million bucks and, when he went to L.A. and helped lead them to a Cup it also spoke volumes about his contribution to their success that captain Brown made sure Willie was the first guy he passed the Cup to. Making Lou the captain of the Canucks instead of this guy was ridiculous...

 

[racerjoe]

Beat me to it. It speaks volumes about this franchise and their philosophy of "winning" that we actually walked on this guy mainly because of a couple of million bucks and, when he went to L.A. and helped lead them to a Cup it also spoke volumes about his contribution to their success that captain Brown made sure Willie was the first guy he passed the Cup to. Making Lou the captain of the Canucks instead of this guy was ridiculous...

That isn't why we walked away from him... We walked away because he was literally unable to go outside. Then months later when he was ok, we again did not have any cap space to resign him and offered him what we could. Do you honestly think if he was healthy we would have walked away from him?

 

[RobertKron]

Beat me to it. It speaks volumes about this franchise and their philosophy of "winning" that we actually walked on this guy mainly because of a couple of million bucks and, when he went to L.A. and helped lead them to a Cup it also spoke volumes about his contribution to their success that captain Brown made sure Willie was the first guy he passed the Cup to. Making Lou the captain of the Canucks instead of this guy was ridiculous...

oh hey zipgunn is wrong about a thing again

 

[Zippgunn]

That isn't why we walked away from him... We walked away because he was literally unable to go outside. Then months later when he was ok, we again did not have any cap space to resign him and offered him what we could. Do you honestly think if he was healthy we would have walked away from him?

Why yes I do. It was common knowledge that he didn't get along with some of the more entitled Canuck stars (especially Kesler) and there were a lot of people in Vancouver who thought that Kesler would make a terrific captain (what were they thinking?). Since Willie was basically the de facto captain while he was here it doesn't take much imagination to think that Lou resented his presence here as well. We didn't walk away from him because he was hurt, we walked away from him because we didn't want to sign a two year deal with him which is what he was (rightfully IMHO) demanding. Funny how L.A. snapped him up right away when it became clear that the Canucks didn't really want him and gave him everything he was asking for.

 

[Zippgunn]

oh hey zipgunn is wrong about a thing again

I'm going to guess you are/were one of the geniuses who thought Kesler would make a great captain here...

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

He is for sure,

But if talking about a defenseman, I would still say Salo. If he had better health I think we would be talking about a Norris. Rock solid defensively good puck mover, and this isn't even talking about his shot.

Sami Salo, to me, had a legitimate claim to being one of the best Canucks defenders we ever had. If he was healthier, I think that argument would have been even louder. I truly feel that when he was healthy, he was the team’s best defender at both ends of the ice during his tenure in Vancouver.

 

[racerjoe]

Why yes I do. It was common knowledge that he didn't get along with some of the more entitled Canuck stars (especially Kesler) and there were a lot of people in Vancouver who thought that Kesler would make a terrific captain (what were they thinking?). Since Willie was basically the de facto captain while he was here it doesn't take much imagination to think that Lou resented his presence here as well. We didn't walk away from him because he was hurt, we walked away from him because we didn't want to sign a two year deal with him which is what he was (rightfully IMHO) demanding. Funny how L.A. snapped him up right away when it became clear that the Canucks didn't really want him and gave him everything he was asking for.

Hank was Captain while Willie was here... but again don't worry about the facts... Also your Kesler argument has no baring on the argument at all as if Mitchel decided not to resign because of it then it doesn't matter what the Canucks offered.

I'm going to guess you are/were one of the geniuses who thought Kesler would make a great captain here...

Also a red herring as what fans think doesn't matter.

Do you like any facts like at all?

 

[Hit the post]

That isn't why we walked away from him... We walked away because he was literally unable to go outside. Then months later when he was ok, we again did not have any cap space to resign him and offered him what we could. Do you honestly think if he was healthy we would have walked away from him?

He WAS offered a contract. It wasn’t like the case of Hamhuis where Benning didn’t offer him anything. Willie wanted a multi year deal. Kings at the time we’re in a unique situation to offer him what he wanted.

 

[Zippgunn]

Hank was Captain while Willie was here... but again don't worry about the facts... Also your Kesler argument has no baring on the argument at all as if Mitchel decided not to resign because of it then it doesn't matter what the Canucks offered.



Also a red herring as what fans think doesn't matter.

Do you like any facts like at all?

Erm, well, no. Willie signed with the Canucks (July 1, 2006) when Naslund was "captain" (possibly the worst captain in NHL history IMHO). Lou was traded to the Canucks on June 23, 2006 and was named captain on Sept. 30, 2008. Willie's contract with the Canucks ended on July 1, 2010. Hank was named captain Oct. 9, 2010. Hank was never captain of the team when Willie was here. See, I like facts fine. You might want to try researching your gibberish occasionally...