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Canucks Schedule Getting Attention
by Alanah McGinley on 01/23/09 at 04:30 PM ET
Comments (3)
Via TSN:
The league has begun to take steps to help the Canucks’ road issues next season and [GM Mike] Gillis is optimistic things will improve.
“I think we have a great chance. In fact, we’ve got a draft in place for about 38 of our road games for next season already, which is unheard of,” Gillis told Team1040.
“They made us a number one priority in terms of travel for a variety of reasons. One of them is injury history, crossing borders, and the fact that geographically, we don’t have a team within a couple or three hours of us.”
In the interview, Gillis notes that the analysts of the Canucks “Fatigue Management Program”—which started studying the team last October— actually “predicted where we would have a real problem. And it’s not ironic, it happened when we played that three-game segment where we were in Nashville and then went to Atlanta (Jan 1st and 2nd), they predicted that after that we would have a serious fatigue issue because of the number of games we played in the previous ten days and that type of travel and they were bang-on.”
The promise that the NHL’s schedule makers will focus more attention to Vancouver’s travel issues next year is great cause for optimism for both the team and fans. And while I’m not inclined to put the recent problems too much on fatigue/travel issues, I have no trouble believing that exceptional schedule challenges have payed a noteworthy part in their difficulties at times, both this year and in the past.
Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: nhl+schedule,
Comments
If Gillis can actually get the NHL to give a damn about the Canucks’ schedule he is a genius. Every year we complain about the schedule but think - oh well, we’re at the bottom of the priority list for the league.
Off the top of my head, I can recall 4 times in the last 2 seasons where the Canucks were on a road trip and had to go back to Vancouver for one game then go right back out on another road trip - thereby making it one HUGE roadtrip. Most of the time, the Canucks have had to go back to Vancouver to play an eastern team doing the western swing of their schedule. Making the Canucks (who have to fly about quadruple the miles as their eastern counterparts) fly back to Vancouver in the middle of a road trip to accomodate an eastern team really shows how the league doesn’t care about the Canucks (and other Western teams’) travel disadvantage. If there was any sense of fairness, eastern teams should be making one game road trips to Vancouver to accomodate the Canucks.
It may seem like the Canucks are just whining and making excuses, but you cannot deny the fatigue factor. It’s not a stretch to say that fatigue leads to more injuries. And possible most importantly, less travel time and time zone changes mean eastern teams get A LOT more practice time.
This study by Gillis really shows how he thinks outside of the box to the benefit of the team. I remember when Burke was here - he would bluster on about the schedule for the media but even with his connections to Bettman, there were no favours done for the Canucks.
Posted by Jerry from Vancouver on 01/23/09 at 09:11 PM ET
Maybe the league could look at Eastern/non-divisional teams starting their Western road swings in Vancouver and working there way back East or down the coast.
Then the Canucks would get the the travelling teams first, when they least worn out. Instead of running the Alberta gauntlet first.
Vancouver is on the bubble right now, and fans/media are re-hashing, valid or not issues to be ready with LAME EXCUSES for possible failure. Typical human nature response. Just in case we tank, there is an explanation and reason so fans/media can sleep at night.
Maybe the Canucks should push for other teams to wear “rubber boots” when it is deemed that there is an injustice to Vancouver, or perhaps the Canucks could play all their games at home. Let’s just change all the rules and force (any way possible) the presentation, this spring, of the Stanley Cup to Vancouver.
Just to stop the whining.....
Posted by Martin from Victoria, BC on 01/28/09 at 11:55 AM ET
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Alanah McGinley has been blogging hockey since 2003, sharing opinions, rants and not-so-deep thoughts with anyone who will listen. In addition to writing Canucks & Beyond and helping manage Kukla’s Korner, Alanah is one of the founders and co-hosts of The Crazy Canucks Podcast, as featured at Canucks.com.
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Hopefully other teams get a similar look, too. I think Forechecker’s schedule had Columbus and Vancouver as the two worst for travel and back to backs this year.
Posted by Matt W. on 01/23/09 at 04:47 PM ET