Todd Bertuzzi's Back In Canada!

A Canadian team signed my favourite NHL player, Todd Bertuzzi. The Vancouver Canucks? No. (I wish.) Toronto Maple Leafs? No. Ottawa Senators? No. Montreal Canadiens? Non. Edmonton Oilers? No.

Calgary Flames.

According to the Flames GM Daryl Sutter:

“Todd is a proven scorer with the ability to play both wings. He expressed to us that he wanted to play in Canada and that desire along with signing him to a one year deal was important to our philosophy. He wanted to play on a good team and it fit our money."

And here's my favourite part:

"Additionally, our captain, Jarome Iginla, was a strong supporter of Todd and wanted him on our team.”

I am not a Calgary Flames fan, but I rooted for them when the Canucks did not make the playoffs last season! And I respect Jarome Iginla: During the NHL Awards after Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup, Iginla was the only one who thanked God in his acceptance speech. Plus he is a good player and a nice guy. Not to mention, he's kinda hot.

I hope Bertuzzi stays healthy next season so he can improve his stats.

Welcome back to Canada, Bert!

Trevor Linden Hangs Up His Skates

My all-time favourite Vancouver Canucks forward Trevor Linden is retiring, he announced today. Incidentally, today is the 20th anniversary of the 1988 National Hockey League Entry Draft, where he was drafted by the Canucks.

“Today is an emotional and exciting day for me as an athlete and a person. It closes one chapter of my life, my playing career, while opening up another which I am very much looking forward to. The game of hockey has been good to me and I would like to thank my family, former teammates, coaches, managers, support staff and the incredible fans that have been so generous in their support of my career.”

I've only been a hockey fan for six years, but I completely fell in love with Linden (as well as Todd Bertuzzi) the first time I watched a Canuck game on TV. He was a good leader for the younger Canucks. I love that he stepped up when Markus Naslund, a good captain as he is, wasn't being captain-y. I think it was in Round 1 of the 2006-2007 playoffs, when the Canucks were battling Dallas Stars. His pregame speech before the March 15th game against Dallas Stars led to the team beating the Stars in a big way. He's pretty hot, too.

His retirement is expected, but I'm still kinda sad.

I don't have the time and the energy to list all his accomplishments, on and off the ice, but y'all can see all of them in the official press release in the Vancouver Canucks official website.

There is also a feature article on the website on the 16 most memorable moments in Linden's career. (Of course, I love the number - it's the Numbers, man. *Wink wink*) This is my favourite moment, although I didn't see it for myself:

3. INFAMOUS
It is one of the all time great hockey photos and it captured everything about Trevor Linden and the effort required to play for the Stanley Cup. It’s the famous picture of an exhausted Linden, eyes closed and grimacing, with blood on his jersey and his arm around Kirk McLean at the end of Game 6 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Final. Linden appears to be leaning on his netminder as if he can barely stand up after the pounding he’s taken throughout the playoffs. It’s impossible to see that photo and not hear the words of the legendary Jim Robson: “He will play. You know he’ll play. He’ll play on crutches. He will play and he will play at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.” Boy, did he ever.

I've seen this picture so many times, I feel like I was there!

Anyway, Linden will review his career in a one-hour special on June 23, 2008, at 9 PM on Sportsnet Pacific. I am totally watching this with at least one box of Kleenex.

Thanks, Trevor, for everything! Love yah!

Todd Bertuzzi Kicks the Maple Leafs' Butt

While I was having a horrible day, Todd Bertuzzi was having a fantastic night.

He picked up three points - one goal and two assists - in Anaheim Ducks' win over the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight.

According to the game's box score page on Yahoo Sports, Bertuzzi scored his seventh goal of the season within three minutes of the first period. Then he and Ryan Getzlaf fed Anaheim's leading goal scorer, Corey Perry, the puck in the last ten minutes of the first period. Perry shot and scored! In the first four-and-a-half minutes of the third period, Bertuzzi and Getzlaf - again! - assisted in Brandon Bochenski's first goal.

Two power-play goals by Doug Weight and Chris Kunitz finished Anaheim's five-goal rout of the Leafs.

Woohoo!

Todd Bertuzzi ended up with nearly 17 minutes of ice-time and three points - his first since coming to Anaheim.

And, oh, he ended up as the first star of the game!

As I understand, when an NHL team wins in a shutout, the goaltender usually becomes the first star. (Correct me if I'm wrong; I've only been a hockey fan for almost six years.) In this case, my favourite ex-Vancouver Canuck right winger was recognized as the first star.

Yay!

Obviously, I'm a Todd Bertuzzi fan (d'oh) and I've always believed he'll go back to his butt-kicking self on ice. Hopefully there'll be more games like this.

Mwah, Bert!

(And, of course, go Canucks go!)