The 3H line – Triple Hustle, maybe? – got Vancouver on the scoresheet after the Canucks spotted the Oilers three goals in five minutes of the second period (not all of which could be blamed on Luongo). The 3H line also came closest to tying the game in the last three minutes – not the Sedin line, and not the Kesler line.

This could be a good thing.

The first two lines will produce over the course of a season; that’s a given. If the third line can continue to look this good, then the suspicions may be confirmed: this Canucks team could be better than last year, regardless of the fact Ehrhoff is yet to be replaced.

After a scoreless first period, the Canucks found they didn’t have an answer for the speed, eagerness and creativity of Nugent-Hopkins, Hall and Eberle. It’s scary to think how good the Oilers might be (again) in 2 or 3 years, if they can keep this trio together.

With the Nuge leading the way – as Luongo called him yesterday – this kid line is rapidly raising hopes of Oilers fans everywhere that they will soon be rescued from the hinterlands of hockey (both literally and figuratively) within two or three years.

After just two games against the Canucks this season, they have reason to hope.

Khabibulin has been playing like a marquee goaltender so far this season, with a .072 GAA.

Luongo has not.

No, you couldn’t blame all three goals on Lu, as the first to beat him was a laser by Eberle for his first goal of the year. But the next two involved various levels of culpability for the beleaguered goalie.

Out came Luongo, who dramatically smashed his stick over the Canucks bench, right in front of where he’d watch the rest of the game, which gave him time to pick up splinters, if he felt so inclined. In came Schneider, who was lights out the rest of the way.

I wonder if it’s as frustrating for the players as it is for the fans to watch a goalie win two 1-0 shutouts in the Stanley Cup final, win shutouts in playoff openers, and post other mind-boggling wins, and then let hideous goals in because he’s out of position or misplaying the puck behind the net or making boneheaded decisions that a player of his caliber shouldn’t, at his age.

He’s an odd spectacle, Luongo.

Incredible talent. Incredibly frustrating to watch.

The American Express line may eventually live up to its name, but not on this night. Still, David Booth, newly acquired from Florida, looked good with friends and patriots Kesler and Higgins. He got stuck in front of the net, looked dangerous on rushes, and showed some speed – meaning he won’t look out of place on this team.

Only time will tell (see: Booth’s history of concussions), but any trade in which the Canucks can rid themselves of a couple of creaky old veterans in Samuelsson and Sturm, and get a young talent in return to play in the top six is more than welcome around here.

Yet at this early juncture, it was more intriguing to watch Booth wander aimlessly when he played a couple of shifts with the twins. He got into dangerous positions but didn’t once receive a pass from either Sedin that gave him a scoring chance.

Burrows showed Booth how it was done as soon as he replaced him on the line – he skated hard and fast to the net, with his stick on the ice. He’s learned, like Anson Carter did before him, that if you do that, one of the Sedins will magically place it on your stick in a scoring position, scoring on one of those opportunities, and notching a scoring chance in the third on another.

As a Canucks fan, I feel strangely upbeat after a loss. The future is suddenly bright… very bright.

Even if it means Schneider plays more games than Lu this season. It’s not beyond the realm of possibility, you’ve got to admit.

If Lu were to let in another bad goal early on, would the Preds’ stifling game take over, allowing them to snooze their way to another 1-0 or 2-1 defeat of the Canucks in their increasingly toxic own building? Fortunately, the Canucks’ most potent balm for any of their ailments the last few seasons – a double dose of Sedinery – ensured that wouldn’t happen.

Coach V double-shifted the NHL’s last two Art Ross winners, putting the Preds on their heels and subsequently into penalty trouble, and the hometown boys managed to build up a 4-1 lead just 14 minutes into the game.

True, Luongo looked culpable yet again, badly mishandling a shoot-in to concede a goal early on. But the leadership on this team stepped up, as the Sedins, Ryan Kesler, Manny Malhotra and Keith Ballard all had monster games.

Uh… Ballard… and leadership… in the same sentence?! It’s true, dear doubting reader. For the second game in a row, Keith Ballard was one of the best Canucks on the ice. He even logged the fourth most minutes for the blue shirts. Pinch me. He’s finally earning his keep and fulfilling the potential we knew or suspected he had.

It’s a long way from the press box, where he watched so many games last season. Imagine – barring injury or setback in form, Ballard could actually play 82 games this season, and deserve to play in every one of them. Of course, that’s exactly what GM Mike Gillis had in mind when he signed him to that gaudy $4.2 million annual contract just over a season ago, but better late than never, right?

We Shoots, Weise Scores

Speaking of confidence-builders, Dale Weise, a little-known and largely ignored signing of Gillis’ in the off-season, also had reason to smile, potting his first NHL goal on a nicely placed deflection that gave Rinne no chance, and effectively put the game out of reach.

No wonder that he forgot to discreetly pull out his loud, blue mouthguard before accepting his mates’ congratulations, like Sidney Crosby and so many do after lighting the lamp. But the greasy Weise need have no fear; if he keeps hustling and winning battles for the puck like he did last night, he’ll be getting a great many more opportunities to whip out the mouthguard before the TV moneyshot.

It was also nice to see Kesler notch his first goal of the season, two games in, helping reinvigorate the powerplay that looked dangerous against the Rangers, but couldn’t find the mark. The man advantage last night was dominant, causing the overmatched Preds penalty killers to take yet more penalties, leading to yet more opportunities.

Just as it would have been premature to write off Lu’s season after a couple of early cringe-worthy performances, so too is it too early to declare all of Vancouver’s problems solved.

Still, a 5-1 victory over an historically tough Nashville team is something to build on, and could represent a turning point for this talented club.

At the very least, for Luongo, Vigneault and others, their migraines must be gone by now.

The reason why Nicholson is trying to change the entry age is that he argues players should be given time to develop properly before entering into the NHL. If they wait a year and train thoroughly, even leaving time to relax and do other things like play PartyPoker (IT), they may have a better chance of success once they are drafted. Saying that though, Nicholson is not denying that 18 year olds like Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jeff Skinner are capable of playing in the league.

Nicholson says he recognises that it is becoming normal for players who have exceptional talents to play within higher age groups. He wants to slow down this process, allowing the players to reach their full potential before moving up to the next level. If the NHL was to accept this change, the alterations to the league may not actually be all that significant. This is because there are really only a handful of 18 year old players in the league at the moment anyway.

However, he is sticking to his opinion and trying to make a change. It will be interesting to see what the NHL make of it and whether or not any changes occur as a result. There have been shifts in the drafting age since the first one in the 1960s. The age started at 17, before changing at various intervals, including 18 in 1965 and all the way to 20 after that. It then settled at 18 and only time will tell if it will change again.

But when you’re the highest paid player on the team – and the main reason, in many people’s minds – the Canucks lost the Stanley Cup to the Boston Bruins four short months ago, you can’t be surprised when long-suffering Vancouver hockey fans turn on you.

The game started promisingly enough for the Canucks, especially after a classy and moving tribute to fallen ex-Canuck Rick Rypien before the game. The boys wearing the whale came out full of energy and had the Rangers on their heels for the first two periods, outshooting them 28-9 after two.

The strong start should come as no surprise, as Selke Trophy winner – and, in my mind, the most valuable player on the team – Ryan Kesler dressed for his first game of the season. Aside from a golden opportunity he flubbed early on, after being set up by new winger Cody Hodgson from behind the net, Kesler looked like he hadn’t missed a step, hitting every Ranger in sight, and taking his usual spot on the power play effectively parked in front of the opponents’ net.

But yet again, the Canucks got into early penalty trouble – a trend that must be wearing thin on coach Alain Vigneault this season – although they did not surrender an early goal like they’ve done most other games so far this young season.

And while Hodgson, Kesler and Chris Higgins looked good in their first game together as Vancouver’s second line, there were other bright spots of note: Keith Ballard was not only solid defensively, but was an offensive threat as well, pinching in as the Canucks d-men so effectively do, ending up with two great scoring chances in the third period. This game must have done wonders for Ballard’s confidence; here’s hoping it’s a harbinger of better things to come for the oft-benched 4.2 million dollar man.

Mikael Samuelsson, recently demoted to the third line to make room for CoHo, put in his usual Jeckyll-and-Hyde performance. He looked disinterested and abysmal on defense as he gave away two bad passes in his own zone, but was a force on the point on the numerous power plays the Canucks managed to squander throughout the game.

Ah yes, the power play (or lack thereof).

After taking their customary first two minor penalties of the game, the Canucks watched six Rangers in a row march to the penalty box, but could not convert any of the six opportunities. As the cliché goes, to be successful on the PK, your goaltender has to be your best penalty killer. Lundqvist was that and more. All game long, he stood on his head and not only made the spectacular saves, but he also let very few rebounds out, sucking up pucks like a Hoover – or is it a Dyson nowadays?

No matter, the Rangers seemed to feed on the momentum their goalie provided, and Michael Rupp jumped on a juicy rebound all-too-graciously provided by Luongo early in the third, burying the puck, and, as it turns out, the Canucks chances on this night. With Lundqvist doing an impersonation of a brick wall, one goal was all they’d need.

Of course, they did manage to pump three more past the beleaguered Canucks netminder, and with the score 3-0 late in the third, Luongo heard from the ‘fans’ as he fielded an easy clearance that could not have counted as a shot on goal. And if you’re wondering, the answer is yes, Luongo was indeed well aware of the fans’ discontent: “I’ve got ears,” was his response when quizzed about it after the game.

The fact is, those boos and jeers should have been directed at the futile Canucks offense on this night, as it’s hard to blame a loss on a goalie when the skaters in front of him can’t find the net. The problem is, as Luongo well knows, since the infamous meltdowns he’s had in the playoffs the last few years, Canucks fans have no trouble finding their target.

Never before has there been this kind of competition for such a minor role, but in the end the man who most deserved the job got it. On opening night Volpatti will be lined up with Max Lapierre and Victor Oreskovich, the two incumbents who had a hand in the Cup run last season.

Although having a cup of coffee in the bigs last year, Volpatti is a relative unknown. He was a graduate of Brown University, a very prestigious institution known for its academics more than its athletics. Volpatti had one productive season there producing 32 points in 37 games which caught the eye of many scouts. It is said the Nashville Predators were also hot on his trail but in the end the BC boy decided to return home. Born in Revelstoke, BC; Volpati spent his junior hockey playing for the BCHLs Vernon Vipers and quickly earned a reputation as a hardnosed kid who could lay a hit on the best of them. He was fairly unproductive points wise but quickly came to understand his role was not on the score sheet.

Passed over in the 2004 draft he continued to work hard and caught the attention of Brown University recruiters. Though getting a good education was high on Volpatti’s priority list, he knew that attending University could effectively end his dream of making the NHL but it was too good an opportunity to pass up.

In March of 2010 the Vancouver Canucks came calling having seen his take no prisoners approach to the game. Though not gifted in skill and not great in the skating department, his heart made up for his shortcomings and it was something the Canucks appreciated.

After a quick start in Manitoba the Canucks were impressed enough to make him a recall candidate in 2011. After running into the injury bug big time in 2010/11 the Canucks made the call to Manitoba to get help, the name Aaron Volpatti instantly came up. He made a name for himself in his first game against the Toronto Maple Leafs hitting anything that wasn’t strapped down and in his second game against the St. Louis Blues Volpatti realized a true dream; Scoring his first and so far only NHL goal. The look on his face described it all.

Having taken the unorthodox route of University, this dream became even more surreal. The guy who went undrafted through 7 rounds and over 200 players had made it to the Pros and was determined to do everything to get back.

This season Volpatti will be on the opening night roster. Whether he sticks is entirely up to him but for now the moment belongs to him and the opportunities are endless. So far he has displayed the heart of a lion, often going after guys much bigger than him. Although his stats mark him at 6’1 and 200 pounds in reality he seems much leaner and much more diminutive than this but he doesn’t know that. All that matters to Volpatti is that he has made it, the means of how he did is redundant the journey to staying here is all that matters.

For Aaron Volpatti the dream is just beginning.

If you recall the Lions lost that game by 2 points…after a combination of bad play calls and questionable work ethic on the part of the Lions squad. After that game the Lions proceeded to lose 4 of their next 5 games, and it seemed they were doomed to a short season. They couldn’t seem to get it together, their receiving core were dropping balls, their rushing team couldn’t punch through the defensive lines of opposing teams.  And although they lost a couple close ones, it seemed they just couldn’t make things happen.

When the Lions were 1-5 Wally Buono pulled a rabbit out of his hat when he traded a third-round draft pick in the 2012 draft, and a conditional pick in the 2013 draft, to get all-Star wide receiver Arland Bruce. It was a bit of a questionable move at first, not because anyone has doubts about Bruce’s talent, but because of the on-field antics he has shown many times in his career during touchdown celebrations, giving up valuable yards in undisciplined penalties. Since the signing of Bruce, the Lions have turned things around, and have been the hottest team in the CFL, going 6 and 0, and showing that they haven’t given up on the 2011 season. When I last wrote, there were a few concerns I had about the team, and about their chances of winning, and getting themselves into the post season. Here are the questions I asked, and how the Lions have responded in the last 6 games.

The first questions was…”Can Travis Lulay get the ball out of his hands fast enough?”
Over the past 6 games Lulay has been unstoppable. Going 232 for 398, and 58.3% passing, with a big 3,456 yards to date, he is just 500 yards behind CFL leading Anthony Calvillo. With 17 TD passes so far this season, and a pass rating of 89.7, he is proving to Wally Buono and the rest of the coaching staff why he worked so hard for the #1 spot.

The next question I asked was whether or not the Lions rushing was strong enough to be successful.

Leading the Lions rush is Winnipeg native Andrew Harris. And although he doesn’t register a rushing TD, he has chewed up some big yards on offense. With 334 rushing yards so far in the season, the only questionable aspect of his game would be the 3 fumbles he has coughed up. If he can hang onto the ball he will be a strong asset going into the back half of the season. Harris also has shown he has soft hands for receiving. He racked up 174 combined yards, with a 35 yard receiving TD in the Lions first game back in their newly renovated BC Place Stadium.

The second highest rushing player on the team is Travis Lulay, proving he can move the ball through the air, and on the ground.  With 279 total yards and 2 rushing TD’s, he has shown a great ability to scramble when in the pocket. This has proven invaluable to the team, and has enabled to Lions to extend many series, keeping the offense on the field.

Jamal Robertson comes in right behind Lulay with 266 yards and 3 TD’s.

If the Lions can find a way to keep producing in the back field, and their receivers can continue to haul in passes like they have over the past 6 games, there is no reason to believe they can’t represent the Western Conference in their home stadium for the 2011 Grey Cup game. With the newly renovated BC Place, and the team getting hotter and hotter, you can bet all 55,000 tickets to the game will be sold, and if the Lions are there, it will be a good thing the roof retracts, because it is going to be electric.

Kevin Luck

        Most of us are now happy about the fact that the Canucks gave us a great year last year and for those of you that are still healing, it will pass. For the second year in a row, the Canucks started the pre-season with a split squad game verse their northwest division rivals from Calgary. I was sitting in my living room with my laptop, streaming one game and watching the other on TV. Let me be honest here for a second, as great as it was to see the Canucks become Western conference Champions, and see them come one win away from their first Stanley Cup, it was really nice to be able to sit back and enjoy hockey! No stresses of the play-offs. Although the Canucks are my team and will always be my team, it was kind of hard for me to cheer for them on Tuesday night. Why? Because it was more like the Wolves Vs. the Heat than the Canucks Vs. the Flames on Tuesday. Watching the games last night I recognized more of the Flames player’s names than the Canucks because of my involvement with the Heat and because of how often I went to the games.

On the 21^st, after the split squad games, the Calgary Flames organizations assigned 13 players to the Abbotsford Heat:

John Armstrong (C)?
Adam Avramenko (G)?
Bryan Cameron (RW)?
Justin Dowling (C)?
Ryley Grantham (LW)?
Ryan Howse (RW)?
Quintin Laing (C)?
Logan MacMillan (LW)?
John Negrin (D)?
Jonathan Rheault (RW)?
C.J. Severyn (LW)
?Dustin Sylvester (C)?
Mitch Wahl (C)

If I remember correctly, out of these skaters, Ryan Howse was the only one of these players to see action last night, and he wasn’t invisible. He had a shot on net and showed some grit. Ryan Howse, the former Chiliwack Bruin, will be a player to watch this season with the Heat. He obviously would have wanted to stay with the Flames and no doubt he is probably a little disappointed, but I imagine he is pretty excited to be coming back to the Fraser Valley, to start his professional hockey career.

Other Heat players that I was impressed by on Tuesday were Greg Nemisz, T.J Brodie, Cater Bancks and net minder Leland Irving. Irving went the distance on Tuesday in Vancouver and was solid; he looked quick calm and composed. Three of the Canuck goals left Irving with next to no chance, and the only two mistakes I saw was a bit of a messy attempt to play the puck behind the net and the Jensen goal that hit the inside of his right arm and trickled into the net. Of course, I am just being a little critical. Despite the loss, Irving showed glimpses to his deep pool of potential that he possesses.

As for Canucks players, I was impressed by a few. Sturm, though it was only one preseason game, looked great with a goal and assist. Although he wasn’t tested a lot, Eddie Lack showed why people in the Canucks organization are excited about him. Tanev showed an excellent ability to read the play by rushing up the ice to be on the receiving end of a perfect pass by Strum. Lots of attention has been brought to the departure of Christian Erhroff and have people debating if he is that big of a loss or not. I was sad to see Erhroff go, but not worried, I feel he is replaceable and Tanev seems to be in the front running for his spot. Adam Polasek also stood out on the back line, showing great hustle and determination. The best line for the Canucks in my opinion was the Schroeder, Pinizzotto, Jensen line. I was impressed by all three players. I kind of already knew what to expect from Schroeder, but this is the first time for me to see Pinizzotto play and only the second time to see Jensen play. It is hard not to get excited about Jensen.

First: In the young stars tournament he showed his great ability to pass the puck with his Sedin like assist (yea I said it) on the Darren Archibald goal.

If you missed it, watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ek1ZDGOwPRY&feature=related

Simply Amazing!

Second: Awesome determination that resulted in the Schroeder goal, showed good ability to start a play.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-O0_NAl5CI

Third: Jensen was given nothing, so he made a play out of nothing to get his first goal as a Canucks in the preseason

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik4OexMoWvE

I didn’t know what to think about the acquisition of Pinizzotto, but he seems to be turning out to be more than a depth signing. He set up Schroeder for his goal and showed some grit with a couple of good hits. Watch out rat-boy…

Keith Ballard looks like a whole new player out there. I am excited to see what he can do this season.

The squad sent to Calgary didn’t impress me too much… hard to be impressed in a 5-1 loss. That being said, I do have to add, way to go Hodgson! Besides Mancari, the only Canuck that seemingly came to play yesterday was Hodgson. I was impressed. He looked Dangerous, played over 13 minutes in all situations and despite not having a letter on his jersey, he looked like a leader out there. Want an opportunity Vigneault gave Hodgson. Av gave Hodgson the Chance to be the go to guy on the team, he gave Hodgson the chance to show what he could do on his own. Many people, including the Province’s Tony Gallagher, claimed that Coach V set Hodgson up to fail. Talk about a Glass half empty guy… Hodgson was given a great chance to show who he is. Any player can be but on a line with the Sedins and light it up, but it takes a real player to make something out of nothing, to succeed when he has no support. He stood out, got chances, stood up at the blue line and played well defensively. In a game where the Canucks lost by 4 goals, Hodgson was an even player. I have no doubt Vigneault took notice and will increase cody’s opportunities and the skill level of his line mates.

I am a huge Cody Hodgson supporter, he is a classy person and he will be given all the chances in the world to succeed on this team. I will not buy into many peoples thinking, accusing Coach V of setting players up to fail. And I can’t believe what a popular opinion that is! From the band wagoner to popular sports writers like Tony Gallagher that notion is thrown around. It a garbage notion and I think people need to wake up. The Canucks have a great team; it is hard for players to get chances to show what they are made of. Cody will get his Chance. Only if hockey fans and sports writers were as patient as Hodgson himself.

Its great to have hockey back!

I reported back with the death of Rick Rypien that it hit close to home for me as I have a wonderful wife who suffers from bi-polar. It is an everyday struggle and though it is miles from where it was a few years ago, there are times when it rears its ugly head. The highs are very high and the lows are very low, it’s a roller coaster ride but one that I’m prepared to see through to the end.

Now let’s reflect upon the events of this summer, three hockey players dead in the span of a summer. All with the same connection all had been tough guys and all had battled some kind of mental health issue in the past (though we are all just learning of the struggles of Wade Belak now).

The announcement of the death of Wade Belak yesterday in Toronto caught the entire hockey world off guard. He was newly retired, offered a job on the Nashville Predators television broadcasts and was a contestant on the popular CBC program Battle of the Blades which was the very reason he was in Toronto. He was a family man, had two kids and by all accounts from everyone around him who ever played with him and exceptional teammate, friend and person. When he would appear on interviews he would come across as accommodating and sometimes funny, sometimes even silly. It was a portrait of someone who loved life and his career. At least that’s the image he wanted portrayed.

The stark reality of mental illness is that you never know what path it will take you down. You can disguise it the way an alcoholic can disguise drinking or a drug addict can disguise their using. There are always ways to make you appear happy and normal, but just like with those addictions, one day they come crashing to a halt, often with disastrous conclusions.

If this death doesn’t convince people that there is something wrong I don’t know what will. Boogaards death can be attributed to an overdose sure, but it has become documented that he too had mental health issues. Rick Rypien’s troubles were in plain view to many, Belak’s were deeper and not even close friends, and some say his family, even knew about them. Such is the vast spectrum of mental illness.

I have been married to my wife for 2 years and they have been wonderful. An outsider would have no clue of her past struggles and they have become hidden so deep that even she herself feels they are no longer an issue. Prior to meeting me she had been at the lowest point someone can get. The same point as Belak and Rypien and felt it was best to end the pain. I thank God every day she was not successful.

It is time to open our eyes and for the NHL to do the same. Living with depression is an affliction not a choice. As we are now seeing many people suffer from it and athletes are not immune to its effects. Is it a coincidence that all of the players we have lost this summer are fighters? Possibly as depression can attack anyone so the fact they are fighters really is a moot point, but there is no doubt the pressures of their professions played a part. Stress affects us all differently and for someone with depression stress can be a killer.

This past season former part time NHL’er Tom Cavanagh committed suicide. He had a cup of coffee with the Columbus Blue Jackets but his career never amounted to much. He was found in his car, dead as a result of blunt force trauma believed to be self-inflicted. His death went relatively under the radar because he was not a prominent player but it was a brutal way to die, and should have been a wakeup call to the league that these individuals are out there.

If nothing else these deaths will start the ball rolling on a solution. There is no cure for mental illness, just management of the condition. It is hard to blame the NHL or any pro sports league for not doing anything because most of us on the outside looking in also figured the death of Cavanagh last year was a one off, and was just a situation of a desperate individual, but it should have put up warning flags, especially with guys like Rypien and Boogaard as they were both in and out of the leagues rehab programs. It was well known Rypien had problems that were not related to alcohol or drugs and the league and the Canucks knew about it. From all accounts, the Canucks did all they could do to help. The league and the Winnipeg Jets may very well have as well but for someone with depression getting help has to be self-imposed, pushing them to do so will often only result in more resistance. I speak from experience.

So what is the solution? We need to increase awareness, to make people with mental illness acceptable. If someone needs to talk about this lets not turn them away or look on them as crazy people. Most with mental illness are crying out for help they just don’t want to admit it. It is twice as difficult for an athlete as the macho takes over. An athlete, especially in a physical sport should not show signs of weakness. It’s time to change that opinion.

Just as head injuries have become a problem in sports so too has the wellbeing of the athletes, I urge everyone, no matter who you are no matter what your profession or your status in society, if you have a mental illness please please please speak up. It’s the only way we can all start to find a solution.

As for Wade Belak, Tom Cavanagh, Rick Rypien and Derek Boogaard, please R.I.P. You all are missed and hopefully your deaths won’t be in vain.

They say when one door closes another one opens and this may be the opportunity of a lifetime for Cody Hodgson. Hodgson was drafted 10th overall in the 2008 entry draft. Never have we seen a Canucks pick analyzed the way Hodgson has been. Trevor Linden and Petr Nedved both went second overall and were viewed as saviors for this franchise, but even then we didn’t talk about them the way we have with Cody Hodgson.

Coming into training camp this year Hodgson is injury free for the first time in his Canucks career, and it will be his time to shine. Many in this town have already written him off as a bust. A player who has failed to impress the way a top 10 pick is expected to.

Though it is true that Hodgson hasn’t transitioned well from junior to the NHL it is ridiculous to claim he is a bust. Still only 21 and now free of nagging injuries Hodgson is expected to at least start the season in a higher profile role than he has ever had on this team. Playing second line is not out of the question and playing with veterans like Higgins and Samuelsson or even Marco Sturm could provide invaluable experience for Hodgson. He could fly or fall based on what he learns from his experience in the more prominent role.

Hodgson had gaudy numbers in Junior and was a point a game player in the AHL with the Moose, so there is no reason to believe that his skill won’t translate well into this season. Hodgson will have every opportunity to make this team in a top 6 role. This is where Cody has to run with it.

All the opportunities in the world don’t matter if the player doesn’t grab it with both hands and seize the moment with every ounce of his skill. The fact that Kesler and Raymond are both out for a chunk of training camp and the beginning of the season offers us a true glimpse of what is possible. If Cody Hodgson fails to impress this season at camp, he will rightly or wrongly be labeled a failure and may never be truly accepted in this town because of it (see also Petr Nedved and Shawn Antoski).

Yes he is a top 10 draft pick and yes he is our top prospect but none of that matters if he does not produce. It is the sad reality of pro sports that we carry a “what have you done for me lately” mentality and it will be no different for Cody Hodgson. In a town that turns on their players on a dime, it will be ultimately up to Cody Hodgson how this turns out.

Mike Gillis has stated that he has full confidence in Cody Hodgson and in starting the season with him at second line centre, which judging by his credentials is right where he should be. Let’s hope Mike Gillis is still singing those praises when the puck drops on October 6.