This past Sunday, Rebecca and I ventured out for morning breakfast followed by a walk into Stanley Park with our cameras. Venturing down to the trails, I was mentioning how depressing it is that there is next to nothing in terms of honoring the spot where Denman Arena once stood.

Then Rebecca points out this.

It’s not much, but there is a brief mention of the rink where the Vancouver Millionaires won the Stanley Cup against the Ottawa Senators in the 1915 finals. Today, it’s not much more than a bus stop, a great set of benches to chill on the corner of Denman and Georgia, and a small parking lot for the nearby marina.

I kept thinking that this is such a Canadian version of Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi”. Instead of paving paradise to put up a parking lot, the rink burned down so they stuck in a parking lot. Of course, Coal Harbour has a tad more history to it than that, especially since the arena met its end in 1936.

This, of course, sparked a conversation about the history of hockey on the west coast, namely Vancouver, and how much the Patrick brothers, Frank and Lester, revolutionized the game of hockey.

Among their contributions:

• The forward pass
• The blue line
• The penalty shot
• The boarding penalty
• The playoff system
• Kicking of the puck (except into the net)
• Allowing goalies to fall to make a save
• Crediting of assists on goals

That’s just to name a few, but 22 of the changes implemented by these brothers are still in the modern day NHL rule book, shaping the game that’s still played today. In fact, they helped build the Pacific Coast Hockey Association from near scratch to one of the best leagues to play in at the time. Why there isn’t more recognition of this is beyond me, if not a little sad.

After that, it almost seemed fitting that you walk into the park for which the Stanley Cup is named after, Lord Frederick Stanley, the statue pictured above.

For more insight on Denman Arena, Rebecca has more on miss604.com:

• Vancouver History: Denman Arena
• Vancouver History: Cyclone Taylor

Rebecca made an appearance in today’s edition of 24 Hours in Vancouver, answering five tough questions about the Canucks.

If there is one bandwagon that she isn’t on, it’s most likely the negative one compared to her fellow “line-mates”.

As Rebecca put it to me this morning, she hasn’t missed a Vancouver Sun Raise A Reader Day in four years, and today was no exception. Taking my new Nikon D90 out for an inaugural spin into the real world, here’s a few photos of players we were able to run into today.

Kyle Wellwood (Photo credit: miss604 on Flickr)

Michael Grabner

Chris Oddleifson

Kirk McLean

Shane O'Brian

Raise A Reader Day is always a good time to run around downtown Vancouver to see as many Canucks players from past and present. Where else can you see the Canucks top liners then go another block to run into greats like Stan Smyl or Orland Kurtenbach? But it’s also a great cause to help enable those who are struggling with literacy because without the power to read, who else is going to read these blog posts that I write, eh?

Until next year…

I recall an episode we recorded awhile back when the joke was to call the Canucks the “Vancouver Luongos” from now on, simply because of two facts: Luongo is an amazing goalie, and so much of the team rests, certainly in the fans’ eyes, on him.

Now, in the event that you haven’t been paying attention, our beloved captain of the team, Roberto Luongo, has pretty much sealed his fate with the Vancouver Canucks by signing a $64 million contract that will keep him with this club until 2022.

After this final year of his existing contract, the 12-year deal kicks in with a front loaded $10 million in the first year while cruising around $6 million for the next seven.

I’ve said it before in the podcast, but these deals are tough to be a fan of.

We’re seeing it already with the New York Islanders and Rick DiPietro having chronic issues with injuries. That long-term deal was done to cement a solid man in that position to help build a team that struggles not only on the ice but with getting people into their building to see the games.

Let’s not forget that Russian superstar Alexander Ovechkin will be with the Washington Capitols for an extra thirteen seasons after getting his extension. Worst thing in the world? Tough to say for a 23 year-old who plays the game hard and fast.

It’s a move that makes sense in regards to team building and dollar figures (in the realm of thought being that there is nothing stopping anyone from drafting and signing these contracts), but this cap era of the NHL doesn’t offer many alternatives when you’re fighting the distraction of dollar signs in a player’s eyes.

The fact is, the gauntlet has been thrown. There is no going back. If DiPietro could keep his time on the injured reserve list to a minimum, I might be thinking different. Thing is, this is what we have to contend with for beyond the next decade.

If injuries plague Luongo, this will be a rough road. If we have a good number of years in the playoffs with a Stanley Cup or two in Vancouver, then finally someone will be able to say that these kinds of contracts have some merit.

Right now, I’m skeptical, but the proof remains to be seen. When that happens, I’ll gladly change my mind.

Worth noting, there is a clause in the contract that gives a way out for both Luongo and the club.

It’s been a while since we’ve done an episode, but we’re doing our best to fill you in on what’s happened since the last one as well as our thoughts about what’s been going on with the Canucks over that time. From Sundin to LaBarbara, there has been a lot to talk about and consider with the current slump the team is in. We do our best to cover as much as we can while staying under an hour. Listen in and see how the crew has been handling this winter of our discontent.

• Hockey for the Homeless in Vancouver

Everyone gathered this evening for a quick episode where we discuss Luongo’s early November shutout streak, the third jersey, the Canucks making their film debut, and some making their debut in Manhattan. Third jersey talks, and a whole lot of Wellwood appreciation round out this edition of The Crazy Canucks.

• DaveO challenges readers to answer this trivia question: What piece of literature did Kyle Wellwood mention he was reading when he was on the CBC’s After Hours? Bonus points (and we’ll try to find a prize) if you can name the main character in that book.
• Alanah notes the photo documentation of Mason Raymond’s first trip to the Big Apple.
• If you have a Flickr account, join The Crazy Canucks Flickr Group and submit your photos to the pool.