Bruce Boudreau has been coaching the Vancouver Canucks with the front office pulling him off the bench with a giant novelty cane for about a year now. More recently, the Canucks head coach search has been less than private, so much so I’m shocked Boudreau hasn’t just quit for his own dignity. If the Leafs bench wasn’t so crowded with men I would offer to give him a good home in his hometown this season.

But back to the Canucks, they’ve been Canadian media’s wet dream that they haven’t bothered to cover because games start too late over there and columns are due before puck drops on the pacific coast. They’ve had every controversy imaginable (pissy stars, cap hell, injury mismanagement, coaching drama, losing, dramatic losing, record breaking losing, etc).

So, what’s the thing to do? Bring in a 15-year-old controversy that’s oddly connected to every advertisement in the country right now.

For those of you who were too young to know about this (like me), here’s the coles notes. Rick Tocchet pleaded guilty to gambling (allegedly on hockey games) alongside his best friends Wayne and Janet Gretzky. Wayne, by the way, is back in the sports gambling business with Bet MGM.

Former NHL star Rick Tocchet pleads guilty to gambling charges - The Hockey News

These connections really make the Fifth Estate investigation feel very prudent right about now. It just gets me thinking whether this was all a good idea. Good luck, Canucks, you garbage fire of a franchise.

Fifth Estate: NHL stars mum on gambling endorsement deals | CBC News

In other news, I sure hope the Leafs are among one of those teams talking to the Blue Jackets about Gustav Nyquist.

The Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation, Algonquin Nation, and hockey community mourns the loss of Gino Odjick, who was a survivor of the Spanish Indian Residential School in Ontario before rising out and playing in 605 NHL games. Odjick was an enforcer who wracked up 64 goals and 2567 penalty minutes and was an inspiration to many. Rest easy.

I highly recommend reading the article linked below by Sean Carleton on Gino’s struggle. In it he mentions that Gino was diagnosed with a rare terminal disease known as AL amyloidosis in 2014. There are also some great stories about Pat Quinn and his time in BC.

Alex Nedeljkovic was placed on waivers yesterday to be sent to the Grand Rapids Griffins by the Detroit Red Wings. Nedeljkovic, who is already on the Griffins as part of a conditioning stint, is expected to clear and spend some time down in the minors, similar to Jakub Vrana earlier this month. Nedeljkovic has one season with a positive goals saved above expected in his career and has lost his tandem job to Magnus Hellberg in Detroit.

Maybe Stevie Y should’ve asked himself?

From The Branches