head coach: Tom Renney

roster: C - Mark Messier, Trevor Linden, Mike Sillinger, Lonny Bohonos*. LW - Martin Gelinas, Markus Naslund, Gino Odjick, Donald Brashear, David Roberts. RW - Pavel Bure, Alexander Mogilny*, Brian Noonan, Scott Walker, Larry Courville. D - Jyrki Lumme, Dana Murzyn, Grant Ledyard, Bret Hedican*, Dave Babych, Adrian Aucoin*, Steve Staios*, Mattias Ohlund. G - Kirk McLean, Arturs Irbe.
*-Unsigned free agent.

injuries: None.

transactions: XX/XX - Announced the retirement of Mike Ridley. 07/04 - Agreed to terms with free-agent defenseman Dave Babych. 07/14 - Signed free agent defenseman Grant Ledyard (Dallas). 07/15 - Agreed to terms with center Lubomir Vaic. 07/28 - Signed free-agent center Mark Messier (NY Rangers) to a three-year contract. 08/05 - Agreed to terms with free-agent goaltender Arturs Irbe (Dallas). 08/07 - Matched the offer sheet for defenseman Mattias Ohlund, tendered by the Toronto Maple Leafs last Friday. 08/12 - Agreed to terms with free agent left wing Markus Naslund. 08/14 - Agreed to terms with free-agent goaltender Tim Keyes. 08/18 - Agreed to terms with free agent center Mike Sillinger. 09/02 - Promoted Steve Tambellini to senior vice president, hockey operations and Mike Penny to assistant general manager. 09/09 - Re-signed free-agent right wing Scott Walker; re-signed left wing Donald Brashear.

standings:

1996-97 FINAL RESULTS
RECORD:     
 OVERALL      35-40-7
 HOME         20-17-4
 ROAD         15-23-3        
POINTS:             77 (15th)
GOALS SCORED:      257  (5th)   
GOALS AGAINST:     273 (22nd)
POWER PLAY:      16.8%  (9th)
PENALTY KILLING: 80.8% (24th)

game results:

PRE-SEASON RESULTS
None.

team news:

by Michael Dell, editor-in-chief

WHAT A MESS

Vancouver GM Pat Quinn scored the free agent coup of the summer by signing Mark Messier away from the New York Rangers. Quinn also finally came to terms with highly-touted Swedish defender Mattias Ohlund. Yet for all his good work, Quinn still has a long road to hoe.

Russian superstars Pavel Bure and Alexander Mogilny are both unhappy with their contracts. Mogilny is an unsigned restricted free agent that doesn't seem in any real hurry to report to camp. At the moment he's just chilling on the beach in Malibu with his family. Mogilny's first choice is to remain in Vancouver, but he wouldn't mind playing elsewhere, either. Meanwhile Bure, who is under contract, has reported to camp and even scored a hat trick in his first scrimmage. But the Russian Rocket is still steamed about the Canucks cheating him of $1.8 million during the lockout shortened 1994-95 season. He's putting on a good front and saying that he's excited about the chance to play with Messier, but his agent has said that unless the issue of back pay gets settled, a walk out remains a possibility. Trade rumors involving both stars continue to circulate.

Quinn also has ongoing contract disputes with winger Martin Gelinas and defenseman Bret Hedican. The Canucks will have wacky new uniforms this season, but exactly who will be filling them is still very much in doubt.

OFFENSE: Could Be Great...

If Bure and Mogilny stay, the Canuck offense could be stacked. The top line would likely feature Messier with Bure and Gelinas. That would leave Trevor Linden to center the second line with Mogilny and probably Markus Naslund. Now see right there, that's two solid scoring lines.

Vancouver's problem is going to come in the third and fourth lines. The club lost two centers this summer when Mike Ridley retired and Sergei Nemchinov signed with the Islanders, so that leaves Mike Sillinger to anchor the third line and tough guy Scott Walker to center a fourth. If Mogilny does get traded, he will undoubtedly bring back a center in return.

Depth on the wing will be provided by veteran checker Brian Noonan, the defensively sound Dave Roberts, second-year man Lonny Bohonos, and tough guy Donald Brashear. There's definitely room for improvement in this area, as well.

The Canucks don't have much depth at all, but if Messier, Bure, Mogilny, and Linden are all in the lineup, they won't need much support.

DEFENSE: Can Ohlund Live Up to Hype?

Ever since he was drafted by Vancouver 13th overall in 1994, Mattias Ohlund has been considered one of the best blueliners in the world outside the NHL. The 21-year-old Swede has great size (6'3", 210) and is a smooth skater with the skill to be a point producer from the line. If he's as good as everyone says he is, he'll step right in and be the Canucks' number one defenseman and a fixture on the power play.

Joining Ohlund at the point will be the vastly underrated Jyrki Lumme. The veteran Finn never gets the respect he deserves, but he's one of the best all-around defensemen in the game. He had 11 goals and 35 points in 66 games last season and posted 17 goals the previous year, so he can be a force on the scoresheet as well as in his own zone.

After Ohlund and Lumme, the defense gets pretty shabby. The club signed Grant Ledyard from Dallas to add size. Dana Murzyn brings toughness and is the club's most physical defender. Dave Babych is a wily veteran and Dave Babych's mustache continues to keep opposing coaches up at nights trying to figure a way around it. Hedican, if he gets signed, brings an enormous amount of speed to the table and can skate a point on the man-advantage. Adrian Aucoin and Leif Rohlin also have some offensive talent and second-year men Steve Staios and Mark Wotton will be available to provide depth.

GOALTENDING: Throw a Dart

While the defense is hardly stellar, Vancouver's biggest concern is in net. Kirk McLean has seldom looked like a number one goaltender the past couple years and Corey Hirsch gets abused on a pretty regular basis. The team lost free agent Mike Fountain to Carolina, but did ink Arturs Irbe to a contract. There isn't a dominating goaltender among the lot, but look for McLean to return as the starter and Irbe to emerge as the new backup. The little Latvian is cool like that. Irbe like wall... chomp, chomp, chomp... Irbe like wall.

GEE, THAT'S SWELL

* Messier's the best leader in sports.

* If Bure and Mogilny return, the offense will be dangerous.

* Ohlund is finally in Vancouver.

TROUBLE

* The third and fourth lines are week.

* The defense could use another top name.

* Goaltending is a major question mark.

1997-98 OUTLOOK: The Canucks have some holes, and they need at least Bure to stay in town, but no matter what happens Messier will make this team a winner.

PREDICTION: Second in the Pacific and in the playoffs.

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