It’s True, I Have Joined the Army

It is true. I have joined the Army. No brushcut, no fatigues, no basic training – in fact, no training of any kind – I’m jumping right in and hoping to have some fun in this space as the Canucks hit the stretch run, approach the trade deadline and advance into the playoffs.

When the guys who oversee this website first approached me a few weeks back, I was flattered that they thought there was a fit for me, with what they’ve created here at Canucks Army. But I didn’t know if it was something I wanted or needed to do. However, after some time, I realized that while I have an outlet for my thoughts about the hockey club on the Team 1040, in the weekly column I write for the Georgia Straight, and on Twitter, one thing I was missing was a regular space to call my own on the web. A spot where I can post whatever I want, whenever I want as thoughts cross my mind about the Vancouver Canucks.

And now I have that here at Canucks Army.

Into my 12th year (11th season because of the lockout) covering the Vancouver Canucks, I am fortunate to have access to the players, coaches and management. As the beat reporter and post-game contributor for Team 1040 — the flagship station on the Canucks radio network — I am around the hockey club at every practice, game day skate, and each and every home game. My intent is to bring some insight into why the team is playing the way it is – good or bad. I am a huge believer in trying to offer things you won’t find elsewhere, whether it’s information, analysis or an anecdote picked up along the way. I’d consider this project a success if every time you visit this space you find something – no matter how big or small – that you did not know or hadn’t thought of.

I am open to questions and comments and even up for a good debate. I don’t need you to, or expect you to, agree with everything I have to say – trust me after a dozen years in talk radio in this market, I know there are enough people out there that don’t buy what I’m selling. Much of the feedback I get on twitter is that I am too negative. I don’t believe that to be true. I prefer to call myself a harsh realist. The team doesn’t always play well, the players all have off nights. The media’s job is not to root for the players or the team – that’s left to the fans. What I love is trying to figure out why things are going right or wrong, and I often use statistics to back up my findings. Stats never tell the whole story, but I do think they can help identify team and player trends.

What makes covering the Canucks fun is the passion of the people who follow the team and the thirst for information that exists among the fan base. Hey, I was born and raised here and aside from six years in Kamloops (calling games for the Blazers during their Memorial Cup glory years), I have lived my whole life in Vancouver and know what this team means to the people of this city.

If you haven’t already, I encourage you to follow me on twitter for the very latest news on the Canucks. I’ll certainly use this space to expound upon many of my tweets and flush out the remainder of my thoughts that require more than 140 characters.