Welcome back to WDYTT, the only hockey column on the internet available 24 hours a day, one day a week.
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Speaking of 24, that’s a wrap on the year 2024. And what a year it was, in so many ways. We’ve got a feeling that, for better or for worse, we’re all going to remember this one for many more years to come. And in a year filled to the brim with big stories and major headlines, the Vancouver Canucks were certainly no exception.
The year 2024 saw the Canucks return to the playoffs, and take the eventual Western Conference champions to the brink of Game 7. It also saw captain Quinn Hughes claim the first Norris Trophy in franchise history. It also marked the arrival of Kiefer Sherwood.
So much to note. So much to remember. So much to appreciate during these, the final waning days of December.
We realize that it was a big year, and to ask you to condense a full 366 days (leap year!) down into a singular favourite memory is a tough task. But we wouldn’t ask if we didn’t think you’d be up for it. Or if we didn’t think you’d be up for doing it in rich, thought-provoking detail.
With that, we’ll wish you and yours a very Happy New Year (and will save the Best Wishes in 2025 for next week’s column.) 
This week, we’re asking:
<h1>What was your single favourite Canucks-related memory of 2024?</h1>
Let it be known in the comment section.
&nbsp;
<a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/wdytt-kiefer-sherwood-best-value-vancouver-canucks-free-agent-signing-since">Last week, we asked:</a>
<h1>Kiefer Sherwood is the best-value Canucks UFA signing since ____________________.</h1>
You answered below!
CraigCoxe:
For players with no previous NHL experience, I would say Alexandre Burrows and Chris Tanev are high-value signings.
For July 1st UFAs, the best value signing was Anson Carter probably. One-season wonder, but he had good chemistry with the Sedins.
Kearnsie:
‘Sutherland’ is the most fun FA signing since Thomas Vanek.
Tommy Gun was a beaut.
Jibsys:
Certainly Burrows. He was not a July 1 free agent signing, but still the best value deal ever for this team. They got a top-six player who played on a team-friendly deal for years.
TH:
(Winner of the author’s weekly award for eloquence)
Honestly I think that Lankinen has been the higher value signing this year, no slight to Sherwood. Given Silovs&#8217; somewhat surprising regression, we would be in a much worse place if not for KL&#8217;s excellent play.
Going back a bit further, Mikael Samuelsson was a solid July 1st signing back in 2009. Put up back-to-back 50 point seasons at $2.5M per and led the Canucks in scoring in the 2010 playoffs. Maybe not the flashiest, but a solid all-around player.
Gurpal Sandhu:
Mike Santorelli in Tort&#8217;s lone season. Signed for league-minimum and put up 28 points in 49 games. Gave us steady offense playing on the second line with Kesler, averaged 18 mins a night playing all situations.
I remember by December, we were still top-three in our division.
He got injured in January and missed the rest of the season. I don&#8217;t think anyone in the media talked about how his injury coincided with the season going off the rails.
Magic Head:
I&#8217;d say Ryan Walter. He was signed for his leadership skills and two-way play. He was also decent with faceoffs. Before he came to the Canucks, the Canucks had 15 straight losing seasons finishing .400 or below. The two years he was with the Canucks, they won back-to-back division titles. After he retired, it took the Canucks more than a decade before they got another division title.
The Flying V:
I don&#8217;t see how it can be anyone but Alex Burrows, but to throw out an oldie:
Lonny Bohonos.
Just because I love his name. Say it with me, &#8220;Lonny Bohonos&#8230;&#8221;
Seriously, though, he did play well in his first real opportunity with the Canucks, playing with Trevor Linden and Martin Gelinas and was a little light in a dark season.
They tried playing him as a fourth liner the next season and that did not work. He was an offensive, not defensive, player.
sydblackwell:
Just like last week´s question, this one has only one answer: Alex Burrows. Nobody else is close. The next best free agent signing was Ryan Miller. He gave excellent service in a short stint quite late in his career. Really great value, but Burrows was far greater value for much longer.
Stephan Roget:
The folks that are saying Alex Burrows are right, of course. This author hadn’t intended to include non-summer signings, but a UFA is a UFA, and Burrows was a UFA.
Most of the rest of the best have already been named.
One that wasn’t? Dan Hamhuis.
Not only was Hamhuis probably the best overall defender on the 2011 team, but his signing marked a bit of a threshold in those Canucks becoming contenders in the first place. The sequence of his rights being traded twice, and him still going to market and signing in Vancouver because he wanted that destination more than money, was a special moment for a franchise that has all too often missed out on free agents.
If only they’d sign him to some sort of ‘no hip-checking’ clause!
&nbsp;
PS: From all of us to all of you, Happy New Year and nothing but the best in 2025!
Sponsored by bet365
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&nbsp;

Welcome back to WDYTT, the only hockey column on the internet available 24 hours a day, one day a week.
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Speaking of 24, that’s a wrap on the year 2024. And what a year it was, in so many ways. We’ve got a feeling that, for better or for worse, we’re all going to remember this one for many more years to come. And in a year filled to the brim with big stories and major headlines, the Vancouver Canucks were certainly no exception.

The year 2024 saw the Canucks return to the playoffs, and take the eventual Western Conference champions to the brink of Game 7. It also saw captain Quinn Hughes claim the first Norris Trophy in franchise history. It also marked the arrival of Kiefer Sherwood.

So much to note. So much to remember. So much to appreciate during these, the final waning days of December.

We realize that it was a big year, and to ask you to condense a full 366 days (leap year!) down into a singular favourite memory is a tough task. But we wouldn’t ask if we didn’t think you’d be up for it. Or if we didn’t think you’d be up for doing it in rich, thought-provoking detail.

With that, we’ll wish you and yours a very Happy New Year (and will save the Best Wishes in 2025 for next week’s column.)
This week, we’re asking:
<h1>What was your single favourite Canucks-related memory of 2024?</h1>
Let it be known in the comment section.

&nbsp;

<a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/wdytt-kiefer-sherwood-best-value-vancouver-canucks-free-agent-signing-since">Last week, we asked:</a>
<h1>Kiefer Sherwood is the best-value Canucks UFA signing since ____________________.</h1>
You answered below!

CraigCoxe:

For players with no previous NHL experience, I would say Alexandre Burrows and Chris Tanev are high-value signings.

For July 1st UFAs, the best value signing was Anson Carter probably. One-season wonder, but he had good chemistry with the Sedins.

Kearnsie:

‘Sutherland’ is the most fun FA signing since Thomas Vanek.

Tommy Gun was a beaut.

Jibsys:

Certainly Burrows. He was not a July 1 free agent signing, but still the best value deal ever for this team. They got a top-six player who played on a team-friendly deal for years.

TH:

(Winner of the author’s weekly award for eloquence)

Honestly I think that Lankinen has been the higher value signing this year, no slight to Sherwood. Given Silovs' somewhat surprising regression, we would be in a much worse place if not for KL's excellent play.

Going back a bit further, Mikael Samuelsson was a solid July 1st signing back in 2009. Put up back-to-back 50 point seasons at $2.5M per and led the Canucks in scoring in the 2010 playoffs. Maybe not the flashiest, but a solid all-around player.

Gurpal Sandhu:

Mike Santorelli in Tort's lone season. Signed for league-minimum and put up 28 points in 49 games. Gave us steady offense playing on the second line with Kesler, averaged 18 mins a night playing all situations.

I remember by December, we were still top-three in our division.

He got injured in January and missed the rest of the season. I don't think anyone in the media talked about how his injury coincided with the season going off the rails.

Magic Head:

I'd say Ryan Walter. He was signed for his leadership skills and two-way play. He was also decent with faceoffs. Before he came to the Canucks, the Canucks had 15 straight losing seasons finishing .400 or below. The two years he was with the Canucks, they won back-to-back division titles. After he retired, it took the Canucks more than a decade before they got another division title.

The Flying V:

I don't see how it can be anyone but Alex Burrows, but to throw out an oldie:

Lonny Bohonos.

Just because I love his name. Say it with me, "Lonny Bohonos..."

Seriously, though, he did play well in his first real opportunity with the Canucks, playing with Trevor Linden and Martin Gelinas and was a little light in a dark season.

They tried playing him as a fourth liner the next season and that did not work. He was an offensive, not defensive, player.

sydblackwell:

Just like last week´s question, this one has only one answer: Alex Burrows. Nobody else is close. The next best free agent signing was Ryan Miller. He gave excellent service in a short stint quite late in his career. Really great value, but Burrows was far greater value for much longer.

Stephan Roget:

The folks that are saying Alex Burrows are right, of course. This author hadn’t intended to include non-summer signings, but a UFA is a UFA, and Burrows was a UFA.

Most of the rest of the best have already been named.

One that wasn’t? Dan Hamhuis.

Not only was Hamhuis probably the best overall defender on the 2011 team, but his signing marked a bit of a threshold in those Canucks becoming contenders in the first place. The sequence of his rights being traded twice, and him still going to market and signing in Vancouver because he wanted that destination more than money, was a special moment for a franchise that has all too often missed out on free agents.

If only they’d sign him to some sort of ‘no hip-checking’ clause!

&nbsp;

PS: From all of us to all of you, Happy New Year and nothing but the best in 2025!

Sponsored by bet365
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WDYTT: Your favourite Canucks memory of 2024

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