If you’re a regular reader of CanucksArmy, chances are good that you watch enough hockey to have developed a serious habit. With the Vancouver Canucks on hiatus for a preposterous nine consecutive days between January 24 and February 1—due to a combination of the All-Star Weekend and the team’s scheduled “bye week”—there’s a high possibility of dedicated fans developing hockey withdrawals as they await the next matchup.

With that in mind, we’ve scoured the schedules of any Canucks-related team in the wide world of hockey to try bridge the nine-day gap with some quality entertainment. For those wishing to keep closer tabs on the organization’s top prospects, this hiatus could end up being a blessing in disguise.

Third round pick Tyler Madden made a name for himself at the 2019 World Junior Championships, and he’ll get some more time in the TSN spotlight as he and the Northeastern Huskies take on the Providence Friars in this NCAA matchup. The Friars are led by Philadelphia first rounder Jay O’Brien.

 

There are no Canucks-affiliated players on either the Raiders or the Giants, but it’s always fun to support the second-best hockey team in Vancouver whenever possible. This game also affords an opportunity to watch Bowen Byram, the top-ranked defender in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

Most British Columbian fans probably don’t have access to the Madison Square Garden Network, but any who do will be happy to know that the channel will be carrying a Utica Comets matchup during the Canucks’ nine-game hiatus. This will be Comets’ last game before their own All-Star break, and it represents a great opportunity to catchup on prospects like Adam Gaudette, Jonathan Dahlen, Kole Lind, Zack MacEwen, and Jonah Gadjovich.

The All-Star Game is a polarizing event, but most people agree that the Skills Competition represents the most entertaining portion of the weekend. After all, who doesn’t want to watch Elias Pettersson absolutely dominate the stickhandling drills?

If the All-Star Game isn’t your cup of tea, there’s some real hockey available on Saturday, too. Sportsnet is carrying an OHL matchup that features Mike DiPietro and the Ottawa 67’s facing off against the Oshawa Generals.

A year ago, Brock Boeser dominated the 2018 NHL All-Star Game and took home MVP honours. Would anyone be surprised if Elias Pettersson repeated the feat in 2019? The chances of wizardry being put on display are too high to skip this one.

If the NHL Skills Competition wasn’t enough silly fun for you, the All-Stars of the AHL will performing their version of the event on Sunday afternoon. The competition will be littered with notable prospects from around the league, including Drake Batherson, Henrik Borgstrom, Jordan Kyrou, and Erik Brannstrom.

The North Division All-Star roster only features one Utica Comet—Reid Boucher—but plenty of other notable names including former Canucks Zac Dalpe and Cory Conacher, which could make it a worthwhile watch for Vancouver fans.

Again, it’s probably a longshot to expect most people in the BC region to have access to the New England Sports Network—but those that do will be rewarded with a glimpse of one of the Canucks’ most unheralded prospects—Jack Rathbone. Drafted 95^th overall in 2017, Rathbone is in the midst of a highly impressive rookie campaign for Harvard.

If all that televised action still doesn’t scratch your hockey itch, we’ve collected a sampling of non-televised games to fill out your schedule. While we’re not in the business of discussing illegal streaming options, we’ve noted any legitimate streaming services that are available to view these games—but it should be noted that some of these methods are prohibitively expensive. 

 

The best chance for Canuck fans to watch the team’s best prospect play during the All-Star break comes during the NCAA’s “B1G Super Saturday.” Those who are able to tune in won’t just catch an eyeful of Quinn Hughes, but also his Michigan teammate, Will Lockwood.

 

The newest addition to the Canucks’ prospect cupboard is Mitch Eliot, who was signed as an undrafted OHLer in mid-December. Those wanting to see what he’s made off can catch he and the Sarnia Sting taking on the Barrie Colts—though an expensive stream may be required.

Streams from the Finnish SM-Liiga are tough to come by, but anyone who is able to track one down can watch Canuck prospect Petrus Palmu and the 2019-eligible Kaapo Kakko take on Tommi Santala and IFK Helsinki—provided they’re willing to wake up early on a Friday to do so.

The Comets only play two games while the Canucks are on hiatus, and unfortunately neither of them are readily accessible to those in the Vancouver market. Those interested in this matchup can listen for free via KROCK’s radio stream, or pony up for a low-quality video stream via AHLTV.

Jett Woo and the Moose Jaw Warriors play a number of games during the Canucks’ All-Star break, and none of them will be easy to view. If one is willing to pay for an official WHL stream, this particular matchup makes the most sense—as there’s little else going on in the Canucks-related hockey world that night.

The Canucks come back on February 2 against the Colorado Avalanche, but those who need an extra dose of hockey to close out the hiatus can get up early on Saturday morning—or stay up late on Friday night—to watch the exiled Nikita Tryamkin in a KHL matchup against HC Vityaz, one of the more physical teams in the league. Tracking down a stream, however, will be almost as difficult as trying to predict whether or not Tryamkin is ever going to return to Vancouver.