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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvxZCJV5wMk

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Canuck Countdown. Now that the two signs of summer have arrived (the draft and JP Barrie being a total asshat), I have a lot more time on my hands as I 'count down' the days until the 2009-10 season starts, so I started this blog to amuse myself and my hockey friends. If I provide any entertainment for other Nucks fans, or people who despise us, then ten times happy me. Welcome. Enjoy another addition to the sites you get when you search "canucks" on google blogs. This is number 512,660. Oh and also, sex boobs penis michael jackson iran. That'll get me a few hits.

First subject of my first post: This lovely commercial I've been seeing over and over while watching additional draft coverage on the NHL network. (Yes, I watched rounds 2-7 on TV. What can I say, "The Bachelorette: Whistler" wasn't on). It's a Visa commercial, narrated by Morgan Freeman, which features all kinds of memorabilia ostensibly belonging to hockey fans all over: A Montreal Canadians bedspread, a Calgary Flames flag, Toronto Maple Leafs armchairs.. For the Canucks: A doormat. Yes, a doormat. At least the person in the two-second shot has the decency to step over the doormat before going inside the house. Ouch, Visa. I wonder what's in the plastic bag the actor is picking up. Probably a magazine. If I were Visa I would have gone a step further and used a flaming paper bag instead.

Speaking of flames, I also noticed their flag in the commercial is flying at half mast. This commercial is pretty old..I wonder if that shot was a mini-homage to Mickey Renaud. If so, I forgive you Visa. That's classy. Like Luc Bourdon, Renaud would have been/was a phenomenal hockey player. As I watched the Rangers pick Ryan Bourque using their compensatory second rounder, I couldn't help but think of Renaud and Bourdon, and of course the late Alexei Cherepanov. Young hockey players are pushing themselves harder than ever, and I hope all these kids drafted today take good care of themselves.

If the doormat thing is old news to anyone, keep in mind I have to see a commercial about 20 times before I actually pay attention.

And now, since this blog is called Canucks Countdown, here are today's WORST PERSONS IN THE NHL:

Worse: Dany Heatley
Sorry DP (http://dps-team.blogspot.com/). Your sometime-50 goal scorer has potentially delayed Bryan Murray's rebuilding process. When you are obviously desperate to trade a guy you're having to pay 4 million dollars in a week, you have zero leverage with other GM's. Heatley should have been quiet about this so Murray could maximize the asset. He wasn't. Now Murray couldn't get a happy meal for Heatley, and basically has to keep him in the lineup into next season, which will add another distraction to all the players the Sens are trying to develop.

Worser: Steve Tambellini
Loved your work in Van, but Paajarvi-Svensson over Ryan Ellis? Imagine having Ellis, Souray, and Visnovski in a conference with a shortage of top-tier puck-moving defensemen. You might actually challenge a team like Chigago with a D like that. Paajarvi-Svensson is proported to be Forsberg 2.0, yes. But why do I feel the Oilers are getting another skilled forward who will eventually crack under pressure? You know what, this is less a vote against MPS than it is for Ellis. I've watched him play -- he does not play like a small dude, in fact if he were 6"2' he'd be ranked right up there with Hedman.

Worst: J.P. Barry
"We've been negotiating for more than a year, so it's hard for me to say I'm optimistic." Bullshit. Since when do GMs and agents negotiate seriously between the all-star break and the end of the playoffs? They have negotiated intermittently over a long period of time, just like every other negotiation involving players of this calibre. J.P. Barry is once again using the media (In this case Ian Mende -- sorry, I just threw up in my mouth a little) to tighten his grip around Mike Gillis' throat. I'm not saying this is a completely empty threat, but let's remember that the Sedins want to stay in Vancouver (in spite of media outlets like The Province having been pushing them away since 1999), and that at their asking price, who's the biggest contender they can sign with? Toronto? Atlanta? JP Barry is forcing his clients, essentially, to either play apart if they want to be on a real contender, play together on a shitty team, or play together on the Canucks with salaries so inflated, the team can't sign anyone else.

JP Barrie, today's worst person in the world.

Well, that's Canucks Countdown for this, the 45th day since Elliot Pap declared the Canucks must, in fact, trade Roberto Luongo.

Aw, Nucks!