Jovocop deserves spot on blue-line for TSN’s all-time Canucks team
TSN left the best for last.
The national sports broadcaster released its final selection of alltime NHL rosters for Canadian franchises on Monday. Smart ratings move. TSN knows any analysis of the Vancouver Canucks often turns a spark of debate here into a raging Twitter fire of finger pointing and second-guessing.
And even though there’s little to quibble with, the roster summation by Craig Button — especially with criteria set by the former NHL executive, scout and TSN scouting director — we know this much about how it will be received by a hockey-mad populace:
When emotion enters the conversation, buttons are pushed and the entertainment level escalates.
When logic is at the forefront, conclusions are predictable and the air goes out of the balloon.
With selection criteria that includes at least 225 regular-season franchise games, roster inclusion by original position and at least one member of the 2019-20 roster, those who have excelled and been honoured or overlooked have set a predictable roster.
But wait.
No Ed Jovanovski? No Greg Adams? And no Alex Mogilny?
Whether it was by riches at positions, or thinking like a coach to put together a real roster — top line, shutdown line, shutdown pairing and just enough grit, you can see Button’s logic, which, of course, takes all the fun out of it.
In 2014, the Vancouver Province compiled a list of “The Greatest 101 Canucks.” Jovanovski was slotted 20th by a 14-member panel. Sami Salo, Doug Lidster and Kevin Bieksa were 22nd, 27th and 28th respectively, and are on the all-time TSN roster.
What does this mean? It means emotion enters the equation. Skill, will, presence, injury frequency and long-serving intangibles are obvious determining factors for who makes the roster. Jovanovski checked a lot of boxes and scared a lot of players.
He had 17 goals in 2001-02 and a career-high 48 points to finish fifth in club scoring, not to mention three successive 40-point seasons here. Add the Macedonian Madman element and it made for a lot of electric nights.
Jovanovski exceeded 100 penalties in three straight seasons, but bad decisions were often trumped by a bad opposition move to test his mettle. He didn’t fight often as he got better because word got around. He had that look. And that punch.
He ended the career of Adam Deadmarsh, who twice challenged the big blue-liner who could skate, shoot and intimidate. Injuries and indecision caught up to him in the latter years, but when he was on, he was the team’s best blue-liner.
In a raucous Nov. 1, 2000 encounter with the dominant Colorado Avalanche, Jovanovski was at his best.
Playing despite a bothersome oblique muscle strain, he executed his Jovocop role to perfection in a 4-3 comeback victory. He concussed Deadmarsh with a hard right hand in a pivotal second-period fight with the Canucks trailing 3-2.
Jovanovski later scored the winning goal early in the third period as Vancouver defeated Colorado for only the second time in 16 GM Place meetings. And Jovanovski knew that, after he got the better of Deadmarsh just 22 seconds after the winger has scored to make it 3-2 for the Avs, the momentum had swung.
“Yeah, I think so,” said Jovanovski, who logged 26:09 in the absence of the injured Mattias Ohlund (eye surgery) and Adrian Aucoin (groin). “I was still ticked off because somebody (Joe Sakic) had me tied up in front of our goal when Deadmarsh scored.
“I was in the slot and he turned and whacked me hard on the thumb and we kind of went from there.”
Jovanovski would be on my team. He’s a left shot but could play the right side. Just send him out there.
Here’s a look at TSN’s all-time Canucks roster:
GOAL Roberto Luongo, Kirk McLean
Luongo ranked sixth in the “101 Greatest Canucks” project. Among a myriad of heart-stopping displays were his 72 saves in the 2007 quarterfinal series-opening 5-4 win over Dallas that went to a fourth overtime. “It was probably the most exhausting thing I’ve ever been a part of,” said Luongo.
McLean is in the Ring of Honour for his 11 years and backstopping the Canucks to within a win of the 1994 Stanley Cup. He ranked ninth in The Province’s ratings.
Last cut: Richard Brodeur
DEFENCE
Mattias Ohlund — Doug Lidster Jyrki Lumme — Sami Salo Alex Edler — Kevin Bieksa
Slotting determined on proficiency and right pairings. Edler/ Bieksa are the shutdown unit. Last cuts: Ed Jovanovski, Kevin McCarthy
FORWARDS
Daniel Sedin — Henrik Sedin — Pavel Bure
Markus Naslund — Trevor Linden — Todd Bertuzzi
Geoff Courtnall — Thomas Gradin — Tony Tanti
Alex Burrows — Ryan Kesler — Stan Smyl
The Sedins with Bure. Wow. But who’s doing the spade work? Prefer Kesler as second-line centre. A Selke Trophy winner and 40-goal guy who would add pace, pop and presence. Courtnall versus Adams makes for an interesting left wing debate, and who would want to play against Burrows and Smyl as shutdown line bookends? Nobody.
Last cuts: Greg Adams, Cliff Ronning, Alex Mogilny
FOUNDATION PLAYER: Orland Kurtenbach
First team captain, first Ring of Honour inductee and set standard for performance and decorum.