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Douglas struggles in baseball home opener
Jeff Mott
By Garth McLennan, Sports Editor
ajor League baseball may
have opened their doors
officially this past week but
for Douglas College, it was a rough
weekend as they dropped three out
of four contests to the Skagit Valley
College Cardinals.
Despite the poor finishes, the
Royals, who play out of the NWAACC
(Northwest Athletic Association of
Community Colleges) didn’t look
outclassed on the weekend. The first
game of the year came on the road in
Washington, and Douglas was in the
game right until the final out, losing
a nail-biter 2-1. The game was tight
all the way through, as the Royals
equalled the Cardinals, who were
runners-up back in the 2007 NWAACC
league championships, in hits with
four for each team and the Royals’
sophomore starter Jon Winick pitched
a gem with three strikeouts and played
a complete game. Unfortunately, he
was out-duelled by Brandon Andreini,
who racked up five strikeouts in the
beginning of his freshman year.
Douglas evened the series up at
one apiece later in the day, again in
Washington, with a dominant and
entertaining 9-6 win that saw the
Royals strike early and often. The third
game of the series, Douglas’ seasonal
home opener, matched the first game,
with the Royals losing by a 2-1 score.
The team sustained a blowout 12-3
defeat in the final game of the series
but other then that forgettable affair,
the squad looked competitive in every
outing against a young Cardinals team
that won’t field a single senior this
year.
On an individual basis, Rylan
Chin stole the show for Douglas in
their lone win of the series. He went
an incredible four for four and was
walked twice throughout the contest.
However, aside from some sublime
pitching from Winick and Jeff Mottl
(who delivered a spectacular effort in
game three, giving up just two hits all
game, but couldn’t get any runs from
his own side to back him up), most of
the highlight reel plays came courtesy
of Cardinals players in the final game
of the series.
Third baseman Austin Potter blew
the Royals away by going a perfect five
for five while freshman catcher Jeff
Calhoon batted four for five. Travis
Schreve, one of the few sophomores on
the team, hit the game’s lone home run
and went three for four.
.&
Potts.
a’
Should we bring Wellwood back?
By Garth McLennan, Sports Editor
ust a few months ago, this
Jee have been a thought in
a rational Canucks fan’s head.
Should the Vancouver Canucks bring
back Kyle Wellwood? A few months
ago, the idea was laughable at best.
Now, however, things have
changed. The Canucks have locked
up their third Northwest Division
crown in four years and have
emerged as one of the best offensive
squads in the NHL in large part
because of their secondary scoring.
In the latter half the season, only the
Washington Capitals have a better
record than the Canucks and a big
part of that has been because of their
sudden ability to generate offense
from a wide variety of areas.
In the past, Vancouver lived and
died with the Sedin twins. While
they are still the primary force that
makes the club go, having forwards
like Ryan Kesler, Michael Grabner,
Mason Raymond and yes, Kyle
Wellwood, chip in every game with
a few goals has proven invaluable.
That wasn’t always the case
this year however. To say that
Wellwood was spinning his wheels
at the beginning of the year would
be akin to saying Tiger Woods kind
of messed up. It took Wellwood
20 games to record his first goal
of the season, and in the opening
19 contests all he could muster
was a pair of assists, one of which
was on an empty netter. After
being lambasted by the team, the
media and just about everyone in
Vancouver for his infamous weight
issues last year, Wellwood showed
up at the start of the current season
armed with a new one-year, $1.2
million contract and fit, lighter
physique. When his game went
to hell and the entire city was
screaming for GM Mike Gillis to
acquire a more traditional third line
center, Wellwood opted to make a
change. He went back to the things
that helped him have a career year in
goals last year—namely pizza and
renewed dedication to staying out of
the gym.
As a result, Wellwood put on
some more weight and his play
picked up. After the Olympic break
he quietly started to motor and is
now, shockingly, on his way to
improving on his point totals from
last year where he had 27.
It has been in recent outings
that Wellwood’s value has shown up
at long last. He has always been a
highly skilled player, and he finally
found his sublime dangling abilities,
which had been missing in action
for most of the year. During the 8-3
debacle against Los Angeles a few
weeks ago, Wellwood was one of the
Canucks’ only decent players, and he
kept the team in the game for as long
“as he could with a pair of excellent
goals. He followed that up two
nights later with a seeing-eye tip on
a Kevin Bieksa point shot against the
Wild in a 4-3 Vancouver win.
Wellwood’s 14 goals may
be modest, but it is a more than
acceptable total for a third line
center, and he’s also been doing his
diligence defensively and has even
turned into a reliable option on the
penalty kill.
Even with his late surge,
Wellwood can’t realistically be
looking at a raise this summer
(where he is slated to become an
unrestricted free agent), and that
presents an interesting situation for
Gillis. The Canucks are going to be
pressed right up against the salary
cap ceiling and will be forced to part
ways with a number of forwards,
most notably Pavol Demitra. It is
highly likely that Grabner, Cody
Hodgson and Jordan Schroeder, all
first round picks on cheap entry-
level deals, will be relied upon
to continue the current trend of
secondary scoring, and if Wellwood
is willing to accept even a slightly
cheaper contract than the one he won
in arbitration last summer, he could
very well be back in a Canucks
uniform next season.
Jeff Mott
By Garth McLennan, Sports Editor
ajor League baseball may
have opened their doors
officially this past week but
for Douglas College, it was a rough
weekend as they dropped three out
of four contests to the Skagit Valley
College Cardinals.
Despite the poor finishes, the
Royals, who play out of the NWAACC
(Northwest Athletic Association of
Community Colleges) didn’t look
outclassed on the weekend. The first
game of the year came on the road in
Washington, and Douglas was in the
game right until the final out, losing
a nail-biter 2-1. The game was tight
all the way through, as the Royals
equalled the Cardinals, who were
runners-up back in the 2007 NWAACC
league championships, in hits with
four for each team and the Royals’
sophomore starter Jon Winick pitched
a gem with three strikeouts and played
a complete game. Unfortunately, he
was out-duelled by Brandon Andreini,
who racked up five strikeouts in the
beginning of his freshman year.
Douglas evened the series up at
one apiece later in the day, again in
Washington, with a dominant and
entertaining 9-6 win that saw the
Royals strike early and often. The third
game of the series, Douglas’ seasonal
home opener, matched the first game,
with the Royals losing by a 2-1 score.
The team sustained a blowout 12-3
defeat in the final game of the series
but other then that forgettable affair,
the squad looked competitive in every
outing against a young Cardinals team
that won’t field a single senior this
year.
On an individual basis, Rylan
Chin stole the show for Douglas in
their lone win of the series. He went
an incredible four for four and was
walked twice throughout the contest.
However, aside from some sublime
pitching from Winick and Jeff Mottl
(who delivered a spectacular effort in
game three, giving up just two hits all
game, but couldn’t get any runs from
his own side to back him up), most of
the highlight reel plays came courtesy
of Cardinals players in the final game
of the series.
Third baseman Austin Potter blew
the Royals away by going a perfect five
for five while freshman catcher Jeff
Calhoon batted four for five. Travis
Schreve, one of the few sophomores on
the team, hit the game’s lone home run
and went three for four.
.&
Potts.
a’
Should we bring Wellwood back?
By Garth McLennan, Sports Editor
ust a few months ago, this
Jee have been a thought in
a rational Canucks fan’s head.
Should the Vancouver Canucks bring
back Kyle Wellwood? A few months
ago, the idea was laughable at best.
Now, however, things have
changed. The Canucks have locked
up their third Northwest Division
crown in four years and have
emerged as one of the best offensive
squads in the NHL in large part
because of their secondary scoring.
In the latter half the season, only the
Washington Capitals have a better
record than the Canucks and a big
part of that has been because of their
sudden ability to generate offense
from a wide variety of areas.
In the past, Vancouver lived and
died with the Sedin twins. While
they are still the primary force that
makes the club go, having forwards
like Ryan Kesler, Michael Grabner,
Mason Raymond and yes, Kyle
Wellwood, chip in every game with
a few goals has proven invaluable.
That wasn’t always the case
this year however. To say that
Wellwood was spinning his wheels
at the beginning of the year would
be akin to saying Tiger Woods kind
of messed up. It took Wellwood
20 games to record his first goal
of the season, and in the opening
19 contests all he could muster
was a pair of assists, one of which
was on an empty netter. After
being lambasted by the team, the
media and just about everyone in
Vancouver for his infamous weight
issues last year, Wellwood showed
up at the start of the current season
armed with a new one-year, $1.2
million contract and fit, lighter
physique. When his game went
to hell and the entire city was
screaming for GM Mike Gillis to
acquire a more traditional third line
center, Wellwood opted to make a
change. He went back to the things
that helped him have a career year in
goals last year—namely pizza and
renewed dedication to staying out of
the gym.
As a result, Wellwood put on
some more weight and his play
picked up. After the Olympic break
he quietly started to motor and is
now, shockingly, on his way to
improving on his point totals from
last year where he had 27.
It has been in recent outings
that Wellwood’s value has shown up
at long last. He has always been a
highly skilled player, and he finally
found his sublime dangling abilities,
which had been missing in action
for most of the year. During the 8-3
debacle against Los Angeles a few
weeks ago, Wellwood was one of the
Canucks’ only decent players, and he
kept the team in the game for as long
“as he could with a pair of excellent
goals. He followed that up two
nights later with a seeing-eye tip on
a Kevin Bieksa point shot against the
Wild in a 4-3 Vancouver win.
Wellwood’s 14 goals may
be modest, but it is a more than
acceptable total for a third line
center, and he’s also been doing his
diligence defensively and has even
turned into a reliable option on the
penalty kill.
Even with his late surge,
Wellwood can’t realistically be
looking at a raise this summer
(where he is slated to become an
unrestricted free agent), and that
presents an interesting situation for
Gillis. The Canucks are going to be
pressed right up against the salary
cap ceiling and will be forced to part
ways with a number of forwards,
most notably Pavol Demitra. It is
highly likely that Grabner, Cody
Hodgson and Jordan Schroeder, all
first round picks on cheap entry-
level deals, will be relied upon
to continue the current trend of
secondary scoring, and if Wellwood
is willing to accept even a slightly
cheaper contract than the one he won
in arbitration last summer, he could
very well be back in a Canucks
uniform next season.
Edited Text
Douglas struggles in baseball home opener
Jeff Mott
By Garth McLennan, Sports Editor
ajor League baseball may
have opened their doors
officially this past week but
for Douglas College, it was a rough
weekend as they dropped three out
of four contests to the Skagit Valley
College Cardinals.
Despite the poor finishes, the
Royals, who play out of the NWAACC
(Northwest Athletic Association of
Community Colleges) didn’t look
outclassed on the weekend. The first
game of the year came on the road in
Washington, and Douglas was in the
game right until the final out, losing
a nail-biter 2-1. The game was tight
all the way through, as the Royals
equalled the Cardinals, who were
runners-up back in the 2007 NWAACC
league championships, in hits with
four for each team and the Royals’
sophomore starter Jon Winick pitched
a gem with three strikeouts and played
a complete game. Unfortunately, he
was out-duelled by Brandon Andreini,
who racked up five strikeouts in the
beginning of his freshman year.
Douglas evened the series up at
one apiece later in the day, again in
Washington, with a dominant and
entertaining 9-6 win that saw the
Royals strike early and often. The third
game of the series, Douglas’ seasonal
home opener, matched the first game,
with the Royals losing by a 2-1 score.
The team sustained a blowout 12-3
defeat in the final game of the series
but other then that forgettable affair,
the squad looked competitive in every
outing against a young Cardinals team
that won’t field a single senior this
year.
On an individual basis, Rylan
Chin stole the show for Douglas in
their lone win of the series. He went
an incredible four for four and was
walked twice throughout the contest.
However, aside from some sublime
pitching from Winick and Jeff Mottl
(who delivered a spectacular effort in
game three, giving up just two hits all
game, but couldn’t get any runs from
his own side to back him up), most of
the highlight reel plays came courtesy
of Cardinals players in the final game
of the series.
Third baseman Austin Potter blew
the Royals away by going a perfect five
for five while freshman catcher Jeff
Calhoon batted four for five. Travis
Schreve, one of the few sophomores on
the team, hit the game’s lone home run
and went three for four.
.&
Potts.
a’
Should we bring Wellwood back?
By Garth McLennan, Sports Editor
ust a few months ago, this
Jee have been a thought in
a rational Canucks fan’s head.
Should the Vancouver Canucks bring
back Kyle Wellwood? A few months
ago, the idea was laughable at best.
Now, however, things have
changed. The Canucks have locked
up their third Northwest Division
crown in four years and have
emerged as one of the best offensive
squads in the NHL in large part
because of their secondary scoring.
In the latter half the season, only the
Washington Capitals have a better
record than the Canucks and a big
part of that has been because of their
sudden ability to generate offense
from a wide variety of areas.
In the past, Vancouver lived and
died with the Sedin twins. While
they are still the primary force that
makes the club go, having forwards
like Ryan Kesler, Michael Grabner,
Mason Raymond and yes, Kyle
Wellwood, chip in every game with
a few goals has proven invaluable.
That wasn’t always the case
this year however. To say that
Wellwood was spinning his wheels
at the beginning of the year would
be akin to saying Tiger Woods kind
of messed up. It took Wellwood
20 games to record his first goal
of the season, and in the opening
19 contests all he could muster
was a pair of assists, one of which
was on an empty netter. After
being lambasted by the team, the
media and just about everyone in
Vancouver for his infamous weight
issues last year, Wellwood showed
up at the start of the current season
armed with a new one-year, $1.2
million contract and fit, lighter
physique. When his game went
to hell and the entire city was
screaming for GM Mike Gillis to
acquire a more traditional third line
center, Wellwood opted to make a
change. He went back to the things
that helped him have a career year in
goals last year—namely pizza and
renewed dedication to staying out of
the gym.
As a result, Wellwood put on
some more weight and his play
picked up. After the Olympic break
he quietly started to motor and is
now, shockingly, on his way to
improving on his point totals from
last year where he had 27.
It has been in recent outings
that Wellwood’s value has shown up
at long last. He has always been a
highly skilled player, and he finally
found his sublime dangling abilities,
which had been missing in action
for most of the year. During the 8-3
debacle against Los Angeles a few
weeks ago, Wellwood was one of the
Canucks’ only decent players, and he
kept the team in the game for as long
“as he could with a pair of excellent
goals. He followed that up two
nights later with a seeing-eye tip on
a Kevin Bieksa point shot against the
Wild in a 4-3 Vancouver win.
Wellwood’s 14 goals may
be modest, but it is a more than
acceptable total for a third line
center, and he’s also been doing his
diligence defensively and has even
turned into a reliable option on the
penalty kill.
Even with his late surge,
Wellwood can’t realistically be
looking at a raise this summer
(where he is slated to become an
unrestricted free agent), and that
presents an interesting situation for
Gillis. The Canucks are going to be
pressed right up against the salary
cap ceiling and will be forced to part
ways with a number of forwards,
most notably Pavol Demitra. It is
highly likely that Grabner, Cody
Hodgson and Jordan Schroeder, all
first round picks on cheap entry-
level deals, will be relied upon
to continue the current trend of
secondary scoring, and if Wellwood
is willing to accept even a slightly
cheaper contract than the one he won
in arbitration last summer, he could
very well be back in a Canucks
uniform next season.
Jeff Mott
By Garth McLennan, Sports Editor
ajor League baseball may
have opened their doors
officially this past week but
for Douglas College, it was a rough
weekend as they dropped three out
of four contests to the Skagit Valley
College Cardinals.
Despite the poor finishes, the
Royals, who play out of the NWAACC
(Northwest Athletic Association of
Community Colleges) didn’t look
outclassed on the weekend. The first
game of the year came on the road in
Washington, and Douglas was in the
game right until the final out, losing
a nail-biter 2-1. The game was tight
all the way through, as the Royals
equalled the Cardinals, who were
runners-up back in the 2007 NWAACC
league championships, in hits with
four for each team and the Royals’
sophomore starter Jon Winick pitched
a gem with three strikeouts and played
a complete game. Unfortunately, he
was out-duelled by Brandon Andreini,
who racked up five strikeouts in the
beginning of his freshman year.
Douglas evened the series up at
one apiece later in the day, again in
Washington, with a dominant and
entertaining 9-6 win that saw the
Royals strike early and often. The third
game of the series, Douglas’ seasonal
home opener, matched the first game,
with the Royals losing by a 2-1 score.
The team sustained a blowout 12-3
defeat in the final game of the series
but other then that forgettable affair,
the squad looked competitive in every
outing against a young Cardinals team
that won’t field a single senior this
year.
On an individual basis, Rylan
Chin stole the show for Douglas in
their lone win of the series. He went
an incredible four for four and was
walked twice throughout the contest.
However, aside from some sublime
pitching from Winick and Jeff Mottl
(who delivered a spectacular effort in
game three, giving up just two hits all
game, but couldn’t get any runs from
his own side to back him up), most of
the highlight reel plays came courtesy
of Cardinals players in the final game
of the series.
Third baseman Austin Potter blew
the Royals away by going a perfect five
for five while freshman catcher Jeff
Calhoon batted four for five. Travis
Schreve, one of the few sophomores on
the team, hit the game’s lone home run
and went three for four.
.&
Potts.
a’
Should we bring Wellwood back?
By Garth McLennan, Sports Editor
ust a few months ago, this
Jee have been a thought in
a rational Canucks fan’s head.
Should the Vancouver Canucks bring
back Kyle Wellwood? A few months
ago, the idea was laughable at best.
Now, however, things have
changed. The Canucks have locked
up their third Northwest Division
crown in four years and have
emerged as one of the best offensive
squads in the NHL in large part
because of their secondary scoring.
In the latter half the season, only the
Washington Capitals have a better
record than the Canucks and a big
part of that has been because of their
sudden ability to generate offense
from a wide variety of areas.
In the past, Vancouver lived and
died with the Sedin twins. While
they are still the primary force that
makes the club go, having forwards
like Ryan Kesler, Michael Grabner,
Mason Raymond and yes, Kyle
Wellwood, chip in every game with
a few goals has proven invaluable.
That wasn’t always the case
this year however. To say that
Wellwood was spinning his wheels
at the beginning of the year would
be akin to saying Tiger Woods kind
of messed up. It took Wellwood
20 games to record his first goal
of the season, and in the opening
19 contests all he could muster
was a pair of assists, one of which
was on an empty netter. After
being lambasted by the team, the
media and just about everyone in
Vancouver for his infamous weight
issues last year, Wellwood showed
up at the start of the current season
armed with a new one-year, $1.2
million contract and fit, lighter
physique. When his game went
to hell and the entire city was
screaming for GM Mike Gillis to
acquire a more traditional third line
center, Wellwood opted to make a
change. He went back to the things
that helped him have a career year in
goals last year—namely pizza and
renewed dedication to staying out of
the gym.
As a result, Wellwood put on
some more weight and his play
picked up. After the Olympic break
he quietly started to motor and is
now, shockingly, on his way to
improving on his point totals from
last year where he had 27.
It has been in recent outings
that Wellwood’s value has shown up
at long last. He has always been a
highly skilled player, and he finally
found his sublime dangling abilities,
which had been missing in action
for most of the year. During the 8-3
debacle against Los Angeles a few
weeks ago, Wellwood was one of the
Canucks’ only decent players, and he
kept the team in the game for as long
“as he could with a pair of excellent
goals. He followed that up two
nights later with a seeing-eye tip on
a Kevin Bieksa point shot against the
Wild in a 4-3 Vancouver win.
Wellwood’s 14 goals may
be modest, but it is a more than
acceptable total for a third line
center, and he’s also been doing his
diligence defensively and has even
turned into a reliable option on the
penalty kill.
Even with his late surge,
Wellwood can’t realistically be
looking at a raise this summer
(where he is slated to become an
unrestricted free agent), and that
presents an interesting situation for
Gillis. The Canucks are going to be
pressed right up against the salary
cap ceiling and will be forced to part
ways with a number of forwards,
most notably Pavol Demitra. It is
highly likely that Grabner, Cody
Hodgson and Jordan Schroeder, all
first round picks on cheap entry-
level deals, will be relied upon
to continue the current trend of
secondary scoring, and if Wellwood
is willing to accept even a slightly
cheaper contract than the one he won
in arbitration last summer, he could
very well be back in a Canucks
uniform next season.
Jeff Mott
By Garth McLennan, Sports Editor
ajor League baseball may
have opened their doors
officially this past week but
for Douglas College, it was a rough
weekend as they dropped three out
of four contests to the Skagit Valley
College Cardinals.
Despite the poor finishes, the
Royals, who play out of the NWAACC
(Northwest Athletic Association of
Community Colleges) didn’t look
outclassed on the weekend. The first
game of the year came on the road in
Washington, and Douglas was in the
game right until the final out, losing
a nail-biter 2-1. The game was tight
all the way through, as the Royals
equalled the Cardinals, who were
runners-up back in the 2007 NWAACC
league championships, in hits with
four for each team and the Royals’
sophomore starter Jon Winick pitched
a gem with three strikeouts and played
a complete game. Unfortunately, he
was out-duelled by Brandon Andreini,
who racked up five strikeouts in the
beginning of his freshman year.
Douglas evened the series up at
one apiece later in the day, again in
Washington, with a dominant and
entertaining 9-6 win that saw the
Royals strike early and often. The third
game of the series, Douglas’ seasonal
home opener, matched the first game,
with the Royals losing by a 2-1 score.
The team sustained a blowout 12-3
defeat in the final game of the series
but other then that forgettable affair,
the squad looked competitive in every
outing against a young Cardinals team
that won’t field a single senior this
year.
On an individual basis, Rylan
Chin stole the show for Douglas in
their lone win of the series. He went
an incredible four for four and was
walked twice throughout the contest.
However, aside from some sublime
pitching from Winick and Jeff Mottl
(who delivered a spectacular effort in
game three, giving up just two hits all
game, but couldn’t get any runs from
his own side to back him up), most of
the highlight reel plays came courtesy
of Cardinals players in the final game
of the series.
Third baseman Austin Potter blew
the Royals away by going a perfect five
for five while freshman catcher Jeff
Calhoon batted four for five. Travis
Schreve, one of the few sophomores on
the team, hit the game’s lone home run
and went three for four.
.&
Potts.
a’
Should we bring Wellwood back?
By Garth McLennan, Sports Editor
ust a few months ago, this
Jee have been a thought in
a rational Canucks fan’s head.
Should the Vancouver Canucks bring
back Kyle Wellwood? A few months
ago, the idea was laughable at best.
Now, however, things have
changed. The Canucks have locked
up their third Northwest Division
crown in four years and have
emerged as one of the best offensive
squads in the NHL in large part
because of their secondary scoring.
In the latter half the season, only the
Washington Capitals have a better
record than the Canucks and a big
part of that has been because of their
sudden ability to generate offense
from a wide variety of areas.
In the past, Vancouver lived and
died with the Sedin twins. While
they are still the primary force that
makes the club go, having forwards
like Ryan Kesler, Michael Grabner,
Mason Raymond and yes, Kyle
Wellwood, chip in every game with
a few goals has proven invaluable.
That wasn’t always the case
this year however. To say that
Wellwood was spinning his wheels
at the beginning of the year would
be akin to saying Tiger Woods kind
of messed up. It took Wellwood
20 games to record his first goal
of the season, and in the opening
19 contests all he could muster
was a pair of assists, one of which
was on an empty netter. After
being lambasted by the team, the
media and just about everyone in
Vancouver for his infamous weight
issues last year, Wellwood showed
up at the start of the current season
armed with a new one-year, $1.2
million contract and fit, lighter
physique. When his game went
to hell and the entire city was
screaming for GM Mike Gillis to
acquire a more traditional third line
center, Wellwood opted to make a
change. He went back to the things
that helped him have a career year in
goals last year—namely pizza and
renewed dedication to staying out of
the gym.
As a result, Wellwood put on
some more weight and his play
picked up. After the Olympic break
he quietly started to motor and is
now, shockingly, on his way to
improving on his point totals from
last year where he had 27.
It has been in recent outings
that Wellwood’s value has shown up
at long last. He has always been a
highly skilled player, and he finally
found his sublime dangling abilities,
which had been missing in action
for most of the year. During the 8-3
debacle against Los Angeles a few
weeks ago, Wellwood was one of the
Canucks’ only decent players, and he
kept the team in the game for as long
“as he could with a pair of excellent
goals. He followed that up two
nights later with a seeing-eye tip on
a Kevin Bieksa point shot against the
Wild in a 4-3 Vancouver win.
Wellwood’s 14 goals may
be modest, but it is a more than
acceptable total for a third line
center, and he’s also been doing his
diligence defensively and has even
turned into a reliable option on the
penalty kill.
Even with his late surge,
Wellwood can’t realistically be
looking at a raise this summer
(where he is slated to become an
unrestricted free agent), and that
presents an interesting situation for
Gillis. The Canucks are going to be
pressed right up against the salary
cap ceiling and will be forced to part
ways with a number of forwards,
most notably Pavol Demitra. It is
highly likely that Grabner, Cody
Hodgson and Jordan Schroeder, all
first round picks on cheap entry-
level deals, will be relied upon
to continue the current trend of
secondary scoring, and if Wellwood
is willing to accept even a slightly
cheaper contract than the one he won
in arbitration last summer, he could
very well be back in a Canucks
uniform next season.
Jeff Mott
By Garth McLennan, Sports Editor
ajor League baseball may
have opened their doors
officially this past week but
for Douglas College, it was a rough
weekend as they dropped three out
of four contests to the Skagit Valley
College Cardinals.
Despite the poor finishes, the
Royals, who play out of the NWAACC
(Northwest Athletic Association of
Community Colleges) didn’t look
outclassed on the weekend. The first
game of the year came on the road in
Washington, and Douglas was in the
game right until the final out, losing
a nail-biter 2-1. The game was tight
all the way through, as the Royals
equalled the Cardinals, who were
runners-up back in the 2007 NWAACC
league championships, in hits with
four for each team and the Royals’
sophomore starter Jon Winick pitched
a gem with three strikeouts and played
a complete game. Unfortunately, he
was out-duelled by Brandon Andreini,
who racked up five strikeouts in the
beginning of his freshman year.
Douglas evened the series up at
one apiece later in the day, again in
Washington, with a dominant and
entertaining 9-6 win that saw the
Royals strike early and often. The third
game of the series, Douglas’ seasonal
home opener, matched the first game,
with the Royals losing by a 2-1 score.
The team sustained a blowout 12-3
defeat in the final game of the series
but other then that forgettable affair,
the squad looked competitive in every
outing against a young Cardinals team
that won’t field a single senior this
year.
On an individual basis, Rylan
Chin stole the show for Douglas in
their lone win of the series. He went
an incredible four for four and was
walked twice throughout the contest.
However, aside from some sublime
pitching from Winick and Jeff Mottl
(who delivered a spectacular effort in
game three, giving up just two hits all
game, but couldn’t get any runs from
his own side to back him up), most of
the highlight reel plays came courtesy
of Cardinals players in the final game
of the series.
Third baseman Austin Potter blew
the Royals away by going a perfect five
for five while freshman catcher Jeff
Calhoon batted four for five. Travis
Schreve, one of the few sophomores on
the team, hit the game’s lone home run
and went three for four.
.&
Potts.
a’
Should we bring Wellwood back?
By Garth McLennan, Sports Editor
ust a few months ago, this
Jee have been a thought in
a rational Canucks fan’s head.
Should the Vancouver Canucks bring
back Kyle Wellwood? A few months
ago, the idea was laughable at best.
Now, however, things have
changed. The Canucks have locked
up their third Northwest Division
crown in four years and have
emerged as one of the best offensive
squads in the NHL in large part
because of their secondary scoring.
In the latter half the season, only the
Washington Capitals have a better
record than the Canucks and a big
part of that has been because of their
sudden ability to generate offense
from a wide variety of areas.
In the past, Vancouver lived and
died with the Sedin twins. While
they are still the primary force that
makes the club go, having forwards
like Ryan Kesler, Michael Grabner,
Mason Raymond and yes, Kyle
Wellwood, chip in every game with
a few goals has proven invaluable.
That wasn’t always the case
this year however. To say that
Wellwood was spinning his wheels
at the beginning of the year would
be akin to saying Tiger Woods kind
of messed up. It took Wellwood
20 games to record his first goal
of the season, and in the opening
19 contests all he could muster
was a pair of assists, one of which
was on an empty netter. After
being lambasted by the team, the
media and just about everyone in
Vancouver for his infamous weight
issues last year, Wellwood showed
up at the start of the current season
armed with a new one-year, $1.2
million contract and fit, lighter
physique. When his game went
to hell and the entire city was
screaming for GM Mike Gillis to
acquire a more traditional third line
center, Wellwood opted to make a
change. He went back to the things
that helped him have a career year in
goals last year—namely pizza and
renewed dedication to staying out of
the gym.
As a result, Wellwood put on
some more weight and his play
picked up. After the Olympic break
he quietly started to motor and is
now, shockingly, on his way to
improving on his point totals from
last year where he had 27.
It has been in recent outings
that Wellwood’s value has shown up
at long last. He has always been a
highly skilled player, and he finally
found his sublime dangling abilities,
which had been missing in action
for most of the year. During the 8-3
debacle against Los Angeles a few
weeks ago, Wellwood was one of the
Canucks’ only decent players, and he
kept the team in the game for as long
“as he could with a pair of excellent
goals. He followed that up two
nights later with a seeing-eye tip on
a Kevin Bieksa point shot against the
Wild in a 4-3 Vancouver win.
Wellwood’s 14 goals may
be modest, but it is a more than
acceptable total for a third line
center, and he’s also been doing his
diligence defensively and has even
turned into a reliable option on the
penalty kill.
Even with his late surge,
Wellwood can’t realistically be
looking at a raise this summer
(where he is slated to become an
unrestricted free agent), and that
presents an interesting situation for
Gillis. The Canucks are going to be
pressed right up against the salary
cap ceiling and will be forced to part
ways with a number of forwards,
most notably Pavol Demitra. It is
highly likely that Grabner, Cody
Hodgson and Jordan Schroeder, all
first round picks on cheap entry-
level deals, will be relied upon
to continue the current trend of
secondary scoring, and if Wellwood
is willing to accept even a slightly
cheaper contract than the one he won
in arbitration last summer, he could
very well be back in a Canucks
uniform next season.