Clever girl

Greetings from Denver!

It’s Friday morning and the sun is shining, the Canucks are on a four-game winning streak and there’s an Urban Outfitters at the mall across the street. It doesn’t get much better than this.

Thursday was a travel day for the team; we took off at noon and got to the hotel around 3 p.m. Poof, just like that, everyone went their separate ways and I didn’t see any of the team, other than coach Vigneault in the gym, for the rest of the night.

That being said, I had plenty of interaction with the guys prior to our free evening in Denver. Here are some tidbits, just for you.

-Had a good chat with Cory Schneider in line at a coffee house before getting on the bus in Calgary. He said he’s feeling a lot better and he looked it. Said he slept and slept and slept before he woke up to watch the Canucks play the Flames and, as luck wouldn’t have it, the game wasn’t televised. He listened to the call on the Team 1040.

-There was a lively card game on board Air Canucks and although I didn’t see who won, I’m assuming it was Roberto Luongo. When I turned to see what all the commotion was about, he was pumping both arms in the air while swivling his head side-to-side. Happy dance?

-Apparently yesterday was my first time flying. We went through customs in Calgary and, being a full-on genius, I had a bottle of water in my laptop bag and had my toiletry bag with me, filled with liquids and gels over 100 ml. Move over Alicia Silverstone, I’m the clueless one.

-It was Alex Burrows’ birthday yesterday and he got a nice gift from Seattle Seahawks all-pro cornerback Richard Sherman. Sherman, who was in town last Monday on a scouting mission, sent shirts for Burrows, Schneider and Pinizzotto, the three who took part in the shtick. Those three are going to look killer at the beach this summer, amiright? Wicked shirts, thanks Sherman.

-Häagen-Dazs ice cream tastes better 35,000 feet in the air. Don’t ask me why.

-Jeff Vinnick and I went to Jurassic Park 3D last night, do yourself a favour and go as well. After waiting in a huge line, we finally got into the theatre and found two seats – wait, I forget you can’t see me winking – we were the only two people in the theatre. It was an impromptu man date, whatever. Anyways, I was 10 when that flick first came out and 10-year-old Derek was in awe once again. That movie gets me every time. Then I had trouble sleeping after eating popcorn, Milk Duds and drinking a slurpee, I don’t remember that happening back in 1993. Getting old rules.

Practice day today, we’re headed to the rink shortly. I’ll check back in this afternoon if there’s anything noteworthy of note for your notes. Until then, happy Friday!

Derek

P.S. – While I agree with the masses the T-Rex making the water shake in the cup on the dash scene is the best in Jurassic Park, it’s pretty sick when Robert Muldoon, Jurassic Park’s game warden, thinks he has a raptor in his sights and is then attacked from the side. “Clever girl” is one of my favourite lines ever. Oh and every time I eat Jello I shake it on my spoon like Lex Murphy when she sees the raptor come into the main complex. I guess the truth is out now: I’m a massive Jurassic Park/dinosaur nerd. We can still be best friends, right?

Butler shines

I think we’re leaving Calgary just in the nick of time – there’s an odd white substance falling from the sky.

The only snow I like came up with the genius lyrics A licky boom-boom down, good thing we’re now headed to Colorado where there’s no snow tons more snow. Dang it. I didn’t think this opening through at all.

Thinking things through, it would seem, isn’t the way to go about anything these days. Take Dustin Butler, for example. The University of Calgary goalie got the call of a lifetime yesterday that the Vancouver Canucks required his services.

Had the 25-year-old taken even a second to fully digest what was about to come, he’d have gone mad from nervousness. The butterflies in his stomach would have turned on each other; it would have been a rainbow of carnage.

Butler didn’t over analyze anything, he just rolled with it and what a day the kid had. When we talked to him post-game he was still a little shaky and rightfully so, he is the talk of the town, a real feel-good story in an NHL city that won’t have playoff hockey again this year.

His parents and sisters and fiancé and friends all attended the game and before getting on the bus to head back to the team hotel, Butler got a rousing send off from a group of amazing Canucks fans gathered outside.

The support the Canucks get in Calgary is second to only Vancouver; this is a home away from home. Thank you for that.

Now we’re off to Denver. I’ll touch base when we land with any in-flight news you may need to know. Like what movie Keith Ballard watched. Or who cheated at the card game Alex Burrows or Roberto Luongo. Or what snacks I wolfed down while getting the stink eye from Dale Weise.

My favourite part about going to Denver is when I call home and talk to my almost three-year-old son Denver. He asks where I am, I say Denver, he says ‘no, daddy, I’m Denver,’ I laugh and we do it all over again until I crack roughly two minutes later.

Talk soon,

Derek

P.S. - I was in room 1111 at the hotel in Calgary and, not reading too much into that whatsoever, I believe that counted for a wish. I’m glad you agree because I made a gooder!

C’mon Man!

Anyone else think Derek Roy needs some new luggage? Possibly of the Vancouver Canucks variety?

Maybe he can make a trade with Aaron Rome for his old Canucks gear when we’re in Dallas…

Here we go again.

It feels like just yesterday I was blogging from the road with the Vancouver Canucks and somehow I’m miraculously back with the boys again as we jetset out on a five-game trek beginning in Calgary.

Fort Nucks, as I hope you know by now, is your one-stop-shop for everything behind the scenes Canucks when I’m on the road, but I have to apologize for my lack of bloggage whilst at home. That will change come playoff time, then it’s 24/7 Fort Nucks – you’ll be all like “nooooo, no more I can’t handle any more incredible photos and stories” and I’ll be like “ohhhhh ya, here’s another and another and another… muah ha ha ha” (that’s my evil laugh).

Back to the main event.

Not much to report right this second, we just took off from Vancouver and it’s too bright to look out the window. For a second I considered putting on sunglasses, buuuuut I have to be aware of Kevin Bieksa, the phone on his camera and his ability to humiliate me on Twitter. I can’t make it that easy for him. I actually got off lucky last road trip, he had a picture of me ready to tweet, but didn’t pull the trigger. Maybe we’re BFFs after all?!?

Oddly enough I’ve never seen or covered a game in Calgary, so I’m excited to jump a province over and enter Flames Territory. That and three of my really good buddies live in Cowtown, so, if it’s alright with you, I may meet up with them for root beer floats tonight.

This is a great trip in terms of cities: Calgary, Colorado, Nashville, St. Louis and Dallas; I’ve visited them all at least once before, but I’m always open to exploring new areas and trying new things. For those familiar with these cities, if you could recommend I do or see or try one thing in each place, what would it be?

And just like that my introductory road trip blog is complete, time for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and Game of Thrones.

Derek

P.S. - Jeff Vinnick is on this trip as well and we’ll be collaborating on some Behind the Lens galleries. I know, I know, include as much Dan Hamhuis as possible. I’ll try.

The Legend of Johnny Canuck - Part 2

Johnny Canuck is back. I’m not sure about you, but I’ve been awaiting the fifth short film in the My Name Is Johnny Canuck series with bated breath.

The new short film will debut Saturday night before the Vancouver Canucks, sporting special Vancouver Millionaires jerseys to honour the 1915 Stanley Cup champion team, take on the Detroit Red Wings at Rogers Arena.

I was lucky enough to see a rough cut of the film and it’s amazing, as they’ve all been. This one is truly unique though, it’s got a lot of heart and brings the story of Johnny Canuck full circle.

Johnny himself is quite a swell guy. How swell you ask? Well he cut an exclusive teaser trailer just for Fort Nucks, sent in behind the scenes photos AND he’ll be debuting the short film on Canucks.com as soon as it’s shown in arena Saturday night.

Here’s what he had to say about his latest piece of brilliance:

In this HD short film we flashback into Johnny Canuck’s oldest memory, on an outing with his father. On their journey, we discover the moment he finds his calling as a lumberjack, to learning his destiny as a man.

A new character emerges in “The Millionaire”, as we follow his life story from having it all to being marooned of his riches.

The My Name Is Johnny Canuck film series reinvented the historical Johnny Canuck character as a gritty and real personification of the 140 year old icon.

Enjoy your exclusive first look.

Blast from the past

There’s just something amazing about Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.

I was sitting on the old creaky wooden visiting team bench early this morning when Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis walked out. He took a deep breath as his head rose up looking at all the banners in the rafters.

By my count there are 61 banners, 11 honouring Stanley Cup Champion teams. The Joe, as it’s known, is literally oozing in history and, as it turns out, memories are a plenty from playing in his building.

“I played in one of the first ever games here,” Gillis said.

“When was that,” I asked.

“I don’t know, late ’70s, early 80s sometime.”

“I wasn’t even born yet!” I chuckled.

“Thanks, that makes me feel better.”

There’s smooth and then there’s Derek Jory smooth. Nothing like insulting the general manager before the morning paper has even been delivered.

If you haven’t been to The Joe, I highly recommend it. It’s a very unique place and was state of the art when it was built; I wouldn’t call it rundown now, it’s steeped in character.

One by one Canucks made their way out onto the bench to have a look around. Kevin Bieksa, wanting to test a new stick, walked onto the ice in shorts, a t-shirt and flippy-floppies with an ear-to-ear grin.

“I scored a couple of big goals here,” he boasted. “Final Four against Ryan Miller, that was a big goal. It’s definitely what got me drafted to the Canucks.”

When the Canucks took to the ice for morning skate after a gravel truck of a zamboni cleaned it, there was an energy in the air no one could explain. “The guys are flying out there,” assistant GM Lorne Henning said to Gillis. “It’s this place,” he replied, “it’s like the old Chicago Stadium or the Boston Garden.”

New memories will be made tonight for Zack Kassian, who grew up just across the water in Windsor, Ontario.

“Take a good look boys,” he said, looking across the war, on the bus ride to the rink. “That’s paradise.”

Kassian will have roughly 50 family and friends in the stands cheering him on tonight as he plays his first ever game at The Joe. He’s watched more games than he can remember in the legendary arena and is ecstatic he’ll be supported by his loved ones tonight - everyone except his mom actually.

“She’s in Cabo,” he laughed. “She booked the trip during the lockout, I guess she didn’t have any faith we’d be back playing!”

Yes, everyone has a memory of The Joe. Roberto Luongo played his first game with the Canucks here, Ryan Kesler remembers his first time playing in his hometown like it was yesterday, Mason Raymond said Joe Louis Arena has the best boards in the league and Chris Higgins, who played his first NHL game in Toronto, will play his 500th career game tonight.

“Think you can get to 1,000?” I asked as we walked to the bus post-skate.

“Ask me after tonight,” he laughed.

This is my third time at Joe Louis Arena and for me, it’s a very emotional place. After my brother Kurt had his jugular severed while playing hockey for the Brock Badgers in a game against the Windsor Lancers at Windsor Arena in late 2008, his life was saved at Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital in Windsor.

I flew out to see him as soon as I could and it just so happened the Canucks were playing in Detroit while I was with Kurt. He was able to get a pass to come to the game, and, joined by our dad Wayne, they watched the game together. Afterwards they came down to meet some of the guys, including Luongo, who pepped up Kurt like only he could.

I tear a lot up just thinking about how I almost lost my baby brother and The Joe is where I saw him really smile for the first time after the freak accident. I knew then he was on the road to recovery. Kurt is maybe 90-95% healed from the injury, the only thing he seems to have lost is the ability to beat me at tennis.

I love you brother bear.

Derek

P.S. - We fly home tonight. You have no idea how much I missed you!

Blame Jory

And now we’re in Detroit.

Actually, that’s a lie. We’re halfway to Detroit from Nashville. It’s Saturday at 11:42 a.m. CST as I type this, we’re about to lose another hour heading into the Eastern time zone. Then we’ll reclaim three hours Sunday when we fly home post-game. Time travel is crazy. I feel like Marty McFly.

Another day, another win for the Canucks Friday. The game against the Predators was a snoregasbord (just made that up - I’m smarter above the clouds), but the boys pulled it out and now have five of a possible six points heading into the final game of this road trip.

Game days are truly a different beast. The guys are in the zone, so I don’t speak unless spoken to for the most part, heck I don’t even make eye contact in fear of throwing them off their game. I dread the day the Canucks drop like a 9-0 game and afterwards they ask Henrik Sedin what happened.

“Jory. Blame Jory.”

To prevent that, I’m a fly on the wall. Out of sight, out of mind. But with everything being so serious, I don’t get much colour to blog about. And here we are. Not much colour to blog about.

I did get insight into coach Alain Vigneault yesterday afternoon though. In an attempt to rid of myself of the muffin top I rock like wolf on my noggin, I put on some short pants and a long sleeve shirt with short sleeves and discovered this mysterious place called a gym. It was like Narnia.

Running machines, oversized bouncy balls and free weights that aren’t actually free at all. You pick them up and then put them down. And repeat. Anyways, the only other person in this land of sweat and grunts was coach V, who was on an elliptical, doing his thing while watching a little CNN.

I’ve always had mad respect for coach V. And from what I hear from the players, he’s a phenomenal coach. I was really impressed that he was leading by example and sweating one out pre-game. Says a lot about his leadership to me. Love it.

Then assistant coach Newell Brown came in for a workout. Then assistant general manager Lorne Henning. Then I had a flashback to the old Sesame Street segment One of these things is not like the others, which one is different, do you know, can you tell which thing is not like the others, I’ll tell you if it is so.

If you guessed the writer whining uncontrollably while curling 7 pound weights, you’re correct!!!

Your prize is my humiliation. Enjoy.

And, just like that, I’m at the hotel in Detroit. It’s lil’ chilly out, so I’ll likely keep to myself this evening, hopefully catch some Kings of Queens or something. No players in the building right now, they all took off to Chez Kesler for the afternoon.

My invite must have gotten lost in wherever invites that aren’t sent go to!

Derek

P.S. - If you can guess what artist I’m listening to in the photo above, you win some karma…crazy bonus karma if you can name the song.

Nightlife

What a monster win that was last night in Dallas. The Canucks have three of a possible four points so far and we’re now in Nashville hunting for more tonight.

How did we get to Nashville so quickly? Time travel, no biggie.

Having to fly post-game is truly one of the most unique aspects of traveling with the team. It’s hurry up and wait at its finest. Game ends, players do media, change and go through security before getting on a bus headed to the airport, before getting on a plane headed to the next city. Same for the rest of the staff.

It’s all a blur. Cities blend together, if you’ve kept a room key from a past hotel you’re doomed to get mixed up and really, by this point in the trip, you have no idea what day it is or where you are.

We got to the hotel in Nashville around 2 a.m. and I couldn’t help but chuckle when the doorman said “good morning!” - I was all like c’mon man, I look like a walker, do you think I’ve slept yet?

Then it was the ol’ elevator crunch where 50 exhausted people just want to get to bed and there are only two creaky elevators and no one is crazy enough to take the stairs eight floors.

Note - If you’re not an actual player, you wait until the end. The very end. The sun was almost up. First. World. Problems. The trainers have it the worst. If I ever man up, I’ll follow them for a night. Their work never ends.

Once in my room it’s time to check Canucks.com and make sure everything is tickety-boo. Last night it was, but I made the grave mistake of turning the TV on. NOTHING GOOD CAN COME OF TURNING THE TV ON AT 2 A.M.!!!! First up, Fraser. Martin Crane accidentally ate the pot brownie Roz had left for Niles and that led to a world of hilarity (NOT), then on The King of Queens, oh you’re going to laugh, Carrie was wearing her hair in a bun and Doug didn’t like it!!! LOL x 1,000 - I KNOW!!!

I repeat - NOTHING GOOD CAN COME OF TURNING THE TV ON AT 2 A.M.!!!!

Moving on.

Do you eat at 2 a.m. if you’re hungry? I feel like no, but my grumbly tumbly was yelling at me. I shut it up with some Twix, they’re basically celery sticks.

When the website is good and the belly is full and the non-stop laughter of late night TV ends, it’s finally time to sleep. Last night that was easier said than done when I realized that since I left Vancouver, my loved ones back home have gone to bed earlier and gotten up later than me every single day. So much for some R&R on the road.

Then I started thinking about how if I ever started a band, I’d name it Free Beer. We would sell out every show ever. Then I planned out Friday morning and realized I could kill two birds with one stone on something I’m working on, then had a chuckle thinking about someone at PETA using that saying in a meeting.

It was good times at 3 a.m. in Nashville, let me tell you!

That’s about all the news I’ve got for you. It’s 2:20 p.m. and I’m in my hotel room having just mangled a sub, my third of the trip, with game time in less than five hours. I’ll likely spend that time trying to figure out how to get past security at the arena to meet Taylor Swift, she’s rehearsing crazy close to the Canucks dressing room.

Taylor, I know you said we are never ever ever ever getting back together, but you haven’t seen me since I got a haircut! I’ve been mistaken for an actual NHLer twice - once was me looking in the mirror and the other was Malia who cut it complimenting her own work, but it allll counts!

Derek

P.S. - 11 days…

Guess who’s perdy again!

Believe it or not, but I’ve been asked quite a few times if I got a haircut yet since mentioning that I needed one yesterday. Apparently my bird’s nest was worse than I thought!

The answer will sadden Kevin Bieksa and his hedge trimmers - I got it cut!

No more wearing Mason Raymond’s helmet to cover my hair now, I’m back to looking human-ish.

Big shoutout to Malia from Salon Twenty Two in Dallas. She took good care of me, didn’t cut either ear, annnnnnnd I got a wicked sandwich nextdoor. Everything is coming up Milhouse today!

Next on the list is apparently getting a new jacket. I’ve been told by my wonderful fashionistas back in Vancouver that I’ve been photographed too much in the ol’ gray beauty. And here I thought I was on a hockey road trip not some kind of style-update-get-a-haircut-get-a-new-jacket-make-me-change-my-face-next-probably-go-to-the-gym-while-you’re-at-it trip…

Big game tonight. Talk soon.

Derek

P.S. - When I was buzzing my hair I picked up the nickname Jarhead, as in I looked like Jake Gyllenhaal from the movie Jarhead. It stuck with Mason and he calls me Jarhead to this day.

Hamhuis’ crossword

I knew the day would come.

We were riding the team bus from the hotel to the American Airlines Center in Dallas Wednesday morning when I heard it.

“Jarhead…”

I turned my head a bit, but thought I was hearing things. There’s often a lot of chatter at the back of the bus and from wayyyyyy up at the front where I sit, typically row three against the window, you never really know what you’re hearing.

“JARHEAD…”

This time I turned around. It was Mason Raymond. He calls me Jarhead - long story. Anyways, he said someone was asking for me at the back of the bus.

Dun, dun, dun.

Me? The back of the bus? ME?!? The first thing that crossed my mind was, thanks to a buddy of mine, that I was in for an old school style junior hockey wedgie. It would be team bonding for the Canucks and it would forever bond my Fruit of the Looms to my twig and berries; even with that in mind, I still stood up and made the long walk to the back of the bus.

No wedgie along the way, no paddles a la Dazed and Confused, just a smiling Dan Hamhuis, sitting with Kevin Bieksa and Ryan Kesler, wanting to have some fun on Twitter while doing a crossword puzzle.

When Hamhuis woke up Wednesday morning he did what he does almost every morning, he grabbed the nearest newspaper, a USA Today on this day, and flipped right to page 6D in the LIFE section hunting for the crossword puzzle. He had a pen ready to go and just like that Interconference Play, a crossword by David J. Kahn, was being attacked.

14 Across - Toilets at Wimbledon? Loos.

17 Across - Popular business plane? Falconeer. (Sorry, Daniel & Henrik who tried to lend a hand, it’s Falconjet…

50 Across - Third rock from the sun? Earth.

30 Down - What singers sing in? Key.

53 Down - Hiker’s path? Trail.

62 Down - Pirate’s drink? Rum.

Everything was going just swimmingly for Hamhuis until he ran into some stumpers. That’s when @VanCanucks tweeted out a photo of the crossword and that’s when more help than we ever thought possible began flying in.

You people are smart.

Hamhuis was determined to get as much of the crossword puzzle done without consulting the Canucks loyal Twitter followers and he did a pretty dang good job. With four answers left to complete the puzzle, Hamhuis, joined by different teammates every minute, said it was up to the followers.

5A, 35A, 26D and 9D were up for grabs and you responded with speedy intelligence.

26 Down was the final hurdle. They’re often apparent…hmmmm… HEIRS!

And just like that, Hamhuis wrote THANKS CANUCKS NATION! on the crossword puzzle and signed it on the bottom.

What began at the back of the bus, carried over into the street, into the arena, into the loading bay, into the bus, into the street and ended in the hotel lobby.

“I think I need a nap now,” Hamhuis laughed as we finally left the lobby.

“That was fun, let’s do that again sometime.”

Sound like a plan?