It’s time for “Stick in Link”, the feature where we just plug in a bunch of stuff written by others! Featuring a smattering of links from around the Smylosphere and beyond every Tuesday and Thursday. Warning: our links are so hyper, they change colour when exposed to heat. (Have something for us to share in the next edition? E-mail us at passittobulis@gmail.com or tweet us @passittobulis. Or tell us some other way. The point is: we'll probably link it if we know about it.)
• First things first. Here's the video of the Canucks welcoming Jared McCann and Jake Virtanen to the team. It's great. We heard that Willie ripped them pretty good before the announcement, but man, Alex Burrows really lets them have it. It's clear he commands a ton of respect in this room, and here he uses it to solidify a great prank.
• The Canucks are the focus of this ESPN roundtable. Are they for real? Pierre LeBrun shares this conversation: "Just the other day a Western Conference general manager offered me some unsolicited thoughts on the Canucks. 'They're the team this year that's going to surprise everyone. I really didn't know what to think of them this season, but look at what they've done already. I think they're going to stick around,'' he said. [ESPN]
• If you've enjoyed fretting over the kids and the nine-game deadline, are now fretting that there are no more deadlines to fret about, fret not: there are still two more. Jim Benning: "I guess the next kind of point in the schedule is the World Junior (Tournament). We'll see where we're at if they get asked to play on the World Junior team, we'll make that decision then. And then the 40 game mark is kind of the next spot," Benning continued. "If we want to burn a year of their free agency going forward. We've told the kids to stay focused, work hard and just take it day-by-day." [Canucks Army]
• In honour of the 20th anniversary of Rogers Arena, Justine Galo counts down her top 20 memories in the building. This is just the first half, but it culminates in that time the queen came to a Canucks game, so it's a nice trip down memory lane. [Canucks Corner]
• Thatcher Demko is the top Canucks prospect for the month of October, but Hunter Shinkaruk is a close second. [The Canuck Way]
• Iain MacIntyre on the Canucks' kids: the future is now. Sidenote: the future can never be now. If the future is now, you're talking about the present. Anyway, this is a good article. [Vancouver Sun]
• There's some great Jake Virtanen tidbits in Jason Botchford's Provies, including this quote on the pushback he's starting to get from teams who don't like his chippy play: “Guys are coming at me and it definitely helps me, my side of the game. It gets me into it. I like that part of the game for sure.” [The Province]
• If you missed the Canucks' October, here's the month in review. [Nuck Said]
• This Canucks' team looks close. Too close. Maybe they've bonded over their mutual dislike for Willie? There's no evidence for that, but this tongue-in-cheek article gets that pot stirred nonetheless. [Always 90 Four]
• The Canucks look youthful and vibrant this season for some reason. Is it a new hat? [Vancity Buzz]
• Who are the Canucks' early MVP candidates? I'm leaning towards Ryan Miller and Chris Tanev, who is defensive magic. [Last Word on Sports]
• Finally, Anton Rodin gets a mention in Elliotte Friedman's latest 30 Thoughts. He's lighting it up in Europe, appears headed for a return to North America, and whaddya know, the Canucks still have his rights. The Canucks are suddenly making prospect accrual look stupidly easy. [Sportsnet]
