VANCOUVER -- The goaltender who thought he had played his last game with the Vancouver Canucks was back skating with his old tea

Posted in IYH Forums by jokergreen0220 at 01:55, Jul 13 2019

VANCOUVER -- The goaltender who thought he had played his last game with the Vancouver Canucks was back skating with his old teammates Friday. NFL Jerseys Cheap . Roberto Luongo, who spent all of last season expecting to be traded, admitted that it was strange to be back in Vancouver wearing a Canucks sweater again. "It was a bit odd flying in," Luongo said after training with several Canucks at the University of British Columbia. "Just when you think youve seen it all, theres always something else. I dont know what the future holds but right now Im just focused on the season." Luongo dodged the question of whether hes happy to remain a member of the Canucks. "Ive said all along I want to play," he said. "Now I have that opportunity. "I want to take advantage of that and I want to win some games. I want to go as far as we can and hopefully win the Stanley Cup. Its a big year for me. Ive been sitting on the bench for a while and I want to show everybody what I can do. We all know its an Olympic year. I just want to make the best of it." The Canucks goaltending situation has been one of Vancouvers most watched soap operas the last few seasons, with Luongo playing a starring role. The veteran said his goodbyes last spring after the Canucks were eliminated from the first round of the playoffs by the San Jose Sharks. The 34-year-old had been looking for a trade ever since Cory Schneider replaced him as Vancouvers starter. The general consensus was the Canucks would deal the three-time Vezina Trophy finalist over the summer. In a move that stunned many -- including Luongo -- the Canucks instead dealt the 27-year-old Schneider to the New Jersey Devils at Junes NHL draft for the ninth overall pick, which Vancouver used to take Bo Horvat. "It caught me by surprise," said Luongo. "It takes a while. Its a process." Vancouvers training camp officially opens Wednesday and Luongo said getting back on the ice to play hockey offers him some solace. "Thats where you are the most comfortable, when youre on the ice," he said. "Youre playing the game and youre not thinking about stuff. "Thats why Im anxious to get training camp started ... to get back to a regular routine and not worry about other stuff." Luongos contract was a stumbling block in trying to trade him. He has nine years and US$40.5 million left on a deal that counts as a US$5.3 million salary cap hit. In a market once called a "goaltender graveyard," Luongo has always been a lightening rod for criticism. He isnt even sure how local fans will react to his return. "To be honest with you I dont know how its going to work out," said Luongo, who posed for pictures with several people after the workout. "Theres always going to be people supporting and theres going to be people not so supportive. It goes along with the territory. Ive realized that over the course of the year you cant really please everybody." In his early days in Vancouver, Luongo could sometimes be cocky, even arrogant. Some days he was friendly, others aloof. He showed more maturity the last few seasons and was praised for the way he handled the situation with Schneider. The two goaltenders were supportive of each other and didnt want to be a distraction to the team. "Ive always been the same person," said Luongo. "I just think a lot of people didnt see that before. "You learn and gain experience and learn to handle certain situations, whether they are a bit more complicated or whether you are thriving. You have to handle things a certain way. Maybe I have learned that a little bit more over the last couple of years. You have to practise it." Luongo was silent in the immediate aftermath of the trade, leading to speculation he was angry. There were suggestions he might boycott the Canucks training camp. "No," he said, dismissing the notion. "Thats not my style." Vancouver general manager Mike Gillis went to Luongos home in Florida over the summer to speak with his goaltender. "We chatted," Luongo said. "There was no animosity. "I dont know if it was as rosy as he painted it but we had a couple of laughs. They were just trying to do their job (trading Schneider). I dont hold that against them." In another major move, the Canucks fired coach the easy going Alain Vigneault and replaced him with the fiery John Tortorella. "Hes going to bring a change to the dressing room," Luongo said. "Not that Alain was a bad coach but sometimes change is good. "We will see what he brings. Hopefully it will spark the boys a little bit." Last year as Schneiders backup, Luongo appeared in 20 games, including 18 starts. He had a 9-6-3 record, with two shutouts, a 2.56 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage. Luongos relationship with the Canucks may have been strained, but he sounded like a man ready to try and make things work on Friday. A strong start to the season will also help him gain a spot on the Canadian team defending its Olympic gold medal. "Ive been focused, getting ready for the last month or so," he said. "I try to eliminate every distraction, just worrying about playing the game. "At this point in time thats all I really want to be focused on ... making sure that I get back to where I was two years ago, establish myself as one of the best in the league. I dont want to squander an opportunity like that. I have a great chance to play and I want to take advantage of it." Note: The Canucks also announced Friday that Pavel Bures No. 10 will be retired at Rogers Arena prior to Vancouvers Nov. 2 game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 428 games with Vancouver, Bure collected 478 points, including 254 goals. He still holds the team record for most points scored by a rookie, with 34 goals and 26 appoints in 65 games. Cheap NFL Jerseys . -- Ryan Millers debut for the St. Wholesale China Jerseys . Espanyol midfielder Sanchez intercepted Bilbao goalkeeper Gorka Iraizozs clearance and, having spotted a gap, risked using his less-favoured left foot to fire a beautifully precise long-range shot that bounced in from high up the near post in the 24th minute. http://www.cheapauthenticnfljerseys.net/ . "Rob brings a wealth of coaching experience, having worked both in Canada and overseas in player development," Canada Soccer technical director Tony Fonseca said in a release.Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton may have to fight it out for a seat at Mercedes in 2019 after the German signed a two-year extension with the world champions. Although Hamilton and Rosberg, whose relationship has come close to imploding during Mercedes emergence as the sports new dominant force, will continue as team-mates for another two seasons, the pair will enter the final year of their respective deals at the same time.Its a devilish detail which raises the prospect of the pair, who will both be 33 in 2018, having to go head-to-head for a single seat if they wish to continue with the Silver Arrows. Its a strange stance, said Sky F1s Paul di Resta. Is that a bit of pressure in the final year to make one stand out and then theyll replace one?Full story: Rosberg pens new two-year dealRosberg is understood to have pushed for a three-year deal with the team while Hamilton has already admitted he wants to see out his F1 career with the Silver Arrows.Ive obviously signed for another three years with Mercedes - after that I see myself staying for another three or four years, the three-times world champion said. While Im 37 Ill still be relatively young so I want to be challenged by something else. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says that Nico Rosberg re-signing for Mercedes was never in doubt. Should they reach the end of 2018, and their sixth year together, the Mercedes duo would be on course to beat Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichellos record of 104 races as F1 team-mates.That would come despite the rising tension and the fact Rosberg and Hamilton have courted controversy ever since teaming up three years ago, crashing twice and facing the threat of team orders during the 2016 campaign alone.However, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said he had no hesitation in retainingg the line-up. China NFL Jerseys. Im never confident that were on top of the issues, the Mercedes team boss told Sky Sports F1. Its rock and roll or they rock the boat but we are conscious in that decision.P1: Hamilton strikes first blowWe know that sometimes it can be a more bumpy road having two number one drivers in the car that keep pushing each other.Sky F1s Martin Brundle added: Hes got two very different animals to control there, theyre different characters. The team do have to manage some problems from time to time but for me its a nice problem to have.Im not surprised at all that theyve gone to some lengths to make sure they have the same two drivers for a while.Rosberg penned his new deal on Thursday night following months of negotiations between himself, former F1 driver Gerhard Berger and Mercedes. F1 Championship leader Nico Rosberg extends his contract with Mercedes. The championship leader can now focus on his pursuit of a first world title, currently leading Hamilton by one point ahead of this weekends Hungarian GP.It means Mercedes are guaranteed to have the world champion in the car next year, Brundle said. Hes German of course, so that suits the brand and teams like continuity.Its just much easier, especially with big regulation changes for 2017, to just be able to slot both drivers back in again.Watch the Hungarian GP live on Sky Sports F1. The race starts at 1pm on Sunday, with build-up underway at 11:30am. Or watch the race without a contract for £6.99 on NOW TV. Also See: Rosberg signs new Mercedes deal P1: Hamilton strikes first blow WATCH: Rosberg pens contract Get a NOW TV contract for Sky Sports Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Cheap NBA Jerseys Wholesale NHL Jerseys Wholesale MLB Jerseys Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Wholesale NCAA Jerseys Wholesale Football Jerseys Wholesale Basketball Jerseys Wholesale Baseball Jerseys ' ' '