GNT: Canucks vs Rangers: Rick Rypien Night

[mattola]

In their own words - Vancouver Canucks - Features

VS.

TUE 18/10/2011 7:00 PM
TV: TSN, MSG​

Season Series: First and only meeting. Last season, the Rangers earned a 1-0 victory at Madison Square Garden to snap Vancouver's 17-game streak without a loss in regulation.

Big Story: Both teams are looking for improved play, but the Rangers are in far greater need of a win as they start a four-game swing through Western Canada. The Canucks have scuffled a bit, but the Rangers can't dig too big a hole for themselves.

Team Scope:

Rangers: Injuries and a lack of offense have been killers during the first three games. Defenseman Marc Staal (concussion) and Michael Sauer (shoulder) have missed three games and one game, respectively. Sauer was absent from the Rangers' 4-2 loss to the Islanders on Saturday, while Staal has no timetable for his return.

Offensively, it's been the Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik show, and not much else. They have 3 of the team's 5 goals and their 5 points are just two fewer than the rest of the team combined.

Coach John Tortorella, however, wouldn't put the loss to the Islanders (and their eight power plays) on their lengthy trip through Europe to start the season.

"There (are) no excuses here," Tortorella said. "We lost a hockey game. That team played better than us, they were more disciplined than us. I don't want to hear about Europe, I don't want to hear about if it's a penalty or not a penalty. We're not disciplined enough, and Europe has nothing to do with tonight's game."

Canucks: After falling in a shootout to the Penguins in the opener, the Canucks split their four-game road trip that concluded with a 4-3 win in Edmonton. They overcame a 2-1 deficit and a hat trick by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to return home a .500 club.

"We find ways to win games," said Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo, who stopped 23 shots. "It's just that comfort level I think the guys have. Going into the third, no matter what the score is, we feel we can win."

Who's Hot: Richards and Gaborik have meshed well, with a combined 5 points in 3 games. … Not surprisingly, the Sedin twins are leading the way for the Canucks with 2 goals and 5 assists for each.

Injury Report: Staal and Sauer remain out for the Rangers. Defenseman Brendan Bell was recalled from the AHL and will likely take Sauer's spot in the lineup. … For the Canucks, Ryan Kesler (hip) is still rehabbing from offseason surgery. Defenseman Aaron Rome (hand) and right wing Byron Bitz (hip) are on injured reserve.

Stat Pack: The Rangers haven't won a game in Vancouver since Oct. 11, 1997. In that game, Wayne Gretzky had his 50th career hat trick. Before that, the Rangers last won in Vancouver during the 1994 Stanley Cup Final.

Puck Drop: "In the third period, with the game on the line, I thought we played real well. We didn't give them anything and we got a few scoring chances and were able to score on one of them. I'm happy about that." -- Canucks coach Alain Vigneault, after beating the Oilers 4-3

 

[jstewismybastardson]

only place to watch Rypien ceremony in it's entirety tomorrow is at the arena or on Vancouver Canucks. Touching 7-min tribute video.

 

[mattola]

only place to watch Rypien ceremony in it's entirety tomorrow is at the arena or on Vancouver Canucks. Touching 7-min tribute video.

I will be there. anyone else?

 

[jstewismybastardson]

I will be there. anyone else?

nope ... Ill have to check it out on the interweebs

 

[dash]

I know I should be rooting for the Rangers, but with the Flames losing out on the Brad Richards sweepstakes and the Rangers tampering in landing Tim Erixon, I'm really enjoying the early season struggles for the Rags.

Besides, Slats is just a blowhole.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

VANCOUVER — Kevin Bieksa had two brothers when he was growing up. Then he met Rick Rypien and had three.

The last time Bieksa spoke with Rypien, a month after Rick had left the Vancouver Canucks to sign with the Winnipeg Jets, they discussed how strange it would be to play against each other in March and joked about fighting at centre ice at Rogers Arena.

Later, we learned that Rypien had been fighting clinical depression for years. A week after his phone call with Bieksa, Rypien was found dead at home in Crowsnest Pass, Alta. He was 27.

There was never going to be another game for Rick Rypien. Never another talk with his mom, Shelley Crawford, never another moment with dad, Wes, or a joke with his brother, Wes Jr. Never another laugh with teammates. Never another anything.

But Tuesday night, the Rypiens will make it to centre ice after all when the Canucks honour Rick before their National Hockey League game against the New York Rangers. Rypien’s legacy will be a website, funded by a $50,000 donation from the Canucks, to help young people deal with depression and other mental-health issues.

Bieksa will remember Rypien for much more than that.

“He had a huge heart and he really didn’t like for people to worry about him,” Bieksa, 30, explained Monday in a quiet moment after the Canucks’ practice. “He didn’t want people worrying about him. He didn’t want people to have to take care of him. He wanted to be the one taking care of people. That’s the way he was. He was kind of the leader of his family, the one everyone leaned on.

“When he wasn’t playing, I’d talk to him and he’d say: ‘How’s the team doing? How was last night’s game?’ I remember thinking: ‘Who cares? There are bigger issues here.’ ”

Bieksa and Rypien met near the end of the 2004-05 lockout season when Bieksa was with the American Hockey League’s Manitoba Moose and Rypien was a quiet, scrawny kid fresh out of junior hockey in Regina.

“I thought he was just a fan or a young kid,” Bieksa said. “I had no clue he was going to be playing for us. Then when he practised with us it was like: ‘Oh, that’s kind of nice. They’re letting the young kid skate with the team.’

“There was no easy road for him to make it to the NHL. He came from a small town in the middle of nowhere. To get noticed, he had to do whatever it took. People respected that.”

Bieksa and Rypien became friends.

While driving together to a workout before the Canucks’ 2008 training camp, Rypien confided in Bieksa about his mental issues, his anxiety and worry.

A few months later, when Rypien disappeared during his first leave of absence from the team, Bieksa and Moose general manager Craig Heisinger, who was like a second father-figure to Rick, met in Edmonton after a Canuck game and drove to Rypien’s home in southwestern Alberta.

“We went there looking for him,” Bieksa said. “Didn’t know what we’d find. We went to his house for four or five hours, just the two of us, hoping he’d come home and he finally did. That wasn’t the best day for him. But we got him back and we got him help.”

Bieksa never betrayed Rypien’s trust, even to caring teammates who inquired about Rypien’s well-being. The Canucks organization knew about Rypien’s depression since that 2008 camp and coordinated the player’s treatment.

Bieksa and his wife, Katie, helped as much as anyone.

While sitting out the rest of the 2008-09 regular season, Rypien stayed with the Bieksas.

“My wife stayed up to five in the morning talking to him every night,” Kevin said. “We did what we could. . . just tried to get him through this. He loved hockey, loved coming to the rink. I remember him saying he just missed sitting in the dressing room and listening to guys chirping Hordy (ex-Canuck Darcy Hordichuk). Things like that. Those were the things he enjoyed, the camaraderie. He didn’t like to be alone.”

Bieksa said Rypien was with him when Kevin asked Wes Jr. to be his best man, and even knew before Kevin did that he was going to be a new dad again because the Canucks were on the road when Rick finally asked Katie why she kept throwing up.

“He knew before I did,” Kevin smiled. Cole Bieksa is nearly four, and his little sister Reese is two.

When Rypien moved back into his own apartment, Kevin would stop by after games to talk and sometimes walked Reese down the block just to check up on Rick and see if his lights were on.

Bieksa is emphatic that Rypien loved his role in hockey and fighting had nothing to do with his mental challenges. He said Rypien’s illness was too complicated to be explained by one event or circumstance, such as the car-accident death nearly a decade ago of Rypien’s girlfriend or the constant stream of injuries that slowed his NHL career.

“There were a lot of things going on,” Bieksa said. “I felt he was as much my responsibility as anybody’s. Looking back now, I wished I’d talked to him a little more in the summer. I thought he was getting better. I knew the severity of it (but) I don’t think anyone really thought this would happen.”

Bieksa’s emotional wounds will be torn open again Tuesday night, although he is thankful the Canucks are ensuring that at least some good comes from Rypien’s death.

TSN is televising the game and the Canucks will livestream Rypien’s ceremony on its website.

“He wouldn’t like it,” Bieksa said. “He wouldn’t want to burden anybody. He would want more than anything for us to win. I’m trying not to think about it a whole lot. It will be hard. We lived together, shared a lot of experiences and it feels like I lost a brother.”



Read more: Rick Rypien: the one everyone leaned on

 

[puckhead]

Rags haven't won in Vancouver since 1997, in Wayne Gretzky's last game here.
as per his usual versus us, he had 5 points that night (3G 2A).


this is going to be a tough ceremony to watch.
on the bright side, cousin Angela is coming up for the tribute.

 

[lasgop8]

Rangers are going to lose tonight making it the 3rd different country thay have lost in this season.

 

[mattola]

going to be a good goaltending battle tonight. King Henrik Vs Laydown Luongo

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Rypien ceremony will now be covered live by tsn if the first game ends in time tonight

 

[jstewismybastardson]

#Canucks have already showed their players the Rypien tribute video that'll be played tonight to help them deal with emotions

 

[mooger_35]

They did the same thing with the Bourdon video. I can't remember... did they win that night?

 

[mattola]

They did win Mooger. I was at that one. that was really tough too.

 

[mattola]

anyone know why the Rangers game was chosen for this night?

 

[mooger_35]

My guess is they didn't want to do it on opening night. Being game #2 at home it's an event all to itself.

 

[mattola]

My guess is they didn't want to do it on opening night. Being game #2 at home it's an event all to itself.

makes sense. too bad it couldnt be for the Jets game.

 

[mattola]

4000

 

[jstewismybastardson]

when single game tickets went on sale Sept 24 ... I noticed the rags game wasnt sold out and actually had alot of seats available in almost every area of rogers arena ... it was also one of the games that was not premium priced for some reason, which surprised me

canucks announced the date of Rick Rypien night Oct 4

moving tickets might have had something to do with it

/also heard Rypien scored the only gwg of his career vs the rangers but Im thinking this is just coincidence

 

[puckhead]

Farhan Lalji
Torts is usual pleasant self, starts his scrum with "you ask me about Europe I'm walking". Then wouldn't talk about Rypien tribute

 

[higgyfan4]

Farhan Lalji
Torts is usual pleasant self, starts his scrum with "you ask me about Europe I'm walking". Then wouldn't talk about Rypien tribute

His act is as old and tired as Avery's is...

 

[mattola]

not sure why Torts coaches in this League. HE just wont work with the media at least not from what I have seen his whole career. maybe he should coach in no market area instead.