Under Further Review – Douglas Smith with Editor Bill Morphy. Regular contributors include Jordan Moss, Rob Wagner, Howard Steiss, Ian MacPhee, Dave Kittle, Peter Hucul, Ted Tait, Bill and Glen Myles, Frank Sullivan, Mark Hughes and Iqbal Grewall.   

Spanning the digital ether to bring you the constant variety of sport… the thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat… the human drama of athletic competition… This is Under Further Review.

A Hughes Mistake – Just like that. He was gone.

Quinn Hughes, the greatest player in franchise history, leaves Vancouver at the height of his career. The transcendent defenceman was yet to reach the 500-game plateau. Much like Pavel Bure, he departs in his prime. What does that say about the organization?

The Canucks have now drilled through three captains and three coaches in a matter of just a few years. What does that say about the organization?

It’s wake up time in Vancouver. When you are sitting at the bottom of the overall standings, you need to own it. Apathy is setting in within the fan base. Attendance at Thursday night’s game against Buffalo was the lowest this season. It won’t improve with Huggie gone. He was the only Canuck player worth watching.

There’s no excuse for allowing the level of “noise” around the team year after year. It’s been a daily gong show. As an organization, the trade of Hughes to Minnesota is a catastrophic failure. The team wasted an opportunity to build around a Norris Trophy winner. Instead, they chased short-term fixes that has left them lottery-bound.

By now, you know the details of the trade. Three former first-round picks and Minnesota’s 2026 first-round selection. Ironically, all three Wild players acquired in the deal were drafted by former Canucks scouting director Judd Brackett. The acquisition of 20-year-old defenceman Zeev Buium will make or break the deal.

The Canucks were never going to win this trade. The biggest winner is Quinn Hughes. He receives a “get out of jail free’ card with the move to Minny. He’s all but assured of playoff hockey for only the third time in his career. He joins a strong core group with the Wild in Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Brock Faber, Joel Eriksson Ek and Jesper Wallstedt.

What is most disconcerting is the Canucks failed to acquire one Canadian in the trade. They get an Austrian, an American, and, of course, a Swede. Can’t do a deal without a Swede. Last time we checked, Canada was pretty good at hockey. It might be a good idea to have more than two or three Canadians on the roster.

Allvin has had an infatuation with centre Marco Rossi since the off-season. Maybe the Canucks can team him with Conor Garland and Nils Hoglander and form the Mini-Me Line. Liam Ohgren, the third piece in the deal, may be shipped to Abbotsford to further develop.

Admitting it’s time to rebuild is the best news Canuck fans could receive. The indication from the Hughes camp over the summer was clear. He was not going to re-sign with the Canucks. The situation could not be allowed to simmer. The Canucks took the best offer and if they are lucky, it may be a mere pivot point rather than a full-scale disaster.

Editor’s Note: Hughes had a goal in his Minnesota debut and logged almost 27 minutes of ice time. Buium scored in his Vancouver debut and added an assist as the Canucks escaped with a 2-1 win in New Jersey.

NHL Notebook – The Edmonton Oilers have had years to fix their goaltending issues. A year ago, they could have picked up Tristan Jarry on waivers. Talk about the ultimate sideways move. Oilers GM Stan Bowman managed to piss away draft assets and future cap space (Jarry is signed for three more seasons after this one at $5.375 million) for a marginal upgrade. Rate this deal a D-minus for Edmonton. Nice bit of work by Pens GM Kyle Dubas. He dumps Jarry’s contract, picks up a second-round draft pick and is likely to flip Stu Skinner and Brett Kulak at the trade deadline for additional draft capital.

Blackhawks star Connor Bedard suffered an apparent shoulder injury over the weekend. The Hawks should have more news on the injury on Monday but there has to be major concern in Chicago and among the Team Canada management group. Hopefully, the injury is not severe.

Under Further Review was first to report the Montreal Canadiens may have interest in a reunion with Kings centre Phillip Danault. Various media outlets picked up on the story this week. Danault is not the answer to slot in as a number two centre behind Nick Suzuki but he would be a great fit in the number three spot. A deal including Jake Evans and other considerations may work for the Kings.

Sidney Crosby continues to amaze. He’s 38 yet on a pace to score over 50 goals this season. Sid has a chance to break Alexander Ovechkin’s record as the NHL’s oldest 50-goal scorer. Ovechkin scored over 50 in 2021-22 when he was 37.

Olympic Hockey Update – There’s every indication Team Canada management is largely going to remain status quo with their lineup selections for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan. One area where there is certain to be change is in goal. Both back-ups from the Four Nations Face-Off, Samuel Montembault and Adin Hill, have likely played themselves out of consideration.  

TSN just released their latest roster projections and we are pretty much in unison with their lineup choices. Whether Team Canada brass agrees, that’s another question. Here’s how TSN assembled the roster:

Forward Lines:

Sidney Crosby-Nathan MacKinnon-Connor Bedard

Macklin Celebrini-Connor McDavid-Sam Reinhart

Brandon Hagel-Nick Suzuki-Mitch Marner

Brad Marchand-Bo Horvat-Tom Wilson

Extra Forwards: Mark Scheifele, Brayden Point

Defence Pairings:

Devon Toews-Cale Makar

Josh Morrissey-Shea Theodore

Travis Sanheim-Colton Parayko

Extra Defencemen: Matthew Schaefer, Drew Doughty

Goaltenders:

Jordan Binnington, Darcy Kuemper, Logan Thompson

Of the 25 players on the projected roster, 16 were part of the gold medal-winning Four Nations team.

The top three forward lines look lethal and balanced. Celebrini and Bedard have earned prominent roles. We hope the Team Canada management group sees it the same way. Based on his performance this season, it was a mistake to choose Brayden Point as a pre-tournament selection.

Horvat is an interesting choice as a fourth line centre. Not sure Jon Cooper is prepared to go that route. We think he continues to favour holdovers Sam Bennett or Anthony Cirelli for that role. Schaefer, the Islanders electrifying rookie, gets the nod over Thomas Harley. Doubtful the management team sees it that way. We would be interested in your comments. The roster reveal is set for New Year’s Eve.

If Canada’s women’s hockey team has plans to defend its gold medal in Italy, they had better make a huge turnaround. Team Canada got absolutely crushed by the U.S. in the latest Rivalry Series. The U.S. swept all four games by a combined score of 24-7. There’s nothing about the way Canada is playing to inspire optimism.

Plenty to Prove – A pair of disappointing finishes should provide Canada with all the incentive they need at this year’s World Junior Hockey Championships. Team Canada has placed fifth each of the past two years. They will open the tournament in Minneapolis on Boxing Day against Czechia, the team that’s knocked them out both times.

Canada will be led by forward Gavin McKenna, the consensus number one pick in next summer’s NHL Draft. Six players who have seen time in the NHL this season are among the 27 players invited to the team’s pre-tournament training camp including Harrison Brunicke, Braeden Cootes, Jeff Luchanko, Brady Martin, Michael Misa and Zayne Parekh. There is also hope the San Jose Sharks will release defenceman Sam Dickinson.

Seahawks Notebook – How the heck can you almost get beat by a 44-year-old quarterback who hasn’t played in 1,800 days?

At first, it seemed like an act of desperation by the Colts to bring Philip Rivers out of retirement after almost five years. Give Rivers credit. He acquitted himself very well. The guy knows how to run an offense. Rivers is also good at making babies. He has 10 children and already, one grandkid. Considering how Sam Darnold is performing, maybe the Seahawks should think about bringing Jim Zorn out of retirement.

The Seahawks are lucky to have one of the best kickers in NFL history. Jason Myers is money. He booted a club record six field goals including the 56-yard game winner to help Seattle escape the upset. Myers has been good on 24 of the last 25 field goal attempts.

You can spin this game a few ways. In fairness, the Colts were playing for their playoff lives. They are not a patsy despite being double-digit underdogs. Rivers got rid of the ball quickly preventing the Seahawks from getting a pass rush.

The Seahawks offense is trending in the wrong direction. They have scored one first half touchdown over the past five games. They went 2 for 13 on third down on Sunday. The Seahawks may have to wait until the off-season to fix the running game which managed only 49 yards on 22 carries against the Colts. The game plan has become far too conservative. They need to be more aggressive right from the opening whistle.

Seattle will need to win close games down the road. Sunday provided a stern test and at least they posted the W. Moving the ball into field goal position late in the first half and in the fourth quarter with time running down is a character-builder.

All is good on the other side of the ball. Seahawk fans will never forget the dominant Seahawk defenses of the 2013-2014 Super Bowl years. As good as that Legion of Boom defense was, this year’s D may be better at all three levels. This defence is definitely deeper. In the middle of the defensive line, you have Reed, Williams and Murphy Jr. On the edge, there’s Hall, Nwosu, Mafe and Lawrence. Inside at the second level, you have Jones, Thomas and Knight. There’s Woolen and Jobe on the corners and Love, Bryant and Okada deep. Toss in Devon Witherspoon and Nick Emmanwori, the two-headed monster roaming the secondary, and you have an elite playmaking defense. Spoon and E-Man can line up anywhere. They’re the wrecking balls in what has become the best defensive backfield in the NFL.

The Seahawks have four days to prepare for Thursday night’s litmus test against the Los Angeles Rams. Both teams come in at 11-3. The Rams currently hold the tie-breaker after winning the first meeting. The top seed in the conference is potentially at stake. It’s about time the Seahawks clutched up a took down a division rival. No one has more to prove than Darnold.

NFL Week 15 Takeaways – Unlike the Seahawks, the Rams come into Thursday night’s clash with a red-hot offensive attack. The Rams have put up 40+ points and 500+ yards of offense in each of the past two games. Puka Necua carved up the Detroit Lions on Sunday with 9 catches for 181 yards. There’s a chance they could be without number two receiver Devante Adams.

It’s the end of an era in Kansas City. The Chiefs will miss the post-season for the first time since 2014. Adding to the disappointment, quarterback Pat Mahomes suffered a torn left ACL in Sunday’s loss to the Chargers.

Don’t count out the Buffalo Bills just yet. Down 21-0, Josh Allen led a wild 35-31 comeback win against the New England Patriots. The Bills (10-4) moved to within one game of the division leading Pats in the AFC East.

Jalen Hurts was a Super Bowl MVP. Hard to believe when you watch him play this season. Four interceptions and a fumble against the Chargers a week ago. On pass attempts of 10+ yards, Hurts went 4 of 16 for 95 yards with three picks. Hurts locks in on receivers. Fails to go through progressions. Throws into tight coverage. No wonder A. J. Brown was sounding off on him. Hurts rebounded against the Raiders but hey, it’s the Raiders.

MLB Winter Meetings – A few big chips fell at the Major League Winter Meetings in Orlando.

No team has taken a biggest step back than the New York Mets. The Mets lost slugging first baseman Pete Alonso to Baltimore and bullpen closer Edwin Diaz to the Dodgers. Mets owner Steve Cohen has overseen five years of drunken spending in New York. He’s operated as if it’s a Rotisserie League. Cohen has managed to alienate Mets fans and rip apart the clubhouse. The team has holes everywhere. Should we shed a tear? Not a chance. Cohen is the richest owner in baseball. He’s sure to open his cheque book.

It’s never a surprise to see the Dodgers spend money. Last off-season, they gave Tanner Scott four years and $72 million to be their bullpen ace and he flopped. Not to worry. The Dodgers turned around and dropped $69 million on Diaz. Need a corner outfielder? Watch them land Kyle Tucker.

Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro has never been one of our favourites. Too slick and corporate for our liking. Coming off the World Series appearance, Shapiro has been granted a five-year contract extension. Expect new deals to follow for GM Ross Atkins and manager John Schneider. We’d like Shapiro more if he just pronounced his last name properly.

Hearing rumblings that Jays starter Shane Bieber accepted his player option rather than enter free agency because he was concerned about passing a medical with another team. Here’s hoping his surgically repaired right arm holds up.

The Blue Jays jumped into the bullpen market with the signing of reliever Tyler Rogers. His submarine delivery is about as funky as it gets. His release point is 1.3 feet off the ground. It certainly gives the Jays a different “look” in the late innings.

The Atlanta Braves signed closer Robert Suarez. He was one of the bullpen options in the Blue Jays sights.

Looks like there is going to be a lot of trade activity around the majors this winter. We could see several big deals before training camps open. With teams unwilling to give term in free agency, the best option is a trade. Some agents are even clamoring for a trade deadline to force decision-making. Don’t see that happening without some kind of salary cap.

It’s becoming more likely that Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens will never be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. They were named on fewer than five ballots in the latest round of Hall of Fame voting. Under new protocol now in effect, players drawing fewer than five votes will no longer be eligible the next time their era is considered. Bonds and Clemens can be nominated in a subsequent cycle, but if they fall short again, they will not be eligible for future consideration. Couldn’t happen to two nicer guys!

It was a mild surprise to see one-time Blue Jay Jeff Kent voted into the Hall. Kent was a solid ball player but a borderline Hall of Famer. Not like Roberto Alomar. Reminds me of Flames goalie Mike Vernon. He was recently voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Must have seen him play live a hundred times. Never, for a moment, did I think I was watching a Hall of Famer.

Home Sweet Home – As we reported last week, the Vancouver Whitecaps and the City of Vancouver are moving toward a potential agreement to build a new stadium and entertainment complex at Hastings Park. They’ve signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enter an exclusive negotiation period through 2026. If all goes well, it could result in a new home for the team. There’s still a lot of work to do but it’s a big first step.

The City is spinning this as just a framework for negotiations. In reality, the future of the Whitecaps and the BC Lions may lie in the balance. Both teams are getting jobbed as major tenants of BC Place Stadium. PavCo. a provincial Crown Corporation, retains the giant share of game revenues. Both teams would be wise to jump at the opportunity for a long-term lease at Hastings Park. Figure out a way to fund and share a new stadium and be in position to control all ancillary revenues. Seems like a no-brainer.

The Human Garbage Can – Joey Chestnut is a legend. No one can eat like this guy. Treats his stomach like a trash can. He should be a spokesman for Pepto-Bismol. Or, better yet, a toilet bowl cleaner.

Chestnut owns a long string of eating records. He’s a 17-time Nathan’s Hotdog Eating Contest Champion. A 9-time World Rib Eating Champion. A 6-time Chicken Wing Eating Champion. 55 world records in various categories. His latest record is consuming 242 chicken wings in ten minutes.

Here’s some of his gastronomic feats:

• Nathan’s hotdog eating record of 76 hotdogs set in 2021. His personal best is 83
• 103 Krystal Burgers in 8 minutes
• 141 hard-boiled eggs in 8 minutes
• 44 grilled cheese sandwiches in 10 minutes
• 53 soft shell tacos in 10 minutes
• 102 tamales in 12 minutes
• 5 pounds of burritos in 10 minutes
• 76 pounds of rib meat in 12 minutes
• 45 pulled pork sandwiches in 10 minutes
• 118 jalapeno poppers in 10 minutes (to the music of Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire)
• 23 6-inch Philly cheesesteaks in 10 minutes
• 28 pounds of poutine in 10 minutes
• 165 pierogies in 8 minutes
• 121 Twinkies in 6 minutes
• 257 Hostess Donettes in 6 minutes
• 81 Eggo waffles in 8 minutes
• 5 pounds of cherry pie in 8 minutes

What can we say? A true American hero!

Random Leftovers – Saturday night’s showdown between the San Antonio Spurs and the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder may have been the best NBA game you will see this season. Victor Wembanyama returned from a 12-game absence to put up 22 points and nine rebounds in only 21 minutes helping the Spurs reach the NBA Cup championship game against the New York Knicks. OKC lost for only the second time in 26 games this season.

The Thunder have been running roughshod through the league. OKC went 24-1 through the first 25 games to match an NBA record. They had outscored teams by 17.5 points per game, by far the largest margin of victory in league history. OKC was not just beating teams, they were humiliating them. In one game this season, the Thunder led by as many as 53 points.

It’s starting to look like Canadian big man Zach Edey could be brittle. The Memphis Grizzlies centre is out 6-to-8 weeks with a stress fracture in his left ankle. It’s the same ankle that was operated on and caused him to miss the first 13 games of his rookie season. How many times have we seen this with seven-footers?

Feature Artist of the Week – Diane Birch – We recently got turned on to a fantastic female vocalist named Diane Birch. She was born in Michigan but spent much of her childhood abroad. Her father was a Seventh-Day Adventist missionary. The family spent time in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Australia before returning to the U.S. and settling in Portland, Oregon.

In her early 20’s, Birch moved to Los Angeles and got a gig playing piano at the Polo Lounge at the Beverley Hills Hotel. She was discovered by Prince who invited her to his home for a session with his band. Birch later moved to the UK to begin her recording career.

In 2010, she released the album ‘Bible Belt’ to widespread acclaim. It included several hits including “Nothing but a Miracle” and “Rise Up.” Here is Diane Birch performing “Nothing but a Miracle” at Daryl’s House with Daryl Hall and band.

https://youtu.be/bpQ1vot0HNo?si=YeidOm5ThPSzJKDS

With Christmas just around the corner, we thought we should get into the spirit. Here’s Chris Rea and band with “Driving Home for Christmas” from a live performance on British television in 2000.

https://youtu.be/Jckb3dnS5fw?si=WExiKFsNV2TQgh9-

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