Go to The Globe and Mail

 

Blogs

Featured:

Wednesday, July 1, 2009 2:07 PM

Canucks make pitch for Niedermayer

Matthew Sekeres

The Anaheim Ducks traded Chris Pronger to the Philadelphia Flyers on draft weekend because free-agent defenceman Scott Niedermayer told general manager Bob Murray he wanted to play in 2009-10.

Niedermayer re-signed with the Ducks on Wednesday afternoon, ending speculation that other NHL clubs, including the Canucks, might have been able to lure the silky smooth defenceman out of Anaheim.

In May, Niedermayer’s agent told Vancouver’s Team 1040 AM that his client seriously considered the Canucks in his last go-around with free agency, and would consider them again. (Kevin Epp, the Vancouver-based agent, did not immediately return calls upon the start of free agency).

Entering his 18th NHL season, Niedermayer is still a strong candidate for the Canadian Olympic team, and playing in Vancouver would allow him to live and compete for a gold medal in the same city. The 35-year-old was raised in Cranbrook, B.C., and still spends summers in the province.

Canucks GM Mike Gillis has no fear of veterans in their last hurrahs (see Sundin, Mats), and is even willing to pay a premium (see Sundin, $10-million U.S. per season), so long as the term is short. Vancouver covets Niedermayer’s skill set.

The Canucks signed defenceman Aaron Rome to a one-year, $550,000 contract on Wednesday. The 26-year-old has played 26 NHL games over three seasons in Columbus and Anaheim, registering three points and 33 penalty minutes.

Latest Comments

Globe On Hockey Contributors

Eric Duhatschek

Eric Duhatschek

Eric was the winner of the Hockey Hall Of Fame's Elmer Ferguson award for "distinguished contributions to hockey writing" in 2001. A graduate of the University of Western Ontario's grad school of journalism, he began covering hockey in 1978 and after spending 20 years covering the NHL and the Calgary Flames, joined The Globe in 2000. Eric has covered four Winter Olympics, 19 Stanley Cup finals, every Canada Cup and World Cup since 1981, plus two world championships.

 
Allan Maki

Allan Maki

Allan joined The Globe in 1997 after spending 19 years as a reporter and columnist at the Calgary Herald. Born in Thunder Bay, he graduated from the Ryerson School of Journalism in 1977. A past president of the Football Writers of Canada, Allan has covered every Grey Cup since 1980. He's been to seven Olympic Games and covered everything from rodeos to the World Series to the Super Bowl.

 

James Mirtle

James Mirtle joined The Globe as an editor and reporter in the sports department in 2005 and now covers the Toronto Maple Leafs. A graduate of Ryerson University and Thompson Rivers University, he has written about hockey from junior on up the past decade and has a background in new media, statistical analysis and blogging. You can follow him on Twitter here.

 

Matthew Sekeres

Matthew is The Globe's national sports correspondent in B.C., covering the Canucks, Lions and other sports happenings on the west coast. Montreal-born and Ottawa-raised, Matthew is a graduate of Carleton University's School of Journalism. He has worked at four metropolitan dailies and for TSN. Matthew has covered the Beijing Olympics, three Super Bowls, the NBA Finals, nine Grey Cups and the Stanley Cup playoffs.

 

David Shoalts

A native of Wainfleet, Ont., David joined The Globe in 1984 as a layout and copy editor in the sports section. He attended the University of Waterloo and Conestoga College. After graduating in 1978, he worked at the Calgary Herald and the Calgary Sun, and later the Toronto Sun. He has covered the Toronto Maple Leafs and the NHL since 1990 and became a hockey columnist in 2003.

 

Darren Yourk

Darren is the editor of globesports.com and host of the Hockey Roundtable podcast.