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Toronto Maple Leafs centre Matt Stajan goes back a long way with Kyle Wellwood.

The two were teammates with the OHL's Belleville Bulls in 2001-02, again with Canada's entry in the 2003 world junior hockey championships, and with the Maple Leafs and their farm team in St. John's.

Yesterday, in advance of Toronto's first visit to General Motors Place in almost three years, Stajan said Wellwood, now a Canucks forward, doesn't quite match Gary Roberts in off-ice workouts, but he also chuckles at the way his former teammate has been portrayed. After reporting to the Canucks out of shape and requiring three fitness tests before making the team, Wellwood has been called fat and earned the nickname Pork Chop.

But the 25-year-old is also earning accolades from Canucks management and fans for leading the team with six goals through 16 games.

"It's hard to believe that he got put on waivers, recalled, and that nobody picked him up, because he is the most gifted player I've played with," Stajan said yesterday after practice. "He hasn't even got an assist yet. Just wait until pucks start going in for his wingers. He'll put up a lot of points."

Wellwood's saga, of course, began last June when the Leafs cut bait with a player who was once considered one of their most promising prospects. New Canucks general manager Mike Gillis quickly claimed the Windsor, Ont., native, believing that if he were fully recovered from three sports-hernia surgeries, he could be a point-a-game player.

But when Wellwood arrived at the Canucks' two-day training camp in Whistler in September, head coach Alain Vigneault fired off a challenge. Wellwood was not in "NHL-calibre" shape, even though he joined the Canucks in July to rehabilitate his injuries, and Vigneault demanded that he re-take his fitness test and show progress before setting foot on the ice.

Wellwood took the message to heart and began eating his meals at GM Place, or taking home specifically prepared food designed to change his diet. Still, it wasn't enough to crack the Canucks' lineup. Wellwood was demoted and spent several days sitting at home, wondering whether his playing future resided in Europe. (The Canucks had too many veteran forwards with their AHL affiliate in Manitoba and did not have room for him).

But Wellwood received a second opportunity when Pavol Demitra succumbed to torn rib cartilage on Oct. 19. Inserted into the lineup, he has seven points, including four on the power play, in 11 games.

"To play in the NHL, you need more than talent," Vigneault said. "You never know why certain players get it at certain moments."

Wellwood has got it. That much is clear. He no longer eats all three meals from the Canucks' chefs, but only because he got tired of reheating food in the microwave at his apartment.

The 5-foot-10 forward also laughs at some of the signs in NHL stands that have poked fun at his paunch "because I'm 185 pounds. I'm not overweight or fat."

Wellwood admitted that this turnaround would not have happened in Toronto because he disappointed the previous regime of general manager John Ferguson Jr. and head coach Paul Maurice. He said he was looking forward to facing his former team tonight, recognizing that he does have something to prove, but not because he seeks revenge for being released.

"There was some negativity for me in the Toronto organization," he said. "It wasn't anybody's fault. It just didn't work out and sometimes you need a change."

In Vancouver, where Gillis is trying to foster a helpful environment by counselling the players on as many subjects as possible, including nutrition, Wellwood found an employer who was willing to take a different approach.

"It has all been positive," Wellwood said. "Everything the Canucks have done has maximized whatever potential is showing."

Game sheet:

NOTES: Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Mitchell is ready to return after missing three games with a shoulder strain, but head coach Ron Wilson said he didn't want to tinker with a winning lineup. Mitchell could return on Monday against the Boston Bruins. … The Vancouver Canucks welcome back forward Pavol Demitra, who has missed 10 games with torn rib cartilage. Demitra will play on the second line, bumping struggling Steve Bernier to the fourth unit. … Leafs forward Jason Blake cemented himself in Toronto's everyday lineup with a two-assist effort in a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday. Blake played two solid periods, then dented the scoresheet twice in the third. … Five rowers from Canada's Olympic gold-medal-winning heavyweight eights boat will be introduced to the crowd tonight and will raise the Canucks' 7th Man banner.

NEXT: Leafs game Tonight, at Vancouver, 7 p.m. EST.

TV: CBC