jasonstrudwick.ca

General Manager Mike Smith announced today that the club has re-signed Jason Strudwick. In keeping with club policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

At 6-3, 230 lbs., the versatile Strudwick appeared in 48 regular season games with the Blackhawks last season skating at both forward and on defense. He recorded two goals and three assists for five points and 87 penalty minutes for the Hawks last season.

Strudwick, 27, has played in 309 career NHL games scoring six goals and 19 assists for 25 points and 497 penalty minutes while skating for the New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks and Blackhawks. He was originally the New York Islanders 3rd choice, 63rd overall, in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. Strudwick was acquired by the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Gino Odjick on March 23, 1998. He was signed by the Blackhawks as a free agent on July 15, 2002.

Jason Strudwick, who got the call in Mironov's place, earned ice time in an unusual way.

A defenseman for most of his NHL career, Strudwick was moved to left wing against Calgary.

"I really like what I saw,'' Sutter said. "He's a really nice option to have. He can play forward. He can play defense. He's a big, strong guy who can be physical.''

Expect Strudwick to move between forward and the blue line throughout the season.

"When you see him do what he did, I question myself on why I didn't do that more often,'' Sutter said. "He led in finishing checks among all the forwards on both teams.''

Chicago Sun Times

Canucks set Strudwick Free
GM Burke says defenceman was too expensive for limited role with team
Elliott Pap
Vancouver Sun

Good guy Jason Strudwick has been cut loose by the Vancouver Canucks.

The gritty but limited defenceman was informed Friday he will not be receiving a $825,000 US qualifying offer from the NHL club and becomes an unrestricted free agent Monday. Strudwick, 26, has been with the Canucks since arriving in a trade for Gino Odjick on March 23, 1998.

The Canucks, as expected, did qualify NHL roster players Brendan Morrison, Harold Druken, Artem Chubarov, Bryan Helmer and Mike Brown.

In a bit of a surprise, they also qualified fringe forward Todd Warriner, although it was on a two-way contract with a $35,000 minor-league clause, an offer Warriner should find easy to refuse.

The obvious thinking here is the team wants Warriner to take a significant pay cut on his NHL salary. Warriner stands to make $1.21 million US if he accepts the qualifying offer but the Canucks would almost certainly counter by sending him down.

"I'm not going to talk about our negotiating strategy with Todd Warriner but our hope is to get him under agreement on a new contract that makes sense for both sides," said Canuck general manager Brian Burke.

Farmhands Steve Kariya, Ryan Ready, Brad Leeb, Pat Kavangh and newcomer Jeff Farkas, acquired Sunday for former first-rounder Josh Holden, were also qualified Friday.

Goaltenders Alfie Michaud and Martin Brochu were both released, the team declining to pick up options on their contracts.

Strudwick, an original draft pick of the New York Islanders, was never able to establish himself as a regular on Vancouver's blueline and was a healthy scratch 38 times last season. He also sat out all six Canuck playoff games.

"I've been in Vancouver for over four years and I loved every minute of it," Strudwick said from his off-season home in Edmonton. "The team played great after Christmas but for me, personally, it was a really tough season. I felt I got off to a good start but things changed and I became kind of the odd man out. I understand why. Still, it was frustrating.

"I'm going to miss Vancouver and the fans but, at the same time, I felt my career was slipping away. Now I'll get an opportunity to play with someone else who wants to use me more regularly than I was used in Vancouver."

According to Burke, releasing Strudwick was simply a case of economics -- the blueliner was too expensive for the limited role he played. Burke did attempt to trade Strudwick but when he found no takers, he opted to set him free and make his own deal.

Strudwick will likely have to take a pay cut where ever he goes.

"Jason Strudwick is a great kid and he did everything we asked him to do here," Burke explained. "However, the team's gotten better and we've brought in some players who took his ice time away. Jason's qualifying offer in the $800,000 range was too much.

"We could have qualified him on a two-way offer and made this much more complicated but we decided to do it this way," added Burke.

"He's an outstanding young man. We wish him luck"

Strudwick admitted he may be better suited to the Eastern Conference, where the style is less open. Canuck coach Marc Crawford employs a system that encourages his defencemen to carry the puck and join the rush.

Those were not among Strudwick's strengths.

"The East might be better for me," Strudwick conceded. "There is more grinding and hacking and whacking and you just have to move the puck quickly rather then leading the rush. On the other hand, I've played in the west for four years and I know all the teams.

"It will be exciting because now I know I'll be going to a team that really wants me. It's going to be a new opportunity to prove myself and get my career back on track."

Kariya, who could not be reached Friday, isn't likely to be overjoyed at receiving a qualifying offer from Vancouver.

At various times last season he expressed frustration with the way his career was unfolding in the Canuck organization. It appeared obvious he wanted a change of scenery but now the Canucks will retain the right to match if he signs elsewhere. If Kariya goes to Europe, Vancouver will also retain his NHL rights.

Burke made no apologies for not setting Kariya free.

"Stevie may think he's not received a shot with our team but I don't think it's fair to say that," Burke remarked.

"I think we have given him a shot and he hasn't grabbed the ring. That being said, if he's going to play in the American League next season, he's going to be playing for the Manitoba Moose."

The Moose is Vancouver's AHL affiliate. Kariya's agent, Don Baizley, did not return calls Friday.

Q. As a stay-at-home defenceman, you don't score many goals. You have rippled the mesh just twice in 236 NHL games [note: this was written up before he scored his two this season!]. But any player who reaches this level must have been a sniper at some point in his career. Do you remember your last big offensive season?
A. Sure I do, I think I was about seven or eight and we played half ice. I was a forward and I scored a ton of goals that year. I still have the medal - it was the Esso achievement award - for scoring so much. It was probably my only goal-scoring exploit ever. The next year I became a defenceman. Goal scoring is not for everyone.

Q. When you were acquired from the New York Islanders for Gino Odjick on March 23, 1998, Gino made a rather uncomplimentary remark at the time, saying he was traded "for a guy I never heard of". Did that hurt your feelings?
A. It's funny because I remember him saying that. I saw him later that summer and we were both kind of laughing about it. It was just one of those things. It didn't bother me. I hadn't really been in the league that long. I can understand he was pretty emotional about the trade and I'd be too, if I was traded from here.

Q. Your teammate Mattias Ohlund says the only TV show worth watching is Seinfeld. Is it true that you also adore the exploits of that neurotic New York bunch?
A. I'm a big fan and so is my dad. When I got home to Edmonton in the summer, we'll sit down and watch all the reruns. Kramer, I love that guy. He's just great. He's one of the funniest guys I've ever seen. My dad and I just keel over. We can watch the same Seinfeld episodes 10 times and still get a kick out of them. I don't really know why Kramer's own spinoff show died so quickly. I guess it's hard to repeat the greatness of Seinfeld.

Q. During training camp, you mentioned that you had a new off-season routine but that it was top secret. Can you reveal the secret now? Did it involve yoga? Hanging from your heels in a dark room?
A. Well, I can tell you it didn't involve burning any incense or candles. I think I used to over-train so I just tried to tone it down a bit and do higher quality, shorter workouts. Sometimes I'd get mentally burned out by the end of the summer and, going into camp, I wouldn't be fresh. Now I still feel fresh and I think it will carry through the whole season.

Q. Did it involve changing your eating habits? Did you go on some sort of special diet?
A. I was into a lot of carbohydrates and stuff and now I've changed to a more protein-based diet. I've found a big change in my energy and body composition. I'm eating more chicken, fish, beans and cheese, things like that, and a lot less rice and pasta. Diet is an edge you can get and it's so easy to do. I can't control how much skill I have but I can control what I eat.

Q. When the team is in Vancouver, who does your cooking? Do you have a personal chef or retainer? A roommate in culinary school?
A. I do the cooking myself although this week I'm lucky enough that my parents are in town. So they'll be whipping up some serious meals for me - and freezing a few. Nothing beats mama's home cooking, that's for sure. She makes these Greek ribs and Greek-style potatoes that are unbelievable. I can just sit there and pound them back. It's an all-night event. The next morning, you wake up and you still want to eat more. It's awesome.

Strudwick gets point, 2 hard shots
Close-fought game left no room for real goon show
Ben Kuzma
The Province
Sunday, December 23, 2001

Always willing to throw a hit or a right hand, the game Vancouver Canucks defenceman had a night to remember and to forget in a 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild at GM Place.

The good news was setting up the lone Canucks goal to push his season point total to six, a career high. The bad news was absorbing two heavy right hands from Wild winger Sylvain Blouin in a one-sided, second-period tussle that left Strudwick with a concussion and his left eye swollen shut. It was their second bout of the night.

Strudwick went straight to the dressing room after serving his roughing minor and didn't return to the ice. He was still getting treatment at press time.

With former enforcer Donald Brashear now patrolling the wing in Philadelphia, the question beckons -- are the Canucks being pushed around now? And why wasn't enforcer-in-waiting Mike Brown exacting some Canuck revenge after Strudwick was injured?

Brown said he would have loved an opportunity to go after Blouin. But in a tight game dominated by special-teams play it didn't happen.

"I know what my role is and I have no problem with it but I never got a chance," said Brown who played just 3:35. "There were a lot of penalties and it was tough. You see something like that and you always want to get some revenge.

Brown could get a crack at Blouin when the clubs meet for the final time here on April 5. But what about until then? Are the Canucks team-tough enough?

"I think so," offered defenceman Ed Jovanovski. "Struddy's a bigger guy who can fight and I think we have team toughness."

That and a Strudwick-like resolve are in dire need for a team seven games under .500 and a very long shot even to make it to the postseason dance.

"Jason has been playing excellent all year and he's starting to get rewarded," summed winger Todd Bertuzzi. "We have to put our hard hats on and do the same thing."

Strudwick sees ice and scores as a forward
Thursday, November 29, 2001.
Iain MacIntyre
Vancouver Sun

CHICAGO -- Jason Strudwick kept his scoring streak alive Wednesday. He is at three seasons -- and counting -- with at least one goal.

The defenceman-turned-winger redirected Matt Cooke's third-period shot past Chicago Blackhawk goalie Jocelyn Thibault for his first goal in 70 games as the Canucks earned a 3-3 tie and a trip home after a six-game road swing.

"I think I tipped it," Strudwick said. "I didn't really see it. My back was to the goalie."

Strudwick was playing for the first time in three games, and as a forward instead of a defenceman. It was his first goal since roofing a shot on a breakaway to beat the St. Louis Blues 372 days earlier.

"I wouldn't say unlikely," Canuck captain Markus Naslund said of Strudwick finding the mesh. "He said he felt hot before the game. Usually he goes roof, though. He's like a kid when he scores."

"It's just nice," he said. "I don't take for granted playing in the NHL. Every day I'm happy to be here. I never think anyone owes me anything.

"I just want to play. I'll play anything anywhere, and I love playing in the NHL for the Vancouver Canucks."

In the final period of a six-game, nine-day endurance test, the Canucks desperately needed someone like Strudwick to do something extraordinary.

Defenceman Drake Berehowsky, a lineup co-entry after spending games with Strudwick in the press box, also contributed with solid minutes when blueliner Ed Jovanovski was forced out in the third period due to a strained neck.

"Struds and me have been tight because we were sitting out together," Berehowsky said. "Any time you go out there, you want to show that you belong, whether you play five minutes or 20. You want to show you can play."

Jovanovski will be re-evaluated today, but he is doubtful for Friday's home game against the Colorado Avalanche.

Play defence, Jason? Sure. Play forward, Jason? Yeah, why not. Fight a tough guy for the sake of the team? Bloody right.

Well at the United Center Wednesday, as a brutal six-game, 11-day trip wound down, Strudwick answered another bell. The offensively-challenged forward scored his first goal in 70 games, tipping a Matt Cooke shot past Jocelyn Thibault at 1:46 of the third period, helping the Canucks get a 3-3 tie with the Chicago Blackhawks and secure a crucial point on a night when they saw defenceman Ed Jovanovski go down with what first appeared to be a scary injury.

"I was terrified at first," said Jovanovski, who fell about nine minutes into the third period and didn't return. "I didn't know what happened. Everything kind of flashed in front of me. I'm glad it's nothing."

So the mood was relatively jovial as the team talked about Strudwick's big goal.

"It's nice to get rid of that goose egg," said Strudwick, whose last goal came on Nov. 21, 2000, in a 4-3 win in St. Louis. "The guys just told me to get to the net and Cookie got it to me.

"It's nice to score and contribute. All year different guys have been contributing and it's good to get goals from guys other than the usual suspects."

The usual suspects were glad to see Strudwick, who played on a line with centre Brendan Morrison and right-winger Matt Cooke, get the goal.

Asked about the goal coming from an unlikely source, captain Markus Naslund said: "I don't think he's unlikely ... Jason said he felt hot tonight.

"It looks like Brendan Morrison finally has a left-winger," added Naslund with a laugh. Of course, Morrison has centred Naslund for much of this season.

"The Big Unit stepped up tonight," grinned Todd Bertuzzi. "This is a huge point. We [threw] away a couple of points on this trip, Boston for sure and in Minnesota. It's been a long stretch on the road and we're looking forward to getting home."

Strudwick is well liked -- loved even -- by the players on this team. He's a quiet leader whose work, for the most part, goes unnoticed. He was a healthy scratch the last two games.

The Canucks finished the trip at 2-3-1 and wondered aloud at what might have happened had they not given away a late goal in a 3-2 loss to Boston or had they played better in Tuesday's 2-1 loss in Minnesota.

"Yes and no," said Naslund when asked if this point was a good one. "The two points were there for us, especially when we got the lead [in the third period]. We shouldn't have given them that chance."

They didn't mope when backup goalie Peter Skudra, making his first start in a week, missed Steve Poapst's 80-foot shot that gave Chicago a 1-0 first period lead.

They killed all six Hawks power plays and finished the trip killing 23 straight.

Jovanovski and Henrik Sedin had the other goals. Tony Amonte and Mike Peluso scored for the Hawks, who remained unbeaten (9-0-3) at home.

Leading with his left hand and leading linemates with perfect passes is leading to one conclusion on the value of the versatile Jason Strudwick.

The Canucks' very own bubble boy -- Strudwick always seems one lineup shuffle away from occupying a pressbox perch on a team that has eight defencemen on its active roster -- will do whatever it takes to gain the coach's favour.

"I just don't take it for granted that I'm in the NHL,"Strudwick said after thriving on left wing in Thursday's 4-0 win over Montreal. "There are a lot of good players who could be in my position and I understand there are times that I'm not going to play. But when I do I have to give it everything I have. I'll play anywhere and I think I've earned my teammates' respect."

That's an understatement. Strudwick was in two fights, he twice sent linemate Denis Pederson away on scoring chances, and he nearly stuffed a puck past Montreal goalie Mathieu Garon in the third period.

Offseason work gave Strudwick edge he needs
October 18, 2001
By BEN KUZMA
The Vancouver Province

Always a realist, defenceman Jason Strudwick knew he needed a competitive edge when opportunity came knocking this season with the Vancouver Canucks.

Thanks to a new offseason regimen designed by Edmonton-based personal trainer Ian Danny that has powered prime-time blueliners like Chris Pronger and Al MacInnis, plus Canuck prospect Zenith Komarniski, Strudwick feels revved up. It's showing.

He had five heavy hits and an even rating in 20:10 of playing time Tuesday in a 2-2 draw with Florida at GM Place.

"In the past I've done a lot of foot-quickness drills and a lot of running to increase my speed," said Strudwick, who has smartly adapted to playing with Mattias Ohlund in the absence of the injured Murray Baron.

"My trainer's motto is, if you have a Dodge Neon it's smaller and lighter than a Mustang, but a Mustang has a lot more power in the engine.

"His whole thing is a strength-based workout and it's paid some dividends. I feel a lot more power so I get a quicker jump and have a lot more explosiveness. Like a Mustang."

That's quite the improvement for Strudwick. He often looked like an Edsel in trying to make that first outlet pass last season despite his team-best ranking of plus-16 in 60 games.

"Maybe I've been playing well, maybe I've been getting lucky," said the 26-year-old Edmonton native, who's in the final year of a contract that pays him $750,000 US this season.

Whatever it is, Canucks coach Marc Crawford has noticed. With the team committed to playing rookie Bryan Allen, and Brent Sopel sitting out four of Vancouver's first six games, Strudwick is climbing up the depth chart.

"He's been a pillar of consistency," said Crawford. "He knows he has to play a robust style, knows he has to play physical and knows he has to keep his gaps tight.

"I appreciate how hard he worked, not only on his conditioning but also his skill level and making quality breakout passes.

Regardless of the praise, the Canucks will be happy when Baron returns in two weeks from an ankle fracture. That will test Strudwick's resolve to stay in the lineup, but that's nothing new.

"I know my minutes will be cut down," admitted the 6-foot-3, 215- pound Strudwick, who has even played left wing when the Canucks have iced seven defencemen.

"I may have to change my role and play a little more physical and fight a little more.

Playing with Ohlund hasn't hurt, either. Strudwick has found himself facing top lines and has risen to the challenge, but is quick to credit his blueline partner.

"He's consistently good every night and that's a hard thing to do when you're playing against Joe Sakic or Mike Modano and those kinds of guys," pointed out Strudwick. "I'm just trying to ride his coattails through the 60 minutes."

Strudwick’s European Adventure
September 29, 2001
By Susan Richards de Wit
Canucks.com

Jason Strudwick is a man of the world – not only does he speak both English and French, is an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction, with a love of history, but he lives out his curious and adventurous spirit through travel. His objective? Learning something new while having fun and meeting people.

This past summer, Jason and a friend took a whirlwind tour through 12 countries in Europe on a bus tour in only 16 days.

“We’d get up at 6 or 7 a.m. and get back to our hotel at 9 or 10 at night. We wore the soles off our shoes, not literally, but that’s what it felt like. It was amazing, there was so much to see and so much history in each place,” says Strudwick.

Each morning they’d pack up and throw their suitcases back on the bus, landing in countries such as London, France, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy just to name a few.

One of Jason’s favorite places was Italy. “I really like Rome – all the history there, the old stone, the Coliseum and the Pantheon, it was just incredible. I thought it was a great city.”

Jason says that he’d like to return to Italy sometime. “This trip was like a race. Very busy. If I go to Europe again I’d slow down a bit. I was glad to see everything on our checklist but next time I’d like to spend more time in Italy, get to know the locals and eat the traditional food.”

Beyond history and culture, Jason also has a love of art. Being the renaissance man he is, Jason gives his opinion of the top art museums on the continent, “One of my favorite art museums was the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. I’m not a huge artist but I like Van Gogh, I have a few of his prints. It was by far the best art museum we went to – better than the Louvre in Paris. Van Gogh’s paintings are colourful and uplifting. It was very memorable.”

Another one of the trip highlights for Jason was the new friends he met. “We hung out with other couples from Australia who were also traveling on the same bus tour. We e-mail them still now. If we went to Australia we would definitely visit them. We had a good time. Everyone was between 21 and 30 years old, mostly college grads. We’d see the sites together then go out for lunch or dinner to visit and relax,” says Strudwick.

Summer travel sounds fun but what about the workout regime? Jason comments, “On these holidays it’s hard to work out. We usually take a month off to let the body heal - and rest the mind as well. However, the day after I got back I started working out again. I think a lot of guys do that.”

Other highlights of Jason’s trip included white water rafting in Germany, going to a cabaret show and dinner in Paris, and seeing the Broadway show, “The Lion King” in London.

While in London, Jason also managed to spend time with his 4 and 6 year old cousins who live there. Together they visited Big Ben, the Parliament buildings, changing of the guard at Windsor Castle, and a half hour ride on the London Eye – a massive farris wheel.

“The London Eye was amazing. I loved it. It was great to orientate yourself and get a good view of the whole city,” says Strudwick.

Jason’s next trip will be something new. No surprise for a guy who loves adventure, “I found Europe to be very western. I’d like to go somewhere I don’t speak the language. I would like to learn something new – somewhere where the food is very different, a completely different cultural experience,” says Strudwick.

Now focused back on game season, Jason says he hasn’t planned any dates for future holiday travel just yet. But the world is his oyster – with his ambitious and curious spirit, he’s bound to go places.

Strudwick 'roles' into camp
Canuck defenceman is one of the most popular players on the team but he'll once again be scrapping for ice time once the regular season begins
September 13, 2001
By Elliott Pap
Vancouver Sun

This is Jason Strudwick's fourth training camp with the Vancouver Canucks, which means it is Jason Strudwick's fourth training camp facing the same questions about his future with the team, his spot in the lineup, his ice time, his press box time.

In the hockey business, Strudwick is known as a "role" player. It is a euphemism for being on the fringe. And being on the fringe is not always a festival of laughs.

"It's the same every year," said Strudwick, whose upbeat personality makes him a popular member of the team. "I think I've talked to you every year around this time and you ask me if I think I'm going to be here. If you look at your notes from the last three years, the answers are probably the same as they are this year -- I'm just trying to do what I can, there are no secrets to
my game, I have to come in and battle."

Strudwick, 26, is a sixth or seventh defenceman. He doesn't receive a lot of minutes and sometimes he doesn't even play at all.

Last spring, despite the fact he was one of the team's alternate captains, he didn't dress for two of the Canucks' four playoff games against the Colorado Avalanche. He watched the final game while Bryan Allen, with just five career appearances, took his spot. Strudwick's pride was wounded but his spirit did not break.

"I think when you're growing up playing hockey in the street and you think of a game seven or another exciting game, you don't think of yourself sitting in the press box," said the 6'3", 230-pound Edmontonian. "If you ask me if I was disappointed, I was. I think anyone would have been disappointed. But at the same time, you have to understand you're part of the team here and
we want the team to win.

"I want to be associated with a winner and I understand that sometimes you have to take a step back and look at the big picture. If you're on a winning team, everyone will win and you'll reap the benefits in the end."

Strudwick is not the league's swiftest skater, nor its best passer. He hangs in with perseverance and personality and a work ethic that is unquestioned. Even his sense of humour isn't bad.

Asked about his summer conditioning program, he replied: "I changed a few things but I don't want to get into it and let everyone in the world know what I'm doing. I can't share it with you. I have to keep it secret. Okay, maybe not so secret that if I told you, I'd have to kill you. But I would have to rip out your tongue or something."

With Mattias Ohlund, Ed Jovanovski, Murray Baron and Scott Lachance considered the Canucks' top four blueliners, Strudwick will find himself scrapping for ice time on the third pairing. Drake Berehowsky would appear to have a lock on one spot, leaving rookie Bryan Allen, Strudwick and Brent Sopel (if he signs) competing for the other.

"I think the team knows what I'm all about," said Sopel [Sopel? I think you mean Strudwick Mr.Pap!], who joined Vancouver in a trade for Gino Odjick on March 23, 1998. "I'm just going to play my game like I have every other year."

Berehowsky, meanwhile, is down to 220 pounds after a summer in which shed 10 pounds to increase his mobility. Obtained from Nashville on March 9, the 29-year-old appeared to labour at times under the Canucks' up-tempo system. He nevertheless earned a new three-year $4.35 million US contract.

"I love the idea of three years," said Berehowsky, who moved back to Vancouver Aug. 1 to train. "I've never had a contract with security like that but I realize they can still trade me. So I worked harder than I have the past few years. If I never had to leave here, it would be great."

Berehowsky admitted he had trouble adapting to the Canucks' system when he first arrived from the Predators.

He finally felt comfortable by playoff time, especially with the adjustment from his natural right side to the left.

"They want me to be a little more agile, jump up in the play and contribute a little more offensively," he said.

Strudwick gives Canucks Shoulders to cry on
February 22, 1999
by Guy MacPherson
The Province

You think it's tough being a Canucks fan these days. Imagine being a Canucks player.

You can't even get through an optional game-day skate at Burnaby's 8 Rinks arena without the real beer-leaguers heckling you over your team's ineptness.

In this season of discontent, with playoffs a dream away, you can't help but wonder if certain players are packing it in. You don't wonder that with Jason Strudwick, though. He can't afford to.

The Canucks defenceman is seeing more ice time than ever in his brief NHL career under new coach Marc Crawford. After being traded from the New York Islanders last March for fan favourite Gino Odjick, the Edmonton native found himself a healthy scratch more often than not under Mike Keenan.

Strudwick is relishing any ice time he can get, regardless of how the team is faring.

"It would be nice to be winning right now," he said before Saturday's 5-1 loss to Anaheim. "Obviously you play hockey because you want to play all the time. You want to play every game. But I want to play and win."

You don't make it to the NHL without having the ability to dream. So despite what realists everywhere say about the Canucks' chances to make the playoffs, no one in the organization is conceding anything. At least not publicly.

Crawford, while admitting Strudwick is at least a year away from being a top-four defenceman, likes what he sees now, claiming he's not sacrificing the season for the sake of player development.

"What we had to decide on was, how much further ahead are we going to be playing with a player of experience, or Jason?" said Crawford. "Jason's very close right now to being a real quality contributing player. I don't think it's a case where we're giving up anything right now. It's not hurting our playoff chances, and it's going to help us long-term. Any time you can make a decision that's going to help you long-term and doesn't hurt you short-term, then it's an easier decision to make."

Even during all those games Strudwick found himself watching under Keenan rather than participating, he found a silver lining.

"I think he was trying to teach me that you gotta be prepared to play every game and every shift," he said of his old coach. "It's made me prepare a little more and focus more for the games I do play, instead of having a good shift and a bad shift then two good shifts then a couple bad shifts."

At the cost quality defencemen come at these days, it's a bonus to be able to develop one of your own.

"I like his size and his toughness and his aggressiveness," said Crawford. "His puck skills are pretty good. He passes the puck decent and he's confident with the puck. That's where we see him as having the biggest upside because he looks like he's got real good instincts in his game."

"He's gotta walk sideways through a regular door his shoulders are so damn wide," joked blue-line partner Jamie Huscroft of Strudwick. "He's all shoulders and ribs, basically."

Huscroft, with over 300 NHL games under his belt, has nothing but praise for the youngster.

"He's a good kid," he said. "I remember myself at that age coming into the league and getting a shot. He's done well with it. He's improving as the season progresses and not making any of the rookie mistakes we all do when we're young. I mean, he's only human. We're all going to make mistakes. But he's doing good."

In his 69 NHL games, Strudwick has yet to score a goal. Not that he dwells on it, or anything.

"I mean, sooner or later you gotta figure you're gonna pop one in there, so I'm not losing heart yet in that department," he said. "Obviously everyone wants to score their first NHL goal, so I'd be excited. But I hope it's for a winning cause and not a losing cause."

The way things are going these days, it would be a pleasant change to be a part of any winning cause, goals or not. The Canucks have lost four of their last five, getting outscored 24-10.

"For a guy like myself," said Strudwick, "it's pretty easy to figure out what my role is -- a solid defensive guy, being strong in the corners, and making the easy plays out there. (Crawford) doesn't want me going end-to-end with the puck. That job's for other D-men. He wants me to be assertive and just do my job and go about it quietly."

Despite his years of experience, Huscroft doesn't feel the need to help out his young partner any more than he would any of his teammates.

"He's a mature enough kid that he doesn't need a whole lot," Huscroft said. "But every once in a while, if need be, we just give him a few words of advice or help of some sort. But you look at the great leaders like Mess (Mark Messier), and they lead more by example. And when something needs to be addressed, I guess he addresses it. You look towards guys like that for your leadership. (Strudwick) may look at me and go, 'Who the hell are you?' I would hope not. But you don't want to say too much because I'm not by any means a great player."

The knock so far on Strudwick has been his speed and quickness. But Crawford is more concerned with the former Kamloops Blazer's footwork.

"His speed is fine," said the coach. "I think he's very good point to point. He's going to have to continue to develop his foot quickness and his ability to manage the ice. Those are all things that come with experience. I think his speed will be an attribute because he's pretty good when he gets his first two steps going."

"Any time you play a little more, your confidence goes up and you play better. It's kind of a cycle. But I've been playing decently and I think that (Crawford) has responded by playing me more. So it kind of just goes around and around."

*** Webmistresses note... This article was written exactly one year and one week before Jason scored his first NHL goal . It wasn't in a winning cause, but it WAS the game tying goal in a 1-1 tie with the L.A. Kings.

Long Shot: By luck and pluck, Jason Strudwick has worked himself into a regular shift on the Vancouver Canucks' blueline
December 26, 1999
by John Wawrow
Vancouver Canucks: The Official Program of the Vancouver Canucks

Jason Strudwick gives fourth-liners, second-stringers and so-called fringe players a golden reputation.

He's an unsung hero, underdog and/or over-achiever. Whatever you want to call him, Strudwick has proven that there's always room for one more of this type of player.

He isn't the fastest skater, the most adept passer or much of a point-producer. The main reason he's in the National Hockey League getting a chance on the Vancouver Canuck blueline is because he's big and he can hit. Strudwick's humble enough to be aware of his limitations. He'll even joke about it.

"Some guys, like Ed Jovanovski, his potential is unlimited. He's going to naturally blossom, but a guy like myself, I really have to water myself and put some Green Feed on me to grow into what I want to be. It's the truth," says Strudwick. "You can't be disappointed when someone tells you the reality. You've got to be honest with yourself."

If his skills weren't enought ot get him into the NHL, then his physical size and the size of his desire are what got him over the hump, ahead of so many others, including first-rounders and apparent can't-misses.

Strudwick's road to the pros is a testament to those kids who never dream of playing in the NHL, but somehow, wind up getting there anyway. By luck and pluck and by having someone who had the faith in him to keep him around and watch him grow is how he made it to his current occupation.

"It never occurred to me to play in the NHL. I'm pretty level-headed to think that playing in the NHL was totally crazy," he says, recalling his thoughts while growing up. "I thought about doing something else, like playing basketball."

In 1993, before his life changed dramatically, Strudwick was an 18-year-old kid playing midget hickey in Edmonton on a Knights of Columbus Pats team that won a grand total of 10 games over two seasons, including exhibition games. Strudwick, a good student, continued playing in hopes of landing a scholarship. He never had any illusions of going much further in the game, but he figured a scholarship would allow him to pursue his dream of going to a Canadian or U.S. University to study business or psychology - he wasn't sure which one.

Late in the season, the Western Hockey League's Kamloops Blazers came calling, believing they had uncovered a rough gem.

"I don't know if it was a fluke," recalls Bob Brown, Blazers' general manager at the time and now in charge of the Tri-City Americans. "He played on not a great team. It's an organization that struggled at the midget level, and sometimes, you don't (attract) the kind of scouting that other teams do normally."

Other than Strudwick, there wasn't much else to watch on the Pats for Brown, who was in the process of building a two-time Memorial Cup champion. But he saw something in Struwick.

"We just saw this big kid who could skate. He wasn't really gifted from a skill part, but he sure made his presence felt out there," recalls Brown.

The Blazers' offer came out of the blue for Strudwick. Suddenly, there was more to this game than long nights of losing. "I don't know what I did, but they got a liking to me. I think they saw me as a bit of a project. Obviously, everywhere I've gone, it's been like that, but it was really nice."

Strudwick began to blossom on a team full of eventual NHLers, including Jarome Iginla, Darcy Tucker and Nolan Baumgartner. It was Kamloops where Strudwick's reputation for being a hard worker came to light.

Strudwick and Baumgartner became close friends. They were tireless in leading the team in workouts. After a game, they would be the first out of the dressing room and onto the stationary bikes. Before games, they would spend an hour running the stairs at the arena. At one point, the Blazers considered curtailing the pair's drive in fear that they would burn themselves out. Kamloops won the Memorial Cup and Strudwick was drafted with the New York Islanders' third pick. In 1995, the Blazers defended their championship, with Strudwick playing an even more important role as one of the club's top three defensemen.

Funny how things turn out. "It was just weird," says Strudwick. "Even when I was in Kamloops, I wasn't sure. I still didn't know if I'd play in the NHL of have a chance. Just slowly, you gain confidence in yourself. Now, obviously I think I can."

There was one more hurdle that Strudwick still had to overcome and that was convincing the NHL people, specifically the New York Islanders, that he could play in the big league, but the Islanders, figuring that he had hit a wall in his development, traded Strudwick to the Canucks in exchange for Gino Odjick in March, 1998.

He wound up on a team in need of defensive depth, one coached by Mike Keenan, who had a soft spot for big defencemen. He wound up close to home, where he could rely on his family support system. Vancouver had everything that the Islanders didn't offer.

Although Strudwick didn't have the skills to play an integral role, he was still good enough to make it difficult for his bosses, first Keenan and then, Marc Crawford, to keep him out of the lineup. He played 65 games last season and entered training camp in September as an apparent can't-miss to make the team.

"We see Jason taking on a bigger role," said Crawford in training camp. "He's a character player and a very good asset."

In the early part of regular season, Crawford hadn't changed his tune. "He's a player who exhibits a lot of really strong values. I think there have always been players who have had strong values in the game. Maybe, they're being appreciated now because they're fewer an further between."

"I've never been handed anything through my whole career," says Strudwick. "I can take a day off and be out of the lineup or fall down the depth chart ... I can't allow that to happen. You've got to stay humble because it's not easy."

That attitude goes back to his days with the Knights of Columbus. "My dad and I, we always kind of joke about it," says Strudwick. "Our team won the first four games and I remember, after the fourth game, our coach said, 'Boy, can I pick 'em.' And we didn't win another game all year - we lost the next 25. My dad and I still laugh about it, because it was just a nightmare season and to come out of that was pretty fortunate."

Bruce Ramshaw, a director with the Edmonton Knights of Columbus Hockey Association, still follows Strudwick's career, not only because of his success, but also because of his work ethic.

"Hockey is 20, 30, and 50," says Ramshaw. "Twenty percent of the kids who play hockey don't ever need to worry - they're always on top teams. Thirty percent of the kids have to work like hell just to make the team and the other 50 percent are just recreational players - they are never going to make it.

*** Webmistresses note... Is that not the best article you've ever read about Jason! Kudos to Mr. John Wawrow!

Strudwick remains ready for any role
April 17, 2001
by Ben Kuzma
The Province

Jason Strudwick sounded like a humble Academy Awards winner Monday when asked what it meant to suit up for the first Canucks home playoff game in five years.

"It's pretty special," said Strudwick, who faced the Colorado Avalanche as the Canucks elected to go with seven defencemen -- including minor-league callup Bryan Allen -- in place of injured defenceman Scott Lachance.

"Maybe when I get older I'll appreciate a little more all the people who made sacrifices to get me to where I am. We've all worked hard, but we've all had a lot of help along the way. I hope everybody who has helped me is watching the playoffs."

That's Strudwick. Instead of moping about the dressing room after being scratched Saturday in Game 2 of the Western Conference quarterfinal series -- he played just 1:57 in the series opener -- the amiable defensive defenceman sang the praises of a team game.

"I'm ready, whether they want me to play forward, defence or sit out," said the 25-year-old Edmonton native who was rarely used Monday and even played left wing.

Strudwick shed the project label in the regular season by improving his skating and physical play while leading the Canucks in plus-minus ratings at plus-16 in 59 games.

But he didn't want to dwell on that stat or the fact that he did notch the game-winning goal -- his only goal of the season -- on Nov. 21 at St. Louis. He was more concerned about contributing in any way against the potent Avs in Game 3 at GM Place.

"It [plus-minus] is nice but not something I'm going to brag about in the summer," said Strudwick. "It's a function of us playing better defensively and scoring a lot more goals five-on-five."

Ed Jovanovski marvels at Strudwick's resolve to be the consummate team player. And Jovanovski expects Strudwick to fill in capably wherever he's needed.

Lachance suffered a medial collateral ligament sprain of his left knee Saturday and could be lost for the remainder of this series.

"Every time he's accepted the challenge," Jovanovski said of Strudwick, who missed 11 games down the stretch with a strained knee. "You've got to be upbeat and positive and he brings a lot of enthusiasm and jump to us."

"Jason brings a physical presence, a lot of competitiveness and he reads the play well," said coach Marc Crawford.

The Canucks have also recalled defenceman Zenith Komarniski from Kansas City of the IHL, now that the Blades' injury-plagued season is over.

Allen played well in six NHL outings from Feb. 26-March 8 and is pencilled in as a roster player for next season.

But Crawford didn't hesitate to insert Allen into Game 3 for more muscle. Allen, paired with Drake Berehowsky on Monday, was ready to face an avalanche of offence after the morning skate.

"The playoffs are just another jump and you've got to be aware and at the top of your game," said the 20-year-old first-round draft pick.

The Canuck players wore their dark blue helmets at this morning’s skate which means that they’ll be sporting their dark road jerseys in front of their home town crowd tonight against Anaheim. To give their fans a different look, the Canucks have reverse jersey nights three or four times a year.

In the dressing room, it was the adventure of 6 year old Julien and 8 year old Oliver as they scrambled to get their Canuck hockey cards signed by the players. The two boys waited patiently for the media to finish questioning each player before they shyly approached their target for autographs. At one point, Julien came up to Jason Strudwick and without saying a word, simply presented the 6’ 3” giant with his deck of hockey cards. “Struds” smiled and asked the star struck Julien if he wanted him to sign it. Julien who only came up to Strudwick’s knees, responded with an eager nod then passed over his cards with Ed Jovonovski’s card on top. Upon seeing this, Strudwick said, “You don’t want me to sign this one do you?” as he shuffled through the deck looking for his own card. After finding his card, Strudwick signed it and jokingly uttered to Julian, “I’m much better looking than him!”

Strudwick accepts his Canuck role
Vancouver defender puts team goals first
January 5, 2001
by Steve Snelgrove
Vancouver Sun

Jason Strudwick is like one of those role actors in Hollywood. Nobody knows their name, and they don't get recognized very often at the grocery store, but without them the movie just doesn't get shot.

These are the same people who have come to accept and understand that not everyone can be on the box office marquee. They know that for every Harrison Ford there are a handful of guys happy to take a punch, drive off a cliff or have their girlfriend stolen for the greater good of the finished product. Like them, Jason Strudwick has figured out that for him to be successful he can't be trying to see his name in lights every night.

"At the end of the night if no one notices that I was out there then I have done my job," says Strudwick.

"I just need to be consistent. I don't have to be fancy, I just have to move the puck out of my end and play physical when I can."

Strudwick is hockey's version of a role player. He's a guy that puts team success ahead of individual glory, whatever the personal cost may be.

And the people around him know and respect that, which is why he was named one of the Canucks' assistant captains last October.

"Any coach will tell you that those guys are invaluable," says Canuck netminder Bob Essensa. "It's tough, from a coach's perspective, to sit out those guys, who are great locker room guys and are always going to be pumped up and ready to go."

Vancouver head coach Marc Crawford has penciled Strudwick's name into the lineup each of the last eight games after assigning him a seat in the press box nine times this season.

Part of the reason is an abundance of NHL-calibre rearguards with the Canucks. Another is Crawford's desire for most of the year to carry eight defenceman, leaving two on the sidelines on any given night with Strudwick, Brent Sopel and Bryan Helmer to compete for playing time.

With Strudwick's emergence as the Canucks' sixth defenceman Helmer was sent to the minors on Sunday.

"Competition in anything is good, it makes everyone strive to be a better player and that makes our team stronger," says Strudwick. "And that is what it comes down to, if you have everyone trying hard then you are going to win a lot more games than you lose."

Strudwick's competitive nature and willingness to do anything to help the team has made it tough on Crawford, so much so that he has even used the 6-foot-3, 215 pounder up front on occasion.

"We have always liked everything Jason has done, but we have had a logjam in personnel. And when you have a logjam you end up trying to find spots for your character guys, we have played him a lot at forward as a result," says Crawford.

"You hear the old adage about guys being good for the team, and he is good for our team because he is a guy who holds everyone accountable, he is energetic and he is well-liked."

On the Canucks most recent road trip, which they finished with a 2-2 record with blowout losses on either end to Calgary and Chicago, Strudwick was his normal steady self. He joined Harold Druken and Mattias Ohlund as the only Vancouver players to finish with a positive plus/minus for the trip, and was the only Canuck not to be on the ice for a goal against in Wednesday's 6-0 loss to Chicago.

Strudwick is currently second to Adrian Aucoin with the best plus/minus on the team at plus-11.

"I'm happy with what I have done, but at the same time I don't want to become complacent," says Strudwick. "I obviously want to become a better player because I hope to play for a long time, I love hockey and playing the game.

"You have to keep working on things, and I try to do that every practice and off the ice, after practice. I think I have made some improvement, but that is something I have to be consistent about working on."

Strudwick's story is one built on nothing but hard work. A native of Edmonton, Strudwick went from playing Midget AAA in the Alberta capital to the Western Hockey League as an unheralded 18-year-old.

In fact, Strudwick got very little attention in his last year of Midget as his team was at the bottom of the standings in the highly acclaimed Alberta Major Midget Hockey League.

"We were awful. We only won five or six games but luckily I got picked up by Kamloops, I still don't know how it worked out but it did," says Strudwick. "I was really lucky the way things worked out."

Strudwick came under the tutelage of then Blazers' coach Don Hay, now the head coach of the Flames, and played on Memorial Cup championsboth years in Kamloops.

"He taught me a lot about being prepared," says Strudwick. "When I came out of Midget I really didn't know what was going on and he taught me a lot about how to get ready for games and how to become a professional.

"I learned a lot there, I think the learning curve was as steep there as it has been anywhere that I have been. And I had a lot to learn because I went in there as an 18-year-old, but we had good coaches and a lot of good players around. When you have a good corps of guys to learn from it sure helps."

Strudwick sees a lot of similarities between the those teams in Kamloops, which included current NHLers such as Darcy Tucker, Tyson Nash, Jerome Iginla and Hnat Domenichelli, and the current version of the Vancouver Canucks.

"If you look at those teams, we weren't maybe the best teams with the most talent but we all played together," says Strudwick. "It's a lot like here, where we have four solid lines, a solid D and solid goaltending. I see a lot of comparisons between the two."

One of the most important lessons that Strudwick learned under Hay was the concept of team first, that the name on the front of the jersey was much more important than the name on the back.

"That's what takes some time to figure out. We figured it out there and we are starting to here as well. Once you do figure that out you are a very lucky team."

Which brings us back to Crawford and his obvious affection for the 25-year-old with 187 NHL games under his belt. He doesn't go so far to say it but it is easy to get the impression that Crawford sees a lot of himself in Strudwick, a player who will do anything it takes to help the team.

"I believe that guys that want to play for one another are very important elements in a team," says Crawford. "He is definitely a guy that falls into that category, that people want to play for and with. He has a lot of positive energy around him. That is an intangible but it is a nice intangible to have when your play is decent, it puts you over that imaginary line when doing up the lineups each night."

Canuck DJ a gamer: Strudwick earns his 'A' on, off ice
Thursday , Dec 07, 2000
by Kevin Woodley
For MyBC.com

When teammate Murray Baron isn't around, he is even a little top-40 dance. Strudwick is the team's locker-room DJ, but if you think his choice in music is the only reason the 6-foot-3, 215-pound defenceman has been wearing an 'A' this year, think again.

"You guys aren't around before the game, but he's always so focussed and so ready to go all the time," said Ed Jovanovski. "He says a lot in the room and he gets the guys going with his intensity in the room before a game. I've never seen a guy get so pumped up to play a game before."

That intensity, combined with an unmatched work ethic, has propelled Strudwick into a leadership role despite the fact he's a part-time player.

"I think the guys respect how Jason has handled that role throughout his career," said head coach Marc Crawford. "He's a guy that everybody on the team respects for how he approaches the game and how he works."

"He loves to play because it's exciting and that's what he brings to the rest of us. He's still like an eight-year-old kid going out and playing novice hockey and having the best time," said Adrain Aucoin. "He's always working out, and every shift he's out there is the hardest shift of his life."

Strudwick has rarely stood out on the ice this year, and he's working hard to make sure that trend continues. He knows he isn't the type of player who can wow the coaches and fans with his skills, but he also wants to make sure he isn't the guy wearing goat horns after the game.

"I know I'm not Ed Jovanovski or Chris Pronger out there," he said. "I know what my role is and I'm happy to do it for this team. If it's not to be in the lineup every night, so be it, I just try to contribute in other ways."

So far, it has been mission accomplished for the 25-year-old Edmonton native. Strudwick has only played in 21 of Vancouver's 29 games, but he is plus-7 with one goal and one assist. His only goal was the game-winner when the Canucks beat St. Louis for the first time in almost four years two weeks ago.

"I've been in the NHL for three years or three and a half years and it's been the same the whole time," Strudwick said. "I've always had to scrap to stay in the lineup and everyday you are thankful. When I get in the lineup I just play my game."

He isn't the first guy off the bench, but Strudwick has been strong in several different roles for the Canucks this year. He has played on the left wing of a fourth line with centre Denis Pederson for the last two games, registering one shot and six hits in 7:14 of ice time against Nashville Monday and another pair of hits during Wednesday's 1-1 draw with Phoenix.

"I just try to be positive no matter what is happening to me," said Strudwick. "I've got to be a team guy first and just try to be positive as much as I can be around the guys."

Strudwick was also a big part of the defensive depth that has helped Vancouver rack up a more-than-respectable 7-5-3-2 record with Mattias Ohlund out of the lineup for 17 games.

"Strudy is just really gung-ho and intense," said Baron. "He really loves the game and it just shows in the dressing room before the game. He's always fired up to play and he gives 100 per cent all the time."

Baron was the Canucks' former locker-room DJ, and he's been fairly impressed with Strudwick's performance in that role as well.

"He's been pretty good so far, he likes the rock and stuff like that," smiles Baron before breaking into a mock-scowl. "As long as he stays away from the top-40 dance stuff. I don't care for it, and I won't let that go on."