The Long Awaited Debut
The question is, will Sundin play tonight?
Since being signed as a free agent on December 18, 2008, there has been much speculation when the Swede would make his first appearance as a Canuck. That day seems to be near, as the coach has made room for Sundin to join the line up by sending Jannik Hansen to Manitoba of the AHL.
Being out of the game for 9 months must add some uncertainties as to when the ex-Toronto captain will be back on the ice. But Sundin is a professional, having been the second-longest active serving captain in the NHL, will certainly not dissapoint, as he has expressed on the team’s site: "I’m looking forward to getting back playing the game, but at the same time I want to make sure I’m ready physically so that I can stay in the lineup and not come back too quick and get hurt or anything like that."
Surely his new team mates are eager to find out just what Mats Sundin has to offer on the ice. We shall see, possibly tonight, how he will find his rhythm and what he will bring to Vancouver NHL Hockey.
It has been a long wait for Sundin and the clubs that hoped to sign him. Question is if he can live up to all the hype straight away after the long lay off. It will probably be difficult, but in the long run – over the rest of the season and possible playoffs – he will pull his considerable weight to the Canuck cause. Whether or not that is enough for Vancouver to be credible contenders is a different question completely…