Ben Kuzma and Ed Willes talk about Brock Boeser’s return to the ice, Jake Virtanen’s changing role with the club, and how the spread of COVID 19 is impacting the hockey world.

White Towel

Questions abound as Canucks, NHL address COVID-19

Ed Willes joins Paul Chapman to talk about the final stretch of the Canucks season. They wanted meaningful games in March, they’ve got them, and depending on the results, Ed suggests nothing is off the table for GM Jim Benning or coach Travis Green.   They also talk about the surprising role of Jake Virtanen and Ed suggests that Green has cards to play to jolt the team into life that he’s not playing and that it could cost him in the long run.

Everything on the line as Canucks falter in final stretch

Ed Willes and Patrick Johnston join Paul Chapman for the to talk about the team’s resiliency in coming back against Montreal, the genius of Quinn Hughes, the fabulous first impression of Tyler Toffoli (and what it will take to keep him in Vancouver) as well as the loss of Jacob Markstrom. 

Resilient Canucks continue march to playoffs

Ed Willes joins Paul Chapman to talk about the plight of the current Canucks. Is the trade for Tyler Toffoli a wise move for the franchise? Ed is not sour on the deal, but having spent a lot of time watching Tyler Madden last year, he feels the kid has a lot of potential. They also get into the injury and the issues plaguing Brock Boeser, the team MVP candidates, and revisit Sedins Week and talk about the ups and downs of the 2000s as part of the Canucks at 50 series.

Is Toffoli trade a wise move for the Canucks?

Ed Willes and Patrick Johnston join Paul Chapman to talk about the Vancouver Canucks current run. They get into the depth of the Canucks and if the team can withstand significant injuries down the stretch. The trio also kick around the growing stature of rookie Quinn Hughes. With it being Sedin Week, they give answers on who should be next in the rafters for the Canucks. 

Is Jacob Markstrom papering over the cracks?

In a very special episode of The White Towel podcast, Ed Willes and Ben Kuzma join Paul Chapman to talk all things Henrik and Daniel Sedin heading into the Vancouver Canucks honouring the twins during "Sedin Week".

Sedin Week starts now

Ed Willes and Ben Kuzma join Paul Chapman to discuss the state of the Canucks as the team creeps up to the trade deadline. Was the loss against Boston a one-off or are there louder alarm bells sounding with the continued decline of the power play? The trio also talk about the impact of Quinn Hughes, the ways the Canucks can protect Elias Pettersson, and the sweet spot coming up in the team’s schedule. They also discuss the plight of Brock Boeser.

Canucks decline on power play a real cause for concern

Patrick Johnston and Ben Kuzma join Paul Chapman to talk about the evolution of the Vancouver Canucks over the course of a season.   Not simply a streaky team, the Canucks now have longer highs and shorter lows and the writers surmise this is down to the maturation of players like Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes, and to the additions of veterans like J.T. Miller.

Canucks now have longer highs and shorter lows

Patrick Johnston and Ed Willes join Paul Chapman to talk about the Canucks All Stars. They also talk about some notable incidents in past All-Star Games, what adding women to the weekend mix means for hockey, and why we should just enjoy the exhibition as a celebration of hockey.  They then talk about the outlook for the Canucks after mid-season break and what the odds are on them making the playoffs.   

Canucks enter All-Star weekend on a high note

In this week’s snow-delayed White Towel podcast, Ed Willes joins Paul Chapman to talk about the Canucks heading into the All-Star break. Among the topics discussed, how do the Canucks match up in the stacked Pacific Division? In a playoff series, which team would actually be the best? Are the Canucks using Jacob Markstrom effectively? Ed and Paul also revisit the old Patcast and remember some great Jeff Paterson and Jason Botchford travel stories, and revisit the 1990s Canucks and Pat Quinn’s skill as a general manager. And, finally, Ed talks about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominations and tries to compare bands to great NHLers.

How do the Canucks match up in the stacked Pacific Division?

On this week’s edition of the White Towel podcast, Ed Willes and Ben Kuzma join Paul Chapman to talk about the Vancouver Canucks' meltdown in Tampa that brought the team's seven-game winning streak to a screeching halt. How much do the Canucks rely on goaltending to compete? The trio delve into Jacob Markstrom’s leverage in negotiating a new contract with the club this summer. They also talk about which Canucks need to step up their game in the second half of the season, what the new front office structure means and how much the Canucks have improved off the ice. The podcast wraps with Ed and Ben telling stories about the 50th anniversary series and some of their favourite anecdotes from the hotel bar and other places covering the Canucks on the road in the past.  

Reality check hits Canucks hard in loss to Tampa

Ed Willes joins Paul Chapman for the final White Towel Podcast of 2019. The Canucks’ current struggles are examined, and the pondering over the job security of general manager Jim Benning and coach Travis Green has begun. Who is in more peril? Ed also explains why he thinks the Canucks are stuck in the same spot they’ve been in the last three seasons after seemingly upgrading their defence, bringing in a true top 6 piece in J.T. Miller and having a full cadre of young stars. Lastly, they discuss the place in history Trevor Linden takes with the franchise. Ed talks about his recent interview with Linden that will be featured as one of the Top 50 Moments in Canucks history. 

The Canucks aren't where they need to be. What’s the fix?

In this week’s White Towel podcast, beat writer Ben Kuzma and columnist Ed Willes join Paul Chapman to discuss the Canucks “microcore” and the challenges they face going into the rest of the season. The group also looks at the job Jim Benning has done, the increased social media presence of owner Francesco Aquilini and whether that places any extra burden on Benning, as well as the dilemma of what to do with the goaltending situation looking ahead to the off-season. The podcast finishes off with a look back at the 1982 Canucks team that caught fire and rode it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.  

The Canucks' 'microcore' and the team's challenges going forward

In this week’s edition of the White Towel podcast Patrick Johnston and Ed Willes join Paul Chapman to talk about the burst of offence the Canucks have received this season. While the most prolific players are Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser, J.T. Miller has been the most important offensive key for the team this year. They also discuss owner Francesco Aquilini going ‘scoreboard’ on critics of the Miller trade, the importance of Quinn Hughes to the Canucks attack, and finish with a lengthy discussion on the inquest into hockey culture which has now centred on former Canucks coach Marc Crawford. Download or stream the White Towel podcast and subscribe via Apple Podcasts to get the insight of our Canucks writers every week.

The Canucks' offensive burst and, of course, the inquest into hockey culture

This week’s White Towel Podcast sees Ed Willes join Paul Chapman to talk about the recent Canucks struggles, the potential for a goalie controversy, the job security and possible moves for General Manager Jim Benning, and the furor caused by the Canucks wearing their black “Skate” jerseys and whether that’s really noteworthy or just social media fluff. Listen to the White Towel podcast every week by subscribing via Apple Podcasts.

Canucks struggles and the potential for a goalie controversy

Ed Willes, Ben Kuzma, Patrick Johnston, Harrison Mooney and all our writers bring you a Canucks podcast that talks about the news, rumours, theories and themes surrounding the team every week.