Mike Keenan, the coach of the Calgary Flames, suggested during an interview that the Vancouver Canucks’ Willie Mitchell was using a stick that was longer than the maximum allowable length.

During the pregame skate of this evening’s Canucks vs. Flames game, Mitchell came out onto the ice holding onto this:

Willie Mitchell's joke stick during pregame skate

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Mats Sundin skated with the Vancouver Canucks for the first time today after signing with the team several days ago. Over the past seventeen years, the 38-year-old Sundin has never scored fewer than 20 goals in a season. He has consistently averaged a point-per-game, despite playing, for most of those seasons, with players below his caliber, while he was captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Sundin will hopefully bring leadership, experience, and scoring to the Canucks and improve their offensive punch. That’s exciting. But you know what’s really interesting? It’s the fact that Sundin’s participation in the practice today was broadcast on a live stream on Canucks.com. That’s right, viewers were able to tune in to watch Mats skate in circles with the rest of the team, shoot pucks at an empty net, and chit-chat with the coaching staff. There was a televised press conference shortly after the practice, as well.

It was fascinating. The concept, I mean, not the content. Watching was actually really boring. I just found it so interesting that we Canuck fans are fanboyish enough to want to watch a practice, Mats Sundin or no Mats Sundin. Canadians love their hockey, I guess.

Have you ever heard of that kind of media coverage of a player’s arrival to a team? I’m sure some Americans will have a story or two to rival it, but it was pretty crazy, by my standards.