Vancouver

By Tom Spurgeon * looks like Motor City was something of a hit. It's a good time for cons, in nearly all of their various incarnations. * it's ICAF and Phoenix and Vancouver this weekend. Keep an eye on Vancouver... that's a town everyone should want to visit, and could potentially begin to draw major arts- and alt-comics traffic from Portland and Seattle. I know I'd love an excuse to visit in future years. I also thought their space last year was really cool. * here's an ICAF preview. * and here's a Fantagraphics Photo Set From TCAF. Still collecting those links. * finally, kudos to MECAF on their fifth anniversary show last weekend. Here's a report from José-Luis Olivares.

Note: Reminder that if any Stanley Cup Playoff games go to overtime, we will be having our #ICOTpool contest. Similar to the #ICGWG contest in that you pick one player (total) from either team and @ tweet us (@illegalcurve) with your selection as well as the hashtag #ICOTpool. Winner gets IC Gear. Note II:  Stay tuned to Illegal Curve as we celebrate Winnipeg Jets Contract Week all week long.  Richard will be breaking down some of the contracts and decisions that GM Kevin Cheveldayoff will need to make as he figures out his roster for the 2013-14 season.  Third up, RFA Blake Wheeler at 10 AM CST. Jets, prospect and World Championship news: Winnipeg Sun:  Available Vigneault has to be tempting for Winnipeg Jets.  Perhaps after the firing in Vancouver there isn’t as much joy in Coach Noel’s joyland these days.  While Alain Vigneault is a known commodity to the True North organization, would they jump at the chance to renew this relationship if it meant discarding coach Noel? Winnipeg Sun:  Change of scenery might be good for Alex Burmistrov, Winnipeg Jets.  There doesn’t appear to be a more polarizing figure amongst Jets fans these days than the young Russian centre.  Some point to his strong defensive play and lack of quality linemates while others suggest his east/west style of game is all sizzle with little substance.  Sounds like Burmistrov himself was surprised to see the headline proclaiming he wanted out of Winnipeg as he took to instragram and wrote “Ne, ne slyshal” which roughly translates to “no, he hadn’t heard”. Contract Week: RFA Bryan Little RFA Zach Bogosian Stanley Cup news: Scores:  Penguins 7 Senators 3 Games: Bruins @ Rangers | Hawks @ Wings | Sharks @ Kings Penguins 7 Senators 3 (Pittsburgh leads series 3-1): Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:  Things quickly turn out all right for Penguins. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:  Brandon Sutter hoping faceoff slump is over. Pittsburgh Tribune:  It’s about time for these Penguins. Ottawa Citizen:  Alfredsson doesn’t like Senators’ chances. Ottawa Sun:  Back to reality for Spezza.

Sunridge Gold Completes Initial Resource Estimate for Near Surface Gold on Kodadu Target, Asmara Project, Eritrea VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Sunridge Gold Corp. ("Sunridge" or the "Company") (TSX.V:SGC; OTCQX:SGCNF) reports that it has completed an initial independent NI43-101 and JORC compliant mineral resource estimate for the near surface oxide gold cap (gossan), which is part of the Kodadu volcanogenic-massive-sulphide ("VMS") target, located on the Asmara project, Eritrea. HIGHLIGHTS: Inferred Mineral Resource of 990,000 tonnes with an average grade of 1.24 g/t gold & 1.6 g/t silver Contained metal = 39,000 ounces of gold & 51,000 ounces of silver in the near surface oxide Less than 25 km from planned central operating facility near the Emba Derho deposit Initial metallurgical results show gold can be recovered by heap-leaching The resources area is open for expansion Further expansion drilling planned in 2013 Kodadu is the sixth mineral resource defined by Sunridge on the Asmara Project. On May 16, 2013, Sunridge announced the results of a feasibility study ("the Study") on four of the other deposits (Adi Nefas, Emba Derho, Gupo and Debarwa) that concluded that the optimum economic scenario is to construct a single centralized processing plant near the Emba Derho deposit. This plant will include a gold heap-leaching facility where it is possible that mineralized material from Kodadu could be processed. Initial metallurgical results from ongoing testwork suggest that gold can be successfully recovered from the mineralized material at Kodadu by standard heap-leaching methods. "We have always said that the Asmara Project is very prolific and now we have six deposits so far and probably more to go!" states Michael Hopley, President and CEO of Sunridge. "This initial resource at Kodadu, although modest in size at the moment, could well boost our gold production from the planned heap-leach operation in the early years of production at the Asmara Mine. This initial mineral resource estimate for Kodadu is just for the near surface gold oxide mineralization based on thirty six drill holes completed by Sunridge and management believes that further drilling will significantly expand and upgrade the mineralization." Kodadu - Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate (David Thomas P. Geo., Fladgate Exploration Consulting Corp. - Effective Date 20 May, 2013)                                               Contained Metal Cut-off Grade (g/t gold) Tonnes Gold Grade Silver Grade Gold     Silver       ('000s)     (g/t)    

Nearly since their Game 7 Stanley Cup loss, things have been bumpy in Vancouver, which on Wednesday… ReadRead Comments

Pens Rout Sens 7-3This recap from CBC via the AP. The Canucks are giving head coach Alain Vigneault his walking papersWonder if ol' Nonis is going to kick the tires on Vigneault. Backhand Shelf PodcastThe latest instalment. Flyers’ forward Jakub Voracek is fine after a car accident, but his Ferrari is most certainly notPretty incredible, judging by the photo. Story from Justin Bourne. How You Play the GameEllen Etchingham on luck, and why we keep coming back anyway. 2013 Calder Cup: What went wrong in Marlies third-period collapse to Griffins3rd period collapse in a game 7? The Marlies and Leafs really are keeping their coaching strategies consistent. From Kyle Cicerella. Kings' assistant Bill Ranford cites Corsi to TSN's Ryan RishaugCorsi numbers, by the way, were originally invented to measure how much work goaltenders do, but I guess it's still cool to hear. Cam Charron points this out at NHL Numbers. Likely top pick Seth Jones projects as complete packageAwkward title, but I figured I'd link the article anyway. From Mike G. Morreale at NHL.com. Pavel Datsyuk’s Top 10 goals will melt your brain with their awesomenessI'm sure you've all seen these clips, but they don't really get old, anyway. From Wyshynski. Open Thread: Angling for young forwardsCam Charron resurrects an old Burke metaphor with an eye on a trade. My Year as a Florida Panthers Season Ticket Holder"Well hell, I can't afford it in Vancouver, so I bought season tickets for the Florida Panthers. Despite my geographic location, it made total sense." Leafs fan loses bet to Bruins fan, wears his shame on sandwich board (Photos)What a shock, a Bruins fan used presumed homosexuality as an insult. Who Will Win in the Battle Between Ottawa's Hopes and Dreams and Reality? (Spoiler: Reality.)The Sens-Pens broken down

Cody Hodgson #19 / Center / Buffalo Sabres Height: 6-0 Weight: 194 Born: Feb 18, 1990 GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG GTG SOG PCT 2012 - Cody Hodgson 48 15 19 34 -4 20 3 1 1 114 Contract: $1.66 million this season, RFA this summer Report Card Grade in 2012: 6 our of 10 Introduction:Cody Hodgson will forever be linked to Zach Kassian thanks to a trade involving the two players and the Vancouver Canucks. He entered this season as the Sabres de facto #1 center, and thanks to a very strong sophomore outing, Buffalo looks to have come out on top of that trade, at leas for now. But just how good was Hodgson's second campaign? Let's find out. Key Stat: Hodgson finished first among all NHL second year players in goals with 15. His offensive ceiling will determine whether he can be a true #1 center or just a Derek Roy-esque very good #2, but this season was a promising improvement on the last. You can't do any better than top of the class, but the Sabres need Hodgson to keep improving in order to maximize his scoring potential, especially considering his currently weak defensive play. Let's hope another summer with Gary Roberts does for him what it's done for other Roberts proteges James Neal and Steven Stamkos. Thumbs Up:The Sabres new #1 center finished second on the team in goals, assists, points, power play goals, shooting percentage (among regular forwards), and third in shots and GWG, as well as ice time (for regular forwards). Hodgson scored the majority of his goals in the third period, which is certainly a good period to score them in, and scored 9 of his 15 while the Sabres were down (though to be fair, that was more often than not this season.) Thumbs...Sideways? I'm not sure whether this is good or bad, but it sure is interesting: Hodgson was far better away from the FNC than he was at home, scoring twice as many goals on the road as he did in Buffalo. The boos! They come back to haunt us again. Thumbs Down: Defense. Just...all of his defense. Hodgson was routinely plagued this season with poor awareness of both his and his opponents positioning, not backchecking hard enough, and losing his man. He did get better as the season progressed, but as of now he's still very much a one-way center. Hodgson also didn't register many hits, and had more giveaways than takeaways. Additionally, he wasn't great in the dot, only winning 46.8% of his faceoffs. Hodgson also faced relatively weak competition among Sabres forwards, despite playing with a high quality of teammates. If he's to become a true #1 center, Ron Rolston will need to be able to trust him to play against anyone, not just the weaker opponents, but again, his defensive ability holds him back here. Voting: Using the good old grade school system of A, B, C, D, F, with a A representing a great season, C an average season, and F a very poor season, grade Cody Hodgson on his performance this year according to the expectations you had for him. Poll What grade would you give Cody Hodgson for his 2012-13 season? A B C D F 7 votes | Results

BEAUTIFUL, BROODING MUSIC - The brand new MURDER BY DEATH music video "Lost River" is animated and yet still uniquely powerful in a way that few live action videos ares. The emotion and meaning of each word of this cinematic song is clearly communicated here and your brain will have a hard time telling which way is up. The video was animated and directed by O'Death's gifted Gabe Darling. MURDER BY DEATH Album / Web / Fb / Tw NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES Supporting the album "Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon" 5/26 - Sacramento Harlow's 5/27 - San Luis Obispo SLO Brewing Company 5/28 - Frensno Fulton 55 5/29 - Las Vegas Beauty Bar 5/30 - Santa Barbara SoHo 6/1 - Wichita Wichita River Festival 6/2 - Des Moines Wooly's 6/4 - Fayetteville George's Majestic Lounge 6/6 - Dubuque Mindframe Theater 7/6 - Silverado Oak Canyon Ranch Orange County 7/13 - Lansing Common Ground Fest 8/22 - Palatine w/ Maps & Atlases Durty Nellies 8/23 - Minneapolis w/ Maps & Atlases Fine Line Music Café 8/25 - Fargo w/ The 4onthefloor House of Rock @ The Hub 8/27 - Billings w/ The 4onthefloor The Railyard 8/28 - Missoula w/ The 4onthefloor Top Hat 8/29 - Lethbridge (AB, Canada) w/ The 4onthefloor The Slice 8/30 - Edmonton (AB, Canada) w/ The 4onthefloor The Starlite 8/31 - Calgary (AB, Canada) w/ The 4onthefloor Republik 9/2 - Vancouver (BC, Canada) w/ The 4onthefloor Electric Owl 9/3 - Seattle w/ Larry and His Flask, The 4onthefloor The Crocodile Café 9/4 - Portland w/ Larry and His Flask, The 4onthefloor Dante's 9/6 - San Francisco w/ Larry and His Flask, The 4onthefloor The Independent 9/7 - San Diego w/ Larry and His Flask, The 4onthefloor The Casbah 9/9 - Phoenix w/ Larry and His Flask, The 4onthefloor The Crescent Ballroom 9/10 - Albuquerque w/ Larry and His Flask, The 4onthefloor Launchpad 9/12 - Salt Lake City w/ Larry and His Flask Bar Deluxe 9/13 - Denver Bluebird Theater 9/14 - Kansas City (MO) w/ Kentucky Knife Fight The Record Bar 9/15 - Springfield (MO) w/ Kentucky Knife Fight Outland Ballroom 9/17 - Tulsa w/ Larry and His Flask The Vanguard 9/19 - Austin w/ Larry and His Flask, My Jerusalem The Mohawk 9/20 - Dallas w/ Larry and His Flask, My Jerusalem Sons of Hermann Hall 9/21 - Houston w/ Larry and His Flask Fitzgerald's 9/22 - New Orleans w/ Larry and His Flask One Eyed Jacks 9/24 - Little Rock w/ Larry and His Flask Downtown Music Hall 9/25 - Carbondale w/ Larry and His Flask The Hangar 9 9/26 - Urbana Pygmalion Music Festival 9/27 - Cincinnati MidPoint Music Festival 9/29 - Chicago w/ Larry and His Flask Reggie's Rock Club

Trying to fit a larger, higher resolution screen into a smaller, thinner body has been the name of the game for the past two years, and LG, not one to back down from a challenge, has unleashed its latest 5-inch display with a 1 mm-slim bezel. LG showed off its latest display at the the Society for Information Display 2013 convention, in Vancouver, where it also demoed its flexible OLED HD panel. The 5-inch display has only been rated as HD right now, meaning it is most likely of the 720p variant, rather than the Full HD displays that have been seen in high-end smartphones this year. However, the screen does utilize the popular IPS technology, meaning it benefits from the same wide viewing angles as other displays of the same class. It also uses TFT Oxide technology for low power consumption and the slim bezel which gives its name. The model being showcased is only rated at 250 nits, but LG does expect a higher brightness by the time the screen makes it to the market. LG hasn’t given an exact time frame as to when the panel will be ready for mass production, only offering the vague “ASAP” statement. Here’s hoping we see an improved pixel density as well. Check out the pictures of the display in action below, courtesy of Engadget. Impressed with LG’s displays? Looking forward to seeing this screen in LG’s smartphone, perhaps the Nexus 5?

The Vancouver Canucks have fired their coach. Vancouver Canucks coach Alain Vigneault has paid the price for his team’s early exit from the playoffs. The club fired Vigneault and assistants Rick Bowness and Newell Brown on Wednesday, as the expected fallout from the Canucks’ first-round sweep at the hands of the San Jose Sharks finally came to pass. CBC has an article up about Roy potentially becoming the next Colorado Avalanche head coach. "You want to have some patience, because your best players are young," Sakic said. A fierce competitor on the ice, Roy could bring that same type of demeanour to the bench, even if he doesn't have NHL coaching experience. Since his retirement, Roy has been keeping busy by helping out the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He's served as the team's co-owner, general manager and coach. The two sides talked about Roy becoming a head coach in 2009, but he chose to remain in Quebec, where his teen sons were still playing junior hockey. The National Post has an article about the man that puts CBC's NHL montages together. The idea for a montage can come from a song, a moment, or a shot captured by one of the CBC cameras. Thompson never trained in film. He has a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Guelph, where he studied philosophy and history. He also has a deep appreciation of music. He said his father was a deejay in university, and that the family was familiar with the live music scene around Toronto. The songs he uses in the montages can cost a few thousand dollars to use. That total can add up over the course of the playoffs, which is why songs that might cost more to license can sometimes be held for more important games in a series, or when the most people will be watching.

Red Wings News Red Wings sign defense prospect Mattias Backman, who's shown much improvement in Sweden | MLive.comThis guy is going to be good. I officially pronounce myself as Mattias Bäckman's number one fan. So in 10 years when he is winning Norris trophy's with Ryan Sproul, I can say that I am his number one fan and actually have something to back it up. Red Wings' Darren Helm staying off ice after latest setback, hoping extended rest will cure back | MLive.com I know I am maybe overreacting but I have thought the same thing for a while. Is this it for Helm? It's tough to think about but he has played like 4-5 games in the last year. Not good. Plus, a back issue isn't like breaking a hand, these things can linger. Bad news/good news: Red Wings’ Darren Helm’s definitely done, but Danny DeKeyser may yet return | The Malik Report Why must you give me bad news Malik? Blackhawks and Red Wings have 2 of the NHL's top coaches matching wits in 2nd-round series - The Hockey NewsOnly one of them actually has wits. DeKeyser holding out hope for playoff return | ProHockeyTalk"As long as they keep winning here, that just gives me a better chance for a return with every win." - Dekeyser Red Wings' Daniel Cleary back to his old self | Toronto SunWe need Cleary to be good. In fact, we need him to be great. Shoalts: Red Wings are proof that depth means everything in the playoffs - The Globe and MailThe lack of depth is why the Ducks lost in the 1st round. They simply couldn't match the Wings on all four lines. Cole: Holland builds another winner | Windsor StarWhen has he not built a winner? NHL News Alain Vigneault fired by Canucks; Two assistants also gone - SBNation.comCleaning house i see. Veteran blueliner Sutton retires from NHL | TSN Edmonton Oilers lose one of their best defenseman. And I am only slightly exaggerating. Kings in a good spot despite adversity - Cross Checks Blog - ESPNI hope that San Jose beats the Kings. I think the Wings have a better chance than them and I want the Wings to beat the Sharks before leaving the West. Gillis: Vigneault fired because results weren’t there | ProHockeyTalkDisappointing considering all of the talent that Vancouver has. Goaltender situation kind of screwed them over a bit though. It hung over the team all season. LA Kings apologize for Kevin Ryder’s sexual assault joke on Twitter | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! SportsFor someone who isn't offended by it, it was kind of funny. But not funny enough to warrant you tweeting it on an official NHL twitter account. Is it Panic Time for the Blackhawks? | The Hockey WritersIt's panic time. The Wings are-a-coming! Brad Richards, postseason disaster for the New York Rangers | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! SportsRemember when we wanted him to come to Detroit? Yeah, I am glad that didn't happen. After starring for Team USA, Ducks goalie Gibson ‘ready for the NHL right now’ | ProHockeyTalkDecent goaltending depth in Anaheim at the moment. Veteran blueliner Sutton retires from NHL | TSN Edmonton Oilers lose one of their best defenseman. And I am only slightly exaggerating. Darin Pastor wants to know why his offer to buy the Coyotes was rejected | ProHockeyTalkPastor wanted to pay the cost of purchasing the team over a 15-year period which the NHL clearly didn't like. Also, Pastor included an out-clause which allowed him to relocate the team in 3-5 years if he didn't like the situation in Phoenix. After finding this out I totally understand why the NHL rejected the bid. Basically no money now plus the Coyotes would maybe still move. Jakub Voracek crashes, totals Ferrari in Czech Republic; Flyers say he’s OK (Photos) | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! SportsAt first I thought this was about Jakub Kindl, but then I read the rest of the title and breathed out. Let's Go Red Wings!