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Kevin Bieksa will anchor the blueline for years to come

Kevin Bieksa has a remarkable story.

Considering that the rugged 28-year old was drafted 151st overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, there were very few who actually thought the Grismby, Ontario-native would ever play in the big leagues.



At the time, Bieksa was playing for Bowling Green State University in the NCAA hockey program; the decision to choose school over a major junior path was an easy one, as Bieksa himself wasn't entirely sure of how his hockey career would end up.

Ultimately, his decision to stay in school would pay off in the end, as Bieksa had the opportunity to play more key minutes with Bowling Green than he would have in the CHL. That opportunity to flourish into a top-end defender might be the biggest reason as to why the hard-nosed defenseman currently plays for Vancouver today and is considered an integral part of a dynamic blueline.

As Bieksa enters his 4th full season with the Canucks, it's worth looking back to see how he has progressed in order to truly admire how far he has come. Averaging at nearly 24 minutes a game last season, it's obvious that Bieksa has assumed the role of the Canucks' go-to guy for defensive responsibilities. The combination of his sound positioning, rugged style of play and his ability to create offense by jumping into the rush or using his hard pointshot has enabled "Juice" to grow into an all-around defender; something that eased the loss of lifelong veteran Canuck Mattias Ohlund over the off-season.



After achieving a career season last year with 43 points, it will be interesting to see how Bieksa follows up a stellar campaign in which he was also noticeable in the playoffs after notching 5 assists and going +3 through the Canucks' 10 games. A student of the game, the hard-hitting blueliner is definitely a leader for the Canucks and a noticeable presence on the ice. His physical play and the willingness to stick up for his teammates and himself has earned him the adoration of the Canucks' faithful, and he'll be a leading candidate to earn a letter on his jersey for the upcoming season.

While Bieksa may never earn a Norris Trophy nomination, Vancouver fans know when Bieksa is doing his job when the opposing teams are limited in scoring chances, and when Bieksa is able to produce big hit after big hit; and it's considered an added bonus if Bieksa is willing to drop the gloves. A Hulk-kind of player, it's a noted fact that when the 6'2, 205-pound defenseman is angry, he tends to play aggressively and spark the team as a whole. Though that may not be so good for his blood pressure level, that ability to raise his game to a higher level and get emotionally involved in the play is often the missing piece to a Canucks' victory.

And although Bieksa surely doesn't think about it, getting off to a great start early in the season may earn Bieksa a huge favor. With the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver due in just months time, Bieksa could earn valuable look from Team Canada management if he performs at a high level. Sound defensive play, solid checking in the neutral zone and the ability to help on the rush could very well get Bieksa in the middle of the Olympic debate however unlikely it may be. A chance to play for gold in his home city and the ability to make the Team Canada roster would cap off what Canucks fans have known all along.

In Vancouver, with the competition for ice time between 8 NHL-calibre defensemen with only 6 full-time positions, Bieksa knows he has little to worry about. With numbers that were relatively better than highly-touted blueliner Jay Bouwmeester last year, the aggressive defender has only one final contest left; the fight for the last letter.

For the Orca Zone, I'm Canorcas.