Welcome Matt: Kesler's time should come for Canucks Ring of Honour

So, who’s next?

The Vancouver Canucks chose Roberto Luongo for their Ring of Honour this week, begging the question of which player will be the next induction at Rogers Arena.

From this seat, it’s Ryan Kesler’s time. He belongs in the Ring of Honour.

I know some fans will cling to his trade request, that he wanted off a sinking ship whereas others like Kevin Bieksa and the Sedin twins stayed, but for me that is not a crime that rises to the level of excluding him from club history. Besides, Pavel Bure and Luongo requested trades, too, and they’ve been honoured.

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And you can’t write the history of the Canucks without Kesler. He’s a major trophy winner (Selke), had the best postseason series of any player in that era (2011 Nashville), was an elite two-way centre who played through immense pain and always gave 100% effort.

With all due respect, he was a better player than Alex Burrows, who is already in the Ring of Honour.

Now, if the Canucks choose to reach back into their history to honour a player like Tony Tanti, Jyrki Lumme, or Todd Bertuzzi, I could understand that.

I also think that Alex Edler deserves a place in the Ring of Honour when he retires.

But first things first, it’s time to honour Kes.