10 years later: What every member of the 2011 Canucks is up to now
It’s hard to believe it, but 10 years have now passed by since the infamous Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, featuring the Vancouver Canucks.
There are now just three players from that team that are still playing, with everyone else now moved on to other things. Here’s what they’ve been up to lately.
Still playing
Cory Schneider
Could Cory Schneider become the American version of Kevin Bieksa?
Schneider was an engaging and affable member of NBC’s intermission panel during the 2020 playoffs. However, Schneider was back playing hockey in 2020-21, after signing a one-year, $700,000 deal with the New York Islanders. He played in two games for their AHL affiliate, and he’s a part of their extended playoff roster with the Islanders still hanging around in the race for the 2021 Stanley Cup.
Schneider’s extended family suffered a terrible tragedy in 2021. His 14-year-old nephew Theo Hedstrom passed away in a house fire in February. Schneider organized it so that all members of the Islanders and New Jersey Devils taped their sticks red prior to puck drop in a game six days after Theo’s passing.
Alex Edler
As the lone remaining member on the Canucks from the 2011 team, Alex Edler’s future with the club is up in the air. The 35-year-old unrestricted free agent has played 925 NHL games, all with the Canucks. That’s fourth all-time in club history.
Chris Tanev
Not only were Chris Tanev and Alex Edler the lone remaining member of the 2011 team prior to this season, but they’re the only two players on this list who are still in the NHL.
Tanev’s career doesn’t appear to be over anytime soon. He’s just one year into a four-year, $15 million pact with the Calgary Flames.
Involved in hockey media
Kevin Bieksa
Kevin Bieksa’s NHL career came to an end after the 2017-18 season. He did play in the 2018 Spengler Cup, where Canada finished as the runner-up.
Bieksa went on to create a short-lived podcast with Ryan Kesler called “Kes and Juice,” where they had a number of notable guests such as Todd Bertuzzi, Alex Burrows, and Markus Naslund over 14 episodes. That podcast helped Bieksa become one of the most renowned hockey analysts in the country, as he now sits on the Hockey Night in Canada panel.
Ryan Kesler
Although still under contract with the Anaheim Ducks for one more season, Ryan Kesler’s playing career is over.
As the second member of the “Kes and Juice” podcast, Kesler was open about wanting to repair his relationship with Canucks fans. He seems to have done so after being applauded during his appearance at the Sedins’ jersey retirement ceremony last February.
Kes’ House this past weekend was a blast! Drinking games, golf hockey, watching hockey, more drinking games lol. Thanks for having me! @Sportsnet @Ryan_Kesler pic.twitter.com/6DfiO3eiJR
— Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) June 9, 2021
Recently, he was part of a Sportsnet feature called “Kes’ House,” where celebrities go to Kesler’s mansion to watch hockey games and participate in various activities.
Maxim Lapierre
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The last player to score a game-winning goal for the Canucks in a Stanley Cup Final, Maxim Lapierre officially announced his retirement from hockey in December 2020, after a stint with the Berlin Polar Bears in the DEL. He launched a French hockey podcast called “La Poche Bleu” with his former teammate Guillaume Latendresse. Lapierre also makes appearances on hockey broadcasts with TVA Sports.
Jannik Hansen
Jannik Hansen finished his NHL career in 2019 with the fourth-most NHL games played by a Danish hockey player. His voice can still be heard regularly in the city, as he’s frequently a guest on Sportsnet 650.
Coaching and management
Alex Burrows
After wrapping up his playing career with the Ottawa Senators in 2018, Burrows went on to join the AHL’s Laval Rocket as an assistant coach.
After a coaching shakeup that resulted in the Montreal Canadiens firing Claude Julien and others mid-season, Burrows earned a “recall” and is now an assistant coach for the Habs.
Roberto Luongo
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The fourth-winningest goaltender in NHL history was recently named Team Canada’s general manager for the 2021 World Hockey Championships. After a slow start, Canada rebounded to win gold.
Is there a long-term future in hockey management for Roberto Luongo?
Manny Malhotra
Manny Malhotra has slowly climbed the coaching ranks since retiring as a player in 2015-16. With the Canucks, he spent time as a development coach and an assistant coach, before being poached by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2020 offseason. He’s now an assistant coach with the Leafs, and he focuses on running their power play, among other responsibilities.
Tanner Glass
Rugged winger Tanner Glass spent one year playing overseas in France in 2018-19 before announcing his retirement from hockey. He quickly got another NHL job, joining the New York Rangers as a development coach prior to the 2019-20 season. He’s now the Rangers’ assistant director of player development.
Chris Higgins
Although Chris Higgins’ NHL career ended in 2015-16 after he was bought out by the Canucks, the Smithton, New York native has remained close to the organization. He was a regular guest on sports radio in the years following, and he’s worked with the Canucks since joining the team as assistant director of player development in 2019.
Higgins currently works as the team’s assistant director, player development.
Sami Salo
Sami Salo returned to his home country of Finland following his retirement. He’s been an assistant coach with TPS Turku of SM-Liiga for the last four years.
Mikael Samuelsson
Mikael Samuelsson has continued to work in hockey following his retirement as a player in 2015. The native of Mariefred, Sweden spent three seasons as a European development coach for the Chicago Blackhawks, before being named general manager of Södertälje SK in Sweden’s second division for the 2019-20 season.
Still involved in hockey
Raffi Torres
After retiring from hockey in 2016, Raffi Torres returned to his hometown of Stouffville, Ontario to be with his two children and wife. He mentioned following his retirement that he wanted to return to hockey as a mentor, and he’s done just that for the 2021-22 season. Torres will be joining the Elliot Lake Red Wings of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League as club mentor.
Andrew Alberts
Following his retirement due to concussions, Andrew Alberts opened up about the struggles of returning to normal life. Recently, he said he’s spent time as a hockey coach, instructor and consultant. Alberts was also spotted coaching for the day at a Boston Bruins’ Pride Hockey Scrimmage.
Keith Ballard
Minnesota native Keith Ballard suffered multiple concussions throughout his NHL career, forcing him to retire in 2014. Following retirement, he earned a sports management degree with the University of Minnesota, interned with his former agent, Ben Hankinson, and was named director of the Minnesota Wild’s “Little Wild Learn-To-Play” program.
Aaron Rome
Nesbitt, Manitoba native Aaron Rome has retreated to small-town life, residing in Brandon, Manitoba with his wife and son. He was briefly a skills coach for the Brandon Wheat Kings for two seasons before being replaced prior to the 2019-20 season. Rome is now a player representative at Titan Sports Management.
Oh, and he still doesn’t think he deserved his harsh suspension in the Stanley Cup Final.
Jeff Tambellini
Despite Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final being Jeff Tambellini’s final NHL game, he didn’t retire from playing hockey until 2016-17. He’s remained active in hockey circles ever since, spending time as an assistant coach at the University of Michigan, before joining BCHL’s Trail Smoke Eaters as head coach and general manager.
In April of 2020, he gave up that post to join the Tampa Bay Lightning as an NHL pro scout and NCAA free agent recruiter.
This and that
Henrik and Daniel Sedin
After retiring following the 2017-18 season, both Henrik and Daniel Sedin reside in Vancouver with their families.
Although retired, they remain active and have been spotted running marathons both locally and abroad.
Currently, the Sedins are in the news since reports have suggested that they plan to join the Canucks front office in some capacity. However, no official announcement has been made.
Dan Hamhuis
Dan Hamhuis was one of the last active NHLers on this list, playing for 16 seasons prior to his retirement last August. Post-retirement, he says he wants to be around the WHL’s Prince George Cougars a bit more. He became part-owner of the Cougars back in 2014.
Alexandre Bolduc
Alexandre Bolduc’s career as a Canuck came to an end after three games in the 2011 playoffs. He bounced around a number of leagues before finally calling it quits last season. He is now the owner of ACE Athletik Club gym in Quebec.
Christian Ehrhoff
Despite being out of the NHL for five seasons, Christian Ehrhoff will still earn $857,143 per year from the Buffalo Sabres until 2027-28.
Not a bad deal for the German rearguard, who was bought out three seasons into his infamous 10-year, $40 million deal.
In 2018, Ehrhoff was part of the German squad that captured silver at the Olympics. It was the first time that Germany ever made it to the gold medal game. At the closing ceremonies, Ehrhoff carried the flag for his country.
Ehrhoff resides in Germany with his wife and three girls, where he owns both a fitness company and a real estate outlet. In 2020, he was also a contestant on Ninja Warrior Germany.
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Cody Hodgson
Just like Ehrhoff, Cody Hodgson will also earn some NHL salary due to a buyout from the Sabres.
Hodgson retired from hockey at the age of 26 because of a degenerative back condition. Back in 2018, he released a documentary detailing the disease, malignant hyperthermia, that ended his career.
“My final year of playing, I was having some severe symptoms, I was having trouble breathing,” he said. “I was blacking out. My muscles were extremely tight, my whole body was just shaking.”
Victor Oreskovich
Nineteen of Victor Oreskovich’s 86 career NHL games played occurred in the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Ontario native played just one more NHL game following the Cup run, before retiring to pursue a career in finance. He’s currently Vice President of Capital Markets at RBC.
Recently, Oreskovich appeared on the Power of the Towel podcast to talk about the 2011 run…and why he had trouble finding someone to hug after Burrows’ goal in Game 7 against Chicago.
A little preview of my conversation with Victor Oreskovich about the 2011 Vancouver #Canucks. Full episode out tomorrow morning on the @powerofthetowel podcast. pic.twitter.com/mzCWPFRdlG
— Nick Bondi (@nickbondi) June 14, 2021
Mason Raymond
Mason Raymond retired from hockey after winning bronze for Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics. The Cochrane, Alberta native currently lives in Calgary and has gone “back to his roots,” dipping his feet in both agriculture and auto businesses.
Coaches
Alain Vigneault
Alain Vigneault is still making the big bucks as an NHL head coach.
On April 15th, 2019, the Canucks’ former bench boss was signed to a five-year, $25 million deal with the Philadelphia Flyers. Although this past season was a dud for Philly, Vigneault is still under contract for three more seasons.
Rick Bowness
One of the most experienced coaches in the NHL became a loveable underdog last season. As a midseason replacement for former Dallas Stars bench boss Jim Montgomery, Rick Bowness led the Stars all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. He shed the interim label following the playoffs and was signed to a two-year deal as Stars’ head coach.
Newell Brown
Maestro of one of the league’s most dangerous power plays in 2011, former assistant coach Newell Brown is now on the unemployment line. After spending the last four seasons with the Canucks as an assistant coach, Brown recently parted ways with the team.
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