Coming up Next: Late Night LIVE! ... It's Florida Panthers at Vancover Canucks, 10 p.m. Miami Time ... Injured Guys Back Thursday ... Roberto Luongo Setback ... Welcome Back, Mr. Repik ... Show G The Money ... Back in Time

VANCOUVER -- The Vancouver Luongos will be without their namesake goalie/captain for a little longer, Roberto Luongo telling the gathered media that he won't be going back on the ice until his injured groin starts feeling better.

He says there's no timeline to his return and that's he's frustrated not being out there. Got to feel for Louie. The guy's a gamer, wants to be back on the ice but there's nothing he can do about it. This injury just has to run its course.

-- Will be going LIVE! tonight at the game, so if you're watching Center Ice at home or watching online or just flat out bored, come on back later.

-- Big news out of practice today is it appears most of the injured guys will be back Thursday in Carolina. Here's what I got out of each guy today...

Nathan Horton: He showed us the cut on his ankle and it looks like it has almost completely healed. There's still some scarred skin around the original cut, but it doesn't look like it could break open now. He skated hard today, says he wasn't able to put weight on the foot (he has a small fracture by his heel) in Ottawa, but after resting it, that's not a problem now. He says he thinks he'll be back for the WhalerCanes.

Richard Zednik: Says he felt fine, but that's really all I got out of him. He wasn't in a real talkative mood.

Cory Murphy: Says he's feeling pretty good, but with six healthy D and Noah Welch due back soon, don't think the Panthers are going to rush him along.

David Booth: Says he thought he was going to play tonight against Vancouver, but the medical staff thought better of it. The thought here is they think the extra few days will be beneficial for his healing process. He says his shot is fine, he's ready to roll.

Rostislav Olesz: No update on him because he isn't on the trip. We'll see what his deal is when we go back to Incredible Ice Tuesday morning.

Cory Stillman: Back in the lineup tonight, playing on the left side with Shawn Matthias at center and Michal Repik on right side.

-- Speaking of Michal Repik, he was quite popular with the local media today. Repik, you might recall, spent three years playing here with the Vancouver/Tokyo/San Francisco/New Jersey Giants, helping them win the Memorial Cup in 2007. Kenndal McArdel, recently sent back to Rochester, was on that team as well.

Repik says he was able to see his host family last night as well as some friends he made while here. He's been playing well, too, although you have to think his time is limited with all the guys coming back. Repik will be back, though. This kid has a bright future with the Panthers. The team is very pleased with his development.

-- Special guest coming out tonight as Mr. Cuba Gooding Jr. has agreed to talk some hockey tonight with yours truly before the game.

If you have any questions for him, send them along. He's a big hockey fan, and a big fan of the Canucks. Ran into him last night watching the game and he seems like a real cool dude. So it should be fun.

-- In case you missed my notebook today, you missed these numbers:

Last time Florida won the Red Deer Series at Edmonton and Calgary before this season? Never.

Last time Florida won in Vancouver? The franchise's inaugural season of 1993-94.

Said Bill Lindsay: "I remember that game. I got all mad about something that night.''

So there you go...

Comments

[Ghoste]

As always, thanx for the update GR! With several of the guys returning against Carolina, hopefully Pete decides to sit McLean rather than Tarnasky or Stewart.

-ghoste

[Steph]

i agree with Ghoste although it seems as though Stewart couldn't buy a scoring chance if his life depended on it..hes basically just finishing checks and not doing much in front of the net so it would have to be between Mclean and Stewart...It sucks that the organization spent so much money on this kid for nothing..he had gotten us all excited after the preseason games.
On a more positive note, Booth and his buddies are comin back! Cant wait...and hopefully Zednik could stay injured for a few more months till his contract that he signed with, yes u guessed it, ONE hand, expires

[Bo]

It is road trips like this one that makes me glad I bought the CenterIce package... I can't listen to the Red Deer Ranter I listened once to him and never again. Terrible at calling games. If it is not on TV or CenterIce I try and get the opposing teams' radio broadcast on the internet. Anything but Randy Red Deer... Thanks for the updates GR. Will check back later tonight.

[Jh]

Excellent updates gr.... Really appreciated!!!!!!...makn myself a cup of coffee and will try to stay up for this .... With a little luck, two points in these last 2 gives us 8 out of ten....wow

Also gr liked your page in the Sunday paper.... Looks like a web page, probably the idea...

Keep it up!

[dave]

I have to agree with all the kudos for GR. I look forward to your blog all the time so thank you for the great work. For what it's worth, I also like Randy's play by play (even though I'm a traditionalist) and I don't really understand some of the negativity.

I'd like to hear how Cuba became a hockey fan and especially a Canuck fan. Is he from Vancouver?

[Jh]

Goal boyton!