Canucks hand Vesey tough blow for his first day with the team

Earlier today, the Vancouver Canucks claimed forward Jimmy Vesey from the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

The 27-year-old wanted to join his new team as soon as possible and drove more than four hours to get to Ottawa in time for tonight’s game, his first as a Canuck. 

He made it and dressed for warmups. 

And the Canucks saluted his determination by making him a healthy scratch at the last second. He therefore drove all this time to seat in the press box. 

Brutal. 

The decision makes sense seeing that Vesey might have been too tired to play the entire game. However, his teammates now know how devoted their new player is. 

Vesey signed a one-year deal with the Maple Leafs worth $900,000 in October. He struggled to hit his stride, however, tallying five goals and seven points through 30 games this season. On Tuesday, general manager Kyle Dubas explained that Vesey was placed on the waiver wire to increase roster flexibility.

Vancouver looks for a spark up front and Vesey could bring that. 

UPDATE: The Canucks were informed that "since his employer changed, his paperwork needed to be changed too. Couldn’t get done in time despite their efforts," per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.