Recently just came across a bushel of old Canucks magazines at a great discount price. I'm getting a kick out of a lot of the old articles and interviews - I figured some of the old-timers might get a kick out of these, and some of the new-timers might learn some things.

The following is Garry Raible interviewing former Canucks defenseman Dennis Kearns (who is tied with Lumme for the Canucks' defenseman points record and holds the defenseman assists record):

Raible: Dennis, are you in the midst of your toughest-ever pro season?
Kearns: Definitely not! I had a few tough years when I played in Portland; and my first year in Vancouver was probably my toughest in the National Hockey League.

Raible: Well, it appears at times as if you're pressing, this year, almost as if you are shouldering the burden of being the "elder statesman" on this year's club.
Kearns: I imagine some games, I press when I don't have to; but it's hard to say. I guess I could say it's tough to play in Vancouver, but then, it's hard to play this game anywhere.

Raible: Over the last three seasons, your point production has been pretty consistent; this year, it seems to be down. Are you consciously paying more attention to defense, rather than your offensive contributions?
Kearns: No, not really. I think they way Harry (Neale) and Dave (Dunn) have the power play set up, they go with maybe Harold (Snepsts) and Larry Goodenough, Lars (Lindgren) or Bobby Manno; or I'll jump in there once in a while. Playing the power play means a lot; but as long as we score when we have the man advantage, it doesn't matter who's out there.

Raible: You're not playing as much on the power play as you have in the past, though!
Kearns: No. But the way the power play is set up, a guy like Harold Snepsts is more valuable in that role.

Raible: In terms of a "working-together" unit, this year's defense is relatively inexperienced; do you feel more responsibility to work toward that, because of your length of time with the team?
Kearns: Oh no. Actually, I think we have quite a bit of experience on defense. Lars is 26 years old, and has played on Sweden's national team; Harold Snepsts has been around for five years; Larry Goodenough played regularly on one Stanley Cup championship team; and Jack McIlhargey is a four or five-year veteran; John Grisdale has five or six years service... so, Bobby Manno would be the only one lacking experience.

Raible: Would all that experience combine as a reason why this year's defense seems to be a lot better defensively?
Kearns: That might have a lot to do with it. We've watched a lot of film of ourselves this year, and generally, when a goal is scored, there's an early mistake, usually in the other team's end, where a defenseman might have shot the puck in, or maybe a forward didn't shoot the puck in, or maybe there was a "turnaway". When there's a goal scored, you can't just blame the goaltender, or the defenseman, or one forward. There's usually one or two key mistakes, but the goalie, or the defenseman usually gets the blame for it.

Raible: But this year, in Harry Neale's system, the forwards are required to come back, and play more defensively. There doesn't seem to be much responsibility on the defense, as in previous years.
Kearns: Well, we have a certain job to do when we get the puck. When we're in doubt, we know where our forwards are going to be; he's going to be on the boards for us, and it makes it a lot easier. In other years, we might have had to go searching a little.

Raible: In a lot of the coach's post-game comments, he frequently brings up the term "takeouts", which I expect must be an integral part of a player's performance in the overall system. Since you haven't really played that much "takeout" hockey in your career, did you have to alter your style at all, in order to follow the pattern?
Kearns: I definitely had to alter my style, but the thing I discuss with the coaches most often is not my takeouts, but my strong points, like carrying the puck more and jumping into the play more; things that I do more naturally than I would a takeout. Mind you, they want me to contribute in that aspect as well, but there's a difference between taking a man out, and running him through the boards, like big Harold can do. I should be able to get in front of the man, and eliminate him, no matter how big he is.

Raible: Is this a more physically-talented club than any you've played on?
Kearns: Well, we have youngsters like Stan Smyl, who were well taught in junior hockey to take out the man and never worry about the puck. And Curt Fraser, I think he's going to be an outstanding player, bit, and strong; Ronny Sedlbauer is playing the body more this year, and if we play that way, it'll result in goals.

Raible: Dennis, you've seen a lot of youngsters come and go over the last few years; are you surprised at how well these youngsters have come on?
Kearns: Well, you are surprised; but you have to look at a kid like Smyl, who's had a lot of confidence built into him by Harry, and by Dave. He's had good schooling from junior hockey that he's going to fit right into Harry's mould.

Raible: Dennis, there's a tendency to think that after so many years in the league, and so much service to this club, that maybe you're reaching a point in your career where you're starting to think of other alternatives. But I would guess that the youth movement on this team might lengthen the career of an "elder statesman" like yourself.
Kearns: I definitely think that, regardless if you're 33, or 21, you're thinking of your future. I just try and play a game at a time, a shift at a time; a year at a time. When my time is up, then it's up. There's not much I can do about it. I work my hardest every shift, and do what I do best every shift, and hopefully, the end result is fairly decent. You look at a guy like Joe Watson; his career's over because of a leg injury. You just never know. I have a good accountant in Vancouver, and I buy a lot of annuities every year. You have to constantly be planning for your future.

Raible: Well, Dennis, the future is in the next 18 games right now. How would you assess this club going down the stretch?
Kearns: Well, as you know, we've been playing with a lot of injuries. I think the key player in the whole organization is Glen Hanlon, and he's out with the bad knee. But we haven't peaked as yet. There's room for improvement before the playoffs roll around, and I think we'll be ready.

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The Canucks were eliminated by Philadelphia from the playoffs in three games (2-1) with Glen Hanlon still nursing his bum knee.