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Time stamp on this is after 9 a.m. The Canucks didn’t make it official until a press release after 10:30, announcing the extension and a noon press conference.

From the media’s perspective, it had a haphazard feel, which is not the norm around here.

The Benning deal was closed late Tuesday, and he is travelling with the team to San Jose, so today was the day.

But why not announce it first thing?

You know, before JPat starts messing with everyone.

Someone joked (I think) that the Canucks were worried a negative reaction early in the morning would have changed the Aquilinis’ decision and they would have done to Jim what McDaniels did to the Colts.

BEST TIMING

There are two overriding questions to come out of today’s extension announcement about timing.

One, is the “why now?”

Linden made his decision on Benning a long while ago.

So what was the trigger which got the deal closed Tuesday?

The second is: What took so long?

The rumours were everywhere by the weekend Linden had reached an agreement with Benning and was waiting for ownership’s final stamp of approval.

Something changed in the last week.

I believe the owners were torn, like many of the fans caught in the middle.

Despite the rap on the Aquilinis, they’re not dense.

They really liked the Canucks’ improvement with the draft.

They did not like some of the contracts and veteran acquisitions.

How do you wrestle with that?

How do you decide where to fall?

They definitely took their time.