While his teammates have trained all month in preparation for the season – Ryan Kesler, fresh off of hip-labrum surgery – has spent his time recovering, Keslurking himself, improving his twitter skills and having a nice time. It’s actually been a pretty hilarious month for the Canucks ace-in-the-hole two-way dynamo, from agreeing to pose naked for ESPN’s "The Body Issue" (how ironic is that name, I can’t get over it) to challenging a Berserker to a Twitter duel, Kesler has been a god-send for hockey bloggers everywhere.

Recently, he’s been about town and everyone on my facebook seems to have a Kesler picture, accompanied by an amusing story. Consider my friend Lindsay who attended the Kyprios concert at Joe’s Apartment on Granville Street yesterday, where Kesler appeared on stage with the rapper (see the image above, courtesy @smash11).

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After the show Kesler stuck around for a bit and mingled with the crowd, so Lindsay decided she’d approach him. As a bit of a hockey fan-girl, she introduced herself by telling Kesler that "you’re a fucking legend." When Kesler responded "thanks," she figured she’d emphasize how big a legend she considers him to be, assuring him that "even my dad calls you a stud." He laughed and then agreed to pose for a photo with her:

When Lindsay got greedy and asked if he’d pose for another photo, she was scooted off by Kesler’s entourage. One picture per fan, I suppose.

Another incident recounted to me by one of my oldest friends – a fine fellow named Kieran – took place at the Cactus Club in Yaletown. Kieran had recently been through what you might describe as a messy break-up, and he was with a couple of friends having a few drinks and feeling generally angry at the world. When one of the guys he was with went to the washroom – he spotted Ryan Kesler, enjoying a meal with a mutual friend of theirs. On his return to the table, Kieran’s friend looked at him and said (paraphrasing) "hey man, you think you lost something important? Turn around." Standing there was Ryan Kesler.

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According to Kieran – who I know to be honest, and an impossibly detailed story-teller – Kesler told him "not to worry about it" and that "she’s not worth it man" before joining them at the table for a few drinks. Here’s the photo Kieran got with Kesler, it looks like they’re having an alright time:

About Kesler, Kieran says "he was just such a stand-up guy… And he also said he was aiming to get back on the ice for mid-October."





