Article content continued

Then again, it’s a Catch-22 because of what he would bring via a trade. At least the Canucks know what they have in Hansen. There’s no mystery there.

“A lot of different dimensions with his game,” said Canucks coach Willie Desjardins. “His speed is good, he adds a little life in the dressing room and he’s so good on the PK (penalty kill). And he’s getting better as he goes and more effective because he pushes the defence back and can jump on them.

“He has come a long way. Two years ago, he wasn’t a guy you would think of on that (top) line. Now, he’s a pretty good fit.”

A reduction in clutch-and-grab hockey has suited Hansen. So has a career path that purposely placed him in Portland of the WHL for one season. The 287th pick in the 2004 draft — back when there were nine rounds — needed to see where the game could take him.

“The hockey was one part,” recalled Hansen, who had 24 goals and 40 assists in 64 games with the Winterhawks in 2005-06.

“It was more about getting away from home (Rodovre, Denmark) and travelling, and I was only used to playing 36 games in a season. The grind of it (WHL), the back-to-backs, three-in-three nights and the life was as close to this (NHL) as you could come.”

Not that Hansen knew much about the league growing up. He saw just one NHL game on TV.

“We had hockey cards,” he said. “We traded. We knew (Wayne) Gretzky and (Joe) Sakic and if somebody asked me how they played, I could look (at the cards) and tell them.”

HANSEN SEES TWO SIDES TO THAT RIELLY HIT

Jannik Hansen knows pain.

The Vancouver Canucks’ winger has had a broken collarbone and the injury he suffered Nov. 5 in Toronto on a heavy and somewhat questionable centre-ice check from Morgan Rielly — a rib fracture between the cartilage and sternum — became urban legend for what he did right after the blow.

Hansen took issue with Nazem Kadri’s targeted hit from behind that dropped Daniel Sedin. He bolted to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ centre and started throwing punches. Even with an injury. What was he thinking?

“I had no problem with range of motion or pain when I was skating up the ice,” said Hansen, who returned Sunday after missing 16 games. “That didn’t come until 40 minutes after the game. When you get shoulder injuries that are along the line of stingers, you can play for a while before your arm gets weaker and it starts to hurt more.

“I’ve broken my collarbone and there’s no way you’re fighting with that, because you’re just trying to make it to the dressing room. I thought I was going to play in New York (Nov. 8), but on the plane, it (rib) progressively got worse and the next morning I knew something was wrong.”