The Evil Empire

The Wild hasn't had a very long history, but a history none the less, and during that time I've come to see the Vancouver Canucks as a team to hate. To me they've been the Oakland Raiders of hockey...a bunch of talented players who get under your skin. Things have changed this offseason, however, and I'm having a hard time hating them as much as I did even a few months ago. First, Bertuzzi went to Florida. While I can respect and appreciate his talent, I never really cared for his attitude. Great player to hate. Now he's gone and they get a great goaltender in his place. How can I hate Luongo? I cannot. Secondly, and probably more importantly, Jarkko Ruutu leaves for Pittsburgh. How can I get fired up when we play the Canucks without Ruutu? It's hard to dislike Naslund and even harder to hate the Sedin Twins. And, on top of all this, they sign one of my favorite players in Willie Mitchell. What's a Wild fan to do? At least Matt Cooke is still a Canuck.