Spelling Counts

I don't know how the National Spelling Bee keeps finding its way onto sports networks like ESPN, but apparently there's a heckuan athletic component to spelling words most people have never used in their lives. I'll cut the kids some slack, though, as they usually wow those who turn in with their abilities to spell obscure words and know the etymology of words, but it's gives me an excuse to use "etymology" on this site. That being said, I'm starting to think that thr equipment managers for the Canucks need to head back to a remedial spelling class because they've now butchered the spelling of a second player in the span of seven months.

Back on April 26, 2021, goaltender Artūrs Šilovs made his NHL debut against the Ottawa Senators after Thatcher Demko suffered an injury in the morning skate. The Latvian netminder didn't play in the game as Marcus Högberg was the goalie of record in the 2-1 loss to the Senators, but Šilovs made a name for himself - excuse the pun - when he skated out wearing a jersey that had "Silvos" on the back. Clearly, the "O" and the "V" had been swapped as his name was applied to the jersey, but that's a pretty disappointing way to start one's NHL career. He earned the jersey, so one would hope that his name was spelled right.

Tonight, the Canucks were in Philadephia to play the Flyers, and they didn't seem to have any players who were making their NHL debuts, but they did have another name issue that would have seen them dismissed from the National Spelling Bee.

Alex Chiasson, a player who has been on a handful of NHL teams in his ten-year career, is part of the Canucks' roster this season, but you might think he was some other player based on his name tonight.

Again, it's another flip-flop of letters as the "A" and "I" need to exchange places, but you would think there would be a roster handy if the Canucks' equipment people needed to make changes, especially after the Šilovs error last season. But, alas, "Chaisson" took to the ice tonight for the Vancouver Canucks.

I'm not here to embarrass anyone and I truly feel for the Canucks' equipment managers on these errors, but this is one of those situations where one should check and re-check the spelling of names before putting needle to nameplate. Players have earned the right to have their names spelled correctly on the uniforms, so check, recheck, and check again before getting jerseys ready if there are any questions about how to spell a player's name.

On the other hand, maybe Alex Chiasson will want to keep wearing his misspelled name after scoring a goal and an assist in the 5-4 shootout win by the Canucks. We know players are creatures of habit, so this may have to be incorporated into his routine, especially on the road, if he continues to score well. This could be a whole new level of superstition for players considering that Chiasson scored his goal and recorded an assist while wearing his evil twin's jersey!

Spelling counts, though, so I assume Alex Chiasson will have his properly-spelled name back on his jersey when the Canucks visit Detroit on this road trip. Unless, of course, superstition takes over.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!