[Harvey Specter]

Originally Posted by Ch28

Looks like Hodgson isn't making the team.

AV + Gillis both told Vancouver Sun that he hasn't played well enough to earn a spot.

VANCOUVER — Vancouver Canucks general manager Mike Gillis says it's time for rookie centre Cody Hodgson to step up and prove he belongs in the National Hockey League.

"He hasn't shown enough in this camp to prove that he's ready to play at this level," Gillis said today as he watched his team practise at UBC. "I don't think that's criticism. I think it's an assessment of fact."

The 19-year-old Hodgson has two more pre-season games — Saturday in Calgary and Sunday in Edmonton — to kick-start his game or the Canucks may have to make the difficult decision to return him to junior.

"That's our only option, so that is an option," Gillis said. "But like I said, we haven't made any determination yet. We still have two games left and we have until next Wednesday before we must have our opening day roster set and we are going to give him every opportunity to play and contribute."

Hodgson, who has just one point in four pre-season games, expressed concern after Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks that he hasn't fully recovered from a back injury suffered while training earlier this summer. Hodgson said he does not yet have full power in his right leg and is lacking explosiveness in his first couple of strides on the ice.

But Gillis refused to use the injury as an excuse for Hodgson's sub-par camp.

"He's been cleared to play for 10 days and we're in a time frame now where things need to get better," Gillis said. "He needs to show that he is ready and capable of participating at this level on a good team. We'll see how it goes."

Canucks coach Alain Vigneault indicated he plans to use Hodgson in both of his team's final pre-season games this weekend.

"You don't need Mike Gillis or me to tell you that he has looked so-so," Vigneault said of Hodgson. "Everybody who has watched the games can tell you that and he'd probably be the first one to tell you that he can play better."

Hodgson will skate on a line Saturday with Michael Grabner and Mason Raymond.

Hodgson, last year's Canadian junior player of the year, knows this weekend is huge if he hopes to stick with the Canucks.

"It's extremely important," he said. "I feel this is a level I can play at and I want to be at all year. The next two games are critically important. I know that going in and I know that I can play better."

ICE CHIP: The Canucks released free-agent forward Mark Parrish on Friday. Parrish had been invited to camp on a tryout

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