Shane O'Brien's Favorite Trashy Bar Led To An Unscheduled Week Off

The defenseman showed up late to practice yesterday, so the Canucks told him not to bother showing up for the next few games. Why was he late? We've got an idea, and it'll come as no surprise to Vancouver fans.

He's a healthy scratch for tonight, and the team has said he won't practice or play with them until Sunday at the earliest. All this after being a bit tardy to a morning workout, but it's clearly not an isolated occurence.

Obviously, there is more to this than just yesterday's incident," [head coach Alain] Vigneault said. "So we've got a plan for Shane O'Brien. He will not be practising or be with the team until Sunday. His situation then will be re-evaluated."

Well, where was O'Brien that he couldn't make it to GM Place on Monday? We're not sure, but we've got a pretty good idea as to where he was Sunday night.

Monday night, one Canadian journo hit the bars on Granville Street, the epicenter of Vancouver's nightlife scene. He tells us that at the Roxy, he was informed that O'Brien had been there the night before.

Another Roxy patron later confirmed O'Brien's attendance.

So what's the Roxy like? Picture that bar in your own hometown that tries too hard to be a dive. It's the first place college kids go when they hit drinking age. It's the place the suburban kids always hit on their Saturday nights in the city. It's the one that does St. Patrick's Day with green beer. Every city's got a place like it. And the Roxy just happens to be one of Shane O'Brien's favorites.

His love of the place, or at least his frequent attendance there, is so well known that a Canucks message board poster suggested nicknaming him "Roxy." Then there's the Puck Bunny who tells a story of meeting him there one night.

So how about this past Sunday? We don't have any specifics of his night out on the town ( eyewitness reports are encouraged), but we do know one thing: Sundays are country music night at the Roxy!

(Photo via Flickr)