Oh, to be a sports fan in 2019. Gone are the days where you show up in your teams arena / stadium / ball park and cheer on your local heroes, and stick with them to win every night out. In this era of social media, analytics, and instant opinion, no matter where from, words such as tank, draft lottery and generational player are uttered as often as win streak, playoff underdog and character win. The Vancouver Canucks know this reality better than anyone.
The Early Days
The Vancouver Canucks have broken my heart season after season after season. A franchise born in 1970, is approaching 50 years without tasting the ultimate achievement. A parade down Granville with Lord Stanley’s Cup. Three times, they have reached the finals….one New York team swatted them away in ’82. In ’94, the evil Mark Messier and his New York Rangers saved face by holding serve in Game 7 after Vancouver teased a comeback for the ages, down 3 games to 1 before succumbing in heart breaking fashion (a couple more inches, Lafayette!)
These two series helped define the Vancouver Canucks to their faithful fanbase. Underdogs in ’82, where Towel Power was born and continues to this day. In ’94 legend such as Brown to Bure, a bloody Trevor Linden, GREAT SAVE, McLean and GREG ADAMS!!!! GREG ADAMS!!! helped make that team perhaps the most liked Canucks team in franchise history. It’s also the last Canuck cup team to have to face the scrutiny that social media has put the sport and franchise until now….
The 21st Century
The Canucks of 2011 were the class of the league. Presidents Trophy winners, they looked the part of world beaters, especially once Alex Burrows slayed the dragon, and for one season, put the hated Chicago Black Hawks on ice. I remember seeing every stat, consuming knowledge about 3rd period leads and hits and average time on ice, and Toews and Kane numbers when on the ice and not. I remember seeing a fan base fall over itself to stand up for its team, and have to protect themselves against other fans, who had written the team off. Anyone with a keyboard can say what they want (and do!) and for the first time, I got a sense that following the game was trending a different direction.
Blowing game 6 in Boston and Game 7 back at home, the Canucks managed to go 0 for 3 in Cup Final Series, and 0 for 3 in Cup Clinching Games. A series has not been won since, and social media has changed how the game is watched and cheered for, forever.
Going Forward
Draft lotteries and endless tape on 15 year old Connor McDavids and Jack Eichels and Nolan Patrick’s leave certain segments of the fan base with the sense that to win, you must have a ‘generational talent.’ To get said talent, you therefore must suck at winning, to give yourself a chance at a weighted lottery that gives you less than ideal odds at said player. And keyboard warriors can go on about how washed up a 20 year old Olli Juolevi can already be a bust, and analytics will tell you Bo Horvat will start to regress in a couple years, so the need for Jack Hughes is NOW, and you arent a real fan of your team if you dont see this and are not cheering your team to LOSE tonight against a hated rival, the Calgary Flames. Because making the playoffs and missing an 18 percent chance at Jack Hughes is a lost season.
Wait…….WHAT?!?!
I’m not naive…..I’d LOVE to add a talent like Jack Hughes….but not at the expense of a CHANCE at Lord Stanley. Do underdogs win often? No, but the LA Kings did it as an 8 seed, and beat a pretty damn good Canucks team in Round 1 on their way there. And as mentioned, the first 2 Canuck runs to the finals came from teams barely good enough to make the playoffs. But where would this franchise be without that identity?
You can take your odds and analysis and what’s best for business mentality. But one thing I do know… without a horse in the race, the odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 0.0 % . And that’s a loser in my book. I’m glad we didnt suck enough to get Nolan Patrick and had to settle for Elias Pettersson. I’m glad the last time the Vancouver Canucks made the playoffs, they had to draft a non lottery winger like Brock Boeser.
Cant win for winning with some fans. But dont worry…..come 7pm tonight, this Canucks fan will be doing what he has done ever since he started watching Canucks v. Flames games. Hoping for a big W, a 4 point deficit for the last playoff spot with 7 games left, and getting ready for the next must win game Sunday night against Columbus. You can take that to the tank.
Raymond Kirk
Follow me on Twitter: @Rayray3322
