The
Vancouver Canucks are a professional
ice hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team based in
VancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, :British Columbia,
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. They are members of the
Northwest DivisionThe NHL's Northwest Division was formed in 1998 as part of the Western Conference due to expansion. Like the Pacific Division, the Northwest Division is also a descendant of the former Smythe Division, as three of its Canadian teams played in that division from 1981–1993...
of the
Western ConferenceThe Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Eastern Conference....
of the
National Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place, which has a capacity of 18,860.
Mike GillisMichael David Gillis is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and current president and general manager of the Vancouver Canucks.-Playing career:...
is the team's president and general manager,
Alain Vigneault is the
coachCoach in ice hockey is the person responsible for directing the team during games and practices, prepares strategy and decides which players will participate in games....
and they are
captainedIn ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
by centre
Henrik SedinHenrik Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . His identical twin brother Daniel also plays for the Canucks. Having played together throughout their careers, the pair are known for their effectiveness playing off one...
. They are the reigning
Presidents' TrophyThe Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded C$350,000...
winners, having secured the best regular season record in the NHL during the
2010-11 seasonThe 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
, and the team subsequently claimed the Campbell Bowl as Western Conference champions during the 2011 NHL playoffs.
The Canucks joined the league in 1970 as an expansion team along with the
Buffalo SabresThe Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
. In its NHL history, the team has advanced to the
Stanley Cup FinalsThe Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...
three times, losing to the
New York IslandersThe New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in
1982-References:...
, the
New York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
in
1994The 1994 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series contested between the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers and Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League...
and the
Boston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
in
2011The 2011 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League , and the culmination of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was the 118th year of the Stanley Cup's presentation. The Eastern Conference Champion Boston Bruins defeated the Western Conference Champion Vancouver...
. The Canucks have won the Presidents' Trophy once as the team with the league's best regular season record in
2010–11The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
. They won three division titles as a member of the
Smythe DivisionThe NHL's Smythe Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Clarence Campbell Conference. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honor of Conn Smythe. It is the fore-runner of the NHL's Northwest Division and NHL's Pacific Division....
from 1970-1993, and six titles as a member of the Northwest Division from 1993-2011.
The Canucks have retired three players' jerseys in their team history—
Stan SmylStanley Philip Smyl is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger. As a junior, he appeared in three consecutive Memorial Cups with the New Westminster Bruins, winning the championship twice in 1977 and 1978...
(12),
Trevor LindenTrevor John Linden, C.M., O.B.C. is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre and right wing with four different teams: the Vancouver Canucks , New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals...
(16) and
Markus NaslundSten Markus Näslund is a Swedish ice hockey general manager for Modo Hockey and a retired professional winger. He played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, as well as in the Elitserien with Modo Hockey...
(19), all of whom served as team captains and held the all-time team point-scoring lead at the end of their respective careers.
Hockey background in Vancouver
Vancouver became home to a professional ice hockey team for the first time in 1911 when Patrick brothers Frank and
LesterCurtis Lester "The Silver Fox" Patrick born in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada, was a professional ice hockey player and coach associated with the Victoria Aristocrats/Cougars of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association , and the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League...
established the
Vancouver MillionairesThe Vancouver Millionaires were a professional ice hockey team that competed in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and the Western Canada Hockey League between 1911 and 1926...
, one of three teams in the new
Pacific Coast Hockey AssociationThe Pacific Coast Hockey Association was a professional men's ice hockey league in western Canada and the western United States, which operated from 1911 to 1924 when it then merged with the Western Canada Hockey League...
. To accommodate the Millionaires, the Patrick brothers directed the building of the
Denman ArenaDenman Arena was the main sports arena located in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. The arena was located on Denman Street in Vancouver's West End, at the northwest corner of West Georgia Street and Denman. It was built at a cost of $300,000 in 1911 and held 10,500 people, making it one of the...
, which was known at the time as the world's largest artificial ice rink (it burned down in 1936). The Millionaires played for the
Stanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
five times, winning over the
Ottawa SenatorsThe Ottawa Senators were an amateur, and later, professional, ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Canada which existed from 1883 to 1954. The club was the first hockey club in Ontario, a founding member of the National Hockey League and played in the NHL from 1917 until 1934...
in
1915 on home ice. It marked the first time the Stanley Cup was won to a west coast team in the trophy's history.
After the Millionaires disbanded following the 1925–26 season, Vancouver was home to only
minor leagueMinor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
teams for many years. Most notably, the present-day Canucks' minor league predecessor (also known as the
Vancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. Inaugurated in 1945 with the PCHL, they became a WHL team with the merger of the PCHL with the Western Canada Senior Hockey League in 1952...
), played from 1945 to 1970 in the
Pacific Coast Hockey LeagueThe Pacific Coast Hockey League was an ice hockey minor league with teams in the western United States and western Canada that existed in several incarnations: from 1928 to 1931, from 1936 to 1941, and from 1944 to 1952.-PCHL 1928-1931:...
and
Western Hockey LeagueThe Western Hockey League was a minor pro ice hockey league that operated from 1952 to 1974. Managed for most of its history by Hockey Hall of Fame member Al Leader, it was created out of the merger of the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Canada Senior Hockey League...
.
1967–1970: NHL application
With the intention of attracting an NHL franchise, Vancouver began the construction of a new modern arena, the
Pacific ColiseumPacific Coliseum is an indoor arena, at Hastings Park, in Vancouver, British Columbia.Completed in 1968, at the former site of the Pacific National Exhibition, the arena currently holds 16,281, for ice hockey, though capacity at its opening was 15,713....
, in 1967. The WHL's Canucks were playing in a small indoor arena at the time, the
Vancouver ForumThe Vancouver Forum is an indoor arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It hosted the Pacific Coast Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks from 1948 to 1969. The arena holds 5,050 people...
, situated on the same
Pacific National ExhibitionThe Pacific National Exhibition is a non profit organization which hosts an annual 17-day summer fair, seasonal amusement park, and arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It usually begins in mid-to-late August, and ends in early September, usually Labour Day.-History:The exhibition has been...
grounds as the Coliseum. Meanwhile, a Vancouver group led by WHL Canucks owner and former Vancouver mayor Fred Hume made a bid to be one of the six teams due to
join the league in 1967The National Hockey League undertook a major expansion for the 1967–68 season, adding six new franchises to double the size of the league. This marked the first change in the composition of the league since 1942, when the Brooklyn Americans folded. Thus, the expansion ended the era of the Original...
, but the NHL rejected their application. Bid leader Cyril McLean called the denial a "cooked-up deal", referring to several biases that factored against them. Speculation long abounded afterwards that the bid was hindered by
Toronto Maple LeafsThe Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
president
Stafford SmytheConn Stafford Smythe was the son of Conn Smythe and president of Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. and the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team from 1961–1969 and from 1970 until his death.-Early years:...
; after a failed Vancouver-based business deal, he was quoted as saying that the city would not get a NHL franchise in his lifetime. Additionally, along with the
Montreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
, Smythe purportedly did not wish to split
Canadian Broadcasting CorporationThe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
(CBC) hockey revenues three ways rather than two. There were reports at the time, however, that the group had made a very weak proposal in expectation that Vancouver was a lock for one of the new franchises.
Less than a year later, the
Oakland SealsThe California Golden Seals were a team in the National Hockey League from 1967–76. Initially named California Seals, the team was renamed Oakland Seals part-way through the 1967–68 season, and then to California Golden Seals in 1970. The Seals were one of six teams added to the league as part of...
were in financial difficulty and having trouble drawing fans. An apparent deal was in place to move the team to Vancouver, but the NHL did not want to see one of their franchises from the expansion of 1967 move so quickly and killed the deal. In exchange for avoiding a lawsuit, the NHL promised Vancouver would get a team in the next expansion. Another group, headed by Minnesota entrepreneur Tom Scallen, made a new presentation, and was awarded an expansion franchise for the price of $6 million dollars (three times the cost in 1967). The new ownership group purchased the WHL Canucks, and joined the league along with the
Buffalo SabresThe Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
for the 1970–71 season.
1970–82: Early years
To fill the Canucks' roster for their inaugural season, the league held an
Expansion DraftThe 1970 NHL Expansion Draft was held on June 9, 1970. The draft took place to fill the rosters of the league's two expansion teams for the 1970–71 season, the Buffalo Sabres and the Vancouver Canucks.-Draft results:-Trades:...
in the preceding summer. A draft lottery was held on June 9, 1970, determining who between the Canucks and Sabres would get the first selection in the Expansion Draft, as well as the
1970 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1970 NHL Amateur Draft was held on June 11, 1970 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft...
; the Sabres won both spins. With his first selection in the Expansion Draft, Canucks general manager
Bud PoileNorman Robert "Bud" Poile was a professional ice hockey player, coach, general manager, and league executive.-Overview:Poile was born in Fort William, Ontario and played junior hockey for the Fort William Rangers...
chose defenceman
Gary DoakGary Walter Doak is a former NHL defenceman who played for the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers. He recorded 23 goals and 107 assists for a total of 130 points in 789 NHL regular season games. His name was engraved on the Stanley Cup in 1970...
. Among the other players chosen by Vancouver were centre
Orland KurtenbachOrland John Kurtenbach is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. A centre notable for his defensive skill and as one of the toughest fighters in the game, he played for several National Hockey League teams during his twenty professional seasons, principally the Vancouver...
, who was named the Canucks' first-ever captain, as well as defenceman
Pat QuinnJohn Brian Patrick Quinn , is a former head coach in the National Hockey League , most recently with the Edmonton Oilers. Known by the nickname "The Big Irishman",...
, who later became the team's general manager and coach in the 1990s. Two days later, on June 11, 1970, the Canucks made defenceman
Dale TallonDale Tallon is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and current General Manager for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League ....
their first-ever Amateur Draft selection. Tallon played three seasons with the club before being traded away to the Chicago Black Hawks. By comparison, the Sabres chose center Gilbert Perrault with the first overall selection they won from the lottery; Perrault went on to become a nine-time All-Star and member of the
Hockey Hall of FameThe Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
.
With the Canucks' roster set, the team played its inaugural game against the
Los Angeles KingsThe Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
on October 9, 1970. They lost the contest 3–1; defenceman
Barry WilkinsBarry James Wilkins was a professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League and the World Hockey Association during the 1960s and 1970s...
scored the Canucks' lone goal in the game and first in franchise history, a backhander against goaltender
Denis DeJordyDenis Emile DeJordy , is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played goal for four NHL teams, most notably the Chicago Black Hawks.-Playing career:...
. Two days later, the squad recorded the first win in franchise history, a 5–3 victory over the
Toronto Maple LeafsThe Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
The Canucks struggled in their early years, failing to make the playoffs in their first four seasons. Placed in the competitive
East DivisionThe East Division of the National Hockey League existed from 1967 until 1974 when the league realigned into two conferences of two divisions each....
, Poile assembled a core of players during this period led by Kurtenbach that included defencemen Tallon and
Jocelyn GuevremontJocelyn Marcel Guevremont is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played nine season in the National Hockey League...
, as well as wingers
Andre BoudriasAndré Gerard Boudrias is a retired professional ice hockey centre who spent 12 seasons in the National Hockey League as well as two more years in the World Hockey Association between 1963 and 1978. He is best remembered for his time with the Vancouver Canucks, where he was the first offensive...
and
Dennis VervergaertDennis Andrew Ververgaert is a retired professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League from 1973 until 1981. He is best known for his time with the Vancouver Canucks, where he was one of the club's top players in their first decade of existence...
. Boudrias emerged as the team's leading point-scorer in four of their first five seasons.
Prior to the 1974–75 season, Scallen and his ownership group from Minnesota sold the team to local media mogul
Frank GriffithsFrank A. Griffiths was a Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada media mogul through his company, Western International Communications Ltd. ....
for $9 million. Also in the summer of 1974, the Canucks were re-aligned within the league and placed in the new
Smythe DivisionThe NHL's Smythe Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Clarence Campbell Conference. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honor of Conn Smythe. It is the fore-runner of the NHL's Northwest Division and NHL's Pacific Division....
. They responded with their first winning record (38 wins, 32 losses and 10 ties), finishing first in the division with 86 points. Making their debut in the
Stanley Cup playoffsThe Stanley Cup playoffs is an elimination tournament in the National Hockey League consisting of four rounds of best-of-seven series. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records...
, the Canucks lost the opening series of the 1975 post-season in five games to the
Montreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
. Head coach and general manager
Phil MaloneyPhilip Francis Maloney is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 158 games in the National Hockey League. He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Black Hawks, and Boston Bruins....
(the third GM in team history after Poile and
Hal LaycoeHarold Richardson Laycoe was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman.Laycoe started his National Hockey League career with the New York Rangers. He would also play with the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins. His playing career lasted from 1945 to 1956...
) recalled the importance of a successful season for the Canucks in that year specifically, as the rival league
World Hockey AssociationThe World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
had established another major professional team in the city – the
Vancouver BlazersThe Vancouver Blazers were a professional ice hockey team that played in the World Hockey Association from 1973-75. The Blazers played at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia, sharing the facility with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League. The Blazers were owned by...
. Competing for the same hockey market, the Canucks emerged over the Blazers as the latter relocated to
CalgaryCalgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta, the following season. The Canucks posted a second consecutive winning record and made the playoffs in 1975–76, but lost to the
New York IslandersThe New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in a two-game preliminary series.
The Canucks missed the playoffs in the two seasons thereafter. Meanwhile, Kurtenbach had since retired and assumed a coaching position with Vancouver. His departure as a player marked the beginning of a seven-year period in which the Canucks had four different captains – Boudrias,
Chris OddleifsonChristopher Roy Oddleifson is a retired professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League from 1972 until 1981...
,
Don LeverDonald Richard "Cleaver" Lever is the head coach of the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League and a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1972–73 until 1986–87.-Playing career:Lever was drafted 3rd overall by the...
and Kevin McCarthy. Following their post-season loss to the Islanders in 1976, Vancouver did not have another winning season for sixteen years, though they made the playoffs nine times in that span. Following the 1976–77 season, Maloney was replaced as general manager by
Jake MilfordJohn Calverley "Jake" Milford was a general manager in the National Hockey League....
, who acquired such players as
Stan SmylStanley Philip Smyl is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger. As a junior, he appeared in three consecutive Memorial Cups with the New Westminster Bruins, winning the championship twice in 1977 and 1978...
,
Thomas GradinThomas Kjell Gradin was a professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League from 1978 to 1987. He is best remembered for the 8 seasons he spent with the Vancouver Canucks, and remains one of the top players in that franchise's history.-NHL career:Gradin was already one of the top...
and
Richard BrodeurRichard "King Richard, Kermit" Brodeur known to many as "King Richard", is a retired Canadian ice hockey goaltender.-Playing career:...
– a core that would lead the team throughout the 1980s.
1982 Stanley Cup run
The Canucks made their first significant playoff impact in the post-season of 1982. In their previous five playoff appearances, the team had failed to win a single series. Though the Canucks finished three games under a .500 win percentage in the 1981–82 regular season, they began gaining momentum by finishing the campaign on a nine-game unbeaten streak. Meanwhile, Smyl emerged as the club's leader, replacing McCarthy as captain after the latter was sidelined with an injury late in the season (he would retain that position for a team-record eight years). Continuing their success in the playoffs, the Canucks made the
Stanley Cup Finals-References:...
with a combined 11–2 record in series against the
Calgary FlamesThe Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
, Los Angeles Kings, and Chicago Black Hawks. Despite having a losing regular season record, Vancouver had home ice advantage in the first series, having finished second in the Smythe Division to the
Edmonton OilersThe Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
. The Canucks also had home ice advantage during the second round series against the Kings, who upset the Oilers in the first round.
During the Conference Finals against the Black Hawks, Vancouver interim coach
Roger NeilsonRoger Paul Neilson, CM was a National Hockey League coach, and was responsible for many innovations in the game...
, frustrated with what he felt was the poor officiating in the game, placed a white towel on the end of a hockey stick and held it up in a gesture mocking surrender (waving the
white flagWhite flags have had different meanings throughout history and depending on the locale.-Flag of temporary truce in order to parley :...
). The players on the Canucks' bench followed suit. At the next game, the team's fans cheered their team on by
waving white towelsA rally towel is a sports paraphernalia item and a type of towel often used as a fan symbol used in American sports events. The prototype of the modern rally towel, created in 1975 by former Pittsburgh Steelers radio broadcaster Myron Cope, was known as the Terrible Towel...
above their heads. The habit stuck, becoming an original Canuck fan tradition now seen across the league and in other sports, known as
Towel PowerTowel Power is a term used by the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League to describe the waving of rally towels by their fans. The tradition started in the 1982 Western Conference Finals where Vancouver played the Chicago Blackhawks...
. The Canucks proceeded to win the series, making it to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in their history.
Entering the Finals against the
New York IslandersThe New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, the Canucks were the first team from Western Canada to play for the Stanley Cup in 56 years, when the
Victoria CougarsThe Victoria Cougars were a major league professional ice hockey team that played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association from 1922 to 1924, and in the Western Hockey League from 1924 to 1926...
reached the
1926 Stanley Cup Finals. It also marked the first ever coast-to-coast Stanley Cup Finals. Competing against the Islanders – the
Stanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
champions of the previous two years who had finished with 41 points more than Vancouver in the regular season standings – Vancouver took the first game to
overtimeOvertime is a method of determining the winner and loser of an ice hockey match when the scores are tied after regulation. The two main methods are the overtime period and the shootout.-Overtime periods:...
. In the final minute of the extra period, Canucks defenceman and fan favourite
Harold SnepstsHarold John Snepsts is a retired professional ice hockey player who spent 17 seasons in the National Hockey League...
gave the puck away with an errant pass from behind his net, leading to a
Mike BossyMichael Dean Bossy is a former Canadian ice hockey player who played for the New York Islanders for his entire career and was part of their four-year reign as Stanley Cup champions in the early 1980s...
goal. The Canucks were unable to complete their
Cinderella runIn American and Canadian sports, a Cinderella or "Cinderella Story" refers to a team or player who advances much further in a tournament or career than originally anticipated. Cinderellas tend to gain much media and fan attention as they move closer to the championship game at the end of the...
and were swept, losing their next three games by 6–4, 3–0 and 3–1 scores. The 1982 playoffs proved to be the last year in which Vancouver won a playoff series until
1992The 1992 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League began on April 18, after the conclusion of the 1991–92 NHL season...
.
1982–94: Decline and resurgence
After their improbable Stanley Cup run, the Canucks slipped back into mediocrity for the rest of the 1980s, making the playoffs only four times for the rest of the decade. Notable players that joined the Canucks' core following the 1982 playoffs included offensively-skilled forwards
Patrik SundstromPatrik Sundström is a retired professional ice hockey centre, who played in the NHL for ten seasons.- Playing career :Sundström was drafted 175th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft....
and
Tony TantiTony Tanti is a retired professional ice hockey player. He was a left winger and played the majority of his career in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks...
. Beginning in 1983–84, the Canucks' scoring title was held by either Sundstrom or Tanti for four of the next five seasons. For most of the second half of the 1980s, the Canucks competed with the Los Angeles Kings for the final playoff spot in the Smythe Division. The years in which they qualified, the team was eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers (in ) or the Calgary Flames (in , and
1989The 1989 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League began on April 5, after the conclusion of the 1988–89 NHL season...
), both division rivals.
Following Milford's tenure as general manager from 1977 to 1982, the position was held by
Harry NealeHarold Watson Neale is a hockey colour commentator, who currently works for the Buffalo Sabres on the Sabres Hockey Network...
for three years, then
Jack GordonJack Gordon is a former Canadian ice hockey manager, coach and player. Gordon played 36 games in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers...
for two. The latter was responsible for trading away
power forwardIn ice hockey, power forward is a loosely applied characterization of a forward who is big and strong, equally capable of playing physically or scoring goals and would most likely have high totals in both points and penalties...
Cam NeelyCameron Michael Neely is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played right wing for the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League from 1983 to 1996. He currently serves as the president of the Boston Bruins.-Playing career:Cam Neely was born in Comox,...
to the
Boston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
in 1986. Neely went on to have a Hall of Fame career with the Bruins, recording three 50-goal seasons. In return, the Canucks acquired centre
Barry PedersonBarry Alan Pederson is a retired professional ice hockey centre who played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League between 1980 and 1992...
and a first-round draft selection in 1987. While Pederson collected back-to-back 70-point seasons with the Canucks in his first two seasons after the trade, he was traded away to the
Pittsburgh PenguinsThe Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
in 1989 as his performance quickly declined.
After the installation of former Canucks defenceman Pat Quinn as general manager in the summer of 1987, the team underwent an immediate rebuilding process, trading away core veterans for younger prospects and players. Among the more key transactions was a deal with the
New Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, in which Sundstrom was traded away in exchange for winger Greg Adams and goaltender
Kirk McLeanKirk Alan McLean is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League for the New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers...
. In addition to Quinn's trades, the team improved through the draft route with two selections, in particular. With the second overall selection in the
1988 NHL Entry DraftThe 1988 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Forum in Montreal, Quebec.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft...
, the Canucks chose winger
Trevor LindenTrevor John Linden, C.M., O.B.C. is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre and right wing with four different teams: the Vancouver Canucks , New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals...
from the
Western Hockey LeagueThe Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
. The
following yearThe 1989 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 17 at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. Some believe that the Detroit Red Wings' 1989 draft was the most successful ever, with 5,721 total NHL games played by the players selected.-Selections by round:...
, the team made a controversial selection by choosing Russian winger
Pavel BurePavel Vladimirovich Bure is a retired Russian professional ice hockey right winger. Nicknamed "The Russian Rocket" for his speed, Bure played for 12 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers...
113th overall. Bure was believed by most teams to be ineligible for selection that year. Consequently, his draft by the Canucks took a year to be verified by the league as team management went about procuring documents to prove his eligibility.
As the decade turned, a shift in the Canucks' leadership occurred as Stan Smyl resigned his captaincy prior to the 1990–91 season due to a reduced on-ice role with the team. In his place, the Canucks implemented a rotating captaincy of Linden,
Dan QuinnDaniel Peter Quinn is a Canadian professional golfer and former professional ice hockey player. Quinn played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
and
Doug LidsterJohn Douglas Andrew Lidster is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played in the NHL...
; of the three Linden retained the captaincy thereafter, becoming the youngest permanent captain in team history at 21 years old. At the end of the season, Smyl retired as the team's all-time leader in games played, goals, assists and points. Led by Linden and in large part to Quinn's dealings, the Canucks rose to prominence in the early 1990s. This increased success came roughly around the time the Oilers and Flames began to sink in the standings. As a result, Vancouver won their first division title in 17 years with 42 wins, 26 losses and 12 ties during the 1991–92 season. During the campaign, the Canucks honoured Smyl, who had remained the team as an assistant coach, by making him the first player in team history to have his jersey (number 12) retired. In the
1992 playoffsThe 1992 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League began on April 18, after the conclusion of the 1991–92 NHL season...
, the Canucks won their first series since 1982 before being eliminated by the Oilers in the second round. Quinn and Bure became the first Canucks recipients of major NHL awards in the off-season, being awarded the
Jack Adams AwardThe Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." It has been awarded 37 times to 32 different coaches. The winner is selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association at the end of the...
as the best coach (Quinn assumed a dual coaching and general managerial role starting that year) and the top rookie in the league, respectively. The following year, the Canucks repeated as regular season division champions, while Bure emerged as arguably the team's first superstar with his first of back-to-back 60-goal seasons, totals which remain the highest recorded in Canucks history.
1994 Stanley Cup run
In
1994The 1994 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series contested between the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers and Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League...
, the Canucks made their second trip to the Stanley Cup Finals, entering the
playoffsThe 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began after the conclusion of the 1993–94 NHL season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the...
as the seventh
seedA seed is a preliminary ranking that can be used in arranging a sports tournament. It is called a seed because of the analogy with plants where the seed might grow into a top rank at the end of that tournament, or might instead wither away...
in the renamed
Western ConferenceThe Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Eastern Conference....
. Despite underachieving in the regular season (their points total decreased by 16 from the previous year), the Canucks played well in the playoffs and embarked on another unexpected run.
Opening the playoffs with a close first-round series against the Calgary Flames, Vancouver rallied from a three-games-to-one deficit to win the series in seven contests. Games 5 through 7 were all won in overtime with goals from
Geoff CourtnallGeoffrey Lawton Courtnall is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League from 1983 to 2000. He was the head coach of the Victoria Grizzlies of the BCHL as well as the University of Victoria Vikes of the BCIHL.Courtnall was born in Victoria, British Columbia,...
, Trevor Linden and Pavel Bure. The deciding seventh game featured two of the most recognizable and celebrated plays in Canucks history. With the game tied 3–3 in the first overtime, goaltender Kirk McLean made what became known thereafter as "The Save", sliding across the crease feet-first and stacking his pads on the goal line to stop
Robert ReichelRobert Reichel is a former professional ice hockey centre and was a head coach of HC Litvínov of the Czech Extraliga until he resigned on January 22, 2011. He played in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes and Toronto Maple Leafs. Reichel was...
on a one-timer pass from
Theoren FleuryTheoren Wallace "Theo" Fleury is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League , Tappara of Finland's SM-liiga, and the Belfast Giants of the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League...
. The following period, Pavel Bure received a breakaway pass from defenceman Jeff Brown before deking Calgary goaltender Mike Vernon to score and win the series. Fifteen years later, Bure's goal and McLean's save were ranked first and second in a
Vancouver Sun article listing the "40 most memorable moments in team history."
Following their victory over the Flames, the Canucks then went on to defeat both the
Dallas StarsThe Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
and
Toronto Maple LeafsThe Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
(both in five games) en route to the franchise's second Stanley Cup Finals appearance. Forward Greg Adams sent the Canucks into the Finals with a double-overtime goal against Maple Leafs goaltender
Felix PotvinFélix "The Cat" Potvin is a former National Hockey League goaltender.-QMJHL career:From 1988 through to 1991 Potvin played with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team...
in Game 5. Staging the second coast-to-coast Finals in league history, the Canucks were matched against the
Presidents' TrophyThe Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded C$350,000...
-winning
New York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. Vancouver achieved victory in Game 1 by a score of 3–2 in overtime, largely due to a 52-save performance by goaltender McLean. After losing Games 2, 3 and 4, the Canucks won the next two to force a seventh game at
Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
on June 14, 1994. Despite a two-goal effort (one on a shorthanded breakaway) from Linden (who was playing with cracked ribs), Vancouver lost the game by a 3–2 score. The Canucks' efforts to tie the game included a post hit by forward
Nathan LaFayetteNathan LaFayette is a former ice hockey player in the NHL. He was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the 3rd round of the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. He played for the St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers, and Los Angeles Kings...
with just over a minute remaining in regulation. The loss was followed by a
riotThe 1994 Vancouver Stanley Cup Riot occurred in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on the evening of June 14, 1994 and continued into the following morning...
in Downtown Vancouver, which resulted in property damage, injuries, and arrests. Two days after the riots, the team held a rally at
BC PlaceBC Place is a multi-purpose stadium located at the north side of False Creek, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the home field for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer . Originally opened on June 19, 1983 as the...
attended by 45,000 fans, who congratulated the team for their effort.
1994–2001
With a young core that included Linden, Bure and McLean still in their twenties after the 1994 playoffs, the Canucks appeared poised to remain contenders in the league. However, the team failed to record a winning season in the six years following their Stanley Cup Finals appearance. Prior to the lockout-shortened 1994–95 season, Quinn stepped down as head coach to focus on his managerial duties and was replaced by
Rick LeyRichard Norman Ley is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League and World Hockey Association .-Playing career:...
; Vancouver finished with a .500 record that year. Their elimination from the
1995 Stanley Cup playoffsThe 1995 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League was played between May 6 and June 24, 1995. In the Final, the New Jersey Devils swept the favored Detroit Red Wings in four games to win their first championship. The Quebec Nordiques played their last ever playoff series...
in Game 4 of the second round marked the Canucks' last game played at the Pacific Coliseum, as the team moved into the General Motors Place (since renamed Rogers Arena), a new $160 million arena situated in Downtown Vancouver, the following season.
The Canucks made another significant move in the off-season by acquiring high-scoring Russian forward
Alexander MogilnyAlexander Gennadevitch Mogilny is a former Russian professional ice hockey player, currently the team consultant of the KHL team Amur Khabarovsk. Mogilny was best known for his lightning quick speed and lethal wrist shot in his early years, which led to his career year of 76 goals in the 1992–93...
from the
Buffalo SabresThe Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
, reuniting Bure with his former
CSKA MoscowHC CSKA Moscow is a Russian ice hockey club that plays in the Kontinental Hockey League. It is referred to in the West as "Central Red Army" or the "Red Army Team" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army, popularly known as the Red Army...
and national team linemate. While Mogilny became the second player in team history to record 50 goals and 100 points in a season, the expected chemistry between him and Bure never materialized as the latter suffered a season-ending knee injury early in the campaign. Vancouver finished 1995–96 two games below .500 and were defeated in the first round of the playoffs by the
Colorado AvalancheThe Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
. The season also marked the arrival of another future Canucks superstar, as
Markus NaslundSten Markus Näslund is a Swedish ice hockey general manager for Modo Hockey and a retired professional winger. He played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, as well as in the Elitserien with Modo Hockey...
was acquired from the
Pittsburgh PenguinsThe Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
in exchange for
Alek StojanovAlexander Stojanov is a retired professional ice hockey player who spent three seasons in the National Hockey League. He is best known for his trade from Vancouver to Pittsburgh in exchange for Markus Näslund, in what is recognized as one of the most lopsided trades in the history of the NHL...
. The deal is regarded as one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history as Stojanov soon became a minor-leaguer, while Naslund became the team's all-time leading goal- and point-scorer years later.
In the 1996 off-season. Ley was replaced by
Tom RenneyThomas Renney is a Canadian ice hockey Head Coach for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League . He has previously coached the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks....
, who lasted for less than two seasons. Despite strong performances from Mogilny and team-leading point-scorer
Martin GelinasMartin Gélinas is a former professional ice hockey forward and the current director of player development with the Nashville Predators.-Playing career:Gelinas made a splash in 1987–88 with the Hull Olympiques of the QMJHL with a 63-goal, 131-point campaign...
in Bure and Linden's absence (both of whom were injured for long periods of time during the season), the Canucks missed the playoffs for the first of four consecutive seasons that year. Making another high-profile acquisition on July 27 1997, the Canucks signed free agent
Mark MessierMark Douglas Messier is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League and current special assistant to the president and general manager of the New York Rangers. He spent a quarter of a century in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver...
to a three-year deal. They had came close to signing
Wayne GretzkyWayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
the previous summer, but were reportedly spurned away when they refused to continue negotiations and gave Gretzky an ultimatum to sign.
Heading into the 1997–98 season, Linden resigned his captaincy for Messier, who had developed a strong reputation as a leader, having captained the Rangers over the Canucks in 1994 (he also captained the Oilers to a Stanley Cup in 1990). Linden later recalled regretting the decision, feeling that Messier generated hostility and tension in the dressing room. The Canucks began the campaign overseas in a two-game series against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in
Tokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
,
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It marked the first time in league history that a regular season game was held outside of North America – an effort from the league to attract attention to the sport in anticipation of the
1998 Winter OlympicsThe 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
, which were held in Nagano. As the team's performance continued to worsen, starting the 1997–98 season with three wins in the first sixteen games, Quinn was fired as general manager after ten years with the team. Soon thereafter, Renney was fired and replaced as coach by
Mike KeenanMichael Edward Keenan is a former head coach in the National Hockey League , most recently with the Calgary Flames, and former General Manager of the Florida Panthers. He is currently working as an analyst for the New York Rangers on MSG Network.Keenan was a player for the St...
, reuniting him with Messier, another central figure from the Rangers' 1994 team. Keenan's hiring reportedly exacerbated tensions between groups of Canucks players and his negative relationship with Linden was given ample media attention. Two months into his tenure with the team, his role was expanded and he was made de-facto general manager. With control of player personnel, Keenan overhauled the roster, making 10 trades within two months, most notably dealing Linden to the
New York IslandersThe New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Although the trade was unpopular with fans, the Canucks received winger
Todd BertuzziTodd Bertuzzi is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League...
in return, who would later become an integral part of the team's return to success in the next decade. Defenceman
Bryan McCabeBryan McCabe is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is a free agent.McCabe moved to Calgary, Alberta at a young age and spent the majority of his minor hockey career playing in the Calgary area....
was also part of the deal, who would eventually be involved in a key transaction in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. After the Canucks finished the 1997–98 season last in the Western Conference, former NHL vice president Brian Burke was named general manager in the summer.
Suffering their worst season since 1977–78 the subsequent year, Keenan was fired midway through and replaced with
Marc CrawfordMarc Joseph John Crawford is a Canadian professional ice hockey head coach, most recently employed by the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League. He was previously the head coach of three other organizations and won a Stanley Cup in 1996 with the Colorado Avalanche...
(who had won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in
1996The 1996 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by two teams that had not existed three seasons before, the Colorado Avalanche and the Florida Panthers. The Avalanche won the Cup in a four game sweep to win the franchise's first Stanley Cup, in their first season in Denver since...
). Meanwhile, Pavel Bure, unhappy in Vancouver, had withheld himself from the team and requested a trade at the beginning of the campaign. By January 1999, he was dealt to the
Florida PanthersThe Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
in a seven-player trade, which saw eventual five-time All-Star
Ed JovanovskiEdward Jovanovski is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman of Macedonian descent, an alternate captain for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League ....
heading west. The trade also involved two draft picks. Finishing last in the Western Conference for a second straight year, Vancouver possessed the fourth overall pick in the
1999 NHL Entry DraftThe 1999 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 26 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts. According to Sports Illustrated and other sports news agencies, at the time the 1999 draft was considered one of the deepest in talent in years, headed by Patrik Stefan and the Sedin twins. However, the...
. Set on drafting highly-touted Swedish forwards
DanielDaniel Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League , and serves as an alternate captain for the Canucks during home games. His identical twin brother Henrik also plays for the Canucks, and is the team captain...
and
Henrik SedinHenrik Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . His identical twin brother Daniel also plays for the Canucks. Having played together throughout their careers, the pair are known for their effectiveness playing off one...
, Burke orchestrated several transactions to move up to the second and third overall picks, with which he chose both players.
The Canucks began to show improvement in the 1999–2000 season, finishing four points out of a playoff spot. During the campaign, Mogilny was traded to the
New Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
for forwards
Denis PedersonDenis Erio Pederson is a professional ice hockey player currently playing with the Eisbären Berlin of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga...
and
Brendan MorrisonBrendan Morrison is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League...
. With Bure gone and Messier in the last year of his contract, several previously under-achieving players began developing into key contributors for the team, most notably Naslund and Bertuzzi. In the off-season, Messier left the team and returned to the Rangers; during the team's September 2000 training camp, held in Sweden, Naslund was selected to replace Messier as captain, a position he held for eight years, tying Smyl's record. As part of the team's stay in Sweden, they played exhibition games against Swedish and Finnish teams as part of the
NHL ChallengeThe NHL Challenge series allows select NHL teams to travel outside of North America to conduct training camp and participate in exhibition games...
.
2001–05: "West Coast Express" years
Under the leadership of general manager Burke and coach Crawford, the Canucks once again became a playoff team. After qualifying for the post-season in
2001The 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , were played from April until June. The Colorado Avalanche defeated the New Jersey Devils to win its second Stanley Cup....
and
2002The 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championships of the National Hockey League, was played from April until June. The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Carolina Hurricanes four games to one to clinch the 10th championship in their history. It was the Hurricanes first ever appearance in the...
as the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference (losing to the eventual Stanley Cup winners Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings, respectively), the Canucks became regular contenders for the
Northwest DivisionThe NHL's Northwest Division was formed in 1998 as part of the Western Conference due to expansion. Like the Pacific Division, the Northwest Division is also a descendant of the former Smythe Division, as three of its Canadian teams played in that division from 1981–1993...
title.
Coinciding with the team's success in the early 2000s was the rise of captain Markus Naslund and power forward Todd Bertuzzi into high-scoring wingers and
NHL All-StarsThe NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are...
. Joined by center Brendan Morrison during the 2001–02 season, the trio were nicknamed the "
West Coast ExpressThe West Coast Express was an ice hockey line that played for the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks from 2002–2004. Named after Vancouver's commuter rail service, the line consisted of Markus Naslund at left wing, Brendan Morrison at centre, and Todd Bertuzzi playing right wing...
" (after the Vancouver
rail service of the same nameWest Coast Express is the interregional commuter railway in British Columbia, Canada. Opened in 1995, it links Mission, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam, and Port Moody with Waterfront Station in Downtown Vancouver, where it interchanges with SkyTrain rapid transit, SeaBus and...
) among Canucks fans and media. Over the next three years, Naslund ranked in the top five among league scorers and was a Lester B. Pearson Award winner and
Hart Memorial TrophyThe Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...
finalist in 2003. Bertuzzi was also a top-five scorer in the league in 2001–02 and 2002–03. During this span, Burke made a trade with the
Washington CapitalsThe Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
to facilitate the return of Trevor Linden. The ex-captain returned to a markedly different Canucks team with a young core consisting of the aforementioned trio, defencemen
Ed JovanovskiEdward Jovanovski is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman of Macedonian descent, an alternate captain for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League ....
and
Mattias OhlundMattias Öhlund is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman and an alternate captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League . Prior to joining the Lightning, he played eleven seasons with the Vancouver Canucks...
, as well as goaltender
Dan CloutierDan Cloutier is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey goaltender. In his 10-year National Hockey League career, Cloutier played with the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver Canucks, and Los Angeles Kings, spending the majority of his career in Vancouver...
.
In 2002–03, the Canucks lost the division title to the Colorado Avalanche on the last day of the regular season. Individually, Naslund was surpassed the same night by Avalanche forwards
Peter ForsbergPeter Mattias "Foppa" Forsberg is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player and currently an assistant general manager of Modo Sports. Known for his on-ice vision and physical play, Forsberg is considered one of the most complete players of his generation...
and
Milan HejdukMilan Hejduk is a Czech professional ice hockey forward and the captain for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :...
for the
Art Ross TrophyThe Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player who leads the league in scoring points at the end of the regular season. It was presented to the NHL by former player, general manager, and head coach Art Ross. The trophy has been awarded 61 times to 25 players since its inception...
and Maurice Richard Trophy , respectively. Entering the
2003 playoffsThe 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs, the National Hockey League championship, began on April 9, 2003, following the 2002–03 regular season. The playoffs concluded on June 9, 2003, with the New Jersey Devils defeating the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in seven games.The sixteen qualifying teams played...
with the fourth seed in the West, the Canucks won their first playoff series in eight years, defeating the St. Louis Blues in seven games before losing to the
Minnesota WildThe Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
in the second round.
Amidst a run for the team's first Northwest Division title the following season, the Canucks received significant media attention for their involvement in a violent on-ice attack during a game against the Avalanche. On March 8, 2004, Bertuzzi grabbed Avalanche forward
Steve MooreSteven Dean Moore is a former Canadian professional ice hockey center, best known for receiving what turned out to be a career-ending injury as a result of an illegal hit by then Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi....
from behind and punched him in the head. As Moore fell to the ice, Bertuzzi landed on top of him; Moore suffered three fractured neck vertebrae, facial cuts and a concussion. Bertuzzi's actions were in retaliation of a hit that Moore landed on Naslund during a previous game between the two teams. For his actions, Bertuzzi was suspended by the NHL and
International Ice Hockey FederationThe International Ice Hockey Federation is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 70 members...
through to the start of the 2005–06 season. He also faced legal action in British Columbia court, while Moore filed lawsuits against him and the Canucks organization in Colorado and Ontario courts.
The Canucks went on to win their first Northwest Division title that season, but lost in the first round of the
2004 playoffsThe 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs for the National Hockey League began on April 7, 2004, following the 2003–04 regular season. The playoffs ended with the Tampa Bay Lightning securing the Stanley Cup with a seven-game series win over the Calgary Flames on June 7. It was Tampa Bay's first Stanley Cup...
to the Calgary Flames. After their elimination, Burke's contract as general manager was not renewed and he was replaced by assistant general manager and director of hockey operations
Dave NonisDavid M. Nonis is a former Canadian ice hockey defenceman, former general manager and executive of the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks and current general manager of the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League .-Playing career:Growing up in Burnaby, B.C., Nonis played junior...
. At 37 years old, he was the youngest general manager in team history. Due to the NHL lockout, the 2004–05 season was not played. Several Canucks players went overseas to Europe to play professionally, such as Naslund and the Sedins, who all returned to their former Swedish team,
Modo HockeyModo Hockey is a professional ice hockey club in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. The club plays in Sweden's premier ice hockey league, the Elitserien. They were founded in 1921 and have won two Elitserien championships; in 1979 and 2007. The team's home arena is the Fjällräven Center since 2006...
.
2005–10: Post-lockout
Upon the resolution of the labour dispute between NHL players and owners, new gameplay rules were set in place for the 2005–06 season that were supposed to benefit skilled players and generate more scoring. As the Canucks' basis of success in previous seasons was built on playing a fast-paced, high-scoring style of play, expectations for the team were high going into the season. However, the team failed to qualify for the playoffs, completing the regular season ninth place in the West. The first line of Naslund, Bertuzzi and Morrison suffered offensively, as all three players recorded decreased points totals. Head coach Marc Crawford later recalled the campaign as a turning point for the team's offensive leadership as the Sedin twins began their rise to stardom, matching the top line's production. Crawford was fired in the off-season and replaced with
Alain Vigneault, who had been coach of the team's
American Hockey LeagueThe American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
affiliate, the
Manitoba MooseThe Manitoba Moose were a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba that played in the International Hockey League from 1996 to 2001 and American Hockey League from 2001 to 2011. The team moved to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in 2011 to become the St...
. Three days after Vigneault's hiring, Nonis dealt Bertuzzi to the Florida Panthers, ending the "West Coast Express" era. In return, the Canucks received All-Star goaltender
Roberto LuongoRoberto Luongo is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . Born in Montreal, Quebec, he is of Italian and Irish ancestry. He employs the butterfly style of goaltending...
as part of a six-player trade. With the acquisition of Luongo, Cloutier was traded away to the Los Angeles Kings.
With widespread changes to team personnel in 2006–07, the Canucks won the Northwest Division title for the second time in three seasons. In his first season with the Canucks, Luongo was nominated for the Hart Memorial and Vezina Trophies. He also tied
Bernie ParentBernard Marcel Parent , better known as Bernie Parent, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs, and also spent one season in the World Hockey Association with the...
for the second-most wins in a single-season by an NHL goaltender with 47. The Canucks opened the
2007 playoffsThe 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 11, 2007. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions played a best-of-7 series for the...
with a quadruple-overtime win against the Dallas Stars. Ending at the 138-minute mark, the game was the longest in club history and the sixth-longest in league history. The Canucks also set a league record for shots against in one game, allowing 76. Vancouver won the series in seven games despite a lack of goal-scoring; Stars goalie
Marty TurcoMarty Turco is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He has played professionally with the Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks. Because of his puckhandling prowess, Canadian hockey personality Don Cherry named Turco: "the smartest goalie in the...
recorded three shutouts in the series, becoming the only goalie to achieve the feat and still lose a series. Advancing to the second round, the team was defeated by the
Anaheim DucksThe Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, who went on to win the Stanley Cup that year, in five games. Following the playoffs, coach Vigneault received the
Jack Adams AwardThe Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." It has been awarded 37 times to 32 different coaches. The winner is selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association at the end of the...
.
Suffering numerous injuries to players in the 2007–08 season, the Canucks struggled and finished three points out of a playoff spot. The final game of the season, a 7–1 loss to the Calgary Flames, marked Trevor Linden's last NHL game, as the former Canucks' all-time leading scorer retired. Having missed the playoffs for the second time in three years, the team underwent numerous personnel changes in the off-season. After Nonis was fired and replaced with former player agent
Mike GillisMichael David Gillis is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and current president and general manager of the Vancouver Canucks.-Playing career:...
in April 2008, longtime Canucks captain Markus Naslund, as well as Brendan Morrison, were let go via free agency. Also in the off-season, on May 29, 2008, the Canucks lost defensive prospect
Luc BourdonLuc Bourdon was a Canadian professional Ice Hockey Defenceman who played for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League and their American Hockey League affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, from 2006 until 2008...
to a motorcycle crash near his hometown of
Shippagan, New BrunswickShippagan is a Canadian town in Gloucester County, New Brunswick.Located in the northeastern part of the Acadian Peninsula, a combination bridge-causeway connects the town with Lamèque Island to the northeast. Approximately 99% of the town's residents are Francophone.The town was founded by the...
.
With Naslund's departure, Gillis announced on September 30, 2008, that Luongo had been named team captain, marking the first time since
Bill DurnanWilliam Ronald Durnan was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
of the Montreal Canadiens in 1947 that a goaltender had been named the captain of an NHL team. During the ensuing season, the Canucks retired their second jersey number in team history, hanging Linden's number 16 beside Smyl's number 12 in a pre-game ceremony on December 17, 2008. Later that month, the Canucks acquired unrestricted free agent
Mats SundinMats Johan Sundin is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player. Originally drafted first overall in 1989, Sundin played his first four seasons in the NHL with the Quebec Nordiques. He was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1994, where he played the majority of his career, serving 11...
. The arrival of the former Toronto Maple Leafs captain and 500-goal scorer in the NHL came with expectations. However, Sundin scored at a pace below his usual pace and retired in the off-season. The team finished the regular season with another Northwest Division title and the third seed in the Western Conference. In the
2009 playoffsThe 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 15, 2009, after the 2008–09 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference , play a best-of-seven series for the conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and...
, the Canucks swept their first round series against the
St. Louis BluesThe St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
(the first four-game sweep in franchise history), but were defeated in six games by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round.
In the
2009–10 seasonThe 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
, the Canucks faced the longest road trip in NHL history, with 14 games over 6 weeks, from January 27 to March 13, 2010. The scheduling was a result of Vancouver hosting the
2010 Winter OlympicsThe 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
, which shut down the NHL for 2 weeks, facilitating GM Place's use for
ice hockey during the gamesIce hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics was held at Canada Hockey Place, home of the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks, and at UBC Winter Sports Centre, home of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport's UBC Thunderbirds. Twelve teams competed in the men's event and eight teams competed in the...
. It marked the first time that an NHL market hosted an
OlympicsThe Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating...
since the league allowed its players to compete in the games, beginning with the
1998 Games in NaganoThe 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
. Among the several Canucks players named to their respective national teams, center
Ryan KeslerRyan James Kesler is an American professional ice hockey center for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . He serves as an alternate captain for the Canucks during home games. Selected in the first round, 23rd overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Kesler has...
of the United States and goaltender Roberto Luongo of Canada played against each other in the gold medal game; Luongo and Team Canada emerged with the win.
As the NHL season resumed, Henrik Sedin went on to become the first Canucks player to win the Art Ross and Hart Memorial Trophies as the league's leading scorer and most valuable player, respectively. He achieved the feat with a franchise record 112 points, surpassing Bure's mark of 110 set in 1991–92. Vancouver won the Northwest Division title and finished third in the Western Conference for the second straight year. They opened the playoffs by defeating the sixth-place Los Angeles Kings in six games, but were once again eliminated by Chicago, who went on to win the Stanley Cup that year, the following round in six games.
2010–2011: 40th anniversary season
The
2010–11 seasonThe 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
began on October 9, 2010, with a pre-game ceremony to commemorate the team's 40-year anniversary.
Henrik SedinHenrik Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . His identical twin brother Daniel also plays for the Canucks. Having played together throughout their careers, the pair are known for their effectiveness playing off one...
was officially named in the ceremony as the team's new captain, replacing Luongo who had relinquished his captaincy in the off-season. The Canucks played the Los Angeles Kings, their first opponent in their inaugural season in 1970; both teams wore their original uniforms used in the Canucks' inaugural game. Throughout the season, the Canucks continued to celebrate their 40th anniversary with the creation of the "Ring of Honour", a permanent in-arena display commemorating their most significant players from past years. Four players were inducted during the campaign – Orland Kurtenbach, Kirk McLean, Thomas Gradin and Harold Snepsts. In December 2010, the Canucks also honoured Markus Naslund by retiring his number 19 jersey. Naslund had retired two years after leaving the Canucks in 2008.
During the second half of the campaign, the Canucks were in a battles for the Western Conference and Presidents' Trophy titles with the
Detroit Red WingsThe Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
and
Philadelphia FlyersThe Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, respectively, widening the gap as the season progressed. On March 29, 2011, the Canucks clinched first place in the West for the first time in team history with a 3–1 victory over the
Nashville PredatorsThe Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Two days later, they accomplished another first by securing the Presidents' Trophy after defeating the Los Angeles Kings. Finishing with 54 wins and 117 points, the 2010–11 team broke the previous records in both categories by significant margins. Individually, numerous Canucks players had career years. Daniel Sedin won the Art Ross Trophy with a league-leading 104 points, marking the first time in NHL history that two brothers won the award in back-to-back years. Meanwhile, Ryan Kesler tied Daniel for the team goal-scoring lead with 41 goals. In goal, Roberto Luongo and rookie backup
Cory SchneiderCory Franklin Schneider is an American professional ice hockey goaltender with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League .Schneider was selected in the first round, 26th overall, by the Canucks in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft...
captured the
William M. Jennings TrophyThe William M. Jennings Trophy is an annual National Hockey League award given to "the goalkeeper having played a minimum of 25 games for the team with the fewest goals scored against it. Winners are selected based on regular-season play." From 1946 until 1981, the Vezina Trophy had been awarded...
for recording the lowest team goals against average in the NHL.
2011 Stanley Cup run
Entering the
2011 Stanley Cup playoffsThe 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 13, 2011, after the conclusion of the 2010–11 NHL regular season. Game 1 of the Finals was held on June 1, while Game 7 was held on June 15...
, the Canucks were paired with the eighth-seeded and defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, who had eliminated Vancouver in the previous two years. While Vancouver initially took a 3–0 lead in the series, Chicago came back to also win three straight games and force the series into a game seven. Luongo, who had a history of struggling against the Blackhawks, was pulled in Games 4 and 5; he also began Game 6 on the bench in favour of Cory Schneider before returning as the starter in Game 7. In the deciding game, Vancouver held a 1–0 lead with less than two minutes remaining in regulation when they gave up a shorthanded goal to Chicago captain
Jonathan ToewsJonathan Bryan Toews is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who plays for and is captain of the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . He is currently the youngest captain in the NHL, having been appointed in 2008....
. Forced into overtime, winger
Alexandre BurrowsAlexandre Ménard-Burrows is a French-Canadian professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . He is known for playing in the style of an agitator and for his ascension to the NHL from being an undrafted player in the ECHL...
scored his second goal of the game following a failed clearing attempt by Chicago defenceman
Chris CampoliChris Campoli is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens. Campoli previously played with the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders.- Junior career :...
to win the series.
In the Conference Semifinals, the Canucks faced the defensive-minded
Nashville PredatorsThe Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, led by goaltender
Pekka RinnePekka Rinne is a Finnish professional hockey goaltender currently playing for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
. Of the 14 goals Vancouver scored in the low-scoring series, Canucks center Ryan Kesler registered a point in 11 of them, helping the Canucks defeat the Predators in six games. Facing the
San Jose SharksThe San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the Conference Finals, captain Henrik Sedin led the Canucks with 12 points in the five-game series. Vancouver defeated San Jose four-games-to-one with a with a double-overtime winner from defenceman
Kevin BieksaKevin Christopher Bieksa is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League , serving as an alternate captain for the Canucks during away games...
in the fifth game.
Advancing to the
Stanley Cup FinalsThe 2011 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League , and the culmination of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was the 118th year of the Stanley Cup's presentation. The Eastern Conference Champion Boston Bruins defeated the Western Conference Champion Vancouver...
for the first time since 1994, the Canucks opened the fourth round against the Boston Bruins with a 1–0 win in Game 1. Winger
Raffi TorresRaphael "Raffi" Torres is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League . He was drafted by the New York Islanders fifth overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. He has additionally played in the NHL for the Edmonton Oilers,...
scored the winning goal with 18.5 seconds remaining. The following game, the Canucks won 3–2 in overtime with Burrows scoring the winner 11 seconds into the extra frame, making it the second fastest overtime goal in Stanley Cup Finals history. As the series shifted from Rogers Arena to TD Garden for Games 3 and 4, Boston tied the series with 8–1 and 4–0 victories. Game 3 marked the highest score by one team in a Finals game since the Avalanche defeated the Panthers in
1996The 1996 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by two teams that had not existed three seasons before, the Colorado Avalanche and the Florida Panthers. The Avalanche won the Cup in a four game sweep to win the franchise's first Stanley Cup, in their first season in Denver since...
. During the contest, the Bruins lost first-line forward
Nathan HortonNathan Horton is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who currently plays for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League...
for the remainder of the series when he suffered a serious concussion from a controversial hit by Canucks defenceman
Aaron RomeAaron Rome is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . He was originally selected out of the Western Hockey League 104th overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings...
, who received a four-game suspension as a result. Returning to Vancouver for Game 5, the Canucks won 1–0 with a goal from late-season acquisition
Maxim LapierreMaxim Lapierre is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . Drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League , he was selected 61st overall in 2003 by the Montreal Canadiens...
in the third period. With an opportunity to win the Stanley Cup in Boston, Vancouver lost Game 6 by a 5–2 score. The Bruins' first four goals occurred in a span of 4 minutes and 14 seconds during the first period, setting a Finals record for the fastest four goals scored by a team (surpassing the previous mark of 5 minutes and 29 seconds set by the Montreal Canadiens in
1956The 1956 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Montreal Canadiens and the defending champion Detroit Red Wings in the fifth Detroit-Montreal series in the 1950s. The Canadiens were making the sixth consecutive appearance in the Final series; Detroit was making their third...
). Hosting Game 7, the Canucks were shutout 4–0 as Boston won their first Stanley Cup in
39 years-Boston Bruins 1972 Stanley Cup champions:-See also:* List of Stanley Cup champions* 1971–72 Boston Bruins season* 1971–72 NHL season* 1971–72 New York Rangers season-References:...
, setting off
riots and lootingThe 2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot was a public disturbance that broke out in the downtown core of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on Wednesday, June 15, 2011. The riots happened immediately after the conclusion of the Boston Bruins' win over the Vancouver Canucks in game seven of the Stanley...
in downtown Vancouver.
Ownership
The initial owners were Tom Scallen's Medicor group. In 1972, hints of impropriety were circulating about Scallen. He was charged with stock fraud and spent the last two years of his Canuck ownership in prison. In 1974 Scallen and Medicor sold out to
Frank GriffithsFrank A. Griffiths was a Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada media mogul through his company, Western International Communications Ltd. ....
.
From 1988 to 1997, the Vancouver Canucks were owned by local businessman and philanthropist
Arthur GriffithsArthur Griffiths is a Canadian businessperson, philanthropist, and candidate for political office. He is former owner of the Vancouver Canucks and General Motors Place, and chaired the Vancouver/Whistler 2010 Bid Society which helped to bring the 2010 Winter Olympics to the region...
, who had inherited ownership from his father,
FrankFrank A. Griffiths was a Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada media mogul through his company, Western International Communications Ltd. ....
. However, he was forced to sell his majority interest in the Canucks after overextending his resources trying to build a new arena, GM Place (currently known as Rogers Arena). As a result, he sold his majority share to American billionaire
John McCaw, Jr.John McCaw, Jr. is a businessman who formerly owned McCaw Cellular in Seattle, Washington and a former part-owner of the Vancouver Canucks NHL franchise, with Francesco Aquilini. On November 8, 2006, his 50% interest was sold to Aquilini, who became the sole owner.-References:*Bill Knight, ....
.
On November 17, 2004, the Anmoli Investment Group, headed by
Francesco AquiliniFrancesco Aquilini is the Managing Director of Vancouver-based Aquilini Investment Group. He is the current owner of the Vancouver Canucks and Rogers Arena....
, purchased a 50% share in Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment (the owners of both the Canucks franchise and Rogers Arena) from John McCaw, Jr.. Prior to the sale, Aquilini and two business partners, Tom Gaglardi and Ryan Beedie, had negotiated with Orca Bay for several months without concluding an agreement. In January 2005, Gaglardi and Beedie filed a lawsuit against Aquilini and Orca Bay, alleging that Aquilini and Orca Bay had acted in bad faith in concluding a deal using information obtained from their joint offer.
On November 8, 2006, Aquilini, along with his brothers Roberto and Paolo, purchased the remaining 50% of the Vancouver Canucks and Rogers Arena from McCaw.
In May 2007, Gaglardi and Beedie's civil lawsuit over Aquilini's purchase reached the
Supreme Court of British ColumbiaThe Supreme Court of British Columbia is the superior trial court for the province of British Columbia. The BCSC hears civil and criminal law cases as well as appeals from the Provincial Court of British Columbia. Including supernumerary judges, there are presently 108 judges...
. The court ruled for Aquilini, on January 10, 2008. The court held that there was no legal partnership between Aquilini, Beedie, and Gaglardi, and that McCaw was free to sell the team to anyone he wished.
On January 29, 2008 the company responsible for operating the Vancouver Canucks and Rogers Arena, changed its name from Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment to Canucks Sports & Entertainment.
Logos and jerseys
The team has gone through thirteen different logo and jersey changes in its history.
The team's first NHL jerseys, worn from the inaugural season of 1970–71 (modified for the 1972–73 season) until the end of the 1977–78 season, featured a hockey stick in the shape of a shallow "V" superimposed on a blue rink-shaped rectangle forming the letter "C", designed by North Vancouver artist, Joe Borovich. A modified version of this logo is still in use, as a shoulder patch on the team's current jerseys and as the primary logo of their Alternate jerseys.
In 1978, aiming for a more aggressive image, the organization asked a San Francisco design agency, Beyl & Boyd, to design new uniforms. These consisted of a huge yellow, red-orange, and black striped "V" coming down from the shoulders (suggesting "victory", according to its designers). It is generally considered to be one of the most unpopular uniforms in NHL history (hockey writer Stephen Cole referred to it looking like 'a punch in the eye').
The "Flying V" theme was abandoned in 1985, to feature the team's emblem on the front rather than the "V" (the emblem had previously been worn only on the arms). The logo consisted of the word "Canucks" in a diagonal slant as part the blade of a skate. The logo, with its laser-like design, was sometimes referred to as the "
Star WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
" logo, the "waffle iron", the "plate of spaghetti", and most commonly, the "Flying Skate".
The yellow home jerseys were scrapped in 1989 in favour of more conventional white ones, and the triangular shoulder stripes which adorned the post-"V" jerseys were discarded as well. The new incarnation was worn from 1989–92, when a subtle change was made – and went largely unnoticed for the rest of the jersey's lifespan. The orange was changed to red, and the deep "gold" colour was changed to a much brighter yellow, reportedly because jersey-maker
CCMCCM, formerly an initialism for Canada Cycle & Motor Co. Ltd., is a sporting goods brand. The brand is held by two separate entities both maintaining the CCM trademark, one manufacturing ice hockey equipment and the other, CCM manufacturing bicycles.-History:CCM was founded in 1899 after the...
no longer produced the required hues. In 1996, an alternate jersey was introduced, retaining the "Flying Skate" logo, but using a salmon colour graduating to black near the bottom.
In 1997 the Canucks unveiled a new logo, in which a Haida-style orca breaking out of a patch of ice forms a stylized "C". The logo has been much-maligned, accused of being a blatant reference to their parent company, Orca Bay (now Canucks Sports and Entertainment). At the time, general manager
Pat QuinnJohn Brian Patrick Quinn , is a former head coach in the National Hockey League , most recently with the Edmonton Oilers. Known by the nickname "The Big Irishman",...
discussed wanting to have a West Coast colour scheme, and overall West Coast themes in the logo; the colour scheme included blue, red, and silver. Beginning in 2001, an alternate jersey was utilized, with contrasting shoulder patches and a blue-to-maroon graduated colour in the body. In 2006 these gradient-coloured alternate jerseys were officially replaced with the popular, royal blue "Stick-in-Rink" uniforms from the 1970s.
Little more than halfway through the 2006–07 season, the Canucks announced that they would be changing their jerseys once again. While a report in February 2007 suggested the new scheme would be revealed on August 1, 2007, the new team jersey was actually unveiled prior to training camp, on August 29, 2007. It featured the same orca design present on their previous jerseys, but the colour scheme was updated to their "retro" colours of royal blue and kelly green. Additionally, the word "Vancouver" was added to the chest area above the orca. This move was seen as a way to connect the NHL Canucks' uniform to that of the WHL team, whose members wore uniforms with the word "Canucks" along the top in a similar arched design. The actual jerseys themselves were changed to the Rbk Edge design, along with all other teams in the NHL. The introduction was largely greeted with disappointment from fans and sports commentators, who criticized the uniforms for looking like a "copy and paste" of those from the past.
The Vancouver Sun described the new look as "decidedly unpopular."
On November 14, 2008, prior to their Sport Celebrities Festival, the Canucks released their new RBK Edge Third Jersey. While staying with the colours of Vancouver, and combining the old with the new, the jersey looks very similar to their home jersey. The modernized "Stick-in-Rink" logo unveiled the previous year on the shoulder of the main jerseys is used as the main crest. On the shoulder, a V with the head of
Johnny CanuckJohnny Canuck was a Canadian cartoon hero and superhero who was created as a political cartoon in 1869 and was later re-invented, most notably as a Second World War action hero in 1942...
on top is used. This is the first time in team history since joining the NHL that Johnny Canuck has appeared on a Vancouver uniform. Sports Illustrated rated it 13th overall out of the 19 third jerseys released for the 2008 season.
Media
After a relationship with CKNW stretching since the Canucks joined the NHL in 1970, the Canucks entered into a new radio broadcast deal in 2006 with
The Team 1040CKST is a radio station located in Vancouver, British Columbia, currently owned by Bell Media. It broadcasts at 1040 AM, has an all-sports format and is branded as the TEAM 1040...
– an
AMAM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
sports/talk station.
John ShorthouseJohn "Shorty" Shorthouse is a Canadian sports broadcaster, based in Vancouver. He is the lead play-by-play commentator for the Vancouver Canucks on the television station Rogers Sportsnet Pacific and the "Team 1040" when Vancouver games are not broadcast on Rogers Sportsnet Pacific.Shorthouse...
continues to call the play-by-play, as he has since 1999, though with his role on the Canucks' television broadcasts becoming more prominent in recent years, he is replaced for approximately 35 games per season by Rick Ball. He is joined with colour commentary by
Tom LarscheidTom Larscheid is a former Vancouver-based radio sports broadcaster and football player. After a career playing college and CFL football, he was the colour commentator for the CFL's BC Lions and the NHL's Vancouver Canucks for many years...
, who has been with the broadcasts since 1977. On July 28, 2010, Larscheid announced that he would be retiring at the start of the
2010–11 seasonThe 2010–11 Vancouver Canucks season was the 40th season in the modern Canucks' history. The Vancouver Canucks won their fifth Northwest division title, third conference championship and first Presidents Trophy...
. He called one final game, the season opener, before being replaced by
Dave TomlinsonDavid H. Tomlinson is a retired professional ice hockey centre. He played 42 games in the NHL for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets and Florida Panthers. After his NHL career, he went on to play 10 years of professional hockey in Europe. He is now a regular contributor and analyst for Team...
. The games aired on 14 stations across
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
In addition to national TV broadcasts on
Hockey Night in CanadaHockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
and on
TSNThe Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
, the Canucks also have arrangements with
Rogers Sportsnet PacificSportsnet was launched on October 9, 1998 as CTV Sportsnet. The name was chosen to match the regional "Fox Sports Net" operations across the United States...
to air 47 games (as of 2007–08 season). These games are called by Shorthouse and former Canucks goaltender John Garrett. In the past additional games aired on
pay-per-viewPay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
, which were radio
simulcastSimulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
s. On Friday, May 25, 2007, the Canucks and
SportsnetSportsnet was launched on October 9, 1998 as CTV Sportsnet. The name was chosen to match the regional "Fox Sports Net" operations across the United States...
signed a multi-year contract that will keep the channel as the club's primary broadcaster. Under the agreement,
Sportsnet PacificSportsnet was launched on October 9, 1998 as CTV Sportsnet. The name was chosen to match the regional "Fox Sports Net" operations across the United States...
aired 47 games in the 2007–08 NHL season and beginning that year select games were broadcast in
HDHigh-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
for the first time ever. For the 2010–11 season, Canucks pay-per-view was discontinued, as
Sportsnet Vancouver Hockey, a companion channel to the new national sports channel
Rogers Sportsnet OneSportsnet One is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel owned by Rogers Media.Sportsnet One is a national sports channel serving as a complementary service to Sportsnet, a regional sports network also owned by Rogers Media. The channel broadcasts in standard and high-definition...
, will air the remaining 13 regular season games not aired by Sportsnet Pacific. Additionally, as of the 2010–11 season, Rogers acquired the
naming rightsIn the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
to the Canucks' home arena.
Mascot
The Vancouver Canucks'
mascotThe term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
is an anthropomorphic killer whale (orca) named Fin Orca or Fin the Whale. He is often seen banging a
First NationsFirst Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
drum, or skating around during intermission firing t-shirts out of a compressed air cannon. On occasion, "smoke" also comes out of the "blowhole" on his head. Fin has his trademarked "chomping" where he "bites" the heads of fans.
Two fans of the Canucks unofficially became mascots of their team at the end of 2009, donning
zentaiZentai is a term for skin-tight garments that cover the entire body. The word is a contraction of zenshin taitsu...
-style skin-tight green bodsysuits in slightly different shades of green as
The Green MenThe Green Men, known as Force and Sully, are supporters of the Vancouver Canucks. They are known for sitting beside the opposing team's penalty box during Canucks games at Rogers Arena with their green full-body spandex suits. The suits are zentai, from the SuperFan Suit brand...
, and have been known to accompany their team on road games, as they did in the
2011 Stanley Cup FinalsThe 2011 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League , and the culmination of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was the 118th year of the Stanley Cup's presentation. The Eastern Conference Champion Boston Bruins defeated the Western Conference Champion Vancouver...
to the TD Garden against the
Boston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
.
Home arenas
The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena and skate out to
U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's
Where the Streets Have No Name"Where the Streets Have No Name" is a song by rock band U2. It is the opening track from their 1987 album The Joshua Tree and was released as the album's third single in August 1987. The song's hook is a repeating guitar arpeggio using a delay effect, played during the song's introduction and...
. The stadium opened in 1995 as General Motors Place, and seats up to 18,860 for Canucks games. Rogers Arena was also the
2010 Winter OlympicsThe 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
' ice hockey venue. The arena is owned and operated by Canucks Sports & Entertainment. Before moving to Rogers Arena, the Canucks played their home games at
Pacific ColiseumPacific Coliseum is an indoor arena, at Hastings Park, in Vancouver, British Columbia.Completed in 1968, at the former site of the Pacific National Exhibition, the arena currently holds 16,281, for ice hockey, though capacity at its opening was 15,713....
in
Hastings ParkHastings Park is located in the northeast sector of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in a neighbourhood called Hastings-Sunrise. Its name references Hastings, B.C., also known as New Brighton, which lay at the end of the Douglas Road from New Westminster, founded as a resort and watering-hole...
for 25 years. The arena currently holds 16,281 for ice hockey, though capacity at its opening was 15,713. During the 2010 Olympics, it was the venue for
figure skatingFigure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
and
short track speed skatingShort track speed skating is a form of competitive ice speed skating. In competitions, multiple skaters skate on an oval ice track with a circumference of 111.12 m...
. The Pacific Coliseum is now the home of the
Vancouver GiantsThe Vancouver Giants are a major junior ice hockey team playing in the Western Hockey League . Inaugurated in 2001–02, the Giants have won one President's Cup in 2006 and one Memorial Cup in 2007 in their ten-season history...
.
Top affiliates
- 1970–71 to 1971–72 Rochester Americans
The Rochester Americans are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and a top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial...
(AHLThe American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
)
- 1972–73 to 1974–75 Seattle Totems
The Seattle Totems were a professional ice hockey franchise in Seattle, Washington. They were a member of various minor professional and semi-professional leagues between 1945 and 1975. They played their home games in the Mercer Arena and later at the Seattle Center Coliseum...
(WHLThe Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
, CHL)
- 1975–76 to 1977–78 Tulsa Oilers (CHL)
- 1978–79 to 1981–82 Dallas Black Hawks
The Dallas Black Hawks were a minor-league professional ice hockey team in Dallas, Texas. They were a member of the Central Hockey League and played home games at State Fair Coliseum....
(CHL)
- 1982–83 to 1987–88 Fredericton Express
The Fredericton Express were a professional ice hockey team based in Fredericton, New Brunswick. They played in the American Hockey League between 1981 and 1988. The Express were affiliated with the Quebec Nordiques and Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League...
(AHL)
- 1988–89 to 1991–92 Milwaukee Admirals
The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA at the Bradley Center.-History:...
(IHL)
- 1992–93 to 1993–94 Hamilton Canucks
The franchise of the Hamilton Canucks was the top minor league affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks for two seasons in the American Hockey League. Today, the franchise is known as the Syracuse Crunch....
(AHL)
- 1994–95 to 1999–2000 Syracuse Crunch
The Syracuse Crunch are a minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Syracuse, New York, at the War Memorial at Oncenter...
(AHL)
- 2000–01 Kansas City Blades
The Kansas City Blades was a professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League from 1990–2001 until the demise of the league after the 2000–01 season. The Blades was based in Kansas City, Missouri at Kemper Arena....
(IHL)
- 2001–02 to 2010–11 Manitoba Moose
The Manitoba Moose were a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba that played in the International Hockey League from 1996 to 2001 and American Hockey League from 2001 to 2011. The team moved to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in 2011 to become the St...
(AHL)
- 2011–12 to present Chicago Wolves
The Chicago Wolves are a professional hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. They are the top affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL. The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois...
(AHL)
Secondary affiliates
- 2002–03 to 2005–06 Columbia Inferno
The Columbia Inferno are an ECHL team based in Columbia, South Carolina. The team is currently on voluntary suspension awaiting construction of a new arena in suburban Lexington County. They played their home games at the Carolina Coliseum. They planned on playing in a new arena during the...
(ECHLThe ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
)
- 2006–07 to 2010–11 Victoria Salmon Kings
The Victoria Salmon Kings were a professional ice hockey team based in Victoria, British Columbia. They were members of the Mountain Division of the Western Conference of the ECHL, debuting in the 2004–05 ECHL season and folding after the 2010–11 ECHL season as the Chilliwack Bruins WHL franchise...
(ECHL)
- 2011–12 to present Kalamazoo Wings
The Kalamazoo Wings, nicknamed the K-Wings, are a mid-level professional ice hockey team in Kalamazoo, Michigan. A member of the ECHL's Eastern Conference, North Division, they play in the 5,113-seat Wings Stadium....
(ECHLThe ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
)
Season-by-season record
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Records as of April 10, 2011.
| Season |
GP |
W |
L |
OTL |
Pts |
GF |
GA |
Finish |
Playoffs |
| 2006–07 |
82 |
49 |
26 |
7 |
105 |
222 |
201 |
1st, Northwest |
Lost in Conference Semifinals, 1–4 (DucksThe Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
) |
| 2007–08 |
82 |
39 |
33 |
10 |
88 |
213 |
215 |
5th, Northwest |
Did not qualify |
2008–09The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
|
82 |
45 |
27 |
10 |
100 |
246 |
220 |
1st, Northwest |
Lost in Conference Semifinals, 2–4 (Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
) |
2009–10The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
|
82 |
49 |
28 |
5 |
103 |
272 |
222 |
1st, Northwest |
Lost in Conference Semifinals, 2–4 (Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
) |
| 2010–11 |
82 |
54 |
19 |
9 |
117 |
262 |
185 |
1st, Northwest |
Lost in Finals, 3–4 (BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
) |
Team captains
There have been 13 Canucks players who have served as the captain. The franchise's first captain was
Orland KurtenbachOrland John Kurtenbach is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. A centre notable for his defensive skill and as one of the toughest fighters in the game, he played for several National Hockey League teams during his twenty professional seasons, principally the Vancouver...
, who captained the team until his retirement in 1974. The longest-tenured Canucks captain was
Stan SmylStanley Philip Smyl is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger. As a junior, he appeared in three consecutive Memorial Cups with the New Westminster Bruins, winning the championship twice in 1977 and 1978...
, who was appointed for eight seasons.
Trevor LindenTrevor John Linden, C.M., O.B.C. is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre and right wing with four different teams: the Vancouver Canucks , New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals...
, who captained from 1990 to 1997, played 16 seasons with the Canucks, a franchise high. Swedish winger
Markus NaslundSten Markus Näslund is a Swedish ice hockey general manager for Modo Hockey and a retired professional winger. He played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, as well as in the Elitserien with Modo Hockey...
, who captained for seven seasons, was the only non-Canadian to have captained the Canucks until fellow Swede
Henrik SedinHenrik Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . His identical twin brother Daniel also plays for the Canucks. Having played together throughout their careers, the pair are known for their effectiveness playing off one...
was named captain for the . Smyl and Sedin are the only Canucks captains to have spent their entire NHL playing careers with the team.
Though
goaltenderIn ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
s are not permitted to act as captains during games,
Roberto LuongoRoberto Luongo is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . Born in Montreal, Quebec, he is of Italian and Irish ancestry. He employs the butterfly style of goaltending...
served as the captain from 2008 to 2010, but because of the NHL rule against goaltender captains, the league did not allow Luongo to serve as on-ice captain . In his place, the three alternate captains were responsible for dealing with
officialsIn ice hockey, an official is a person who has some responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game. There are two categories of officials, on-ice officials, who are the referees and linesmen that enforce the rules during game play, and off-ice officials, who have an...
during games. They also handled ceremonial face-offs. Luongo was not permitted to wear the "C" on his jersey, but instead incorporated it into the artwork on the front of one of his masks for the early months of the
2008–09 seasonThe 2008–09 Vancouver Canucks season was the 38th season in the National Hockey League.-Off-season:On June 17, 2008, the Canucks named Ryan Walter as an assistant coach. He joined head coach Alain Vigneault and assistant coach Rick Bowness on the Canucks' coaching staff...
.
Honoured members
Hall of Famers
Players
- Igor Larionov
Igor Nikolayevich Larionov is a Russian retired professional ice hockey player, known as The Professor. Along with Viacheslav Fetisov, he was instrumental in breaking the barrier that stopped Soviet players from joining the National Hockey League . He primarily played the centre position, and is...
, C, 1989–1992, inducted 2008
- Mark Messier
Mark Douglas Messier is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League and current special assistant to the president and general manager of the New York Rangers. He spent a quarter of a century in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver...
, C, 1997–2000, inducted 2007
- Cam Neely
Cameron Michael Neely is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played right wing for the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League from 1983 to 1996. He currently serves as the president of the Boston Bruins.-Playing career:Cam Neely was born in Comox,...
, RW, 1983–1986, inducted 2005
Builders
- Frank Griffiths
Frank A. Griffiths was a Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada media mogul through his company, Western International Communications Ltd. ....
, owner, 1974–1994, inducted 1993
- Jake Milford
John Calverley "Jake" Milford was a general manager in the National Hockey League....
, general manager, 1977–1982, inducted 1984
- Roger Neilson
Roger Paul Neilson, CM was a National Hockey League coach, and was responsible for many innovations in the game...
, assistant/head coach, 1981–1984, inducted 2002
- Bud Poile
Norman Robert "Bud" Poile was a professional ice hockey player, coach, general manager, and league executive.-Overview:Poile was born in Fort William, Ontario and played junior hockey for the Fort William Rangers...
, general manager, 1970–1973, inducted 1990
Broadcasters
- Jim Robson
Jim Robson was a radio and television broadcaster for the Vancouver Canucks from 1970 to 1999...
, 1970–1999, inducted 1992
Retired numbers
- 12 Stan Smyl
Stanley Philip Smyl is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger. As a junior, he appeared in three consecutive Memorial Cups with the New Westminster Bruins, winning the championship twice in 1977 and 1978...
, RW, 1978–1991, number retired November 3, 1991.
- 16 Trevor Linden
Trevor John Linden, C.M., O.B.C. is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre and right wing with four different teams: the Vancouver Canucks , New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals...
, RW, 1988–1998 and 2001–2008, number retired December 17, 2008.
- 19 Markus Naslund
Sten Markus Näslund is a Swedish ice hockey general manager for Modo Hockey and a retired professional winger. He played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, as well as in the Elitserien with Modo Hockey...
, LW, 1996–2008, number retired December 11, 2010.
Numbers taken out of circulation
- 11 Wayne Maki
Wayne Maki was a professional ice hockey player and an early star of the Vancouver Canucks club in the NHL.Maki was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. He broke into professional hockey in 1964 with the St...
, LW, 1970–1973, taken out of circulation following his death from brain cancer on May 1, 1974. Mark MessierMark Douglas Messier is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League and current special assistant to the president and general manager of the New York Rangers. He spent a quarter of a century in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver...
(C, 1997–2000) is the only Canucks player to have worn it since.
- 28 Luc Bourdon
Luc Bourdon was a Canadian professional Ice Hockey Defenceman who played for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League and their American Hockey League affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, from 2006 until 2008...
, D, 2006–2008, taken out of circulation following his death in a motorcycle accident on May 29, 2008.
- 99 Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
, number retired league-wide February 6, 2000 at the 2000 NHL All-Star Game.
Ring of Honour inductees
- Orland Kurtenbach
Orland John Kurtenbach is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. A centre notable for his defensive skill and as one of the toughest fighters in the game, he played for several National Hockey League teams during his twenty professional seasons, principally the Vancouver...
, C, 1970–1974, inducted October 26, 2010.
- Kirk McLean
Kirk Alan McLean is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League for the New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers...
, G, 1987–1998, inducted November 24, 2010.
- Thomas Gradin
Thomas Kjell Gradin was a professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League from 1978 to 1987. He is best remembered for the 8 seasons he spent with the Vancouver Canucks, and remains one of the top players in that franchise's history.-NHL career:Gradin was already one of the top...
, C, 1978–1986, inducted January 24, 2011.
- Harold Snepsts
Harold John Snepsts is a retired professional ice hockey player who spent 17 seasons in the National Hockey League...
, D, 1974–1984; 1988–1990, inducted March 14, 2011.
Draft picks
The Canucks selected
Dale TallonDale Tallon is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and current General Manager for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League ....
, a
defencemanDefence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
from the
Toronto MarlborosThe Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club, commonly known as the Toronto Marlboros, was founded in 1903. It operated a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association and Ontario Hockey League from 1904 to 1989...
with their first pick, second overall in the
1970 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1970 NHL Amateur Draft was held on June 11, 1970 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft...
. The Canucks also drafted
Trevor LindenTrevor John Linden, C.M., O.B.C. is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre and right wing with four different teams: the Vancouver Canucks , New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals...
from the
Medicine Hat TigersThe Medicine Hat Tigers are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League who play out of Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. Established in 1970, the team has won two national Memorial Cups, five WHL League Championships and seven Division Titles. The Tigers play at the Medicine Hat Arena....
in
1988The 1988 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Forum in Montreal, Quebec.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft...
. The Canucks, all-time, had thirteen top five draft picks but never got the first overall pick. The Canucks are one of the two franchises in the NHL to have drafted two twin brothers in the same year. They drafted
Daniel SedinDaniel Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League , and serves as an alternate captain for the Canucks during home games. His identical twin brother Henrik also plays for the Canucks, and is the team captain...
second overall and
Henrik SedinHenrik Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . His identical twin brother Daniel also plays for the Canucks. Having played together throughout their careers, the pair are known for their effectiveness playing off one...
third overall in
1999The 1999 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 26 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts. According to Sports Illustrated and other sports news agencies, at the time the 1999 draft was considered one of the deepest in talent in years, headed by Patrik Stefan and the Sedin twins. However, the...
.
Franchise scoring leaders
These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Canucks player
| Player |
Pos |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
P/G |
Markus NaslundSten Markus Näslund is a Swedish ice hockey general manager for Modo Hockey and a retired professional winger. He played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, as well as in the Elitserien with Modo Hockey...
|
LW |
882 |
346 |
410 |
756 |
0.86 |
Trevor LindenTrevor John Linden, C.M., O.B.C. is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre and right wing with four different teams: the Vancouver Canucks , New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals...
|
RW/C |
1140 |
318 |
415 |
733 |
0.64 |
Henrik SedinHenrik Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . His identical twin brother Daniel also plays for the Canucks. Having played together throughout their careers, the pair are known for their effectiveness playing off one...
* |
C |
817 |
160 |
515 |
675 |
0.82 |
| Stan Smyl Stanley Philip Smyl is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger. As a junior, he appeared in three consecutive Memorial Cups with the New Westminster Bruins, winning the championship twice in 1977 and 1978...
|
RW |
896 |
262 |
411 |
673 |
0.75 |
Daniel SedinDaniel Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League , and serves as an alternate captain for the Canucks during home games. His identical twin brother Henrik also plays for the Canucks, and is the team captain...
* |
LW |
794 |
252 |
409 |
661 |
0.83 |
| Thomas Gradin Thomas Kjell Gradin was a professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League from 1978 to 1987. He is best remembered for the 8 seasons he spent with the Vancouver Canucks, and remains one of the top players in that franchise's history.-NHL career:Gradin was already one of the top...
|
C |
613 |
197 |
353 |
550 |
0.90 |
Pavel BurePavel Vladimirovich Bure is a retired Russian professional ice hockey right winger. Nicknamed "The Russian Rocket" for his speed, Bure played for 12 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers...
|
RW |
428 |
254 |
224 |
478 |
1.12 |
| Tony Tanti Tony Tanti is a retired professional ice hockey player. He was a left winger and played the majority of his career in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks...
|
RW |
531 |
250 |
220 |
470 |
0.89 |
Todd BertuzziTodd Bertuzzi is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League...
|
RW |
518 |
188 |
261 |
449 |
0.87 |
| Don Lever Donald Richard "Cleaver" Lever is the head coach of the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League and a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1972–73 until 1986–87.-Playing career:Lever was drafted 3rd overall by the...
|
LW |
593 |
186 |
221 |
407 |
0.69 |
Head coaches
There have been 16
head coachA head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
es for the Canucks. The franchise's first head coach was
Hal LaycoeHarold Richardson Laycoe was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman.Laycoe started his National Hockey League career with the New York Rangers. He would also play with the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins. His playing career lasted from 1945 to 1956...
, who coached the Canucks for two seasons.
Marc CrawfordMarc Joseph John Crawford is a Canadian professional ice hockey head coach, most recently employed by the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League. He was previously the head coach of three other organizations and won a Stanley Cup in 1996 with the Colorado Avalanche...
coached the most games of any Canucks head coach with 529 games and has the most points all-time with the Canucks with 586 points. He is followed by
Pat QuinnJohn Brian Patrick Quinn , is a former head coach in the National Hockey League , most recently with the Edmonton Oilers. Known by the nickname "The Big Irishman",...
, who has 310 points all-time with the Canucks.
Alain Vigneault has the most points in a season of any Canucks coach, with 117 in the
2010–11 seasonThe 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
.
Roger NeilsonRoger Paul Neilson, CM was a National Hockey League coach, and was responsible for many innovations in the game...
is the only
Hockey Hall of FameThe Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
inductee to coach the Canucks. Quinn and Vigneault are the only two Canucks head coaches to win a
Jack Adams AwardThe Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." It has been awarded 37 times to 32 different coaches. The winner is selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association at the end of the...
with the team.
Bill LaForgeBill LaForge was a Canadian ice hockey head coach. He was born in Edmonton, Alberta. He coached the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League into the Memorial Cup tournament of 1984...
, who coached the start of the 1984 season, has the least points with the Canucks (10).
Harry NealeHarold Watson Neale is a hockey colour commentator, who currently works for the Buffalo Sabres on the Sabres Hockey Network...
served the most terms as head coach of the Canucks with three while Pat Quinn served two. Vigneault has been the head coach of the Canucks since the 2006–07 season.
Franchise
Franchise individual records
- Most goals in a season: Pavel Bure
Pavel Vladimirovich Bure is a retired Russian professional ice hockey right winger. Nicknamed "The Russian Rocket" for his speed, Bure played for 12 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers...
, 60 (1992–93 and 1993–94)
- Most assists in a season: Henrik Sedin
Henrik Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . His identical twin brother Daniel also plays for the Canucks. Having played together throughout their careers, the pair are known for their effectiveness playing off one...
, 83 (2009–10The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
)
- Most points in a season: Henrik Sedin
Henrik Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . His identical twin brother Daniel also plays for the Canucks. Having played together throughout their careers, the pair are known for their effectiveness playing off one...
, 112 (2009–10The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
)
- Highest plus/minus in a season: Christian Ehrhoff
Christian Ehrhoff is a German professional ice hockey defenceman who plays for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League...
, 36 (2009–10The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
); Daniel SedinDaniel Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League , and serves as an alternate captain for the Canucks during home games. His identical twin brother Henrik also plays for the Canucks, and is the team captain...
, 36 (2009–10The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
), tied
- Most penalty minutes in a season: Donald Brashear
Donald Brashear is an American-Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who is currently a member of the Rivière-du-Loup CIMT in the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey . He previously played for five organizations in the National Hockey League . His main role is that of an enforcer. He was...
, 372 (1997–98)
- Most points in a season, defenceman: Doug Lidster
John Douglas Andrew Lidster is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played in the NHL...
, 63 (1986–87)
- Most points in a season, rookie: Ivan Hlinka
Ivan Hlinka was a Czech professional ice hockey player and coach. He was one of the most important figures in Czech ice hockey.-Playing career:...
, 60 (1981–82); Pavel Bure, 60 (1991–92), tied
- Most wins in a season: Roberto Luongo
Roberto Luongo is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . Born in Montreal, Quebec, he is of Italian and Irish ancestry. He employs the butterfly style of goaltending...
, 47 (2006–07)
- Most shutouts in a season: Roberto Luongo
Roberto Luongo is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . Born in Montreal, Quebec, he is of Italian and Irish ancestry. He employs the butterfly style of goaltending...
, 9 (2008–09The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
)
- Lowest GAA
Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender....
in a season (min. 30 GPGames played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
): Roberto LuongoRoberto Luongo is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . Born in Montreal, Quebec, he is of Italian and Irish ancestry. He employs the butterfly style of goaltending...
, 2.11 (2010–11The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
)
- Best SV%
Save percentage is an ice hockey and lacrosse statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal a goaltender stops...
in a season (min. 30 GP): Roberto LuongoRoberto Luongo is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . Born in Montreal, Quebec, he is of Italian and Irish ancestry. He employs the butterfly style of goaltending...
, .928 (2010–11)
External links