Puck Daddy’s Summer Series: The Vancouver Canucks from A to Zed

(Ed. Note: August is known to be a very quiet month in the hockey world. As we wait for September to arrive and training camps to begin, let’s learn a little history about all 30 teams. Behold, our summer A-Z(ed) series, in which we ask fans of all 30 teams to drop some knowledge on us! Add your own choices in the comments!)

By: Jocelyn Aspa

A. Alain Vignault

I have no shame admitting I miss Alain Vigneault a lot of the time.

He’s sort of become the winningest coach of the Presidents’ Trophy and bridesmaid to the Stanley Cup, which includes his time with the Canucks and the Rangers. AV coached the team from 2006 up until his firing in 2013, coaching some of the best seasons this hockey club has ever seen, including that too-good-to-be-true year in 2010-11 with 117 points at the end of the regular season (let’s not talk about what happened on June 15, 2011, though).

B. Back-to-back hat-tricks [by Alex Burrows]

League-wide fan favourite, Alex Burrows, recorded back-to-back hat tricks in January, 2010. The first against the Blue Jackets on January 5 in a 7-3 victory.

The second one came on January 7 in a4-0 shutout over the Phoenix Coyotes. It was the first time a Vancouver Canuck had done this since Petri Skriko did in 1986.

C. Canuck Place

Canuck Place is a children’s hospice, specialising in care for children with life-threatening illnesses.

Its door opened in 1995, and has served as a home away from home for families across British Columbia as their children get around-the-clock care from its providers.

Not only is it a place for children to get the care they need, every year members of the Vancouver Canucks participate in events with the children and their families, including pumpkin carving, gift deliveries and a skating party at Rogers Arena.

Here’s a quick peekinside Canuck Place.

D. Dice and Ice

Dice and Ice kind of goes hand-in-hand with the above Canuck Place, an annual charity event for the Canucks for Kids Fund. The event’s proceeds go directly to the Canucks Autism Network and Canuck Place Children’s Hospice. In return, guests who buy tickets to the event get to spend time with players, coaches and management from the team, participate in silent and live auctions and enjoy a three-course meal, all for a measly $350.00 a ticket. But, charity!

Here are some personal favourite past moments:

E. Empty Netter

Empty netters are great, when your team scores them for your team. The Canucks, however, are great at allowing empty netters, and even better when it’s AN OWN EMPTY-NETTER.

On March 21, 2009 against the Phoenix Coyotes, Shane O’Brien, a member of the Vancouver Canucks at the time, scored an empty netter against his own team on a DELAYED PENALTY. It’s so embarrassing that I can’t even watch, so you’ll have to watch it for me.

The Canucks lost that game 5-1, so it was a really great night overall.

F. Flying V

Love it or hate it, the Canucks’ second jersey in franchise history was a sight to be seen.

Introduced in 1978, the jersey faded out after seven seasons, although not due to lack of colour.

With yellow, orange and black shaping a v down the front, it’s still highly regarded as one of the most hideous jerseys in the league; you be the judge.

G. Greg Adams! Greg Adams!

The Canucks have a knack for winning game fives in double overtime on May 24 to send them to the Stanley Cup Final — (although their SCF record could use some work). The first came in 1994 against the Toronto Maple Leafs where Greg Adams made a name for himself with Jim Robson’s call. Honestly, this call just doesn’t get old.

No, there’s a lump in YOUR throat.

H. Heritage Classic

The Canucks’ Heritage Classic on March 2, 2014, was supposed to be amazing and wonderful and all things great with a fairy tail ending with Luongo and Lack riding off into the sunset together.

Luongo rode backseat to the backup goalie, Eddie Lack who got the start. Luongo has said himself that if Tortorella had given him the start, maybe he’d still be a Canuck. Through no fault of his own, Lack had to sit through a Luongo chant that erupted throughout BC Place; the Canucks lost 4-2 to the Ottawa Senators, and the entire game played out like an episode of daytime soap opera television.

No controversy between these two, though. (I’m being serious!)

Then again, can you blame the guy?

I. It was 3-0

The Canucks have blown 3-0 leads on more than one occasion, whether it’s a game or being up 3-0 in a playoff series, it’s A Reoccurring Thing™ that’s happened, but this one stands out.

If the 2013-14 season wasn’t already bad enough, this game in particular sealed the deal when, on March 10, 2014, the Canucks were up 3-0 against the Islanders heading into the third period. A three-goal lead heading into the final frame guarantees a win, right? WRONG. It wasn’t that they bore the lead, it’s that they allowed SEVEN UNANSWERED GOALS IN ONE PERIOD. WHO DOES THAT? (Teams coached by John Tortorella, I guess.)

Check out the highlights from this incredibly memorable game in Canucks history.

J. Jovocop

Jovocop is a nickname derived from the 1980s classic film, Robocop and beloved former defenseman, #55 from the Vancouver Canucks, Ed Jovanovski. Jovo(cop) was traded to the Canucks in 1999 from Florida in a seven-player deal, and basked in the West Coast Express era glow, with a career-high 17 goals in the 2001-02 season. His most memorable moment came in Game 7 against Calgary on April 19, 2004 as he sat — rather, stood — in the penalty boxand watched Matt Cooke score the tying goal to push the game to overtime.

I still kinda miss the guy sometimes.

K. Kurtenbach, Orland

No-brainer here, Orland Kurtenbach was the franchise’s first captain after being acquired by the Canucks when they joined the league in 1970. In his first season with the Canucks, Kurtenbach recorded 53 points in 52 games. Orland’s Kurtencall came four years later when he retired.

On October 26, 2010, was the first player inducted to the Canucks’ Ring of Honour.

L. Linden, Trevor

Let’s focus on Trevor Linden the player, not Trevor Linden, current president of hockey operations of the Canucks, because I still like Trevor Linden, the player.

Where do I even start. He’s still literally the face of the franchise. Drafted in 1988, Linden spent 10 years in Vancouver up until the Trade We Won’t Talk About happened on February 6, 1998. When he was traded back on November 10, 2001, it was almost like no time had passed at all. Linden played the rest of his career in a Canucks uniform, The Way God Intended.

In 1140 games played with the Canucks, he recorded 415 assists and 318 goals for a total of 733 points. The standing ovation in his last game played remains one of the most emotional hockey moments I’ve ever been a part of.

Linden officially announced his retirement on June 11, 2008, 20 years to the day he was drafted. Six months later, on December 17, 2008, his jersey was officially retired. Because as if anyone else could ever wear the number 16.

M. Mark Messier

I didn’t want to talk about it, but it’s hard not to. How can it not be talked about. Mark Messier is literally the worst thing that has ever happened to the Canucks. Mark Messier was a free agent when he signed with the Canucks on July 28, 1997, ultimately stripping Trevor Linden of captaincy. Apparently, in a Reddit AMA, he admitted to wishing he had never taken it.

Messier spent three years too long in a Canucks uniform, the first one his worst season since his first season in the NHL. After his stint in Vancouver ended in 2000, he returned to New York, where he should’ve stayed all along. Now, he bombards our TVS in Rogers commercials, warming the hearts of Canucks fans all across Canada.

Let us not forget his Lays chips commercials, too.

N. Nazzy

As if this could be for anyone else — Markus Naslund spent 12 years with the Canucks, from 1996 to 2008, eight of them as captain. Naslund remains third overall in points for Canucks’ with 756; not bad for a guy who hasn’t played for the team since 2008. (We’ll just pretend he retired a Canuck and didn’t spend a season with the New York Rangers).

A personal favourite memory of mine, Nazzy had a six-point night on February 25, 2003.

In 2010, Naslund finally came home (he hadn’t come back to play in the arena as a visitor), and officially had his jersey retired.

O. Off the Stanchion

This is probably Bieksa’s best moment in a Canucks uniform, although he couldn’t have done it without a little help from his friends (the stanchion. It’s his only friend).

On May 24, 2011, Bieksa’s double overtime goal off the stanchion, in game five against the San Jose Sharks, sent the Canucks to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1994.

Sigh. Memories. We could have had it all.

P. Pat Quinn

How do you talk about a man like Pat Quinn without getting a lump in your throat or mist in your eyes. No matter what team you’re a fan of in this league, we all feel something him.

Quinn joined the Canucks in 1987-88 as president and general manager. Quinn took over as coach in 1991 when the coaching ban was lifted, and coached the team until November 1997, when he was fired. It’s hard not to associate Pat Quinn with ‘94, because he made something out of a team that finished seventh in the Western Conference and took them all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.

Quinn passed away on November 23, 2014, in Vancouver. On March 17, 2015, before the game against the Philadelphia Flyers, the Canucks paid tribute to Quinn in a pre-game ceremony. We miss you, Pat.

Q. Quadruple Overtime

On April 11, 2007, Roberto Luongo played his first playoff game in a 72-save performance that ended in a 5-4 victory in quadruple overtime against the Dallas Stars. Henrik Sedin served as overtime heroin this sixth-longest playoff game in playoff history.

R. Russian Rocket

Pavel Bure was given the nickname Russian Rocket for his speed, and, boy…

HE.

WAS.

FAST.

He’s still probably the most exciting player to ever put on a Canucks uniform, and he hasn’t played for the team since being traded on January 17, 1999 to the Florida Panthers in a trade that brought the Canucks Ed Jovanovski, among others. While Bure only played 12 seasons in the NHL, he packed a lot in to a short career. Bure had back-to-back 60 goal seasons in ‘92-93 and ‘94-95, something that hasn’t been done since then.

Here’s a peek at what 60 goals in a season looks like:

In 702 games played with the Canucks, Bure had 437 goals and 342 assists, for a total of 779 points. That seems okay, I guess. Although his relationship ended poorly with the team, and is said to have been bad from the start, his jersey was officially retired on November 2, 2013. (Rightfully so.)

S. Sedinery! Wizardous Sedinery!

This almost doesn’t even need an explanation because Sedinery (Wizardous Sedinery, that is), is when the Sedins do something magical on the ice, which is almost every time they are.

The Swedish twins have spent the entire length of their career in a Canucks uniform since they were drafted in 1999, and I still don’t know how we’ve been so #blessed to have them on our team for so long, but I hope they never leave. Or, maybe go somewhere where they can maybe have nice things because I feel like that will never here.

There’s not much to really say about Sedinery because seeing is believing, so I’ll just let their magic do the talking.

Example #1:

Example #2:

Example #3:

Example #4:

Example #5:

(I could go on, just so you know…)

T. Towel Power

Towel Power was born on April 29, 1982, when head coach Roger Nielsen raised a white flag on a hockey stick in protest to the referees after numerous penalties had been called, a disallowed Canucks’ goal and a Blackhawks powerplay goal (a trifecta still relevant today — who knew).

Nielsen was ejected from the game, but when the team returned to Vancouver for the following two games, fans showed their support by waving white towels over their heads, a tradition carried throughout the league today.

U. Utica Comets

The Comets are the Canucks’ current AHL affiliate team. The franchise has been around since 1932, when they first went by the Quebec Beavers (oh my god how Canadian is that, why isn’t there a Canadian team called the Beavers now?).

The franchise was purchased by Canucks Sports & Entertainment in 2013, and has been their AHL affiliate since then, winning a divisional and conference championship in 2014-15. The Comets recently unveiled their new jerseys for the 2015-16 season, and they’re lookin’ pretty good, guys.

V. Vern Fiddler’s Kevin Bieksa impression

On February 28, 2012, in Dallas, Vern Fiddler did us all a solid and made fun of Kevin Bieksa’s face. This is more about Alain Vigneault’s reaction to Vern Fiddler’s Kevin Bieksa impression than anything (my god, that’s a mouthful). But, either way, there wouldn’t have been one without the other, and I’m pretty grateful for the entire situation.

Honestly, I could watch this forever:

W. West Coast Express

From 2002 to 2006, the Canucks’ top line dominated the NHL: they were Todd Bertuzzi, Brendan Morrison and Markus Naslund.

2003 saw the line’s best year (Naslund, 104 points, Bertuzzi, 97 points and Morrison, 71 points). 2006 saw the end of the West Coast Express era when Bertuzzi was part of the trade that brought us Roberto Luongo (I’ll be over here weeping, now).

Big Bert talks about what it was like playing with Naslund and Morrison here.

X. (shut outs) x’s 2

Guys, I miss Roberto Luongo. Two consecutive Novembers in a row, Luongo posted a series of shutouts. But, like all good series, they eventually come to an end. The first series came the week of November 25-20, 2007 against Chicago, Anaheim and Columbus, making 79 saves. The streak ended at 210:34, the longest shutout streak in franchise history up until that point.

Almost exactly a year later, Luongo extended the shutout streak to 242:36, with 81 saves. Fallen victims included Nashville, Phoenix and Minnesota. Here’s some highlights from former Canuck captain, Roberto Luongo making saves and stuff.

Y. You know he’ll play

Game 6 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals between the Canucks and the Rangers at Pacific Coliseum goes down as one of the most memorable games in Canucks history, I’m pretty sure this is undisputed; it was an emotional home game for the Canucks in which they trounced the Rangers 4-1 to send the series back to Madison Square for a seventh game, Jim Robson’s ‘he will play, you know he’ll play, he’ll play on crutches!’ still gets the majority of this fanbase in the feels. I’m not crying, you’re crying.

Z. Zezel, Peter

In two seasons with the Canucks, Peter Zezel only played 66 games with the club, but that’s not why he’s being mentioned.

Zezel’s career unexpectedly ended in 1998-99 at the trade deadline. He had requested a trade to the Eastern Conference to be closer to his niece in Toronto, who was terminally ill with cancer. Yet, then-GM, Brian Burke, dealt him to the Ducks, and Zezel responded by retiring and heading home. Zezel’s niece passed away a few months later in May. As if this couldn’t get any sadder, Zezel himself died 10 years later on May 26, 2009, from a rare blood disorder.

Meet the author: Jocelyn Aspa is a journalism student in Vancouver, BC. She often wonders why she’s been a Canucks fan since the early 2000’s. She’s overly protective of the Sedins like they’re her children (of which she has none). Follow her on Twitter, @jocelynaspa.