#TICH: Queen Elizabeth Drops the Puck at GM Place

October 6, 2015 By Justine Galo Leave a Comment

Today in Canucks History…

Queen Elizabeth II performed the ceremonial puck drop at GM Place on October 6, 2002. The Canucks were facing the San Jose Sharks. Captains Markus Naslund and Mike Ricci took part in the ceremony with Wayne Gretzky present as well as Ed Jovanovski and Cassie Campbell wearing their Team Canada jerseys and their gold medals.

This was the Queen’s second NHL game. She and husband, Prince Phillip, were on tour in Canada to celebrate the 50th anniversary of her reign. You’d think since the Queen was dropping the puck, Mike Ricci would have washed his hair.

Just a few pictures from that night.

Setting up the red carpet for Queen Elizabeth II. Oct 6, 2002

Queen Elizabeth on the red carpet with Gretzky. Walking by (L to R) Dan Cloutier, Todd Bertuzzi, Trent Klatt, Murray Barron, Trevor Linden and Markus Naslund of the Vancouver Canucks.

Queen Elizabeth II drops the puck during the ceremonial face-off between Markus Naslund (right) of the Vancouver Canucks and Mike Ricci of the San Jose Sharks at General Motors Place in Vancouver, B.C. on Sunday, October 6, 2002. Looking on is Ed Jovanovski (left), Cassie Campbell and Wayne Gretzky. (CP PHOTO/Chuck Stoody)

In action, Queen Elizabeth II drops the puck Oct.6, 2002.

In action, Queen Elizabeth II drops the puck between San Jose Sharks Captain, Mike Ricci and Canucks Captain, Markus Naslund. Oct.6, 2002.

The Queen having a chat with and handing the puck to Markus Naslund.

#TICH

@Aviewfrombroad

Hellos, Goodbyes and Limbos

October 6, 2015 By Justine Galo Leave a Comment

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful off-season and maybe enjoyed the incredible sunny summer we had here in Vancouver. If not, I still hope you had good off-season regardless. In just over 24 hours, the puck drops officially to start the regular season for the NHL. For the Canucks, they start off where it ended last year, in Calgary. Flames centre, Sam Bennett is now 19 years old, and I’m sure if it’s a nationally televised game, we are all sure to be reminded throughout the broadcast of that fact.

The Canucks are looking a little different than last year. Gone are Eddie Lack, Kevin Bieksa, Nick Bonino, Brad Richardson and Shawn Matthias. A few surprises from training camp and the commitment from management to get younger came to fruition as we head into opening night. This is the first preseason since 2009 that I’ve actually cared enough to watch because the roster was less predictable. Here are some the players I want to focus on that are now gone, new for the season to the Big Club and those stuck in limbo.

HELLO

Hutton having his way with Oilers Forward, Connor McDavid.

Ben Hutton : A nice surprise out of training camp and the pre-season. Defenseman, Ben Hutton (22) manages to take the roster spot that was penciled in for Frank Corrado. Hutton had a three helper game during the preseason and played extremely well to garner a spot with the big club, at least momentarily.

Jared McCann gets a chance in the bigs.

Jared McCann: Picked later in the 2014 draft, sames as Jake Virtanen, the draft-mates make the Canucks 23 man roster. McCann has shown some hands, some grit and a whole lot of enthusiasm in the preseason. So much so, it was a factor in putting Linden Vey on waivers to make room.

Virtanen’s been so good in the preseason, he was scoring goals off his head!

Jake Virtanen: Virtanen has been put on the ice with a few different combinations but he made it work for him no matter who his linemates were. He even scored a goal with his head vs. the Edmonton Oilers.

Markstrom facing Taylor Hall.

Jakob Marstrom: With the departure of Eddie Lack in an off season trade to Carolina, another Swedish goalie takes his spot as the team’s backup to Ryan Miller. Jakob Markstrom brought the Utica Comets to the Calder Cup final in the AHL and was within a game of winning it all. Markstrom has looked sharp this preseason and eased the minds of some of the doubtful, for now.

GOODBYE

I will miss the Lack Dance.

Eddie Lack: A huge fan favourite, Eddie Lack, with an incredibly likable personality was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes to bring up Jakob Markstrom from the AHL. He played with all his heart, even during the tough games. It’s a big reason why he will be missed here in Vancouver. Slotted into another back up job in Carolina is Lack, but who knows, perhaps Cam Ward will be best advised to be on his toes. Lack can get a lot of people excited, but unfortunately for Eddie, the amount of arena regulars is significant drop from what he was used to in Vancouver. While in Raleigh, he can discover some great southern cooking.

Now an Anaheim Duck, I will be pulling out my hair a little less.

Kevin Bieksa: Another fan favourite has left, but it was probably the best for the team. Bieksa, in my opinion, has lost a lot of what made him such a good player in the prime of his career. Let’s not also forget the injuries he has sustained since the 2011 run. A little slower of foot, and some lapse in judgment on the ice sent him packing to Anaheim. His third pairing spot has been taken by the man with some fast wheels, Matt Bartkowski, from the Boston Bruins. However, I have a strange feeling Kevin Bieksa will find his way back to Vancouver once his playing career is over.

LIMBO

Frank Corrado is put on waivers.

Frank Corrado: A bit of a surprise here, Frank Corrado has been put on waivers with the intent to be sent down to Utica. At the beginning of training camp, many fans and media alike, were expecting to see 26 in a Canucks uniform. Corrado played just fine, but Ben Hutton stole the show and Frankie’s job. Also on waivers with Corrado are centre, Linden Vey and defenseman, Alex Biega. ADDITION: Corrado was picked up on waivers by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

$Higgins' fractured foot seemingly is on the mend, but those abs though.$

Higgins’ fractured foot seemingly is on the mend, but those abs though.

Chris Higgins: The untimely injury for Higgins, one of our better defensive forwards, made training camp interesting. It allowed Virtanen and McCann to get a spot on the roster. Higgins’ recovery is ahead of schedule and will make for a very interesting juggling game for management and the coaching staff.

With these changes to the Vancouver Canucks roster, we will see different team. There is more speed, more youth, and more uncertainty. We don’t know whether they are going to be a good. They might end up being terrible. Either way, with the infusion of some of our prospects playing on opening night, this season sure will be more interesting. I’m just itching for the puck to drop already! Go #Canucks go!

@Aviewfromabroad

Just For Fun: Canucks ‘Stache Game

July 24, 2015 By Justine Galo Leave a Comment

Lately, a good number of fans in Canuckland are not very happy residents. With the loss of some popular players and other teams in Vancouver’s division getting better on paper, there is malcontent amongst the fans. So here at Canucks Corner, we thought we’d rather keep it light and talk about some great mustaches in Canucks’ history. So let’s have a little fun, forget the angst felt towards Canucks management and appreciate some good ‘stache game.

Jamie Huscroft: Huscroft was on the “dark days” Canucks of the late 90s and early 2000’s. Two things stood out on his face, his blue eyes and his upper lip caterpillar.

Jack McIlhargey: Known to many modern day Canucks fans as an assistant coach to Marc Crawford, Jack Mac was known for being a hard nosed guy on the ice, a rocking mullet and that ‘stache. To this day, he still rocks the Mo’ with his silver locks.

Harold Snepsts: No helmet, no problem! Snepstsy has the all powerfull “cop ‘stache” to save him on the ice. When you see Harold these days, he’s clean-shaven, but he will always be remembered looking like this.

Dave Babych: Probably my favourite guy to wear 44 on the Canucks and a rocking mo during his time with Vancouver. Although Babs was a main guy in the 80s and 90s for the Canucks, his moustache is a tribute to the 1970’s style of some male porn stars. These days, Dave wears a goatee.

John Garrett: The stunt double ‘stache of Cheech Marin, Garrett still rocks one today, and sometimes gets ketchup on it during broadcasts, as we have all been told by Cheech himself.

Honorable mention Roberto Luongo: He doesn’t always wear a moustache, but it seems that a guy like Roberto Luongo would probably have his 5 o’clock shadow show up at noon. Below is a “soul ‘stache” gif of our former goaltender.

Now wasn’t that better than bitching about “Lindening”?

@Aviewfromabroad

#TICH May 27, 1995: Adieu To the “Rink on Renfrew”

May 27, 2015 By Justine Galo Leave a Comment

The Vancouver Canucks first ever game at the Pacific Coliseum was in 1970. 25 years later they found a new home at GM Place.

It was an end of an era. The Canucks’ final game at the old Pacific Coliseum happened 20 years ago today, May 27, 1995. I wish I could say I was there, but I was a struggling student and I couldn’t afford the tickets. However, I think I went to more Canucks games that year than I ever did in a single season, pre-season ticket holder days.

I had many great memories at the Rink of Renfrew, but it’s no question the biggest one was Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final in 1994 and the Canucks forced a Game 7 against the New York Rangers. Two guys with the same name, spelled differently, both scored twice that night to beat NYR 4-1. Jeff Brown and Geoff Courtnall stole the show. I remember being in tears thinking they were going back to New York for Game 7. I was 19 years old. It was the time of my life and that team was so inspiring. I’m sure many of you old enough to remember the old rink have many memories over the years there too.

Game 6 vs the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup Final was my most favourite memory at the Rink on Renfrew.

In 1995-1996 season, the Canucks were moving into their downtown arena, GM Place. They were saying goodbye to Pacific Coliseum and to an era that built a new generation of Canucks fans.

The Canucks were in the Western Semi-finals against the Chicago Blackhawks after getting past St. Louis in the 1st Round. Roman Oksiuta had the game of his career in a losing effort. He scored twice that night, along with a tally from Jeff Brown.However, it was Chicago familiars, Jeremy Roenick and Chris Chelios who score for Chicago and two former Canucks came back to haunt their old team, Gerald Diduck and Murray Craven scored to make it 4-3. Chelios scored the game and series winner as the Blackhawks swept the Canucks in their final game ever at Pacific Coliseum.

Roman Oksiuta scored twice that night only to lose in OT against the Blackhawks in the Canucks last ever game at the PNE.

It’s great I can still watch hockey there, as it now houses the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, but it’s where my love for hockey and the Canucks started and it will always be a special place for me, and for many fellow Canucks fans. What were your favourite memories? We’d love to hear about them.

@Aviewfromabroad

#TICH: May 1, 1982 – Canucks Fans Wave White Towels as Rally Cry

May 1, 2015 By Justine Galo 1 Comment

Roger Neilson gave birth to “Towel Power”. But it was the fans at the Pacific Coliseum that made it a Canucks tradition and his legacy.

It started in Game 2 vs the Chicago Blackhawks in late April, 1982. The officiating was horrible and seemingly one-sided that night, it enraged the Canucks bench. It angered them so much assistant coach, Ron Smith, yelled out “We give up, we surrender, we give up!” “Tiger” Williams suggested to throw sticks on the ice as a form of protest, but Roger Neilson thought this would be more effective.

Roger Neilson and members of the Vancouver Canucks hung white towels on their sticks to protest the horrible officiating in Chicago.

Putting a white towel atop the end of a hockey stick, Neilson raised the “white flag” as a form of mock surrender. That action had Neilson ejected from the game and the Canucks lost 4-1 but came home from Chicago with a split. Neilson was then fined $1000 and the Canucks were fined $10,000. Neilson was criticized by referee Myers about his actions and was described as “bush league”. The NHL commented on how this was a disgrace to the playoffs. However the officials, other fans and the league reacted, it sparked a battle cry that no one expected from the Canucks’ fan base.

Some of the Canucks fans greeted the team at the airport waving white towels when they returned back to Vancouver. When Neilson and the team came home to the Pacific Coliseum on May 1, 1982, they were greeted with thousands of fans in the stands waving white towels.

What happened at the old Rink of Renfrew today back in 1982 started what we today call “Towel Power”. Thousands of fans in the stands brought white towels as a rally cry for the Canucks to win the series and move on in the playoffs. The 1982 Canucks made it to the Stanley Cup final, but falling in only four games to the powerhouse, New York Islanders. It didn’t matter. A Vancouver Canucks tradition was born and it has been embraced for the last 33 years. Every playoff season, the Vancouver Canucks lay out “playoff towels” for fans to wave before each game. It’s a tradition we love and made our own and what a back-story it was to give it life.

Thanks Roger, you are forever remembered. Keep waving that towel!

Roger Neilsen statue outside of Rogers Arena on the plaza. Towel Power forever

This happened Today in Canucks’ History, May 1st, 1982.

@Aviewfromabroad