Early Canuck memories....

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randymeeks
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Post by randymeeks »

It is because of memories like the above that I find it interesting how much people love the old jersey. I like them too, but they do remind me of an era of futility that perhaps most posters here did not experience.

When I hear people say things like "they all suck" or "they just aren't very good", I keep thinking - If this is bad, what was it when they were never above .500???

Funny you should mention this, my father has lived in the Vancouver area for the whole entire run of the franchise and he told me that when they started wearing the vintage jerseys that he hated the idea. I couldn't understand why. After a few games where he saw the team wearing them, he warmed up to them and he told me that he thought the reason why he hated the idea of them wearing the vintage jerseys again was because he had associated the stick in rink logo with failure. He now says they're the best jerseys we've ever had.

It took the Canucks 12 years to win a playoff round. Try to imagine if the Canucks landed Gilbert Perreault in the 1970 draft instead of Dale Tallon for a second on that lottery. Too bad it didn't happen. The first years of the Canucks would have been far different and almost certainly more successful.
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LuongoIsNirvana
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Post by LuongoIsNirvana »

My first memory as Canuck fan was meeting 'Tiger' Williams at an autograph session at the CO-OP in Aldergrove - I was thrilled as he was one of my favourite players and I shared his last name.
My first on ice memory was Game 1 vs. Calgary in 1982. HNIC had a playoff preview, and the Canucks were favoured in 5 games! I didn't have any memories before this, but I knew that my Canucks were never favourites going into the playoffs! Smyl scored about 8 seconds into the game. My dad was still on the phone and didn't believe me when I said they scored (there wasn't any PVR in those days to pause or rewind!). After their incredible run I was hooked, and have been a fan ever since.
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Megaterio Llamas
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Re: Early Canuck memories....

Post by Megaterio Llamas »

I first became a real Canucks fan listening to Jim Robson on the CKWX WHL radio broadcasts. In 68-69 the local ownership was smarting over being snubbed in the 67 expansion and purchased most of the reigning AHL champion Rochester American roster to augment Phil Maloney and the boys to try to drum up ticket sales to fill the shiny new building on Renfrew Street and impress the NHL powers that be, show them we were a big time market. People really had a chip on their shoulder around that, many even cutting up their Esso credit cards as Esso was a key HNIC sponsor back then. To take the media heat off of the team they housed them in the Horseshoe Bay Motel which was well out of the way in those days and still stands today. Of course the result was back to back championships although it took them until mid season to gel that first year.

Included among the Rochester transfers was an aging journeyman defenceman named Don Cherry. Don was well past his prime at this time and had lost a couple of steps and didn't really fight anymore. Well it didn't take the fans long to zero in on Don as their new whipping boy and they rode him mercilessly, booing him whenever he touched the puck. Of course Don never really got over his experience here and his anti Vancouver bias is well known to anyone who watched him on HNIC through the years, though it did recently seem to improve with the passage of much time.

Ah, the championship years :D
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Cousin Strawberry
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Re: Early Canuck memories....

Post by Cousin Strawberry »

Ha! Good story.

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Ringer#20
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Re: Early Canuck memories....

Post by Ringer#20 »

I hope this discussion continues for some time. I was there from the first NHL game (dad had lower blues seats) and remember also seeing the old Canucks WHL team with Tony Esposito playing before going to the Blackhawks to star the next year. Plus, don’t forget the Blazers time. Then, finally we got let into the big show. Great fans. We deserve a cup, some day soon!
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Cornuck
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Re: Early Canuck memories....

Post by Cornuck »

Another lifer! Good to see. :)

I went to a couple of Blazer games back in the day, usually at least 1 Canucks game a year with Dad's corporate seats.
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SKYO
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Re: Early Canuck memories....

Post by SKYO »

Where's George at?

My family, uncles, pops are die hard Canucks fans, so I grew up around Canucks games, in elementary school playing floor hockey, I was Patrick Sundstrom, the 'popular' dude was Tony Tanti lol.
Can the Canucks just win a Cup within the next 5 years.
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