Mascot Fin

Once a month we provide one lucky Fan Club member with a pair of tickets to a game and a once in a life time experience: assist yours truly, FIN, in some of the whale's duties that night and gets the title of FIN's Trainer. In February, Tyler from Abbotsford was selected as FIN's Trainer at the Canucks vs Senators game! He did a FIN-tastic job and I can't wait to share the details of our night with you. The night started with Tyler and his father watching the first period in their seats. I wanted to give him a chance to enjoy the game before he got to hang out with me! Shortly after the end of the first period, Tyler and his dad met up with me and I gave him a super high five. Little did he know that during the first timeout of the second period it was his time to shine as announcer John Ashbridge, introduced him to the 18,810 fans, who gave Tyler a huge welcome to the building. I could tell Tyler was nervous waiving to so many people, but his smile was so big I knew he was going to have a blast and be a great FIN's Trainer. Without a second to waste after soaking in the spotlight, we immediately we had the fun job of handing out Dibs, during the Dib's Kids Cam, to lots of excited kids. I always find it funny that adults all of sudden become kid-like and want to win the ice cream too. After we delivered the ice cream, our next job was to help get the crowd pumped. We went from section to section banging my drum in hopes to rouse a loud GO CANUCKS GO from the crowd. Tyler even helped me by carrying my drum as Canucks fans asked me to pose for pictures. I even let him hit the drum at a few sections and the crowd responded with a resounding GO CANUCKS GO! Before we knew it, the second period was close to ending and Tyler and I went down to the Olympia tunnel on ice level to get ready for the t-shirt give away compliments of my bazooka/prize cannon. That night we were shooting Boston Pizza/Canucks t-shirts with $10 gift cards from Boston Pizza inside (so in the future just make sure you check those t-shirts!) Tyler held onto the bazooka until we were ready to go onto the ice and helped me point out where we should shoot the prize. Overall, we shot 10 shirts out, including the last shirt where Tyler was given the opportunity to pull the trigger and shoot that t-shirt up to the 300 level. Congrats to those lucky 10 who caught the shirts! After helping me for the full second period, it was time for Tyler to join his dad again to watch the rest of the game. With the score at 3-2 for the Canucks, there was a pretty good chance that the Canucks would wrap the game up with a win against the Senators. So half way through the third period, I summoned Tyler to help me out again by celebrating the win on center ice. Sure enough, the Canucks did not disappoint and Tyler and I stepped onto center ice again, victoriously waving the Canucks flag. The night ended with a 4-2 win for the Canucks and I had to say goodnight to Tyler. Tyler did a great job being FIN's Trainer and I hope he left with great memories of the night. Awesome job, Tyler! See my pictures from the night with Tyler and a few others from my other FIN's Trainers from December and January: Brandon and Nina. There's also one more chance to be FIN's Trainer when we play the Wild on March 14th, make sure you're entered and maybe I'll see you there! To enter for FIN's Trainer, click here!

<img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/01/fin_blog.jpg" class="imageFloatRightFramed">Great start for Team Blue today on the first day of the 18th Annual Celebrity Mascot Games! WE WON! Okay, so we chose teams yesterday and here is my team: Harry The Hawk - Atlanta Hawks Stanley C. Panther - Florida Panthers Aubie - Auburn Tigers Dodger The Cat - Fort Worth Dodgers (AA) Goldy - Minnesota Gophers Thunderbug - Tampa Bay Lightning I chose my looking for dexterity, speed, and great team spirit! Stanley C. Panther has been on my winning teams the last 2 years so I was happy to get him again. (Sorry for the photo quality, I took my camera too deep last time I went for a swim!) Anyhow, Day 1 was at Volusia County Fairgrounds - a small, suburb outside Orlando. We performed in front of 2,000 day campers! We participated in 4 events - Obstacle Relay, Dodgeball, Joust, and Musical Chairs. Blue won the Obstacle Relay with the top time of 1 min 5 seconds. We didn't do so well in Dodgeball but things turned around with Harry winning the Dance Off @ Halftime. We then had Joust where we won 3 out of the 7 battles and me winning my own beating Lil' Red (Nebraska), Sebastian (Miami Hurricanes) and Stuff (Orlando Magic). Dodger ended up winning the Musical Chair event. In the end Blue Team collected the most points and their section in the stands won lots of giveaways thrown out by the mascots! It was a fun day! Check back tomorrow to see what I am up too!

<img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/01/fin_blog.jpg" class="imageFloatRightFramed">Hello Canuck Nation! Wow what a crazy first 2 weeks of July for the Vancouver Canucks! Some big signings, Summer Summit, and re-naming our building to Rogers Arena! Exciting times for sure. It is exciting for me as I am in Orlando, Florida for the 18th Annual Celebrity Mascot Games. This is my 8th consecutive Games which definitely makes me a veteran. I am the Captain of Blue Team and my team has won the last 2 years! But the real winners of this charity event are the children and their families. The charity is called New Hope For Kids and helps those with terminal-illnesses. Proceeds are raised by the tickets sold for those who attend the event as well as on-line auction which opens on e-Bay on July 15. Each mascot has donated 3 items of memorabilia for this auction. My 3 items were two, framed autograph players cards of the 2009/2010 team and a replica autographed jersey of Henrik Sedin, this year's recipient of the Hart and Art Ross trophies. So please check these items out as well as some other cool stuff to bid on @ www.mascotgames.org Today, Wednesday, July 14 is Draft Day/Orientation Night for the mascots. We will get together and choose members for our teams, Blue, Red, Green, and Yellow. There are 29 mascots here representing the NHL, NBA, MLB, US colleges, and other sports teams. Please check back tomorrow for the next update! Until next time, FIN

<img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/01/fin_blog.jpg" class="imageFloatRightFramed">Okay okay I am self-confessed BAD blogger. Sorry for the lack of blog submissions but I will try to be a little more frequent! Anyways, lots happening in Canuckland these days!! The first round series against LA Kings was fun for me. Party on the Plaza has been a great time to interact with fans and the band, Dr. Strangelove, play some great tunes! I brought out Green FIN on Game 5 to have a little fun with the Green Men, I think I caught them by surprise. Good times but was pretty hot... so I only wore it for the 2nd period which was long enough. I really enjoy the band, The Odds, during the games as they rock the joint along with DJ Dave’s song selections. Yesterday, I participated in the proclamation of Canucks Day at City Hall and gave the Mayor one of my signature bites... he is a pretty easy-going guy! I am really enjoying the atmosphere in Vancouver as the city embraces the playoffs and I just want to remind everyone to CELEBRATE RESPONSIBLY! GO CANUCKS GO!

<img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/01/fin_blog.jpg" class="imageFloatRightFramed">It has been awhile since I wrote one of these only because I have been a busy, busy whale with appearances and games. With the team returning from the road, I thought I would take a moment to write something to all of you and get you caught up in the world of FIN. The games have been exciting at home and I am really proud of how are fans are supporting our team. I think we can be even louder if we really giver! I will keep working hard on the drumming and antics to get you all going and you just give me a Whale of cheer in response. Oh at the games I will always do my best to visit sections and I try my hardest to get around the whole building but with in-game requirements I cannot always get there. I love posing for pictures too and will do my best to give you time, although sometimes I may be in a hurry to get somewhere. We are in the midst of launching my new FIN page which will be much more interactive and full of information. I am also working on getting new FIN merchandise into the store and in January we will have a new version of the FIN doll. But if you want more items just let the people in the Team Store know and they will work hard at bringing them in. You can follow me on Facebook under the profile FIN Orca and on Twitter at CanucksFIN to see what I am up to as well. Okay have to run…well swim…or um skate…you know what I mean.

<table width=90% align=center border=0><tr><td><img src=http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/01/fin_blog.jpg border=0 align=left vspace=3 hspace=4>Well, another eventful Celebrity Mascot Games (16th) in Orlando, Florida and finally after six year, my team WON! Go Team Blue! It was sheer domination by the Blue team as we won 4 of the 5 events and tied for first in the 5th event.<br><br> With the theme this year being American Gladiators, organizers initially had planned to have an NHL vs NBA vs NFL vs NCAA match-up. But due to low participation by some leagues (the NHL represented in style with 8 mascots in attendance) there was a draft. I was Blue Team Captain and immediately determined what I was looking for in characters based on the events we were going to compete in. Size, speed, agility, and strength were all factors I took into consideration in building a winner. This was my team: <br><br> <font color=#003e7e><b>Team Blue</b></font><br> FIN – Vancouver Canucks<br> Thrash – Atlanta Thrashers<br> Stanley C. Panther – Florida Panthers<br> Knightro - U. of Central Florida<br> Chomps – Cleveland Browns<br> Big Jay – U. of Kansas<br> Klaw – Orlando Predators<br> <br> Before I go into details of the big win I need to give you some background on this event. The Celebrity Mascot Games is an annual event held in Orlando, Florida under the direction of the Central Florida Sports Commission. Although entertainment is a key reason for hosting such an event, the REAL benefactor is a local charity called New Hope for Kids which grants wishes by children with life-threatening illnesses. The event generates funds through gate receipts and an on-line auction, from items donated by each mascot’s organization. The Vancouver Canucks provided a Roberto Luongo autographed stick, jersey, and bobble head and a 2007/2008 framed & autographed player card set. Check out what’s available and <a href=http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZnewhope4kids target=_blank>get in on the action</a>. <br><br> I made my first appearance earlier in the week with a visit to Arnold Palmer’s Children Hospital on Wednesday. It was great to put some smiles on the face of the children and hospital staff. To my surprise, when I walked into the activity room, I was greeted with a big picture of an orca painted on the wall. Unfortunately, I think Shamu from nearby SeaWorld had an influence here.<br><bR> Our first performance was on Thursday at a university just outside of Orlando called, Stetson University. This show was a scaled down version from the ones we would do at the Amway Arena on Friday and Saturday. The highlight of this day was finishing 3rd out of 29 mascots in musical chairs.<br><br> Friday was a day for the mascots to get familiarized with all of the events that we would be performing. We performed in front of a few thousand day campers who brought the roof down with their cheering. There were four sections to match the four teams, Blue, Green, Red, and defending champion, Yellow. <br><br> The events were:<br><br> <b>1.</b> Obstacle Course<br> <b>2.</b> Hit N’ Run<br> <b>3.</b> Powerball<br> <b>4.</b> Assault<br> <b>5.</b> Joust<br><br> We ended up finishing 2nd place on Friday, but knew that this was only a trial run and Saturday was where we laid the fur on line! <br><br> Saturday could not come fast enough. As much as we all wanted to have fun, bragging rights were up for grabs and I was hungry to get my first Celebrity Mascot Games Championship title. <br><br> The Obstacle Course event was the first up and it required four mascots from each team to compete in a relay-style race with yours truly being the anchor and running across the finish line in a hamster ball. BLUE WINS! <br><br> The next game was Hit N’ Run where one team is required to walk across three 12-foot planks while another team is attempting to knock them off by launching themselves off a 5-foot riser while swinging from a rope. Each team member was given two chances to cross the beams and I made both attempts. We ended up tying in this event for first place. <br><br> Powerball was our next event and required an offensive and defensive group from each team. Three mascots from one team are required to put balls into 5 different garbage bins to collect points, while trying to avoid being blocked or tackled by 4 defensive mascots. I chose to have our bigger mascots be on defense as they were harder to tackle and we had our smaller, quicker guys play defense. Once again we dominated this event and in the process take one of the referees with a tackle. <br><br> Event number 4 was the game, Assault. Each mascot from one team is required to zigzag to barricades and eventually cross a finish line while avoiding to be hit by tennis balls launched by another team from a riser. The goal of this game was to go as many times through the course and scoring points for your team. Once again, Blue was quick and I was able to get through the course four times. Not bad for a whale! <br><br> The final event and highlight of the Games for the past four years was the Joust event. I was pitted against Captain (Texas Rangers), Raymond (Tampa Bay Rays), and Kid Coyote (Dallas Desperados). After disposing of Captain and Raymond, I took a couple of shots from Kid Coyote before taking him out. My hockey skating provided me with the balance that I needed to perform in jousting. Blue Team ends up winning the joust with 4 ½ wins out of 7! Domination! <br><br> We were presented with the five foot trophy, posed for pictures, and then carried it over to the Blue section for the fans to enjoy! It was a blast win or lose, but winning sure feels much better! I am hoping this is a sign of good things to come to our hockey team this season. <br><br> You can check out photos and video of the 16th Annual Celebrity Mascot Games at <a href=http://www.mascotgames.org target=_blank>www.mascotgames.org</a>. In the bottom right-hand corner of the home page is a web stream of the entire show.<bR><bR> Until next time,<br> FIN </td></tr></table>

<table width=90% align=center border=0><tr><td><img src=http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/01/fin_blog.jpg border=0 align=left vspace=3 hspace=4>Hey Canucks Fans! Well I made it down to “Hotlanta” but is anything but hot, however it is Sunday morning and the sun is shining for the All-Star game later today. Saturday was a fun time for me as I had a few things on the go at Phillips Arena. All the mascots from the NHL are here (23 of us). First on the agenda was the Mascot Hockey game! We only had about 8 minutes on the ice to do our stuff but we made the most of our time. It was Eastern Conf. vs. Western Conf. and lots of pride and fur were on the line. I ended up getting a goal and an assist in a 4-0 win! The highlight of the game for me was my rush from our blueline to set-up Stinger from the Columbus BlueJackets with a tap-in…apparently it made the NHL networks highlights. I thought this was fitting as Henrik Sedin was representing our team and is second in assists in the league this year. I also enjoyed laying an open ice hip check to Spartacat from Ottawa!! The best thing was the goalie for the East was Carlton the Polar Bear from Toronto…looks like the Leafs have even more goalie problems! Next on the agenda was the Open Practice sessions for the teams and we worked the crowds. I was able to get a couple of shots of Henrik but forgive me for the quality of the pictures. Henrik was interviewed by Taylor Kitsch of Friday Night Lights during a break so it was good to see Vancouver get some recognition. After the practice I was able to meet up with Henrik outside the team locker room to take a photo. He seemed to be enjoying himself. Next up was The Jonas Brothers concert which we were asked to participate in with some fans. There was a lot of high pitched screaming going on. I was wondering if this was a hockey event or a teen bopper concert? Nevertheless it was a fun time by all. Later that day it was the Superskills competition including the Young Guns game with our rookie sensation, Alex Edler. I was unable to get a good shot of Alex but I was able to see him play a little and he was up on the rush in a couple of situations. I am sure it was exciting for him to participate. Well, I should go for now but please check back for an update of the game later tonight! Take Care, FIN </td></tr></table>

<table width=90% align=center border=0><tr><td><img src=http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/01/fin_blog.jpg border=0 align=left vspace=3 hspace=4>Hey Canucks Fans! One more night and I head out to Atlanta for All-Star Weekend. I will be joining the other 22 NHL mascots (7 teams don’t have mascots…what a shame) this weekend for some fun and laughs at a few events. We will be participating in a mascot hockey game on Saturday morning and mingling with the crowd during the open practice and concert featuring The Jonas Brothers. Later that afternoon we will be making an appearance at the Player Red Carpet Event and then finish the evening off with the always exciting Super Skills. I am looking forward to cheering on Henrik Sedin and Alex Edler in both their games. On Sunday, we have hospital visits, a mascot breakfast, and of course the 56th NHL All-Star Game. I will be keeping a blog for the next few days so hopefully you will follow it and check out the pictures that I am able to take. GO CANUCKS GO! Your Killer Whale FIN </td></tr></table>

<table width=90% align=center border=0><tr><td><img src=http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/01/fin_blog.jpg border=0 align=left vspace=3 hspace=4>Hey Canuck Nation! Whale it has been a crazy week as some of you may know with Pam Anderson at GM Place for the New York Rangers game. It was my idea to go up in the suite during our Dentyne Kiss Cam promotion in the 3rd period, thinking it would be cool if Pam kissed the whale on the cheek. I was shocked when she grabbed my jaw and preceded to give me a French kiss!! <a href=http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/01/jan1408_fin01_t.jpg target=_blank><img src=http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2008/01/jan1408_fin01_t.jpg border=0 align=right vspace=3 hspace=4></a>It sure made the headlines though. The photo was on many websites, NHL.com, People.com, TMZ.com, OK.Magazine.com, and then The Province put it in their Sunday edition. On Tuesday, January 8, Pam (we are on a first name relationship) was on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and she presented him with a Canucks jersey with his name on it. Jay then asked her about our photo, which they displayed, and then my whale heart sunk to the bottom of the ocean. Pam said I stunk and Leno replied “You mean he smells or is not nice?” and she said “No he smelled like B.O.!” I was shocked, but then what do you expect from a whale who wears hockey equipment and runs around GM Place for 2 ½ hours. I will tell you right now as much as I love our players they don’t come up smelling like roses after a game! Anyhow, it was all in fun and the publicity was FIN-tastic and if it was really that bad why was she kissing me in the first place?? For the record, my jersey is washed after every game! I am getting ready for a few upcoming appearances in the next couple of weeks and a few games added in there. The biggest event is the All-Star Weekend in Atlanta which I will be attending. It is always a blast to hang out and joke around with the other team mascots. It is a big event for us as the league gets to not only showcase the players and the game, but the fans get a real up and close experience with everything the league has to offer. I will be writing a blog for All-Star weekend so hopefully you will follow what Henrik (added to the Western Conference line-up) and I are up too. I will be going to New York in February to make an appearance at a New York Islanders Mascot Day promotion. This will be my third trip there which is always a good time. On February 24 we have our Open Practice with tickets available to the public now. Look forward to seeing you around town and at the games! Your Pal, FIN</td></tr></table>