Shift-4 Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 This thread is dedicated to those of us that really bleed blue and green(and once upon a time red, yellow and black ). We are about to go on another roller coaster ride. I thought we might need a place to share our stories. Vent some stress. Share elation. This thread isn't about getting facts right or arguing over coaching decisions. It is about your experience as a Canuck fan. I will go first ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hello everybody. My name is Shift-4 (not real name) And I am a Canuckaholic It started at a very young age. Circa 1980. The Canucks were the ‘home’ team. They were the little team that could. Well actually they couldn’t. They kept losing to those Blues – the power of the division at the time. Then the divisions were reformatted. They were placed with a new team from Edmonton who had some scrawny kid that was playing lights out. Calgary was also in the division, they seemed to be able to compete with Edmonton. The Canucks not so much. In 1982 that little team that could actually did. They made it to the Stanley Cup finals. But waiting for them in the finals was one of the greatest teams of all time. The hated NY Islanders quickly disposed of the Canucks in 4 games. It was a defining time for my Canuckaholism. As a young lad I got to stay up past my bedtime to watch all the games. You were the cool kid if you got to share the score at show and tell the next day in school. I was often the cool kid Those hated Islanders also defined Canuckaholism – it isn’t going to be easy being a Canuckaholic they told me. The 80s rolled on. The Stanley Cup visited Alberta 6 times (6th being in 1990). In 1989 The Cup only visited Calgary because of one goal post and a kicked in goal vs the good guys. It was a tough time to be a Canuckaholic. But we had this young kid from Medicine Hat join the team. A real heart and soul kid. He almost won the Calder. Almost. Almost is a good term for Canuckaholics. In the early 90s things improved. We had a no nonsense tough Irish Coach and a flashy high scoring forward from Russia. The Canucks finished first in the division two years in a row. Things were looking up. This was a young team with promise. Maybe it ain’t so bad being a Canuckaholic I thought. Then 1994 came. After a disappointing regular season the Canucks got on a roll. They were a machine. After staving off elimination in successive games against the Flames they went on to beat Dallas quite handly. And then we got to beat the ever hated Leafs of Toronto. This team looked really good. In the finals we faced a tough, experienced team from New York. The Rangers this time. But it wasn’t a sweep because the Canucks were much better this time. Game 6 might still be one of the most exciting games in Canucks history. We lost in game 7. We almost won. Almost. In the late 90s we had a former all-star join the team. Someone who had won six Stanley Cups. He was going to lead this team to the promised land. Turned out to be a mess. It was my darkest time as a Canuckaholic. I had a lot of respect and admiration for this player until he came to the Canucks. At least there were no almosts during this time. The Canucks struggled on. Canuckaholism remained strong with me. Things looked up when we had a shifty Swedish forward leading us. One year he almost won the Rocket Richard trophy, the Hart trophy and the Art Ross trophy in the same year. Almost. The following season that Swedish forward received a cheap head shot mid season. He was never the same. His good friend searched out retribution for that hit. Vengeance did not serve the Canucks well. Another dark time for my Canuckaholicism. The team toiled on. They were bad. And then they got good again. Really good. We had back to back Art Ross winners. The first winning the Hart as well. The second was a runner up for the Hart. A couple of skinny twins from Sweden. And we had this brash centre from the US win the Selke. In fact, just last year the Canucks won the President’s trophy. This team led the league in goals for and had the lowest goals against. It was a fantastic season and a great time to be a Canuckaholic. They went on to the Stanley Cup finals only to lose in game 7. They almost won it all. Almost. And again they have won another President’s Trophy. This time a little more quietly. But I like that. It is easier to be a Canuckaholic with less attention. But Cancuckaholics still get attention. We aren’t liked in Calgary or Toronto or Boston or Chicago. But I don’t really care. It’s been a tough road being a Canuckaholic. We get abused outside of our circle. We are hated. But I don’t care. I love my team. After last year I have no expectations for them. That doesn’t mean I expect them to fail. It just means I am here for the ride no matter where they take me. They did everything but win the Cup last year. Only one thing left now. There can be no bigger disappointment than last year. It was the ultimate ‘almost’. So this year I just expect to go on another great ride. There will be ups and downs. Thrills and times to be concerned. But no matter what I will cheer them on like I always have. I am Shift-4 And I am a Canuckaholic!!! GO CANUCKS GO!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sixteen W's Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 My first experience with the Canucks was during the playoffs against the Red Wings, specifically Lidstrom's goal on Cloutier. Nevertheless, I became a fan of the Canucks. I had no problem waiting year after year for the Canucks to win the cup because I knew they would eventually. This seems like the year for it. I'm a Canuckaholic, and I have no problem with that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Fatigue Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Awesome thread! Gotta love this time of year! I too am a canuckaholic, playing hockey from 5 years old to 18 with stan smyl's #12 on my back was my gateway drug. edit: i am so grateful for television, radio and internet. all of which allow me to get my fix where and when i need it. there is no medicine or support groups for us canuckaholics, just canucks and other canuckaholics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mau5trap Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 My first experience with the Canucks was during the playoffs against the Red Wings I'm a Canuckaholic, and I have no problem with that! Same here, we were up 2-0! Things were looking swell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockNroLLa. Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Sign me up yo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lillooet_Hillbilly Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 im a canuckholic and i aint gonna change my ways Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tearloch7 Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Right on brother, and sister, Canuckaholics .. win or lose, I love this team .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustJokinen! Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Good call, I was thinking of starting a thread just like this. I was going to call it the "Canucks Group Therapy and Support Thread" or something like that. Great minds think alike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shift-4 Posted April 11, 2012 Author Share Posted April 11, 2012 Good call, I was thinking of starting a thread just like this. I was going to call it the "Canucks Group Therapy and Support Thread" or something like that. Great minds think alike. and idiots seldom differ But yeah I had the whole group therapy thing in mind too. We will need it at some point. Even in the wins there are things to be frustrated about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertuzzi Babe Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Hello, my name is BB (also not my real name) And I am a Canuckaholic........ I have been a rabid Canuckaholic since the day I realized Orland Kurtenbach lived down the street from my aunt in Burnaby and I spent the better part of one summer playing hopscotch on the sidewalk in front of his house, walking my aunt's dog past his house just so I could catch a glimpse of this giant of a man who had been the first captain of the Vancouver Canucks. Hockey Night In Canada was a staple in our house on Saturday night. There was only one television so my sibs and I were forced to watch hockey or watch no television at all. My dad was a Habs fan originally and he sort of drifted into Canucks hockey when the Habs weren't playing...... I have been a confirmed fan from the very first day I saw the Canucks play. It was tough living in a nurse's residence with 400 other women and having to pre-empt the girlie shows on Saturday nights but they soon came to understand that you don't mess with a rabid fan from the Cariboo. I never understood why it was the few out-of-towners that were the die-hard fans instead of those who actually lived in the city where the Canucks played. Even in Australia, I had my finger on the pulse of Canucks games, people texting me in a Dragon boat to let me know what the scores in the games were and even celebrated on Airlie Beach when we won the first game of the season that year. I may have hit a truly Canuckaholic moment when standing in the sports shop in Madison Square Garden and taking the sales people and manager to task for not having anything Canucks in their store except................. a puck.............with a Canucks logo on it. I'm sure they were shaking their heads when I left but a Canucks fan's gotta do what they gotta do, right? I was jumping up and down in my living room mirroring Jovo when that goal went in, I was in The Black Funk during the Messier/Keenan years when I watched my team being slowly and systematically dismantled and flushed down the toilet, I cringed when that elbow met Nazzy's head and was apalled the night the unthinkable happened and retribution was exacted on the ice. And as a Canucks fan, along with many other Canucks fans, shouldered the responsibility and shame for what happened and moved on.......through the rebuild, regaining our integrity as a team and bringing the joy back to the game we love so much. My friends and family know that come April, they are to call ahead if they plan to visit, to expect that the answering machine will be picking up until June, that they shall not have babies or plan to get married and have me in the bridal party from April-June, that my attire will consist of yoga pants, and one of several Canucks jerseys and do not expect that I will don party duds or dress up for your dinner parties. They must reschedule any birthday celebrations, and expect that if they come to watch the game with me, dinner will consist of the good luck special pepperoni, Ritz crackers and copious amount of beer. (Pizza being the exception for final games in Rounds 1 and 3). They must supply their own ear plugs and if bad language offends you, STAY HOME, dammit!! And on the mornings following a game loss, do not expect me to admire your latest holiday pictures, bring you your coffee, or to accept quietly that you are a moron for the 26th time and keep my mouth shut about it. Do not expect that I will not be flipping off the guy who cuts me off in traffic and don't expect me to smile until after lunch when the anticipation for the next game begins again....... *hand on heart* I am Bertuzzi Babe and I am a Canuckaholic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edler Is a Beast Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 I'm a relatively new Canuckaholic. I've only been a "real" fan for the last 3-4 years or so. Before then I didn't follow hockey, but I still liked the Canucks and watched all their playoff games. It was my girlfriend who actually got me really liking the Canucks. I believe she is the world's biggest Bieksa fan. She has even told me that if Bieksa was traded she would stop watching hockey. Unlike her however, I've grown to develop a strong appreciation for all aspects of the game, not just the Canucks. If you asked her who Datsyuk or Giroux was she really wouldn't know. In my few years of hockey experience I've actually gotten somewhat obsessed. I have watched every single game, every season, I never pause or record the game if I can help it (have to watch it live), I always, ALWAYS wear a jersey and canuck socks for every playoff game, and I've started to accumulate a collection of Canucks stuff (3 jerseys, a jacket, 2 flags for my truck, canucks house key, socks, gloves, toques, etc etc). First (and only) Canucks game I saw live was this year, January 31st at home against the Chicago Blackhawks. Personally I think that was one of the best games Cory Schneider has played as a Canuck as well. Remember that save on Brendan Morrison? Holy crap! I know he turned it over in the first place, but still an amazing recovery. Kesler and Hodgson scored and then Daniel Sedin scored in OT. Plus it was Morrison's first game as a Blackhawk, kinda cool. It was the perfect first game in my opinion. I think the greatest thing I've ever done was seeing that game lol. The atmosphere in the building is UNREAL. When Daniel scored I was high fiving and hugging people I didn't even know. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVkFqzZ5ww0 Btw, those Blackhawk fans at 0:15 in the video were sitting pretty much right in front of me all game, they were sooooooo annoying. But look who got the last laugh? Anyways, I'm just super pumped for tonight. I'm gonna be wearing my brand new Edler jersey and my girlfriend is of course gonna be in her Bieksa jersey. Let's do it!!! :towel: :frantic: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shift-4 Posted April 11, 2012 Author Share Posted April 11, 2012 And on the mornings following a game loss, do not expect me to admire your latest holiday pictures, bring you your coffee, or to accept quietly that you are a moron for the 26th time and keep my mouth shut about it. Do not expect that I will not be flipping off the guy who cuts me off in traffic and don't expect me to smile until after lunch when the anticipation for the next game begins again....... this thread is obviously needed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronin688 Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 SIgh, man do I need this. If this run goes long I'm going to need a support group. My story starts when I moved to Vancouver from the maritimes. This is my earliest memory of being a fan of the Canucks. I was 6 years old and was instantly a Canucks fan, annoying my father who was born in Montreal and was a diehard habs fan. My mom bought me some cereal one day and there was a prize inside. We all know that it's mostly crap, but this time there was a full sized wall poster in a box of honeycombs. The poster was a graphical listing of every Stanley Cup winner in history. It had a year by year list with all the team logos. My mom helped me put the poster up on my wall above my bed, and I sat there looking at it for hours. I checked every logo again and again, but couldn't find the Canucks logo anywhere. I finally went and pulled my dad into my room and asked him to show me where the Canucks logo was... He looked down at me and told me that Vancouver had never won the cup. I got really upset and cried, yelling about how it was unfair that all those other teams had a cup but Vancouver didn't. From that day, I have wanted a cup for the Canucks. It was 1980.. I'm still that little kid who thinks it's not fair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shift-4 Posted April 11, 2012 Author Share Posted April 11, 2012 From that day, I have wanted a cup for the Canucks. It was 1980.. I'm still that little kid who thinks it's not fair. *hugs* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronin688 Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 *hugs* LoL thanks, I needed that. I've tried to lower my expectations this year just so it doesn't hurt so bad. It's not working though, I could hardly sleep last night. GAH! GO NUCKS!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuxforever Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 My name is nuxforever. I am here because I am a Canuckaholic. My friends and family have tried various times to make me quit this habit but I keep relapsing. They all thought after last years final loss, that I would finally be cured. But I couldn't. I am afraid I have gone too far to turn back. It's so hard to quit. Everywhere I turn, I see Canucks. It's so easy to get my fix through CDC, TEAM 1040, CBC, Sportsnet, TSN, the Score, Province, Sun, NHL.com, Youtube etc.............................. It's time to admit. I am a Canuckaholic for life......................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeDreamOfStanley Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 The 1994 run to the finals when I was just a kid locked in my addiction to the Canucks. My parents owned a silviculture company in the interior of BC, and for all the the games, all of their employees who were staying at camp would load into the crew trucks and come to our house to watch the games on our huge new tv (35" was pretty massive then) Our place was always packed, and I'll never forget how loud that place got, and the play of ronning and mclean and courtnall and bure and adams and of course trevor linden. I remember before game 7 of the finals playing a huge game of street hockey outside and getting the call out the front door from my folks because the game was starting and everyone immediately dispersed to their own houses to watch, leaving the streets silent for the next few hours. Last years run was so magical in so many different ways than the one in 1994. '94 is where it started for me, but last year was a run that was rooted deep in my own personal history of being a canuckaholic for as long as I have been, It was a serious case of highs and lows. Much like my entire history as a Canucks fan, so many highs and lows. I have also managed to turn my family from complete non hockey fans into die hard nuckers. My little sister was one of the most passionate and knowledgeable Canuck fans out there, she passed away 4.5 years ago now when she was 17, and in a way every season and every playoff is a re connection with her. The excitement she used to have just for regular season games, it would have been out of this world with the run last year. Along with my memories of her, our passion for the Canucks that we always shared is something that I will be lucky enough to carry with me through the rest of my life. Bertuzzi was her favourite, first time she saw him play at the Olympic camp I thought she was going to cry, she even styled her own play after him (yes she was a phenomenal hockey player). Trevor Linden will always be my favourite Canuck, with honorable mentions going to Mclean, Bertuzzi, Ronning, Ohlund, Current favs are Higgins, Burr, Hammer, Edler, Hank and Dan. I look forward to this run as I do every year, and like the OP said, we've already been to the lowest of lows as fans, so I am just here for the ride and looking forward to supporting this team through the thick and the thin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronin688 Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 I am afraid I have gone too far to turn back. It's time to admit. I am a Canuckaholic for life......................... ^^ This. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tearloch7 Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Just so you know, Shift, I am loving this thread .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrippleOverTime Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Hi my name is Trip Im an alc, I meen nuckaholic. I will allways bleed the blood of a Nuck, Year in and year out, No matter what happends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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