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What was it like being a Canucks fan in the 70s and 80s?


freebuddy

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I remember when people gave Canucks tickets away and you could buy them at shoppers drug mart for cheap. The 80's were a hard working team which gave 110% every night. I loved that underdog/fight until the end attitude. The 90's had a good mix of talent and hard workers. Gino answered for every time Bure received special treatment. Mommesso and Sandlak delivered some menacing checks along the boards. Linden was the heart and soul of the team and had a good combination of toughness,skill and leadership. Bure and Ronning were magicians with the puck and had that special talent. Bure was a threat to score "Every time" he stepped on the ice and was the most entertaining Canuck to date. It seemed like the Naslund Era was mostly talented players with not enough toughness or leadership and never had that number one goalie. The 94 playoff run was the most memorable period of time for me as a Canuck fan. We had a goalie(Maclean "Captn" Kirk), a PP pointman(Brown) , toughness(Odjick), Talent(Bure,Courtnall,Ronning) and Leadership(Linden).Great memories for sure.

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The big difference is TV. No internet either. When the morning paper arrived, that was how you found out if the Canucks won the night before. There were no highlight sports shows. So most teams you literally never see

People will say it was cheaper family entertainment.

But I remember how pissed my dad would get at the price of a hotdog and coke back then.

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Does anyone have any good memories of Charlie Hodge? I see him fairly frequently and I'd love to pass something on to him. He's a great man and deserves to be honoured face to face.

I didn't become a fan until '82 though I collected cards before that with my brother. But I remember those '80s teams well. The players were blue collar, hard working and down to Earth. They were muckers....men who got by less by skill than by will, compared to today's game. The players were approachable everywhere and celebrity was practically unheard of. Even had Kevin McCarthey come out and play road hockey with us once, just for the heck of it.

It seemed like Gretzky was setting a new record against us every night, which he often was. If we could keep them to under 5 goals we might, might have a chance at a point. Ties....they say they're like kissing your cousin...but in a way they were more satisfying. You eeked out a draw against a superior team. That was a victory in and of itself. And when you tied an equally matched opponent then there was unfinished business for the next game...if you won that you felt like you won them both. That's when a fight at the end of the match meant something.

I remember guys bleeding more. Swearing more. Sweating more. Hitting more. Blocking shots more. It was blood and guts, and it was incredible.

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The team were mostly made up of players with heart and character and not necessarily a lot of skill but they were easy to like. During those years, without the Griffiths family, we would have lost the team so we came to appreciate that we had a team at least. Making the post season, I recall was exciting because it wasn't an expectation each year to make post season. So during the 82 run, the "cardiac kids" considered as under dogs, with a little luck and a hot goalie in "King Richard" who was aggressive and made key saves that help to steal some games, was Exciting to watch all the way to the finals. When Roger Neilson waved the white towel during the series with Chicago, on the next game at home, the fans supported and brought white towels and the crowd was a sea of white, it was a lot of fun. It was fun, but at times it was hard to be a fan if wins were all that mattered. I don't recall the media as focused on creating controversies or as overly critical as much as it is in recent times though.

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As someone said, when the Canucks joined the NHL in 1970, it just felt great having a western Canadian team to cheer for. It didn't matter how good they were. Back in the 60s, you cheered for the two Canadian teams (I was a Montreal fan) or you picked one of the other original six teams. I don't remember any friends cheering for the first expansion teams (1967).

I wasn't a fan of the stick in rink jersey and I envied Buffalo's jersey (they came into the NHL the same year). I also remember being disappointed that Buffalo got the 1st pick in the amateur expansion draft (we got a talented Dale Tallon but Gilbert Perreault became a superstar). The 70s were rough but the players worked hard and entertained. We all had our favourite Canucks players (guys like Orland Kurtenbach, Andre Boudrias, Bobby Schmautz, Pat Quinn, etc). One thing I remember about the 70s and 80s was how loud the fans in the Pacific Coliseum were.

I moved to Calgary in 79 and stayed there for 12 years before I made it back to BC. I saw the Flames and the Oilers in their hay day. Those 1980s Alberta team battles were very entertaining with Dave Semenko and Tim Hunter always dropping the gloves to protect their superstars (Gretzky for the Oilers and Kent Nilsson for the Flames).

Back in the 70s and 80s, most years, the Canucks were one of the whipping boys of the NHL. We were in the weak Smythe Division which didn't gain much strength until the Oilers and Flames joined the division. 1982 was an aberration because nobody expected us to reach the finals let alone have any success in the playoffs. However, most of us (including me) hated those flying V jerseys. Regardless, it was great to be a Canucks fan in 82. We got swept by the Islanders in the final.

Being a Canucks fan in the 70s, 80s and early 90s was a lesson in humility. But most of us hung in there and we bear the scars of those painful years. Living in Calgary, as a Canucks fan, was really tough back in those days.

Maybe that's why I have so much loyalty now. I might curse them and get frustrated but I'll always be a Canucks fan.

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i use to say, give me a team of stan smyl's and we'll with the cup....my favorite player ever on the canucks, although i loved andy bathgate of the pcl's vancouver canucks..

Regarding the 1968-9 Canucks in the old Western Hockey League (some of these guys played in 70-71 for the NHL Canucks), here's some more names for you:

Cleland ("Keke") Mortson (a heart and soul tough guy)

John Arbour

Murray Hall

Paul Andrea

Ted McCaskill (tough guy)

Germain Gagnon

Marc Reaume

Ted Taylor

I wish I still had some of my old WHL and NHL game day programs.

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We hated the Oilers!!

Gretzky was a whiner and a weasel

...and when he had the puck behind our net....yes BEHIND our net!!!....we through up our arms in frustration because we knew Edmonton would soon score....@$%%$$@!!!

We loved our tough guys because we knew we couldn't compete hockeywise so we cheered on Steamer, Tiger, Snepsts, Curt Fraser, Schmautz, and Kurtenback

We treated our goalies better back then because they were the only way we could win

Gary Suitcase Smith had some incredible years

King Richard Brodeur stole every series on the way to the finals

Glen Hanlon was "the franchise"

and Dunc Wilson...well.... he had an interesting mask

Oh yes and players had nicknames...not just there last name with a "y" at the end like now

Tiger, Steamer, King Richard, Suitcase, the Strangler, house too name a few

And every game was not televised...in fact few were.

But we had Jim Robson on the radio with a special hello to hospital patients and shut-ins...those who can't make it out to a hockey game

....and in our first season....Canuck hockey cards were pink....need I say more?

Thanks for bringing up Jim Robson. I must have listened to his radio broadcasts hundreds of times. In my mind, few announcers compare to Jim (maybe Foster Hewitt, Danny Gallivan, Dick Irvin and John Hughson). It was great when Jim Robson used to give those special hellos to the hospital patients and shut ins - he was a class act and one of my favourite reasons for watching or listening to the Canucks.

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Its too bad that the NHL didn't protect Orr, like they did #99, he would have been a huge cash cow for the league. Never saw a guy get cheapshotted so often as Orr. Even though he had tough guys on the Bruins, Cashman, O'Reilly, and others.

Orr was a tough guy himself. Although there were cheap shots his career was ended more so by the way he played. Like Bure, he skated with speed and reckless abandon. Knee injuries were inevitable. Unfortunately knee surgery wasn't nearly as refined back then as it is now and Orr didn't like cashing a cheque for not playing. He came back too soon from his knee injuries which was also a factor in shortening his career.

One of the great things about getting our NHL franchise was starting out in the same division as the Bruins. As a result I got to see Orr play live several times. He was truly magic on the ice.

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One of the big things that isn't mentioned, there was a lot of hockey fans like my parents and my older brother that already had loyalties to other teams when Vancouver got a hockey club. My Dad said the Canucks have character and nothing else. I was the only Canucks fan because I was 3 years old when the city got the team. Games on CKNW on the radio was really the only way to track the team. When I was in school everyone else was rooting for the Bruins, or Habs, or the Leafs.

1982 was magical because it gave us fans hope. But the worst part in the 80's was seeing Gretzky get almost every record playing against the Canucks. It was worse once Calgary won a cup. At least Pat Quinn was able to get us out of the worst times and make the team into a competitor.

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I agree completely. Todays game is what it is because of #99. I've been a die hard fan of the Nucks almost ffrom game #1, but I loved the Oilers in the 80's because they were something special, something never seen before in the league. They were a treat to watch.

Yeah, I just missed that era.

Fans who got to watch in the 80's should considered them selves blessed.

You grew up in the 80's and got Gretz

I grew up in the 90's and got the trap :(

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Orr was a tough guy himself. Although there were cheap shots his career was ended more so by the way he played. Like Bure, he skated with speed and reckless abandon. Knee injuries were inevitable. Unfortunately knee surgery wasn't nearly as refined back then as it is now and Orr didn't like cashing a cheque for not playing. He came back too soon from his knee injuries which was also a factor in shortening his career.

One of the great things about getting our NHL franchise was starting out in the same division as the Bruins. As a result I got to see Orr play live several times. He was truly magic on the ice.

The thing that gets me about Orr is that when he retired he told the Hawks to stop paying him, said was wasn't comfortable taking money he wash earning.

Can you picture that happening today?

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The team were mostly made up of players with heart and character and not necessarily a lot of skill but they were easy to like. During those years, without the Griffiths family, we would have lost the team so we came to appreciate that we had a team at least. Making the post season, I recall was exciting because it wasn't an expectation each year to make post season. So during the 82 run, the "cardiac kids" considered as under dogs, with a little luck and a hot goalie in "King Richard" who was aggressive and made key saves that help to steal some games, was Exciting to watch all the way to the finals. When Roger Neilson waved the white towel during the series with Chicago, on the next game at home, the fans supported and brought white towels and the crowd was a sea of white, it was a lot of fun. It was fun, but at times it was hard to be a fan if wins were all that mattered. I don't recall the media as focused on creating controversies or as overly critical as much as it is in recent times though.

Yea, the game was more creative emotional, and wasn't constantly picked apart and saddled with new rules.

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The team were mostly made up of players with heart and character and not necessarily a lot of skill but they were easy to like. During those years, without the Griffiths family, we would have lost the team so we came to appreciate that we had a team at least. Making the post season, I recall was exciting because it wasn't an expectation each year to make post season. So during the 82 run, the "cardiac kids" considered as under dogs, with a little luck and a hot goalie in "King Richard" who was aggressive and made key saves that help to steal some games, was Exciting to watch all the way to the finals. When Roger Neilson waved the white towel during the series with Chicago, on the next game at home, the fans supported and brought white towels and the crowd was a sea of white, it was a lot of fun. It was fun, but at times it was hard to be a fan if wins were all that mattered. I don't recall the media as focused on creating controversies or as overly critical as much as it is in recent times though.

Did you ever listen to Big Al Davidson on NW? I remember a noon sportscast when he and Wayne Cox were making trades on the air, to try and improve the team. This would have been just after the SC run, they started acquiring vets like Pit Martin, Sheldon Kannegeiser, and many more fillers. It was a horrible history in Canuckland, during those years. I also remember a road trip where Rick Blight was complaining about ice time, and asked for a trade through the media. Larcheid broke the story before a Canuck/Bruin game. But compared to today, it wasn't as earth shattering.

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Regarding the 1968-9 Canucks in the old Western Hockey League (some of these guys played in 70-71 for the NHL Canucks), here's some more names for you:

Cleland ("Keke") Mortson (a heart and soul tough guy)

John Arbour

Murray Hall

Paul Andrea

Ted McCaskill (tough guy)

Germain Gagnon

Marc Reaume

Ted Taylor

I wish I still had some of my old WHL and NHL game day programs.

Did Hank Cahan play for the expansion Canucks? I thought he might have, but that WHL Canuck team was damn good. When they won the playoffs, that PC was rocking. I listened to those playoffs on NW way up in the interior. Even though the signal would fade in and out.

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Did Hank Cahan play for the expansion Canucks? I thought he might have, but that WHL Canuck team was damn good. When they won the playoffs, that PC was rocking. I listened to those playoffs on NW way up in the interior. Even though the signal would fade in and out.

Dont think he did,,..a few more names..Hank Bassen was my favorite goalie back then...and I remember Brit Selby playing for the WHL canucks and going up to Toronto and won the Rookie of the year....we had a minor working deal with Toronto and Detroit but our main Nhl team was the NY Rangers..thus Larry Popein, Andy Bathgate and Larry Cahan all played at the old Vancouver Forum.

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I grew up listening to Jim Robson and Tom Larscheid on NW98 radio. Started when I was 7 years old, in 1985. While the team wasn't very good then, being a Canucks fan is still one of my most cherished childhood memories. There was no hope of ever winning games against the Oilers, Canadiens, Bruins, Hawks, or any other team for that matter (i.e., I remember often just listening in awe of Gretzky's records, especially when he achieved them against us). But having the radio on, and listening to Jim Robson's play-by-play, and his description of historic venues like Chicago Stadium and the Boston Garden, it would make you "feel" the atmosphere differently than nowadays, where everything is available online at the click of the button. It's like Robson was a "hockey storyteller", and you were forced to visualize the game with him.

I was a huge Tony Tanti fan. When Linden came on the scene in 88-89, I remember being really excited. Favourite memory was when the Canucks went to Game 7 against the Flames in 1989.

My dad would bring me hockey stickers to collect in my hockey album. I learned the names of all the stadiums and arenas from an 1987 O-Pee-Chee album.

Those are my memories. If you lived through that time like me, especially as a kid, then you'll likely "feel" the playoff runs of 94, and 2011 that much more. That's why I don't take our current team or the Sedins for granted. You have to realize how special they really are, and how lucky we are to have them, especially considering some of the teams we've had in the 80s.

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I was a kid growing up in the early 70's, and I can tell you that it was so exciting. When I first started watching the Canucks, they only came on TV some saturday nights(Maybe Wednesdays?), as TV blackouts applied. We listen to alot of the games by radio....no kidding! Yes, in the 70's.

I can tell you, that it is kind of like reading a book compared watching a movie of the same story, most times reading the book is better. Well because we were not over exposed to hockey, every play by Jim Robson was like Bobby Orr's famous goal. Man was it exciiting! Your imagination just ran wild.

Then, in 1985 my Son was born and 6 years later, I lived the Vancouver Canucks through my 6 year olds eyes. I still remember him playing Novice hockey and having a puck on their goal line, him winding up and trying to slap the puck in, and missing it, falling on it and the whistle blew..........he later said he wanted to score like Pavel Bure, as I wiped the tears out of his eyes.....lol......and my assist coache's! .................Poor Roger!

We didn't even dare imagine the Canucks winning the Stanley Cup, as Montreal, Boston, Phili, NYIslander and later Edmonton were the ones.....somehow, it didn't matter

Things have changed so much! I wonder why?..............................But I still love them! Always will!.......Best memories not of my family!

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