Favorite memories of the Pacific Coliseum

[Dr. Crossbar]

10 hours ago, Westcoasting said:

This goal was in GM Place not the Coliseum.

The one I saw against Dallas was at the Coleseum. Just posted this video as an example of the goal.

[Stelar]

I can't find a video of it but the wind up horn before every game was great

 

Ability as a young kid to buy tickets in the lower 10 rows for $50-$60

 

Blackhawks vs Canucks in 82 playoffs with the Port Alberni table hockey club..... I think we were last row.

 

Watching Gretzky so many times.

 

A buddy got me in to the Coliseum for a game day practice when Canucks played St Louis in the playoffs.

[Rocky Balboa]

Most of all...no suits and no one tapping on their phones and actually watching the games. 

 

Also, the ushers letting people from the upper bowl move to the lower bowl after the 2nd period!

[Neko]

1. Chasing Stan Smyl down the hill trying to get an autograph from him but he kept saying "get away!".

2. First game with Pavel Bure and his explosive speed causing 16,000+ to stand up on their feet.

3. Craig Coxe fights Bob Probert

4. Canucks vs Islanders '82 Stanley Cup finals (albeit getting mopped)

5 hours ago, Lafayettecrossbar said:

In 1993 or 1994 I went to my first concert there, Green Day when Dookie came out.

I think I was at that very same concert.

[Canuck_Fan_52]

-Going to my first ever Canuck game on March 16th 1991.  Canucks vs. Islanders 4-4 Tie.  Canucks were down 2-0 and 4-3 but were able to claw back and preserve the tie.

-Going to the Canucks Leafs game Oct. 21st 1991 and then to the Canucks Capitals game October 24th 1991.  I remembered at the Caps game, someone sitting close to me giving me a "Breakaway" magazine out of the blue.

 

Those were the good times, unfortunately at that time I was under 18 so I relied on my folks if they had tickets to the Canucks, which was rare. Also, many games were on CKNW so watching the Canucks on TV was a real treat!

[Tre Mac]

42 minutes ago, Canuck_Fan_52 said:

-Going to my first ever Canuck game on March 16th 1990.  Canucks vs. Islanders 4-4 Tie.  Canucks were down 2-0 and 4-3 but were able to claw back and preserve the tie.

That's weird man, I cannot remember if this was also my first game as well but I do recall it was against the islanders.  I found a crumbled up $50 American bill during the intermission. 

 

 

[Down by the River]

My first NHL game. I grew up in Northern BC so getting down to Vancouver was not easy. Canucks were playing Dallas and I was crushed because my hero (Bure) was not playing that game because of injury. Canucks won, 6-3 I believe, which took away some of the sting.

 

Was anybody ever a member of the Russian Rocket fan club?

[DJSkingz]

Don't remember what game it was but I remember there being a Blades of Steel arcade machine. I played that for an entire intermission. Using the roller ball to control your player was tough. Much easier on the NES with a controller.

[Tiger-Hearted]

Absolutely L♡VE the good 'ol Coliseum. Hate the location, though.

 

My favourite memories:

1. '82 Stanley Cup run.

2. '94 Stanley Cup run.

3. Richard Loney's great anthem singing. 

4. The real piped organ music and the tones, ie. "Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work we go", "Three Blind Mice", whistling sound when the puck went into the crowd and familiar hockey tones.

5. The BC sunset home yellows vs the variety of dark colours of opponents. 

6. Hot fresh popcorn pumped with real butter. 

7. Being able to watch the game live from the corridors when getting concessions or a trip to the can.

8. Steamer, Tiger, "HAROLD!", Gradin, King Richard, Trevor, Pavel and Captain Kirk.

[Team Bagues]

The Bure elbow on Churla as we demolished Modano and the Stars.

That was a very, very loud and boisterous crowd.

Good times.

Man I miss that rink.

[Team Bagues]

2 hours ago, Rocky Balboa said:

Most of all...no suits and no one tapping on their phones and actually watching the games. 

 

Also, the ushers letting people from the upper bowl move to the lower bowl after the 2nd period!

Suits and mobile phones; the death of so many wonderful things.

Enter the age of idiocracy...

 

[Canuck_Fan_52]

56 minutes ago, Tre Mac said:

That's weird man, I cannot remember if this was also my first game as well but I do recall it was against the islanders.  I found a crumbled up $50 American bill during the intermission. 

 

 

Small world.  I was up in the Blue Seats around the middle.  Actually I was off by a year, it was March 16th 1991.  Gamble was in net.  Usually I hesitated when he played between the pipes. 

 

By the way, good find on the $50 American Bill.  Makes me wonder who would bring that much money into a game played in Canada.  That was worth about CAD $57 back then.

[canucks.brad]

Wasn't old enough to watch any Canuck games at the Coliseum but I wish I had... I saw a few Giants game there and loved the atmosphere. Also loved how you were able to walk around the entire concourse and not miss the game.

[redhdlois]

Soooo many memories......

Going to games with my dear departed Dad.

People smoking during intermission lol

Being able to use an airhorn.

Watching Pavel skate like the wind from one end to the other and score a goal.

Going downstairs after games and waiting for the players to come out for autographs.

Standing room !!

 

[CeeBee51]

Last game of 70/71 season a 4-2 loss to the LA Kings. Was my first live NHL game. Sat up in the nosebleeds. Pretty sure Mike Corrigan scored one of the Canuck goals. Don't remember too much else other than it was a long trip back before the Coquihalla was built. 

[Westcoasting]

4 hours ago, Dr. Crossbar said:

The one I saw against Dallas was at the Coleseum. Just posted this video as an example of the goal.

ummm..... ok. He never did this during an an actual game and i'm 99% positive that this was the only time it was done. Also why it is such an iconic goal. This was definitely the first time he had done it though.

[Dumb Nuck]

I went to so many games there and one tradition was showing up early and having a buffalo burger and a beer outside before going in. I miss that.

[cabinessence]

5 hours ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

Was Bure's first game even televised? Seems to be an awful lot of people there considering at that time there was was 12,000 people in the stands? 

 

First NHL game I ever went to, Vancouver vs. Chicago mid 70's (1975-6?). The players seemed so fast. Lots of smoke, and beer in the hallways. 

 

Vancouver won, and the crowd was so happy (We lost a lot in those days). 

It wasn't televised locally. There were 14,000 plus that night if I recall correctly. Not a sellout, but a bit more than average for a Tuesday night then.

[cabinessence]

2 hours ago, Team Bagues said:

The Bure elbow on Churla as we demolished Modano and the Stars.

That was a very, very loud and boisterous crowd.

Good times.

Man I miss that rink.

That was in Dallas.

[Kragar]

So many games.  A couple family members had season tix, so I was able to go to about 8-10 games a year as a teen.  My first playoff game was game 4 vs Chicago in '82.  Just awesome with the emotion over towel-power.

 

There was this crazy old Asian guy who sat nearby.  He was a die-hard fan, but often seemed a little slow to respond, as he would shout out "shoot" or "hit 'em" well after the opportunity passed.  Always good for a chuckle, but he was having clean fun, and honestly, nothing else matters.  And it was just great being able to shout as loud as you can whenever the game called for it.  Have a good barn-burner game and come home with my voice so thrashed from cheering.  Good times.

 

Going to my first concert, Bowie's Serious Moonlight, and being so naive that I thought I had to stay in my seat up in the nose-bleeds.  The air sure was a little different up there than during Canuck games .  Very relaxing.

 

And, like others have mentioned, being able to see the players right at the entrance to the locker room and get some autographs and see how big they were (I was 6 or 7 for my first game, so they were giants).