Where are we now?

[The Lock]

To be honest, I'm more satisfied that we actually have a long term GM here for more than just 4 or 5 years. In my opinion, in a rebuild, changing out GMs too soon could result in a lack of direction. Is it the right direction we are headed? Time will tell, but at least we are drafting better than we have in a long time. I remember seeing draft picks like Ellington and Sauve and thinking "meh" whereas now I'm excited we picked someone like Gadjovich. Just so much more potential in these picks

[The Lock]

9 minutes ago, Chris12345 said:

No. This might surprise Vancouverites but it's not favoured by NHL players to play in.

Most of the articles I've seen regarding NHL player's favourite and least favourite destinations either have no context (and ends up being an article which might as well have just pointed to 15 random cities) or end up saying Edmonton and Winnipeg as least favourable. lol

 

Which article did you read exactly, or is it just your opinion that you are claiming as fact?

[Primal Optimist]

I have only heard from media pundits that Vancouver is a very tough fishbowl style market to play in...every move by every player is eye balled and judged by the fans andthe media here, which lends to the theory that players don't want to come here..but imo its not evidenced by science. 

[IBatch]

2 minutes ago, Primal Optimist said:

I have only heard from media pundits that Vancouver is a very tough fishbowl style market to play in...every move by every player is eye balled and judged by the fans andthe media here, which lends to the theory that players don't want to come here..but imo its not evidenced by science. 

I don't think its even close to the fishbowl in TO where it's possible players garbage might be checked to see what they are eating.  Same with MTL and NYR.  Can't see why they wouldn't want to come here, best weather by far for Canadian teams, one of the most beautiful cities in North America, and believe or not, one of the least taxed placed to play to, around five after Florida, Nevada, Calgary and Edmonton.

[The Lock]

3 minutes ago, Primal Optimist said:

I have only heard from media pundits that Vancouver is a very tough fishbowl style market to play in...every move by every player is eye balled and judged by the fans andthe media here, which lends to the theory that players don't want to come here..but imo its not evidenced by science. 

The irony of it all is that it's the very same media that create this fishbowl claiming these "facts" about the players' perceptions of Vancouver. lol

 

Sometimes I wish there was some sort of series of tests needed in order to get into the media jobs. There's just no accountability on the media's part it seems these days.

[Chris12345]

34 minutes ago, The Lock said:

Most of the articles I've seen regarding NHL player's favourite and least favourite destinations either have no context (and ends up being an article which might as well have just pointed to 15 random cities) or end up saying Edmonton and Winnipeg as least favourable. lol

 

Which article did you read exactly, or is it just your opinion that you are claiming as fact?

100% non factual.

[Chris12345]

42 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said:

how would you know that? 

I've talked to some who I will not name. I don't "know" it I just think most don't enjoy Vancouver. Why does Vancouver never lock in UFAs in demand? Why did Lou not want to play in Van? Was it Torts?

 

Reality is the Canucks typically lose, it's expensive, weather is bad, travel is bad, endorsements aren't great, and it is high pressure.

 

I am only guessing but I would say 20% of players come from out East? Given that bias they would want to stay out East.

[Chris12345]

41 minutes ago, Primal Optimist said:

I have only heard from media pundits that Vancouver is a very tough fishbowl style market to play in...every move by every player is eye balled and judged by the fans andthe media here, which lends to the theory that players don't want to come here..but imo its not evidenced by science. 

Yea I know that's true. 

 

Not only that but players are so recognizable in Vancouver they can't go out without being bothered. I know players that go out for dinner and have to literally hide in the resturant to not get bothered.

 

It's also not "can I get your autograph" it's "you suck why can't you score".

[Primal Optimist]

I am pretty sure Lou said fuggitaboudit after he was benched for the outdoor game. THat was kind of a big deal and he was sat down. I would be like 'am i the starter or am i leaving town? your choice....if i was Lu back then. 

[JM_]

2 minutes ago, Chris12345 said:

I've talked to some who I will not name. I don't "know" it I just think most don't enjoy Vancouver. Why does Vancouver never lock in UFAs in demand? Why did Lou not want to play in Van? Was it Torts?

 

Reality is the Canucks typically lose, it's expensive, weather is bad, travel is bad, endorsements aren't great, and it is high pressure.

 

I am only guessing but I would say 20% of players come from out East? Given that bias they would want to stay out East.

I don't know what city or team you're describing but thats not where I live. You clearly have some weird ideas of what its like to be here. And its 12 roster players from out east if you include Minnesota in that, and thats not counting European players. 

 

And Vancouver has attracted - and kept - many great players over the years. Was that 2011 team just a bunch of guys that don't want to be here? 

 

Of course every player doesn't want to be in every city. Maybe some think Vancouver is a cesspool. Maybe some think low taxes are the main thing. But your opinion is based on not much that I can see but your own feeling about the city which are way off. 

 

[JM_]

3 minutes ago, Chris12345 said:

Yea I know that's true. 

 

Not only that but players are so recognizable in Vancouver they can't go out without being bothered. I know players that go out for dinner and have to literally hide in the resturant to not get bothered.

 

It's also not "can I get your autograph" it's "you suck why can't you score".

No, I'm guessing that you don't. 

[Alflives]

7 minutes ago, Chris12345 said:

Yea I know that's true. 

 

Not only that but players are so recognizable in Vancouver they can't go out without being bothered. I know players that go out for dinner and have to literally hide in the resturant to not get bothered.

 

It's also not "can I get your autograph" it's "you suck why can't you score".

I totally agree players, if money and term are similar, will choose (most likely) an eastern US city.  Next they would choose a western US city.  Then I think come the Canadian cities.  Of the Canadian cities, the players will choose Vancouver first.  Montreal has the language issue.  Toronto is . Winnipeg, Ottawa, Edmonton, and Calgary are all the same.  

[The Lock]

47 minutes ago, Chris12345 said:

I've talked to some who I will not name. I don't "know" it I just think most don't enjoy Vancouver. Why does Vancouver never lock in UFAs in demand? Why did Lou not want to play in Van? Was it Torts?

 

Reality is the Canucks typically lose, it's expensive, weather is bad, travel is bad, endorsements aren't great, and it is high pressure.

 

I am only guessing but I would say 20% of players come from out East? Given that bias they would want to stay out East.

You've "talked with someone" so that somehow represents the general populous? I'm sure there are some players who don't want to play here as there are players who don't want to play in other places but to talk with one person and think it's a general consensus tells me you perhaps haven't taken a statistics course in your life?

 

Anyway, you have to remember with Lou that the team was starting to go downhill at the time. There was that crazy mishandling of things on Gillis' part and the same thing could have happened on any team. If Lou was handled like that in Florida, don't you think there's a good chance he would want out of Florida? Yet, Lou was here for 8 years before that trade. It Lou didn't like Vancouver, then why did he sign here to an extremely long deal?  So to answer your question: yes, he was mishandled and things were falling apart here and Torts certainly did not help.

 

Sure, there are travel times and the weather in Florida is nicer, but the Vancouver lifestyle is also often desired. Perhaps if you lived in Florida you would be saying the same thing about Florida as you are right now about Vancouver? There is such a thing as having a bias towards where you live. For some, it makes the place seem like a better place to live. For others, it might as well be the worst place on the planet. The actual reality of it all is going to be somewhere in the middle and just pointing out the negatives without thinking of the positives puts things out of context.

 

EDIT: Buy hey, if you want to be a pessimistic person about things, that's your ulcer, not mine. 

[Gurn]

1 hour ago, The Lock said:

I remember seeing draft picks like Ellington and Sauve

I liked the Suave pick, shame he got hit by that car and sustained a concussion. Another what could have been player.

 

[Industrious1]

6 hours ago, Wilbur said:

There's always a vocal minority though.  It's easier to pick apart than to build up.  It seemed the vocal minority demanded a team with zero flaws and was lacking in the constructive criticism department.  That just doesn't happen, doubly so in a cap world.

I don't recall many threads of demanding a team with zero flaws.  That is simply hyperbole on your part.

 

What I do recall after 2011 is disliked posters (such as Lahey) presenting arguments as to why Vancouver lost in the finals (besides officiating, which was a big deal for our market at the time) and ways to fix that.  Now don't get me wrong, I didn't agree with a ton of stuff that was posted, but I certainly read it and considered it without immediately jumping on a ridicule campaign to posters who's opinion did not align with my own.

 

And you know what?  Maybe guys like Lahey were right...maybe this franchise couldn't move forward without parting ways with superstars like the Sedin's?  Maybe getting rid of Burrow's to placate league brass would have been the right move while our window was open.  Maybe getting rid of all of our 2nds for years and years wasn't the right move short-term or long-term.

 

Hindsight is 20-20 but damn it seems like some people (and i'm not saying myself because I have to admit I agreed with the masses back then for the most part) have alot more foresight than others.  Those negative opinions (within the rules of the forum and general reason) deserve to be heard just as much as those positive ones.

[Gurn]

57 minutes ago, Chris12345 said:

Why does Vancouver never lock in UFAs in demand?

Messier

Sundin

Sutter

Erickson

[JM_]

1 hour ago, Chris12345 said:

Yea I know that's true. 

 

Not only that but players are so recognizable in Vancouver they can't go out without being bothered. I know players that go out for dinner and have to literally hide in the resturant to not get bothered.

 

It's also not "can I get your autograph" it's "you suck why can't you score".

where do you live? 

[Chris12345]

22 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said:

where do you live? 

BC...don't get me wrong I love Vancouver I just don't think it is as attractive to NHL players as Vancouverites think it is.

 

Most Canadian cities aren't ideal to play in based on weather, travel, and pressure. 

 

Some people love the pressure, others don't.

[Alflives]

4 minutes ago, Chris12345 said:

BC...don't get me wrong I love Vancouver I just don't think it is as attractive to NHL players as Vancouverites think it is.

 

Most Canadian cities aren't ideal to play in based on weather, travel, and pressure. 

 

Some people love the pressure, others don't.

There is the family thing too.  The fishbowl Canadian cities can make it hard on players’ families.  No husband or father want his wife and kids to be under the scrutiny.  All US cities allow players and their families to move around freely, without being recognized.  

[Alflives]

1 hour ago, Jimmy McGill said:

I don't know what city or team you're describing but thats not where I live. You clearly have some weird ideas of what its like to be here. And its 12 roster players from out east if you include Minnesota in that, and thats not counting European players. 

 

And Vancouver has attracted - and kept - many great players over the years. Was that 2011 team just a bunch of guys that don't want to be here? 

 

Of course every player doesn't want to be in every city. Maybe some think Vancouver is a cesspool. Maybe some think low taxes are the main thing. But your opinion is based on not much that I can see but your own feeling about the city which are way off. 

 

I love our city too, and I’m certain it’s the best city in the world.  However, I don’t think NHL UFAs will choose us over a US city if the money is the same.  Cost of living and the fishbowl, especially for guys with families, will factor in to their choice.  And we lose out to all the US cities on those.