Memorable Canucks Moments

[Coconuts]

I'm admittedly going a bit nuts without hockey, particularly Canucks hockey, and I know know a bunch of you are in the same boat. So I figured that while we don't have new hockey to look forward to why not take a look at our past? Youtube's full of old clips, why not unearth some of those? It'd be easy for me to do on my own, but it'd be more interesting to see what stands out as memorable to you guys. 

 

If you wanna share anecdotes about being at games, meeting players, ect that's great too. I'll start us off with a couple clips.

 

 

 

 

 

[Sean Monahan]

I remember when I was maybe 5 or 6 years old (born in '93) I went to an event at the Agrodome or something like that. Each player had a table somewhere on the floor with Messier and Naslund being somewhere else off of the floor and fans needing to pay ~$10 to meet them and get an autograph. All the other players were free to meet.

 

I was a really shy kid and pretty undersized even for my age so I was really intimidated by the whole thing and very timid when it would be my turn to meet the players. I remember they were all friendly enough but pretty much just signed my stuff and moved on- understandable given the size of their lineups and the time allowed. What I'll always remember the most is meeting Todd Bertuzzi. I was particularly scared of him because he's huge and tattooed. He saw I was nervous so he came out from behind his table, knelt down on one knee so he was sorta almost kinda my size and spent a few minutes talking to me. Gave me a nice personalized autograph and took a picture with me (still on one knee). I'll see if I can dig up the picture but I fear it might've been destroyed and thrown out when a pipe burst in my parents' basement back in 2012. 

 

I always was and always will be a big fan of Bert because of that.

[JM_]

For me it was getting to meet Ohlund. To me he's the best of what players can be, tough, smart, work hard ,head down and yap shut 

 

But it was also learning how much these guys give up too, he told a story about how his knees are so painful now he can't skate with his young kids. Pretty harsh. Of course he's got money, etc. etc but they sometimes give a lot. 

[dpn1]

My son is in University in Austria working on his Doctorate and he wanted me to PVR some of the Canuck's games for him to watch so I can watch some of those games.  I also have AHLTV and can go back and watch any games I missed as well.  It helps with the Symptoms of quitting hockey cold turkey.  

[rekker]

Game six and seven in 94. Burrows slaying the dragon. Juice's goal against SanJose in 2011. Whatever it is Hank said to the Florida bench after scoring. Everything Hughes and Petey do. Bo's captaincy. My 1982 Shoppers Drug Mart Canucks calender. Marc Crawford's rants. AV laughing at Fiddler's Bieksa's imitation. Jovo jumping up and down in the penalty box when Cooke scored. The twins. Love this team and great topic. Man, I miss the Canucks and the NHL. 

Edited March 17, 2020 by rekker

[canuckster19]

I've told these stories before.

 

First game I went to back in the old coliseum my dad took me downstairs before the game as the players went out, I was a big goalie fan, knew who they all were and yelled hi to Kirk McLean, he waved back at me, which was awesome. After the game where you could go down and stand a bit outside the dressing room and get players autographs, Kirk comes out of the dressing room, I'm the first kid he goes up to and signs my program and says he remembers me from the pregame, well I thought that was the coolest thing that he remembered that. I got quite a few players autographs that night.

 

I was an Oilers fan first before they traded Gretzky, so a few weeks later the Oilers are in town and we go downstairs after the game, this time it's absolutely packed with people trying to get autographs and I'm on my dad's shoulders about four or five rows of people, Randy Gregg first comes out and my Dad puts me down and tells me to push to the front, which I do, but the fence is a lot taller that me and people are just reaching over so I didn't get his autograph. So, an usher I guess sees this and takes me over the fence and says just stand here and you can get all the autographs. It was nice I remember getting some there, but Gretzky still hadn't shown, one of the trainers of the Oilers sees me and for whatever reason takes me to the dressing room door and tells me to wait there, I wait a few minutes and I get Fuhr's autograph as he's standing there, I think I got Kurri's and Anderson's while I was standing there as well. The trainer comes out of the room again and asks if I want to meet Gretzky, well of course I do. So I go in and he's there with Messier and Sather, so I got to shake hands with all three, greatest hockey childhood memory, then he was traded a few months later... and I never liked the Oilers again.

 

A few weeks after that the North Stars are in town and we go cause my mom grew up with Moe Mantha, so I got to meet some of their players as well.

[189lb enforcers?]

Almo becoming a Canuck was an incredible moment for offseason hockey. 
 

I can’t think of a current winger we’d have to acquire for EP’s wing to compare. Ovechkin?

 

Of course, on the other side it would have to be Bure, since there are no comparables... and I guess may as well make EP prime-Linden to get the full effect. 
 

That was one of the most underrated off seasons, as far as Canuck Moments go, IMO. 
 

[Dumb Nuck]

Something I really, really miss was going early to Nucks game at the Pacific Coliseum and grabbing a buffalo burger in the tent outside.

[Down by the River]

My first Canucks game. We had to travel quite a ways. There was a story in the paper about how someone had stolen the Canucks' jerseys. I can't remember off the top of my head, but I think it was right around the time they switched to these things:

 

All these adults were laughing about it and I was freaked out because I thought that if the jerseys were missing they were going to have to cancel the game.... they obviously didn't and they pummeled Dallas like 6-2. 

 

I remember in 1994 when Geoff Courtnall scored in game 6 but the play continued... the Rangers went the other way and scored. My Dad jumped up and screamed the F-word. It was the first time I had ever heard him swear. I don't think I heard him say that word again from him for like a decade.

Edited March 18, 2020 by Down by the River

[ruilin96]

Got both Pettersson and Hughes to sign my jersey in training camp this season:

 

[Curmudgeon]

1. I saw Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull when they were stars with the Blackhawks on Boxing Night in 71, I think. Andre Boudrias scored on a breakaway with Hull and Mikita hanging on to him and he still scored. I think there's a photo of that somewhere. I heard later that Hull was suspected of playing drunk that night. All I know is that I was disappointed in his game. 

2. I was in the crowd with my dad in late December of 73 or 74 when the Philadelphia Flyers climbed the glass to go after fans who were taunting them. In that same game there was a disputed non-goal by the Flyers against Vancouver in the north end. Bernie Parent skated the entire length of the ice and slammed his stick against the glass where the goal judge was seated. The Flyers were animals. Really.

3. I was in the Coliseum for Game 4(?) in 94 when I was seated right below the all-time great sportswriter Jim Taylor and got to chat with him throughout the game. Pavel Bure got thrown out of that game for an elbow or high stick and Kirk McLean let in a very bad goal. Canucks lost. I saw Harry Neale and Bob Cole before the game on a sort of catwalk above the concourse. I remember yelling "Hey, Cole, where are your Leafs? Where are they, Cole?" He pretended he didn't hear me, but we both know he did. 

 

[Kevin Biestra]

I remember Tiger Williams standing off against Willi Plett, I think back in 1982.  It was as close to David and Goliath as you'll see.  It made Rocky and Drago in Rocky 4 look like an even match.  But Tiger didn't back down from anyone...

 

Dave Babych potted a hat trick for the Canucks some time in the early 90s.  Still the only one by a defenseman for the Canucks in 50 years.

 

Cliffy riding his stick Tiger Williams style after some overtime heroices against the Kings in the playoffs in 92 or 93.

 

Speaking off Cliff, dragging the poor guy out for the Canucks' "retiring" of the #7 for the fans...which only lasted a couple weeks I think and then they pretended it never happened.  They ought to put Cliff in the Ring of Honour just for doing that to him.

 

I remember Kesler doing one of his all time greatest dives around center ice away from the play.  You see the "infraction" and then Kesler going down, and the camera keeps moving and you just see maybe Kesler's stick and a glove that he threw off for extra drama sliding along the ice through the bottom of the frame.

 

Around 2009 or so, Shorthouse was calling a Canucks game that was one of the most boring games in NHL history.  Both teams were playing like they were channeling Canucks era Mark Messier, the whole way through.  It maybe ended up 2-1 after an unenthusiastic shootout.  As Shorthouse leads into the post-game summary and discussion, he says...  "But you stayed up for the whole thing, you had to" in mock enthusiasm about the "thrilling" contest.

[J.I.A.H.N]

1.  The first Canuck NHL game

2.  Bure's elbow on Churla

3.  Tiger riding his hockey stick after a goal

4.  Pretty much any Sedinery

5.  Burrows knocking down the puck and going in and scoring

6.  Rookie Trevor Linden's huge hits

7.  Rookie Stan Smyl's preseason fight with Arnie Brown in Nanaimo...……...Just 1 smack and Brown was down.....showed us who Smyl was

8.  Greg Body's interview in Montreal after Vancouver's first playoff win against them...……( he used the F bomb in an interview on National TV...awesome!)

9.  Pavel Bure flying down the wing.....just pick one......GOD Damn!

10. Gino, running around shirtless, during a bench clearing...……...

 

Hey no Stanley Cups, but they got us there...……….and we would have won, but for the NHL and the refs

 

- I still don't agree in Rome's suspension or even his penalty

- I still don't believe it was all Bertuzzi's doing that Moore got hurt

 

Both very memorable, and will stay with me.

 

Bottom line...………..I love "OUR" Vancouver Canucks 

 

Edited March 19, 2020 by janisahockeynut

[IBatch]

On 3/17/2020 at 4:03 PM, 189lb enforcers? said:

Almo becoming a Canuck was an incredible moment for offseason hockey. 
 

I can’t think of a current winger we’d have to acquire for EP’s wing to compare. Ovechkin?

 

Of course, on the other side it would have to be Bure, since there are no comparables... and I guess may as well make EP prime-Linden to get the full effect. 
 

That was one of the most underrated off seasons, as far as Canuck Moments go, IMO. 
 

When first saw we acquired him wasn't sure I heard it right - like it was fake news or something.  Was pretty excited - Mogilny and  Bure?  How the heck is anyone going to stop the pair of them?  

 

Luongo trade had me high as a kite for a week or two as well....

[Kevin Biestra]

Jeff Cowan getting his bra on the ice after four goals in three games or something.  The Brabarian had one of the best weeks in Canuck history.

 

Dany Sabourin taking the net in playoff overtime like a deer in the headlights because Roberto was having bathroom problems.

 

I was like, hey awesome, we have John Vanbiesbrouck...for about 30 seconds.  Kind of a similar experience with Arturs Irbe and Sean Burke.  Some good goalies stopped by for a cup of coffee in our post-McLean goalie graveyard years.

 

John Garrett almost winning the All Star Game MVP in 1983.  People don't seem to think he was very good but he had a better than .500 record as a Canuck, and he played for the team when it was awful in the 80s.  He was also almost legendarily good in the WHA.

 

It got mentioned elsewhere recently, but Trevor Linden just getting the back of his head beaten on by Joel Otto once he was pounded to the ice in a one-side fight.

 

Canucks beat the Flames 11-0 I think back in the early 90s.  Jim Agnew would have been able to score a hat trick that day.  All the Canucks had to do was dump it out of their own zone and it would end up in the Calgary net somehow.

[komodo0921]

On 3/17/2020 at 9:00 PM, Kevin Biestra said:

I remember Tiger Williams standing off against Willi Plett, I think back in 1982.  It was as close to David and Goliath as you'll see.  It made Rocky and Drago in Rocky 4 look like an even match.  But Tiger didn't back down from anyone...

 

Dave Babych potted a hat trick for the Canucks some time in the early 90s.  Still the only one by a defenseman for the Canucks in 50 years.

 

Cliffy riding his stick Tiger Williams style after some overtime heroices against the Kings in the playoffs in 92 or 93.

 

Speaking off Cliff, dragging the poor guy out for the Canucks' "retiring" of the #7 for the fans...which only lasted a couple weeks I think and then they pretended it never happened.  They ought to put Cliff in the Ring of Honour just for doing that to him.

 

I remember Kesler doing one of his all time greatest dives around center ice away from the play.  You see the "infraction" and then Kesler going down, and the camera keeps moving and you just see maybe Kesler's stick and a glove that he threw off for extra drama sliding along the ice through the bottom of the frame.

 

Around 2009 or so, Shorthouse was calling a Canucks game that was one of the most boring games in NHL history.  Both teams were playing like they were channeling Canucks era Mark Messier, the whole way through.  It maybe ended up 2-1 after an unenthusiastic shootout.  As Shorthouse leads into the post-game summary and discussion, he says...  "But you stayed up for the whole thing, you had to" in mock enthusiasm about the "thrilling" contest.

I believe Rick Rypien vs Hal Gill has that beat 

[komodo0921]

 

 

Was going to say Pavel Bure overtime goal 1994 playoffs, game 7, Calgary Flames, 3rd OT but none of that happened without, "The Save.". 

Edited March 21, 2020 by komodo0921

[Kevin Biestra]

44 minutes ago, komodo0921 said:

I believe Rick Rypien vs Hal Gill has that beat 

Rick vs Tiger would have been like Hagler / Hearns.