Vancouver Canucks

Don’t mind the actual building, but Rogers Arena only gets because this Just-​in!.. Bieber is doing a concert here. I think I just puked a little.

Okay, it is hard for me to write this… But, I feel like I need to. I have grown up in this city, and I grew up loving the Canucks.
Over the last 10 years, I’ve seen an increase in fights in the stands, and general drunkeness. It has become a place that is no longer family friendly, and caters to shameful behaviour of showering the ice with garbage, with fans chanting for other fans to fight in the stands. My impression was always
I attended the Stanley Cup Final game 7 against Boston, and I saw the lawless behaviour in the stands. Two rows in front of me, there was a man who was able to buy 12 beers, with the sole intention of throwing them on the ice. I saw two men in a fight fly over 3 rows narrowly missing a mother with a small baby! It’s been over 3 years since that night, and if it wasn’t for the carnage on the streets that night, people would have been talking about the fact that Gary Betmann had a drink miss the back of his head by a matter of INCHES! Hilarious when you’re 9 years old, but as adults that behaviour is totally shameful… all too common from Canuck fans unfortunately.
Where is security? Please take a look at Football in England, that’s how fan safety should be handled. Not the odd small women or overweight volunteer. We need more police officers arresting people on the spot. Aquilini needs to buck up to ensure that real VANCOUVER Canuck fans FROM VANCOUVER who LIVE IN VANCOUVER feel safe to bring their children to games. Without that, we don’t have an honest second generation of family involvement at games.
It’s hard to say this but you guys have lost me as a fan because I don’t feel safe attending Canuck games. Buck up and put more Vancouver Police in the stands, or I’m sure you’ll lose more in the years to come.
Thanks

While visiting Vancouver I had the pleasure to attend a Canucks game. Wooo! After spending the last 20 years watching the Ducks and the Kings, I was happy to watch my favorite sport in a real hockey town. The tickets were not cheap, but they are not cheap in Los Angeles either. We paid only slightly more than what we would have paid at the Staples Center {Honda Center is generally cheaper} for similar tickets (just a few rows back from the glass). Of course being Canada, everyone was incredibly nice and welcoming. On the SkyTrain on the way over, we were in a sea of Canucks fans of all ages and appearances. At the stadium, the fans were buzzing with excited anticipation. We started off at the team store and scored some great gear for the game. I was amazed how contained and polite everyone was during the game. Not that I’m a crazed fan, but I’m used to jumping up and down cheering and yelling (non-​profane) at players and refs. The price of the concession stands were pretty standard, but they had fresh made mini-​donuts that seemed pretty standard.
Leaving the arena was daunting as it seemed as if the entire population of Vancouver were trying to board the SkyTrain at the same time. I imagine most people do take public transportation since parking is scarce and almost as pricy as the tickets to the game. Luckily we purchased our return ticket in advance so that helped a bit. Traffic into the SkyTrain station was managed well and it did not take long for us to be on our way.

Over-​hyped pregame show. Please Canucks Media Representatives, give a listen to me as I’ve been sitting in the same season ticket seats since 2008. You can see me in Club section 105.
First of all, thank God you did change the music, which has been oh so stale.
But…why, oh why, did you bring back Mark Donnely to sing, «Oh Canada»? Why can’t you find some new talent in Vancouver that is not stale? (Hint: the talent pool is rich in Vancouver!)
And, I am seriously offended that your over-​hyped media spots had me convinced to get to the game early for the home opener, and get in my seats early for the «Pregame Show». Really? A five minute, yes, five minute video was shown that could have been made by high school audio/​visual students. It was just graphics of some fire/​iron, with a few images of the boys, but seriously, the AFLAC commercials on television are more entertaining, so that is my gage.
I will say, that if you eat at the club at the arena, the food is really good. And overall, I would give the food a really good rating for arena food in general. With the Club seats, the mezzanine has a lot of options. You can get all kinds of options from sushi to ceasar salad to prime rib sandwiches, plus your Triple-O’s, pizza…
Price of my ticket: $ 310.50
With that kind of cash, plus your food and beverages and transportation (cab was $ 15 there and we caught the sky train home)…consider going to Best Buy or Futureshop and buying a HD television. Yep.

…one star off because I had to pay $ 80/​ticket to sit in the nosebleeds and $ 35 to park but as the 16^th NHL Arena I’ve had the opportunity to visit I can only say that it is one of the very best. Great fans. Great sight lines. Great Concourses. Awesome Giftshop. An amazing place to see a game if you’ve got the cash.

Actually Brian Burke started to make this team better, and Mike Gillis just fortunately inherited the Sedins, Luongo, etc. though I don’t think Luongo will be the answer in the playoffs again. Sure, he played well last night but the pressure…

For years I’ve wanted to see an NHL game in person and this weekend I finally got the chance. Caught the Canucks against the Sharks, in the somewhat unusual circumstance of a 1PM puckdrop. Not too many afternoon games in hockey.
We had pretty mediocre seats, which still cost a pretty penny since this is a Stanley Cup Finals team from last year. But the sightlines are great even from the upper bowl.
The Canucks hit the ice after a nicely modulated pre-​game show, with moody lighting, flashy lasers, nice graphics, and good sound effects – but it doesn’t feel corny and forced, it’s more like waiting for the curtain to part before a movie. Gives you that feeling of anticipation.
Right now these guys are a very fast and athletic team, and that was a cool matchup to see against the Sharks, who are much more rugged and physical. The Sharks created a lot of traffic-​y activity in the Canucks’ zone throughout the game, but the home team had a tendency to disrupt them, flick the puck out, and flow like a highlight reel up to the other end of the ice. They never had more than a one-​goal lead, and didn’t take their final lead until about four minutes were left. Very exciting.
One of the most entertaining incidental moments came from the father and daughter seated on one side of me. Specifically, from the daughter. Luongo was in the net yesterday, and when the Sharks were on the attack at the end, they pulled their goalie and came at the Canucks 6 on 5. Somebody knocked Luongo’s stick out of his hand, back into the net, and the puck never left the Canucks zone, so for about 30 – 45 seconds he was frantically trying to mind the net with his bare gloves. He never had a chance to turn around and pick his stick back up.
At this point, we’re all leaning forward, the tension taking years off our lives – to say nothing of what’s it doing to Luongo. This sweet six-​year-​old next to me keeps saying «pick it upppp! pick it uuuuuup! Ohhhh, thank you!» She was as into it as any of us. I started cackling when she saw him turn around and grab his stick and said her thank you. She was still beside herself, and turned to me with her mouth all scrunched up in a kissy face, eyes bulging, and hands fluttering in mid-​air. Easily the cutest thing I have ever seen at a sporting event. There was finally a whistle for a face-​off, and you could see Luongo slump like somebody drilled a hole in the bottom of his gas tank. You could go to NHL games for years and not see the efforts the Canucks are putting on the ice every time right now. I’ll be coming back to see these guys every year for a long time. A great weekend getaway for Americans in the Pacific Northwest to be sure.

I am not Canadian but I think the Canucks are an awesome team! Love the Swedish twins ;-))

We came to watch Game 4 of the Playoff Finals at Rogers Arena since Vancouver was at Boston. While the outcome of the game was rather depressing, I still enjoyed the experience. We were given playoff towels on our seats and were seated in section 115 so could actually see the intermission entertainment easily.
Downside was the cost of beer ($ 8.5 per pint) but that’s to be expected at any stadium.

First in the NHL as of this moment deserves recognition.
Going into OT & Shootout as I was hoping vs. Columbus, pure awesome.
Needs more work on One-​Timers and Shots-​On-​Goal.
Let’s see how the Playoffs will treat you.

Went to the 2010 – 2011 Home Opener last night. So much happened in the off-​season that it undoubtedly increased expectations a lot. Thank goodness, a season isn’t defined in one game.
You can see the rustiness after a diluted pre-​season, and the line chemistry was not quite there yet. The Canucks did not play horribly.
Much like the economy, I’m cautiously optimistic — I did lay down a $ 50 bet on the Canucks to win the Cup when I was in Vegas a few months ago. Is that too optimistic???
I think of the Canucks as an athletically ungifted :) sibling. Winning 1^st place in a race won’t come easy, but you can’t help but cheer for them when they have any success.
At the end of the day, the overtime lost was disappointing but ‘Yay! I’m a fan’. still.

These Stars are for Hank…

I will love this team forever. I agree, the ticket prices are insance but I am ok with going to the local pub and having a few bevvies or watching it from the luxury of my own home on my HD tele and not have to beat the crowds. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t like to be able to afford to go sometimes (that’s why they only get the 4 stars).

I still love Luongo! But those boys were a little disappointing in the playoffs this year. There are some good players on the team but when you put them together, they’re all a mess.

oh boys! i love you.
great players, great atmosphere at gm place, first art ross, play-​offs…
love all of you little McNuckets…

Sayyyyy whaaaaat? You can review sports teams?
Well I love the Canucks. I am a die hard fan. Win or lose, I’m always cheering for our guys. Live games are a special treat for sure and I wish I could go more often and I’ve spent a pretty penny watching the games in the pubs.
We’re gonna make it far this play-​off season. I can feel it.

A total joke! Having grown up with the team they never offer any promos at all. Ticket prices are insane even for NHL. The new arena downtown is, in some respects, better than the Pacific Coliseum but you can’t walk around the concourse and still view the game between the levels like you could back at the Pacific Mausoleum.
Canuck fans as much as they hate Tarrana Make Belief fans are much like them. They are delusional thinking signing Luongo would (a) bring them closer to a Cup and (b) get big-​name free agents to sign here. The organization has only ever been entertaining in three short spans – the Phil Maloney coached era, the ‘90s Bure era and the West Coast Express era. Coach Yogi Bear’s rope-​a-​dope style of play in the new more open NHL is boring beyond belief. Oh you get the odd game that is less Sedins cycling and more run and gun but when you have lived through the mediocrity that is the Canucks, this team is hard to love.
Individual players like Kesler, Burrows, Edler and Ehrhoff are keepers and although the Sedins finally figured out that endless cycling puts most of us to sleep so they can join the Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin, Kovalchuk and Gaborik crew now in the entertainment stakes.
All I can say, is by default being born here, I’m stuck with them but years and years of playoff flops (or not even making the playoffs) not not an optimist make. And the logos and uniform designs over the years – stick in rink, flying V, downhill skate and Free Willy? Put the old WHL Johnny Canucklehead on the front of the jersey and then I’m sold.

I grew up in BC watching the Canucks with my Dad. You have to support your team … even when they continue to disappoint you in the post-​season (if they make it that far).
I don’t know if Sundin is going to make a big difference, but time will tell. I love it when they play hard, forecheck, and show effort in general. But sometimes it just seems like they didn’t come out to play, which is frustrating as a fan. Why should I bother watching if they don’t bother doing their job?
There is nothing quite like attending a sold-​out game at GM Place. It’s got a mood and intensity all of its own. Just hearing the collective «oohs» and sighs and the sound of the skates on the ice is worth the ticket price, win or lose.

I do enjoy the fervor of playoff season. The rest of the year I’m not so interested, but hey I’ve never claimed to be a hockey fan. Unfortunately the Canucks don’t treat the city to that playoff fervor as much as anyone would like.
A friend had an extra ticket to a home game at GM place so I got to go free. It’s a pretty fun event with lots of crowd participation. The upper seats are much less cramped than at a Vancouver Giants game. But if I’d actually paid for my ticket I think the faster hockey of the Giants is a far better value.
I appreciate seeing cars with their little window-​affixed Canucks flags and knowing there’s a game that evening. Overall the Canucks are definitely an appreciated addition to the city.

Oh Canucks, how you excite me and disappoint me. You’re like a bad relationship that I can’t get away from. A life long companion that I will never leave. When the times are good they’re great and when the times are bad they’re horrible. You’re such a polarizer.
We may have our quarrels, but you inspire me to riot on your behalf. You have me watching your every move. You entertain me and you get our whole city behind you.
Over the years some have forgotten or dropped you, not I. In the end and deep down, we know there’s a mutual love.