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The Vancouver Canucks are a professional National Hockey League (NHL) ice hockey team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Facts
- Founded: 1945
- Joined the NHL: 1970
- Home arena: General Motors Place 18,630 Capacity
- Former home arena: Pacific Coliseum (1970-1995) 16,150 capacity
- Uniform colours: Home: Royal blue, red, and silver on dark blue. Away: Royal blue, red, and silver on white. Alternate (3rd): Red, dark blue, and silver.
- Logo design: A stylized "C", consisting of an orca breaking out of ice.
- Vintage sweater: A stylized "C", consisting of a hockey rink and hockey stick. Home: Green and white on royal blue. Away: Royal blue and green on white. The stick in the middle represents a "C".
- Division Championships: 4 (1974-75, 1991-92, 1992-93, 2003-04)
- Conference Championships: 2 (1981-82, 1993-94)
- Stanley Cup Finals appearances: 2 (1981-82; lost to NY Islanders, 0-4), (1993-94; lost to NY Rangers, 3-4)
- Mascot: Fin the Whale
- Rivals: Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames
Franchise history
In 1945 the Pacific Coast Hockey League established an ice hockey franchise in the city of Vancouver. Known as the Canucks, they immediately enjoyed success by winning PCHL championships in their first (1946) and third (1948) year of existence. In 1952, the PCHL merged with the Western Canada Senior Hockey League to form the professional Western Hockey League. With numerous star players coming through the ranks like Johnny Bower, Andy Bathgate, Tony Esposito, Allan Stanley, and Phil Maloney, the Canucks would again win the President's/Lester Patrick Cup in 1958, 1960, 1969, and 1970.
In 1965, when the NHL announced plans to expand to six additional markets, the owner of the WHL's Canucks (and former Vancouver mayor), Fred Hume, announced that the city of Vancouver would apply. However, the presentation to the NHL's Board of Governors was sloppily prepared. Because of this, and the fact that the Vancouver ownership group was disliked by Detroit Red Wings' owner James Norris and Toronto Maple Leafs' owner Stafford Smythe (who hated Vancouver in general because of a failed arena plan), the application did not succeed. Nevertheless, the Pacific Coliseum, which was to be the first home for a prospective Vancouver NHL team, was built on the grounds of the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE).
In 1970, another Vancouver ownership group bought the Canucks and, after much negotiating, joined the NHL for the price of $6 million ($4 million more than it would have cost in 1967).
- First NHL Captain: Orland Kurtenbach
- First NHL Game: 9 October, 1970 vs. Los Angeles Kings
- First NHL Victory: 11 October, 1970 5 - 3 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
- First NHL Goal Scored: Barry Wilkins vs. Los Angeles Kings
The Canucks were 1975 Smythe division champions, but were generally mediocre for the first decade of their existence, missing the playoffs 6 times in their first 8 years. After a decent regular season, the Canucks became the Cinderella story of the 1982 playoffs and made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history. However, they were promptly swept 4 games to none by the heavily favoured New York Islanders. After their improbable Stanley Cup run, the Canucks slipped back into mediocrity for the rest of the 1980s.
Under the guidance of new general manager Pat Quinn, the Canucks rose to prominence in the early 1990s. Led by players such as Trevor Linden, Kirk McLean, and Pavel Bure, the Canucks won two consecutive division titles in 1992 and 1993. However, they did not go far in the playoffs.
In 1994, the Canucks made another trip to the finals, entering that year's playoffs as the seventh seed in the Western Conference. The club had what could be characterized as an off year during the regular season, but resumed their form during the playoffs, beating Calgary in the first round in an incredible seven game series. They won games five, six, and seven in overtime; Pavel Bure (nicknamed the "Russian Rocket") scored the game 7 winner on a breakaway, which many consider the biggest goal in franchise history. They went on to defeat the Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs before meeting the New York Rangers in the Finals. The Canucks lost game seven in the finals by a score of 3-2 in what many hockey analysts consider one of the closest and most exciting Stanley Cup finals in NHL history. Oddly enough, they lost to teams from New York in both of their Stanley Cup Final appearances.
After the Canucks incredible 1994 run, Vancouver continued to be a force for the next two seasons, acquiring Alexander Mogilny via trade to further improve their offence. In the 1997 off-season, the Canucks made a big splash and signed Mark Messier to a lucrative deal. This was thought to be the final piece of the puzzle in getting the Canucks back to the finals. However this was not the case, and the Canucks missed the playoffs for the rest of the decade.
With a new general manager, Brian Burke, and coach Marc Crawford, Vancouver rebuilt their team and returned to the playoffs in 2001. This season however started in Sweden, when the team held their training camp in Stockholm, and participated in the NHL Challenge. Led by Markus Näslund, Todd Bertuzzi, Ed Jovanovski, and Dan Cloutier, the Canucks would become a league powerhouse in the first five years of the 21st century. However, the 21st century Canucks have not yet achieved playoff success, unable to make it past the second round so far.
It was Burke who coined the phrase, "Goalie Graveyard," when referring to the Canucks long-standing history of have having troubles between the pipes. As it turned out, Vancouver became Burke's own graveyard. Before the NHL lockout of 2004-2005, Burke did not have his contract renewed by the Canucks, a move that most Vancouver fans regarded as a poor decision.
Burke was replaced by Dave Nonis, who had been the assistant GM. Free agent activity in the summer prior to the 2005-2006 season saw players such as Anson Carter and Richard Park arrive in Vancouver. However, Nonis' moves were viewed by some to be rather meek compared to other NHL club GMs.
The 2005-2006 season began with much promise, with some hockey analysts picking the Canucks as Stanley Cup favorites. However, the team failed to meet expectations and completed the regular season in a disappointing 9th place in their Conference – narrowly missing a playoff position to the Edmonton Oilers. The season was characterized by under-achieving play, most notably in the first line (Näslund, Bertuzzi, and Brendan Morrison) that was expected to produce higher point totals under the new league rules.
On April 25th, 2006, it was announced by Dave Nonis that Marc Crawford had been fired and no new replacement coach has been determined. Early speculation had Manitoba Moose head coach and former Montreal Canadiens coach Alain Vigneault and former Canucks and former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Pat Quinn as contenders for the job.
On Thursday, April 27, 2006, Crawford took some time to thank every person within the Canucks franchise for those who worked hard during his tenure as their head coach, especially Todd Bertuzzi, the team's right winger*.
On Tuesday, June 20, 2006, General Manager Dave Nonis held a press conference to announce the hiring of the franchise’s new coach (Alain Vigneault). Three days later, he completed a blockbuster trade with the Florida Panthers, trading Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan Allen and Alex Auld for Roberto Luongo, Lukas Krajicek and a sixth-round draft pick (Sergei Shirokov) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Luongo claimed to be "surprised" and "unhappy" with being traded.
Logo and sweater history
Canucks70s.gif The team has gone through several different logo and sweater changes in its history. One of their first sweaters is now worn on the occasional "vintage night"; a blue rink-shaped rectangle with a hockey stick in it designed by Joe Borovich of North Vancouver. A version of this logo is still in use, as a shoulder patch on the team's current jerseys, with the modern team's colours.
In the late 1970s, aiming for a more 'aggressive' image, the team switched to one of its more controversial looks. The new sweaters consisted of a huge yellow, orange, and black striped "V" coming down from the shoulders which, depending on whom you ask, is usually considered to be either their best or (more commonly) worst sweater. This theme was adapted in the mid-1980s to feature the team's emblem on the front rather than the "V" (the emblem had previously been worn only on the arms). The logo consisted of the word "Canucks" in a diagonal slant and is part of the blade of a skate. The logo, with its laser-like design, was sometimes referred to as the "Star Wars" logo, or, more commonly, the "Downward Skate" (thought all too appropriate for the team's fortunes). Eventually the yellow home jerseys were scrapped in 1989 in favor of more conventional white ones, and the triangular shoulder stripes which adorned the post-"V" jerseys were discarded at the same time. The new incarnation was worn from 1989-90 to 1991-92, when a subtle change was made -- and went largely unnoticed for the rest of the jersey's lifespan. The orange was switched to red, and the deep 'gold' color was changed to a much brighter yellow, reportedly because jersey-maker CCM no longer produced the required hues. Actor Martin Lawrence once wore this edition of the jersey during an episode of his 1990s sitcom, Martin.
The current logo is an orca, breaking through cracked ice, in the shape of a "C". This is likely a reference to Orca Bay, the company which owns the team.
The name "Canuck" has nothing to do with the current logo of the Canucks. Canuck is a slang word for a Canadian person in the way "Yankee" is for an American. However, the team name is actually derived from Johnny Canuck, a 19th century Canadian Cartoon that has had several reincarnations during the 20th century. Johnny Canuck was also on the very first Vancouver Canucks logo, back in their Pacific Coast Hockey League days.
Ownership
From 1980 to 1998 (1996?), the Vancouver Canucks were owned by local businessman and philantropist Arthur Griffiths Jr.. However, he was forced to sell his majority interest in the Canucks after overextending his resources trying to build a new arena, GM Place. As a result, he sold his majority share to American billionaire John McCaw.
Francesco Aquilini, head of the Aquilini Investment Group in Vancouver, purchased a 50% share in the franchise and General Motors Place sports arena on the 17th of November, 2004. Aquilini purchased his share of the franchise and General Motors Place from American billionaire John McCaw, who still owns the remaining 50%. However, in January 2005, Aquilini's former business partners, Tom Gagliardi and Ryan Beedie, filed a lawsuit against Aquilini and OrcaBay, the group that currently owns the Canucks. Gagliardi and Beedie claimed that Aquilini and OrcaBay had acted in bad faith and went behind their backs when Aquilini and Orca Bay brokered their deal, despite Aquilini having had to pull out of his partnership with Gagliardi and Beedie to purchase the team due to financial concerns.
NHL Awards and Trophies
Clarence S. Campbell Bowl
- Marek Malik: 2003-04 (shared with Martin St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning)
Season-by-season record
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses/Shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
| 1970-71 | 78 | 24 | 46 | 8 | -- | 56 | 229 | 296 | 1371 | 6th in East | Out of playoffs |
| 1971-72 | 78 | 20 | 50 | 8 | -- | 48 | 203 | 297 | 1092 | 7th in East | Out of playoffs |
| 1972-73 | 78 | 22 | 47 | 9 | -- | 53 | 233 | 339 | 943 | 7th in East | Out of playoffs |
| 1973-74 | 78 | 24 | 43 | 11 | -- | 59 | 224 | 296 | 952 | 7th in East | Out of playoffs |
| 1974-75 | 80 | 38 | 32 | 10 | -- | 86 | 271 | 254 | 965 | 1st in Smythe | Lost Quarterfinal (MTL) |
| 1975-76 | 80 | 33 | 32 | 15 | -- | 81 | 271 | 272 | 1122 | 2nd in Smythe | Lost Preliminary (NYI) |
| 1976-77 | 80 | 25 | 42 | 13 | -- | 63 | 235 | 294 | 1078 | 4th in Smythe | Out of playoffs |
| 1977-78 | 80 | 20 | 43 | 17 | -- | 57 | 239 | 320 | 962 | 3rd in Smythe | Out of playoffs |
| 1978-79 | 80 | 25 | 42 | 13 | -- | 63 | 217 | 291 | 1134 | 2nd in Smythe | Lost Preliminary (PHI) |
| 1979-80 | 80 | 27 | 37 | 16 | -- | 70 | 256 | 281 | 1808 | 3rd in Smythe | Lost Preliminary (BUF) |
| 1980-81 | 80 | 28 | 32 | 20 | -- | 76 | 289 | 301 | 1892 | 2nd in Smythe | Lost Division Semifinal (BUF) |
| 1981-82 | 80 | 30 | 33 | 17 | -- | 77 | 290 | 286 | 1840 | 2nd in Smythe | Lost Stanley Cup Final (NYI) |
| 1982-83 | 80 | 30 | 35 | 15 | -- | 75 | 303 | 309 | 1639 | 3rd in Smythe | Lost Division Semifinal (CGY) |
| 1983-84 | 80 | 32 | 39 | 9 | -- | 73 | 306 | 328 | 1474 | 3rd in Smythe | Lost Division Semifinal (CGY) |
| 1984-85 | 80 | 25 | 46 | 9 | -- | 59 | 284 | 401 | 1451 | 5th in Smythe | Out of playoffs |
| 1985-86 | 80 | 23 | 44 | 13 | -- | 59 | 282 | 333 | 1813 | 4th in Smythe | Lost Division Semifinal (EDM) |
| 1986-87 | 80 | 29 | 43 | 8 | -- | 66 | 282 | 314 | 1917 | 5th in Smythe | Out of playoffs |
| 1987-88 | 80 | 25 | 46 | 9 | -- | 59 | 272 | 320 | 2196 | 5th in Smythe | Out of playoffs |
| 1988-89 | 80 | 33 | 39 | 8 | -- | 74 | 251 | 253 | 1569 | 4th in Smythe | Lost Division Semifinal (CGY) |
| 1989-90 | 80 | 25 | 41 | 14 | -- | 64 | 245 | 306 | 1644 | 5th in Smythe | Out of playoffs |
| 1990-91 | 80 | 28 | 43 | 9 | -- | 65 | 243 | 315 | 2063 | 4th in Smythe | Lost Division Semifinal (LA) |
| 1991-92 | 80 | 42 | 26 | 12 | -- | 96 | 285 | 250 | 2075 | 1st in Smythe | Lost Division Final (EDM) |
| 1992-93 | 84 | 46 | 29 | 9 | -- | 101 | 346 | 278 | 2326 | 1st in Smythe | Lost Division Final (LA) |
| 1993-94 | 84 | 41 | 40 | 3 | -- | 85 | 279 | 276 | 1923 | 2nd in Pacific | Lost Stanley Cup Final (NYR) |
| 1994-951 | 48 | 18 | 18 | 12 | -- | 48 | 153 | 148 | 1093 | 2nd in Pacific | Lost Conference Semifinal (CHI) |
| 1995-96 | 82 | 32 | 35 | 15 | -- | 79 | 278 | 278 | 1546 | 3rd in Pacific | Lost Conference Quarterfinal (COL) |
| 1996-97 | 82 | 35 | 40 | 7 | -- | 77 | 257 | 273 | 1607 | 4th in Pacific | Out of playoffs |
| 1997-98 | 82 | 25 | 43 | 14 | -- | 64 | 224 | 273 | 2166 | 7th in Pacific | Out of playoffs |
| 1998-99 | 82 | 23 | 47 | 12 | -- | 58 | 192 | 258 | 1764 | 4th in Northwest | Out of playoffs |
| 1999-00 | 82 | 30 | 29 | 15 | 8 | 83 | 227 | 237 | 1047 | 3rd in Northwest | Out of playoffs |
| 2000-01 | 82 | 36 | 28 | 11 | 7 | 90 | 239 | 238 | 1113 | 3rd in Northwest | Lost Conference Quarterfinal (COL) |
| 2001-02 | 82 | 42 | 30 | 7 | 3 | 94 | 254 | 211 | 1342 | 2nd in Northwest | Lost Conference Quarterfinal (DET) |
| 2002-03 | 82 | 45 | 23 | 13 | 1 | 104 | 264 | 208 | 1178 | 2nd in Northwest | Lost Conference Semifinal (MIN) |
| 2003-04 | 82 | 43 | 24 | 10 | 5 | 101 | 235 | 194 | 1274 | 1st in Northwest | Lost Conference Quarterfinal (CGY) |
| 2004-052 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2005-06 | 82 | 42 | 32 | -- | 8 | 92 | 256 | 255 | 1531 | 4th in Northwest | Out of playoffs |
| Grand Totals | 2855 | 1101 | 1325 | 391 | 37 | 2633 | 9113 | 9992 | 52910 |
- 1 Season was shortened due to the 1994-95 NHL lockout.
- 2 Season was cancelled due to the 2004-05 NHL lockout.
Notable players
Current squad
As of July 14, 2006 *| Goaltenders | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Player | Catches | Acquired | Place of Birth | |
| 1 | Roberto Luongo | L | 2006 | Montreal, Quebec | |
| 31 | Mika Noronen | L | 2006 | Tampere, Finland |
| Defencemen | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Player | Shoots | Acquired | Place of Birth | |
| 2 | Mattias Öhlund | L | 1994 | Piteå, Sweden | |
| 6 | Sami Salo | R | 2002 | Turku, Finland | |
| 8 | Willie Mitchell | L | 2006 | Port McNeill, British Columbia | |
| 23 | Sean Brown | L | 2006 | Oshawa, Ontario | |
| 25 | Kevin Bieksa | R | 2001 | Grimsby, Ontario | |
| 28 | Wade Brookbank | L | 2004 | Lanigan, Saskatchewan | |
| 52 | Sven Butenschon | L | 2005 | Itzehoe, West Germany | |
| - | Lukas Krajicek | L | 2006 | Prostějov, Czechoslovakia |
| Forwards | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Player | Shoots | Position | Acquired | Place of Birth | |
| 7 | Brendan Morrison - A | L | C | 2000 | Pitt Meadows, British Columbia | |
| 8 | Jozef Balej | R | RW/LW | 2005 | Myjava, Czechoslovakia | |
| 14 | Alexandre Burrows | L | LW | 2003 | Pincourt, Quebec | |
| 15 | Rick Rypien | R | C | 2005 | Coleman, Alberta | |
| 16 | Trevor Linden - A | R | C | 2001 | Medicine Hat, Alberta | |
| 17 | Jason King | L | RW | 2001 | Corner Brook, Newfoundland | |
| 19 | Markus Näslund - C | L | LW | 1996 | Örnsköldsvik, Sweden | |
| 20 | Ryan Kesler | R | C | 2003 | Livonia, Michigan | |
| 21 | Tyler Bouck | L | LW | 2001 | Camrose, Alberta | |
| 22 | Daniel Sedin | L | LW | 1999 | Örnsköldsvik, Sweden | |
| 24 | Matt Cooke | L | LW | 1997 | Belleville, Ontario | |
| 27 | Lee Goren | R | RW | 2004 | Winnipeg, Manitoba | |
| 29 | Nathan Smith | L | C | 2000 | Strathcona, Alberta | |
| 33 | Henrik Sedin | L | C | 1999 | Örnsköldsvik, Sweden | |
| 36 | Josh Green | L | LW | 2005 | Camrose, Alberta | |
| 77 | Anson Carter | R | RW | 2005 | Toronto, Ontario | |
| - | Tommi Santala | R | RW | 2006 | Helsinki, Finland | |
| - | Marc Chouinard | R | C/RW | 2006 | Charlesbourg, Quebec | |
| - | Taylor Pyatt | L | LW | 2006 | Thunder Bay, Ontario |
Hall of Famers
- Andrew James "Andy" Bathgate
- Frank A. Griffiths (Owner)
- John Calverley "Jake" Milford (General Manager)
- Roger Paul Neilson (Coach)
- Norman "Bud" Poile (General Manager)
- Jim Robson (Radio Broadcaster)
Team captains
- Orland Kurtenbach (1970 - 1974)
- no captain (1974-1975)
- Andre Boudrias (1975 - 1976)
- Chris Oddleifson (1976 - 1977)
- Don Lever (1977 - 1979)
- Kevin McCarthy (1979 - 1982)
- Stan Smyl (1982 - 1990)
- Dan Quinn (1990 - 1991)
- Doug Lidster (1990 - 1991)
- Trevor Linden (1990 - 1997)
- Mark Messier (1997 - 2000)
- Markus Näslund (2000 - present)
Retired numbers
- 12 Stan Smyl, RW, 1978-91
- 99 Wayne Gretzky (retired league-wide by the NHL)
Note: Wayne Maki's number 11 was unofficially retired by the Canucks organization following his untimely death in May 1974. However, it has been worn by one other Canucks player since then, Mark Messier.
Vancouver Canucks first round draft picks
- 1970: Dale Tallon (2nd overall)
- 1971: Jocelyn Guevremont (3rd overall)
- 1972: Don Lever (3rd overall)
- 1973: Dennis Ververgaert (3rd overall)
- 1974: none - traded to Montreal
- 1975: Rick Blight (10th overall)
- 1976: none - traded to Atlanta
- 1977: Jere Gillis (4th overall)
- 1978: Bill Derlago (4th overall)
- 1979: Rick Vaive (5th overall)
- 1980: Rick Lanz (7th overall)
- 1981: Garth Butcher (10th overall)
- 1982: Michel Petit (11th overall)
- 1983: Cam Neely (8th overall)
- 1984: J.J. Daigneault (10th overall)
- 1985: Jim Sandlak (4th overall)
- 1986: Dan Woodley (7th overall)
- 1987: none - traded to Boston in Cam Neely trade
- 1988: Trevor Linden (2nd overall)
- 1989: Jason Herter (8th overall)
- 1990: Petr Nedved (2nd overall) / Shawn Antoski (18th overall)
- 1991: Alek Stojanov (7th overall)
- 1992: Libor Polasek (21st overall)
- 1993: Mike Wilson (20th overall)
- 1994: Mattias Ohlund (13th overall)
- 1995: none - traded to Buffalo in Alexander Mogilny trade
- 1996: Josh Holden (12th overall)
- 1997: Brad Ference (10th overall)
- 1998: Bryan Allen (4th overall)
- 1999: Daniel Sedin (2nd overall) / Henrik Sedin (3rd overall)
- 2000: Nathan Smith (23rd overall)
- 2001: R.J. Umberger (16th overall)
- 2002: none - traded to Washington in Trevor Linden trade
- 2003: Ryan Kesler (23rd overall)
- 2004: Cory Schneider (26th overall)
- 2005: Luc Bourdon (10th overall)
- 2006: Michael Grabner (14th overall)
Franchise scoring leaders
These are the top-ten point-scorers in the history of the Canucks. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.Note: GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points,* = Still active
| Player | POS | GP | G | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Trevor Linden | C | 1001 | 299 | 397 | 696 |
| Stan Smyl | RW | 896 | 262 | 411 | 673 |
| *Markus Näslund | LW | 720 | 297 | 344 | 641 |
| Thomas Gradin | C | 613 | 197 | 353 | 550 |
| Pavel Bure | RW | 428 | 254 | 224 | 478 |
| Tony Tanti | RW | 531 | 250 | 220 | 470 |
| Don Lever | LW | 593 | 186 | 221 | 407 |
| Andre Boudrias | LW | 458 | 121 | 267 | 388 |
| Petri Skriko | LW | 472 | 171 | 202 | 373 |
See also
- Canuck
- List of NHL seasons
- List of NHL players
- List of Vancouver Canucks players
- Head Coaches of the Vancouver Canucks
- Vancouver Canucks Records
External links
1970 establishments | Vancouver Canucks
Ванкувър Канъкс | Vancouver Canucks | Vancouver Canucks | Vancouver Canucks | Canucks de Vancouver | バンクーバー・カナックス | Vancouver Canucks | Vancouver Canucks | Vancouver Canucks | Vancouver Canucks | Vancouver Canucks
"Vancouver Canucks"