5 Reasons Why The GZ Expat Loves the Canucks

by GZ Expat on Aug 30, 2010 7:16 PM PDT

Here we go...I'm going to take a stab at 5 reasons I love the Canucks. When I try and bang out those reasons from the far reaching dust bunnies inside my head, I always come back to the original reason...

Cam Neely. Bear with me. You see, in the early 1980's I was introduced to hockey by a high school friend. First, we played street hockey outside his house, then he invited me to attend a Portland Winterhawks v New Westminster Bruins game in 1979...and I was hooked. Fast forward to 1983 and the powerhouse Winterhawks team that blew through the regular season, slept through the playoffs and dominated the first 4 team format Memorial Cup tournament as 'host' team in Portland, Oregon (the first to be held outside of Canada). That team was led by a lanky18 yr old; Cam Neely. After the 1983 season, Neely was drafted by the Canucks in the first round. My connection with the NHL was virtually non-existent at the time, with a passing fancy in the St. Louis Blues, who sported former Winterhawks Perry Turnbull, Wayne Babych and Tony Currie at the time. Aching for a team to follow, I made it the Canucks when they made Neely a part of the team. But the rest, as they say, is history.

1994. Not much more to say here. I will forever remember the joy I felt when Pavel Bure spun his stick in the air and flung it into the Calgary crowd after that game 7. I still get chills when I see that highlight (what a pass!!) and I would really like to do that at work sometime when I do something really good that makes me happy. The other enduring memory of that series was game 6 of the finals. Two equally matched teams that wanted IT. But, that game was destined to be the Canucks game. The late goal by the Rangers, only to be called back because the Canucks had scored and the referee didn't see it...destiny. I still tell people that was the last great Stanley Cup finals series...bar none. And then, we were treated to a lock out the next season...

Trevor Linden. Everything that embodies a professional. I saw him play once as a junior on his way through Portland with the Medicine Hat Tigers...never thought much about him at that time. But, oh, each and every playoff series he played, did he ever force me to take notice. When I grow up, I'd like to be like Trevor Linden.

Mark Messier and the Dark Years. These years are truly dark for me. I moved to China in 1996 and hockey disappeared off the radar for me. I remember when they signed Messier and thinking it was an interesting trade...but then the trade of Linden sort of turned me off completely and I ignored the Canucks until my re-entry into the USA in 2001.

Markus Naslund and the West Coast Express. When I returned to the USA, I got my satellite TV and then hooked up with NHL Center Ice...again, not much in terms of hockey love in Portland, OR. Of course, with the Center Ice package, I could pick a team to follow...and I gravitated back to the Canucks, after 5 years of darkness. And what I found gave me goosebumps...hockey the way it was meant to be played, in a league of clutch and grab, the Canucks were high speed, offense first and Markus Naslund led that charge. Smooth skating, soft spoken and honest (we choked!) almost to a fault, Nazzy was the class of the Canucks and the league for that period of time.

As an added bonus, and with my limited exposure to actually watching games, here are the moments in time which are etched in my memory that I will never forget about the Canucks:

Bure's game 7 goal against Calgary, 1994
Nathan Lafayette's post against NYR, 1994
The punch, 2004
Lidstroms center ice goal, 2008
Chubby, spitting out a chicklet on the bench, 2009

Now, I am back in the USA...I am back to having games LIVE on the TV...no more one day delays and hiding from the results during the playoffs...I can now enjoy real time hockey with that rest of yas.

Go Nucks...

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Great post GZ

Ive never forgiven Clouts for that mid-ice goal by Liddy. Never.

"But yeah…like CC…I harbour no ill will." - VancityDan

C Henrik Sedin #33: Vancouver Canucks Alternate Captain, 2010 Art Ross Trophy Winner and 2010 Hart Memorial Trophy Winner

by Chuckles Canuckles on Aug 30, 2010 7:05 PM PDT reply actions

I was there so neither will I

"We love them, We mourn for them, Unlucky boys of Red" - Morrissey
"Giggs gets past Viera, past Dixon, who comes back at him, it's a wonderful run from GIGGS!!!" - Martin Tyler
"He's got a man deep..wait, no that IS Mandeep!!" - Don Taylor

by Section 312 on Aug 30, 2010 7:13 PM PDT up reply actions

aw hell, you were there?

great game up until then!

'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.

by Yankee Canuck on Aug 30, 2010 7:14 PM PDT up reply actions

The story of the next game

is heartbreaking personally.

by Section 312 on Aug 30, 2010 7:18 PM PDT up reply actions

sorry to hear

'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.

by Yankee Canuck on Aug 30, 2010 7:22 PM PDT up reply actions

I don't think

I’ll ever forgive him for that. Patrik Stefan of goalies, Clouts is.

"But yeah…like CC…I harbour no ill will." - VancityDan

C Henrik Sedin #33: Vancouver Canucks Alternate Captain, 2010 Art Ross Trophy Winner and 2010 Hart Memorial Trophy Winner

by Chuckles Canuckles on Aug 30, 2010 7:23 PM PDT up reply actions

Awesome stuff, GZ.

Without watching the clip, anyone know who fed Bure that pass?

Cloutier was a foul up if there ever was one but you know, the Canucks under Crawford played terrible defence. If they had Roy in net it would have been a different story. (sobs)

Nucks Misconduct
"Here goes nothin'" - Han Solo

by Sean Zandberg on Aug 30, 2010 10:56 PM PDT reply actions

It was Jeff Brown wasn't it?

Is this a trick question?

by Section 312 on Aug 30, 2010 11:46 PM PDT up reply actions

you are correct

Nucks Misconduct
"Here goes nothin'" - Han Solo

by Sean Zandberg on Aug 30, 2010 11:49 PM PDT up reply actions

The late goal by the Rangers, only to be called back because the Canucks had scored and the referee didn’t see it…

That moment inspired a classic Jim Robson call. Because the Canucks scored before the final minute, and then the Rangers non-goal came with less than 60 seconds left, when they reset the clock there was over a minute left. When they made the 1-minute remaining announcement, Jim Robson said (something like) “And we’re into the final minute…. AGAIN!” It was pretty funny, and also infused with Robson’s inescapable enthusiasm.

Contributor to Nucks Misconduct
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by nucksandpucks on Aug 31, 2010 10:37 AM PDT reply actions

Also, great post GZ! I love the Cam Neely part. Would have been amazing to see him spend his career in a Canucks jersey, not to mention three time zones away from Ulf Samuelsson.

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by nucksandpucks on Aug 31, 2010 10:39 AM PDT reply actions

you took the words outta my mouth!

Nucks Misconduct
"Here goes nothin'" - Han Solo

by Sean Zandberg on Aug 31, 2010 11:29 AM PDT up reply actions

Nice mention of Nazzy and the WCE.

That’s what got me back into the Canucks again after the Messier era and me delving off to follow basketball closely for a bit.

Poutine & Meatballs

by cyxj on Sep 1, 2010 7:56 PM PDT reply actions

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Canucks Stats

Stat	Forwards	Defense
Points	H. Sedin (52)	Edler (34)
Goals	D. Sedin (20)	Edler (7)
Assists	H. Sedin (41)	Edler (27)
Shots	D. Sedin (159)	Edler (131)
Hits	Lapierre (136)	Edler (97)
Blocked Shots	Kesler (38)	Edler (72)
ES TOI/G	H. Sedin (14.45)	Bieksa (17.75)
PP TOI/G	D. Sedin (3.56)	Edler (3.60)
PK TOI/G	Malhotra (2.63)	Hamhuis (3.08)
Corsi Rel QoC	Burrows (0.975)	Bieksa (0.951)
Zone Starts (OPCT)	D. Sedin (80%) Malhotra (13%)	Edler (58%) Tanev (36%)