Vancouver Canucks

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The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). They play their home games at Rogers Arena, (formerly General Motors Place) which has a capacity of 19,300.

The Canucks joined the league in 1970 as an expansion team along with the Buffalo Sabres (the 13th and 14th teams to join). In its NHL history, the team has advanced twice to the Stanley Cup Finals but lost both times (to the New York Islanders in 1982 and the New York Rangers in 1994). The Canucks have also won seven division titles, including their most recent during the 2009–10 NHL season.

1970–82: Early years
Vancouver's first professional team, the Vancouver Millionaires, played for the Stanley Cup five times, winning the trophy in 1915. Vancouver was also home to Denman Arena, the first artificial ice arena in Canada and, at the time, the largest in the world. After the Millionaires disbanded in 1926, Vancouver was home to only minor league teams for many years, most notably the Vancouver Canucks, who played from 1945 to 1970 in the Pacific Coast Hockey League and minor professional Western Hockey League.

In 1967 Vancouver broke ground for a new modern arena, the Pacific Coliseum. However, when a Vancouver group led by WHL Canucks owner and former Vancouver mayor Fred Hume made a bid for one of the six teams due to join the league in 1967, the NHL rejected their application. Bid leader Cyril McLean called the denial a "cooked-up deal." Speculation has long abounded that the bid was torpedoed by Toronto Maple Leafs President Stafford Smythe, who after a failed Vancouver-based business deal was quoted as saying that the city would not get a NHL franchise in his lifetime, who along with the Montreal Canadiens purportedly did not wish to split CBC hockey revenues three ways rather than two. There were reports at the time, however, that the group had made a very weak proposal in expectation that Vancouver was a lock for one of the new franchises.

Less than a year later, the Oakland Seals were in financial difficulty and having trouble drawing fans. An apparent deal was in place to move the team to Vancouver, but the NHL did not want to see one of their franchises from the expansion of 1967 move so quickly and killed the deal. In exchange for avoiding a lawsuit, the NHL promised Vancouver would get a team in the next expansion. Another group, headed by Minnesota entrepreneur Tom Scallen, made a new presentation, and was awarded an expansion franchise for the price of six million dollars (three times the cost in 1967). The new ownership group purchased the WHL Canucks, and joined the league along with the Buffalo Sabres for the 1970–71 season. Ex-Ranger centre Orland Kurtenbach was named the Canucks' first-ever captain, and the team played its inaugural game against the Los Angeles Kings on October 9, 1970, in which Barry Wilkins scored the first goal in franchise history. Two days later, the squad netted the first win in franchise history, a 5–3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Vancouver and Buffalo were both placed in the strong East Division for their first four seasons, as part of a realignment that saw the Chicago Black Hawks transferred to the West Division, which to that point had consisted only of the 1967 expansion teams. Although the team had a few capable players such as Kurtenbach, defencemen Dale Tallon and Jocelyn Guevremont, and winger Dennis Ververgaert and it played respectably, it failed to make the playoffs during these early years. Realignment for the 1974–75 season placed the Canucks in the new Smythe Division, and they responded with their first winning record, finishing first in the division. However, their first playoff series was against the Montreal Canadiens, who beat them in five games. The Canucks again posted a winning record and made the playoffs the next year, but lost to the New York Islanders in a two-game preliminary series.

The Canucks missed the playoffs the two seasons thereafter. These were not without their highlights, however. During these years, star players included Andre Boudrias, who finished first in team scoring four out of the franchise's first five seasons (and finished second by a single point in the other), forward Don Lever, and Dennis Kearns.

Vancouver did not have another winning season for sixteen seasons. For most of that time, however, they were much more competitive than their record indicated; they only missed the playoffs six times.

1982 Stanley Cup run
The Canucks made their first significant playoff impact in the post-season of 1982. After finishing three games under a .500 win percentage in the regular season, the Canucks made the Stanley Cup Finals with a combined 11–2 record in series against the Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings, and Chicago Blackhawks. Despite having a losing regular season record, Vancouver had home ice advantage in the first series, having finished second in the Smythe Division to the Edmonton Oilers. The Canucks also had home ice advantage during the second round series against the Kings, who upset the Oilers in the first round.

During the conference finals against the Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver interim coach Roger Neilson, fed up with what he felt was the poor performance of the officials in the game, placed a white towel on the end of a hockey stick and held it up in a gesture mocking surrender (waving the white flag). The players on the Canucks' bench followed suit. At the next game, the team's fans cheered their team on by waving white towels above their heads. The habit stuck, becoming an original Canuck fan tradition now seen across the league and in other sports, known as Towel Power. The Canucks proceeded to win that series, making it to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in their history.

Entering the finals, the Canucks were the first team from Western Canada to play for the Stanley Cup in 56 years, when the Victoria Cougars reached the 1926 Stanley Cup Finals. However, they were unable to continue their Cinderella run as they were swept in four games by the heavily favoured defending champion New York Islanders. That season would prove to be the last one in which Vancouver won a playoff series until 1992.

The 1982 Finals was the first ever coast-to-coast Stanley Cup Final.

1982–94: Decline and resurgence
After their improbable Stanley Cup run, the Canucks slipped back into mediocrity for the rest of the 1980s, making the playoffs only four times for the rest of the decade. For most of the second half of the 1980s, they had to fight the Los Angeles Kings for the final playoff spot in the Smythe Division. The times that they did make the playoffs, they were eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers (in ) and the Calgary Flames (in, and 1989). Due to the way the playoffs were structured, the Canucks usually would have to get past either the Oilers, Flames, or both to reach the Conference Finals.

Notable players during the 1980s included long-serving team captain Stan Smyl, who retired as the franchise leader in most scoring categories and remains one of only two players to have their jersey number retired by the Canucks; Swedish players Thomas Gradin and Patrik Sundstrom; Tiger Williams (who led the NHL in penalty minutes during two of his seasons with the Canucks); defenceman Harold Snepsts (one of the most popular players in franchise history); and right winger Tony Tanti.

Following the installation of Pat Quinn as general manager in 1988, the Canucks rose to prominence in the early 1990s. This increased success came roughly around the time the Oilers and Flames began to sink in the standings. Unlike the league's other Canadian teams, the Canucks thrived in the new environment created by the rise in player salaries. Led by players such as new captain Trevor Linden, goalie Kirk McLean, and forward Pavel Bure (nicknamed the "Russian Rocket"), the Canucks won consecutive regular-season division titles in 1992 and 1993, though both years they were eliminated from the playoffs (by the Oilers and Kings, respectively.)

1994 Stanley Cup run
In 1994 the Canucks made their second trip to the Stanley Cup finals, entering the playoffs as the seventh seed in the renamed Western Conference. Despite underachieving in the regular season, the Canucks played well in the playoffs. Once again, like in 1982, the Canucks embarked on an unexpected run.

The Canucks were victorious in a close first-round series against the rival Calgary Flames; the series needed all seven games. After trailing the series three games to one, Geoff Courtnall and Trevor Linden won games five and six for Vancouver in overtime. In the overtime of game seven, goaltender Kirk McLean made "The Save," a memorable moment in team history, where he stacked his pads on the goal line to stop an excellent setup by Theoren Fleury and Robert Reichel. This saved the Canucks from elimination. Pavel Bure scored the series-winning goal on a breakaway after taking a stretch pass from Jeff Brown in the second overtime.

Following their victory over the Flames, the Canucks then went on to defeat both the Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs (both in five games) before staging the second coast-to-coast final, meeting the Presidents' Trophy-winning New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup Finals. Vancouver achieved victory in game one by a score of 3-2 in overtime, largely due to a 52-save performance by goaltender McLean. After losing games two, three and four, the Canucks won games five and six to force a seventh game at Madison Square Garden on June 14, 1994. Despite a two-goal effort (one on a shorthanded breakaway) from team captain Trevor Linden (who was playing with cracked ribs), Vancouver couldn't complete their Cinderella run, though they did far better than during the one of 1982, having taken the series all the way to the seventh game, as the Rangers won their first Stanley Cup in 54 years by a score of 3-2. The loss was made more disappointing due to Nathan LaFayette hitting the Ranger goalpost with under six minutes left in the third period. The loss was followed by a riot in downtown Vancouver, which resulted in property damage, injuries, and arrests. Following the riots, the Canucks held a rally at BC Place attended by 40,000 fans, who congratulated the team for their effort.

1994–2001
After the 1994 season Vancouver had a .500 record in the lockout shortened 1994–95 season (which was their final season in Pacific Coliseum) and finished two games below .500 in 1995–96. Despite their records they made the playoffs in both seasons but failed to replicate their success of the 1994 playoffs. The team would soon move into its new arena, General Motors Place. Head coach Quinn stepped down to focus on his duties as a general manager, and was replaced by assistant Rick Ley, who was later succeeded by Tom Renney. Russ Courtnall and Alexander Mogilny were acquired via trade from the Dallas Stars and Buffalo Sabres, respectively, in an effort to bolster offence; Russ was reunited with his brother Geoff, and Mogilny was reunited with his former CSKA Moscow linemate, Pavel Bure. However, the team was swept in the second round by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1995 and defeated in the first round by the Stanley Cup–winning Colorado Avalanche in 1996, a season in which Bure suffered a season-ending injury early on. During the 1996–97 season, Bure suffered another season-ending injury, and despite strong performances by players such as Martin Gelinas and Mogilny, the Canucks missed the playoffs.

In the 1997 off-season the Canucks signed free agent Mark Messier to a three-year deal. Also during that off-season was a change in management as general manager Pat Quinn was fired and replaced with a management committee. Renney was fired and Mike Keenan assumed coaching and general manager duties; when given the latter power, he split up the core of the 1994 team, most notably trading fan-favourite and career-Canuck Trevor Linden to the New York Islanders. Although unpopular, in return the Canucks acquired Todd Bertuzzi, who would later be a big part of the team's offensive core. Later on in the season, Brian Burke was named general manager after being NHL vice-president.

Suffering their worst season of the decade in 1998–99, Keenan was fired midway through and replaced with Marc Crawford (who had won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996). Pavel Bure, who appeared unhappy with playing in Vancouver, was not playing that season in hopes of getting a better contract and was eventually traded to the Florida Panthers with Bret Hedican, Brad Ference, and Vancouver's third-round choice in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft (Robert Fried) for Ed Jovanovski, Dave Gagner, Mike Brown, Kevin Weekes, and Florida's first-round choice in the 2000 draft (Nathan Smith).The Canucks missed the post-season again, but their poor season resulted in a high pick in the NHL draft. GM Brian Burke traded Bryan McCabe for a second high draft pick and in combination with the Canucks' original high pick drafted Daniel and Henrik Sedin second and third overall in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.

During the 1999–00 season, expectations were low for the Canucks. However, they fought for a playoff spot during the entire season, only being officially eliminated in the second to last game. Several players showed promising signs of the development, notably Bertuzzi and Markus Naslund. Mogilny was traded to the New Jersey Devils for Denis Pederson and forward Brendan Morrison. At season's end, Messier would leave to return to the Rangers, and Naslund was selected to be the new captain of the team.

2001–05: "West Coast Express" years
Under new general manager Burke and new coach Crawford, the Canucks had once again become a playoff contender. The team held their training camp in Stockholm in 2000, and played against Swedish and Finnish teams in the NHL Challenge. These years were the heyday of high-scoring left-winger Naslund, and power-forward right wing Bertuzzi, who, following the departure of centre Andrew Cassels in 2002, combined with Morrison to form the "West Coast Express" line. The rebuilt Canucks team returned to the playoffs in 2001 (capturing the eighth and final seed on the last day of the season), appearing in the playoffs for the first time since 1996. Being the eighth seed, the Canucks drew the first-seeded Colorado Avalanche in the first round and were swept in four games in the absence of Naslund, who had suffered a broken leg during the season.

The following season saw the return of ex-captain Trevor Linden and another matchup with the top seed in the West, this time the Detroit Red Wings. Vancouver won the first two games in Detroit to take a surprising 2-0 series lead. Detroit would win the next four games en route to a Stanley Cup championship. The turning point of the series turned out to be a weak goal allowed by goaltender Dan Cloutier in the third game. With the scores tied 1-1 in the dying seconds of the second period, Red Wings defenceman Nicklas Lidstrom fired a shot from center-ice that took an uncanny bounce and slipped by Cloutier. Vancouver never recovered from that point on, and lost 4 games in a row to lose the series 4-2.

2003 saw personal highs in the Canucks organization. Naslund finished the season with 104 points, second-highest in the league. Bertuzzi finished fifth with 97. In goal, Cloutier posted a then-franchise record 7 shutouts. Winning a playoff series for the first time in eight years against the St. Louis Blues, the Canucks lost in the second round to the Minnesota Wild (who had upset Colorado in round one) after holding a 3-1 series lead.

On February 16, 2004, during a Vancouver-Colorado game, Steve Moore of the Avalanche injured Naslund by making a hit in the neutral zone while Naslund was reaching for a puck. No penalty was called on the play, but Naslund suffered a concussion and a bone chip in his elbow as a result of the hit, and missed three games. On March 8, 2004 in a re-match, Bertuzzi punched Moore from behind, causing him to fall to the ice. Moore's head was driven into the ice after players piled on top of Moore, leaving him with three fractured neck vertebrae, facial cuts and a concussion. Bertuzzi was suspended for the remainder of the 2003-2004 regular season and playoffs, and litigation is still pending on the Moore hit. Despite winning the Northwest Division title in 2004 the Canucks fell in the first round of the playoffs to the Calgary Flames, who would go on to compete in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Before the lockout of 2004–05, Burke did not have his contract renewed by the Canucks and was replaced by Dave Nonis, who had been assistant general manager and Director of Hockey Operations. Burke was then hired by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

2005–present: Post-lockout
The 2005–06 season began with much promise; some hockey analysts picked the Canucks as Stanley Cup favourites. Under Nonis, free agents such as Anson Carter and Richard Park were signed prior to the season. However, the team failed to meet expectations and completed the regular season in a disappointing ninth place in their Conference — narrowly losing a playoff position to the Edmonton Oilers. The season was characterized by under-achieving play, most notably by the first line of Naslund, Bertuzzi, and Morrison, which was expected to produce higher point totals under the new league rules. Morrison had a career-high 84 penalty minutes. Meanwhile, his wingers, Bertuzzi and Naslund, had a combined −37 plus/minus rating. Vancouver's highest-scoring line was the second unit of Carter and the Sedin twins.

On April 25, 2006, the Canucks fired Crawford; he was subsequently hired by the Los Angeles Kings. Alain Vigneault, who had been coach of Vancouver Canucks' AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, was hired as his replacement on June 20, 2006. Vigneault remains coach to this day.

Three days after Vigneault's hiring, Nonis traded Bertuzzi, Bryan Allen and Alex Auld to the Florida Panthers for Roberto Luongo, Lukas Krajicek and a sixth-round draft pick (Sergei Shirokov) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Florida fan-favourite Luongo initially claimed to be "surprised" with being traded. He later signed a 4-year, $27-million contract with the Canucks, which includes a no-trade clause after the first year, tying him with Chicago Blackhawks' Nikolai Khabibulin as the highest paid goaltender in the NHL. With the acquisition of Luongo, Cloutier was traded to the Los Angeles Kings for a 2nd round draft choice in 2007 and a conditional pick in 2009 on July 5, 2006.

On April 7, 2007, the Canucks won the Northwest Division title for the second time in three seasons with an overtime win over the San Jose Sharks. The win also gave Luongo his 47th win of the season, tying him for the previous single-season win record with Bernie Parent, which had been eclipsed during the same season by New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur.

The Canucks opened the 2007 playoffs with a quadruple-overtime win against their first-round opponents, the Dallas Stars. The game was the longest in club history and the sixth longest in league history. Also in this game, the Canucks set a record for shots against, allowing 76. The Canucks won the series in seven games despite a lack of goal-scoring; Stars goalie Marty Turco recorded three shutouts in the series, becoming the only goalie to earn three shutouts and still lose a series. Advancing to the second round, the team was defeated by Anaheim Ducks in five games. The Ducks, under ex-Canuck GM Brian Burke, would go on to win the Stanley Cup. Following the playoffs, coach Vigneault received the Jack Adams Award.



The 2007–08 season did not begin well, with key injuries beginning from training camp. Defencemen Sami Salo and Lukas Krajicek were both injured in October, while Kevin Bieksa was severely cut by the skate blade of Vernon Fiddler of the Nashville Predators on November 1. Left-winger Matt Cooke was traded to the Washington Capitals for left-winger Matt Pettinger at the trade deadline. During the last nine games of the season the Canucks were also without Ohlund, who had suffered bone chips in his knee; as well, they lost promising rookie forward Mason Raymond to an MCL sprain and Morrison, again, to an ACL tear. The Canucks lost seven of their final eight games and missed the playoffs for the second time in three years, coming up three points short. The final game of the season, played on home ice, saw the retiring Linden awarded the first star of the game and given a standing ovation after a 7-1 loss to the Calgary Flames.

On April 14, 2008, the Canucks fired Nonis, and nine days later, former player agent Mike Gillis was named as his replacement. In addition to Nonis' firing the Canucks lost several other assets during 2008 off-season. On May 29, 2008, the Vancouver Canucks tragically lost promising young prospect Luc Bourdon, a defenceman picked 10th overall in the 2005 entry draft, to a motorcycle crash near his hometown of Shippagan, New Brunswick. Shortly thereafter, long-time Canuck and fan favourite Linden officially retired on June 11, 2008. Then Gillis, in his first free agency period as general manager, let Naslund - still captain and the franchise's all-time leading scorer - go to the New York Rangers, and another long-time Canuck, Morrison, sign with the Anaheim Ducks. In their place Gillis signed unrestricted free agent Pavol Demitra and traded for (and subsequently signed) restricted free agent Steve Bernier from the Buffalo Sabres. Former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Kyle Wellwood was also added to the roster. Gillis also made a two-year, $20 million contract offer to unrestricted free agent Mats Sundin. Although Sundin did not, at first, accept Gillis' offer, he later joined the Canucks in December 2008, signing a one-year, $8.6 million contract (which was pro-rated) for the remainder of the season.

With the departure of Naslund to free agency, Gillis announced on September 30, 2008, that Luongo had been named team captain, marking the first time since Bill Durnan of the Montreal Canadiens in 1947 that a goaltender has been named the captain of their NHL team. On December 17, 2008 the Canucks retired the second jersey number in team history, hanging Linden's number 16 beside Smyl's number 12 in a pre-game ceremony. The team won the Northwest Division and finished 3rd in the Western Conference. In the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs the Canucks swept their first round series against the St. Louis Blues in four games (the first four game sweep in franchise history), but were defeated in six games by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round.

In the 2009-10 season, the Canucks faced the longest road trip in NHL history, with 14 games over 6 weeks, from January 27 to March 13, 2010, as a result of Vancouver hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics. This allowed GM Place to be used for ice hockey during the games, which shut down the NHL for 2 weeks. This marked the first time that an NHL market hosted an Olympics since the league allowed its players to compete in the games, beginning with the 1998 Games of Nagano. GM Place was "Canada Hockey Place" during the games, as the IOC wouldn't allow corporate sponsorship for venues during the games. Their former home, Pacific Coliseum, also hosted events during the games, serving as the venue for figure skating and short-track speed skating.

That season, Henrik Sedin became the first Canuck ever to win the Art Ross Trophy by scoring 112 points. The issue was not resolved until the last day of play, when Sidney Crosby scored five points out of the eight needed to take home the trophy to Pittsburgh. Henrik would also eventually be awarded with the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player, beating out nominees Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin. At the end of the regular season, Vancouver finished first in the Northwest Division, and third in the Western Conference. They opened the playoffs by defeating the sixth place Los Angeles Kings in six games, but once again, were defeated by eventual winners Chicago in six games in the second round.

On October 9, 2010, during a pre-game ceremony to commemorate the teams 40 years in the NHL, Henrik Sedin was officially named team captain.

Ownership
The initial owners were Tom Scallen's Medicor group. In 1972, hints of impropriety were circulating about Scallen. He was charged with stock fraud (Though he still insists that he did nothing wrong) and spent the last two years of his Canuck ownership in prison. In 1974 Scallen and Medicor sold out to Frank Griffiths. From 1988 to 1997, the Vancouver Canucks were owned by local businessman and philanthropist Arthur Griffiths, who had inherited ownership from his father, Frank. However, he was forced to sell his majority interest in the Canucks after overextending his resources trying to build a new arena, GM Place (currently known as Rogers Arena). As a result, he sold his majority share to American billionaire John McCaw, Jr..

On November 17, 2004, the Anmoli Investment Group, headed by Francesco Aquilini, purchased a 50% share in Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment (the owners of both the Canucks franchise and Rogers Arena) from John McCaw, Jr.. Prior to the sale, Aquilini and two business partners, Tom Gaglardi and Ryan Beedie, had negotiated with Orca Bay for several months without concluding an agreement. In January 2005, Gaglardi and Beedie filed a lawsuit against Aquilini and Orca Bay, alleging that Aquilini and Orca Bay had acted in bad faith in concluding a deal using information obtained from their joint offer.

On November 8, 2006, Aquilini, along with his brothers Roberto and Paolo, purchased the remaining 50% of the Vancouver Canucks and Rogers Arena from McCaw.

In May 2007, Gaglardi and Beedie's civil lawsuit over Aquilini's purchase reached the Supreme Court of British Columbia. The court ruled for Aquilini, on January 10, 2008. The court held that there was no legal partnership between Aquilini, Beedie, and Gaglardi, and that McCaw was free to sell the team to anyone he wished.

On January 29, 2008 the company responsible for operating the Vancouver Canucks and Rogers Arena, changed its name from Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment to Canucks Sports & Entertainment.

Logos and jerseys
The team has gone through thirteen different logo and jersey changes in its history.



The team's first NHL jerseys, worn from the inaugural season of 1970–71 (modified for the 1972–73 season) until the end of the 1977–78 season, featured a hockey stick in the shape of a shallow "V" superimposed on  a blue rink-shaped rectangle forming the letter "C", designed by North Vancouver artist, Joe Borovich. A modified version of this logo is still in use, as a shoulder patch on the team's current jerseys and as the primary logo of their Alternate jerseys.

In 1978, aiming for a more aggressive image, the organization asked a San Francisco design agency, Beyl & Boyd, to design new uniforms. These consisted of a huge yellow, red-orange, and black striped "V" coming down from the shoulders (suggesting "victory", according to its designers). It is generally considered to be one of the most unpopular uniforms in NHL history (hockey writer Stephen Cole referred to it looking like 'a punch in the eye').



The "Flying V" theme was abandoned in 1985, 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 as part the blade of a skate. The logo, with its laser-like design, was sometimes referred to as the "Star Wars" logo, the "waffle iron", the "plate of spaghetti", and most commonly, the "Flying Skate". The yellow home jerseys were scrapped in 1989 in favour of more conventional white ones, and the triangular shoulder stripes which adorned the post-"V" jerseys were discarded as well. The new incarnation was worn from 1989–92, when a subtle change was made — and went largely unnoticed for the rest of the jersey's lifespan. The orange was changed to red, and the deep "gold" colour was changed to a much brighter yellow, reportedly because jersey-maker CCM no longer produced the required hues. In 1996, an alternate jersey was introduced, retaining the "Flying Skate" logo, but using a salmon colour graduating to black near the bottom.



In 1997 the Canucks unveiled a new logo, in which a Haida-style orca (killer whale) breaking out of a patch of ice forms a stylized "C". The logo has been much-maligned, accused of being a blatant reference to their parent company, Orca Bay (now Canucks Sports and Entertainment). At the time, general manager Pat Quinn discussed wanting to have a West Coast colour scheme, and overall West Coast themes in the logo; the colour scheme included blue, red, and silver. Beginning in 2001, an alternate jersey was utilized, with contrasting shoulder patches and a blue-to-maroon graduated colour in the body. In 2006 these gradient-coloured alternate jerseys were officially replaced with the popular, royal blue "Stick-in-Rink" uniforms from the 1970s.



Little more than halfway through the 2006–07 season, the Canucks announced that they would be changing their jerseys once again. While a report in February 2007 suggested the new scheme would be revealed on August 1, 2007, the new team jersey was actually unveiled prior to training camp, on August 29, 2007. It featured the same orca design present on their previous jerseys, but the colour scheme was updated to their "retro" colours of royal blue and kelly green. Additionally, the word "Vancouver" was added to the chest area above the orca. This move was seen as a way to connect the NHL Canucks team to that of the WHL team, whose members wore uniforms with the word "Canucks" along the top in a similar arched design. The actual jerseys themselves were changed to the Rbk Edge design, along with all other teams in the NHL. The introduction was largely greeted with disappointment from fans and sports commentators, who criticized the uniforms for looking like a "copy and paste" of those from the past. The Vancouver Sun described the new look as "decidedly unpopular."



On November 14, 2008, prior to their Sport Celebrities Festival, the Canucks released their new RBK Edge Third Jersey. While staying with the colours of Vancouver, and combining the old with the new, the jersey looks very similar to their home jersey. The modernized "Stick-in-Rink" logo unveiled the previous year on the shoulder of the main jerseys is used as the main crest. On the shoulder, a V with the head of Johnny Canuck on top is used. This is the first time in team history since joining the NHL that Johnny Canuck has appeared on a Vancouver uniform. Sports Illustrated rated it 13th overall out of the 19 third jerseys released for the 2008 season.



Media
After a relationship with CKNW stretching since the Canucks joined the NHL in 1970, the Canucks entered into a new radio broadcast deal in 2006 with The Team 1040 -- an AM sports/talk station. John Shorthouse continues to call the play-by-play, as he has since 1999, though with his role on the Canucks' television broadcasts becoming more prominent in recent years, he is replaced for approximately 35 games per season by Rick Ball. He is joined with colour commentary by Tom Larscheid, who has been with the broadcasts since 1977. On July 28, 2010, Larscheid announced that he will be retiring at the start of the 2010–11 season. He will call one final game, the season opener, before being replaced by Dave Tomlinson. The games air on 14 stations across British Columbia. In addition to national TV broadcasts on Hockey Night in Canada and on TSN, the Canucks also have arrangements with Rogers Sportsnet Pacific to air 47 games (as of 2007-08 season). These games are called by Shorthouse and former Canucks goaltender John Garrett. In the past additional games aired on pay-per-view, which were radio simulcasts. On Friday, May 25, 2007, the Canucks and Sportsnet signed a multi-year contract that will keep the channel as the club's primary broadcaster. Under the agreement, Sportsnet Pacific aired 47 games in the 2007–08 NHL season and beginning that year select games were broadcast in HD for the first time ever. For the 2010-11 season, Canucks pay-per-view was discontinued, as 13 regular season games and 2 preseason games will air on Rogers Sportsnet's new sister network, Rogers Sportsnet ONE. Additionally, Rogers also owns the naming rights to the team's home arena, Rogers Arena.

Mascot
The Vancouver Canucks' mascot is an anthropomorphic killer whale (orca) named Fin Orca or Fin the Whale. He is often seen banging a First Nations drum, or skating around during intermission firing t-shirts out of the Boston Pizza compressed air cannon. On occasion, "smoke" also comes out of the "blowhole" on his head. Fin has his trademarked "chomping" where he "bites" the heads of fans.

Top affiliates

 * 1970–71 to 1971–72 Rochester Americans (AHL)
 * 1972–73 to 1974–75 Seattle Totems (WHL, CHL)
 * 1975–76 to 1977–78 Tulsa Oilers (CHL)
 * 1978–79 to 1981–82 Dallas Black Hawks (CHL)
 * 1982–83 to 1987–88 Fredericton Express (AHL)
 * 1988–89 to 1991–92 Milwaukee Admirals (IHL)
 * 1992–93 to 1993–94 Hamilton Canucks (AHL)
 * 1994–95 to 1999–2000 Syracuse Crunch (AHL)
 * 2000–01 Kansas City Blades (IHL)
 * 2001–02 to present Manitoba Moose (AHL)

Secondary affiliates

 * 2002-03 to 2005-06 Columbia Inferno (ECHL)
 * 2006–07 to present Victoria Salmon Kings (ECHL)

Season-by-season record
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes

Records as of April 6, 2008.

Team captains
In the NHL, each team may select a captain. Along with the two alternate captains, they have the "privilege of discussing with the referee any questions relating to interpretation of rules which may arise during the progress of a game". Captains are required to wear the letter "C" on their uniform for identification, which is 3 in high.

There have been 13 Canucks players who have served as the captain. The franchise's first captain was Orland Kurtenbach, who captained the team until his retirement in 1974. The longest-tenured Canucks captain was Stan Smyl, who was appointed for eight seasons. Smyl is also the only Canucks captain to have spent his entire NHL playing career with the team. Trevor Linden, who captained from 1990 to 1997, played 16 seasons with the Canucks, a franchise high. Swedish Markus Naslund, who captained for seven seasons, was the only non-Canadian to have captained the Canucks until Henrik Sedin was named captain on October 9, 2010.

Though goaltenders are not permitted to act as captains during games, Roberto Luongo served as the captain from 2008 to 2010, but because of the NHL rule against goaltender captains, the league did not allow Luongo to serve as on-ice captain. In his place, the three alternate captains were responsible for dealing with officials during games. They also handled ceremonial faceoffs. Luongo was not permitted to wear the "C" on his jersey, but instead incorporated it into the artwork on the front of one of his masks for the early months of the 2008–09 season.
 * Orland Kurtenbach, 1970–74
 * No captain, 1974–75
 * Andre Boudrias, 1975–76
 * Chris Oddleifson, 1976–77
 * Don Lever, 1977–79
 * Kevin McCarthy, 1979–82
 * Stan Smyl, 1982–90
 * Dan Quinn, Doug Lidster and Trevor Linden, 1990–91 (tri-captains)
 * Trevor Linden, 1991–97
 * Mark Messier, 1997–2000
 * Markus Naslund, 2000–08
 * Roberto Luongo, 2008–10
 * Henrik Sedin, 2010–present

Honored members
Hall of Famers
 * Players
 * Igor Larionov, C, 1989–92, inducted 2008
 * Mark Messier, C, 1997–2000, inducted 2007
 * Cam Neely, RW, 1983–86, inducted 2005


 * Builders
 * Frank Griffiths, owner, 1974–94, inducted 1993
 * Jake Milford, general manager, 1977–82, inducted 1984
 * Roger Neilson, assistant/head coach, 1981–84, inducted 2002
 * Bud Poile, general manager, 1970–73, inducted 1990

Retired numbers
 * 12 Stan Smyl, RW, 1978–91, number retired November 3, 1991.
 * 16 Trevor Linden, RW, 1988–1998 and 2001–2008, number retired December 17, 2008.
 * 19 Markus Naslund, LW, 1996–2008, number to be retired December 11, 2010.
 * 99 Wayne Gretzky, number retired league-wide February 6, 2000 at the 2000 NHL All-Star Game.

Numbers taken out of circulation
 * 11 Wayne Maki, LW, 1970–73, taken out of circulation following his death from brain cancer on May 1, 1974. Mark Messier (C, 1997–2000) is the only Canucks player to have worn it since.
 * 28 Luc Bourdon, D, 2006–08, taken out of circulation following his death in a motorcycle accident on May 29, 2008.

Ring of Honour inductees
 * Orland Kurtenbach, C, 1970–74, inducted October 26, 2010.

Franchise scoring leaders
These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Canucks player

NHL
Clarence S. Campbell Bowl
 * 1981–82, 1993–94

Calder Memorial Trophy
 * Pavel Bure: 1991–92

Jack Adams Award
 * Pat Quinn: 1991–92
 * Alain Vigneault: 2006–07

King Clancy Memorial Trophy
 * Trevor Linden: 1996–97

Lester B. Pearson Award / Ted Lindsay Award
 * Markus Naslund: 2002–03

NHL Plus/Minus Award
 * Marek Malik: 2003–04 (shared with Martin St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning)

NHL Foundation Player Award
 * Trevor Linden: 2007–08 (shared with Vincent Lecavalier of the Tampa Bay Lightning)

Scotiabank Fan Fav Award
 * Roberto Luongo: 2008–09

Art Ross Trophy
 * Henrik Sedin: 2009–10

Hart Memorial Trophy
 * Henrik Sedin: 2009–10

All-Star
First All-Star Team
 * Henrik Sedin: 2009-10
 * Markus Naslund: 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04
 * Todd Bertuzzi: 2002-03
 * Pavel Bure: 1993-94

Second All-Star Team
 * Daniel Sedin: 2009-10
 * Roberto Luongo: 2006-07
 * Kirk McLean: 1991-92

NHL All-Rookie Team
 * Mattias Ohlund: 1997-98
 * Corey Hirsch: 1995-96
 * Trevor Linden: 1988-89
 * Jim Sandlak: 1986-87

Franchise individual records

 * Most goals in a season: Pavel Bure, 60 (1992–93 and 1993–94)
 * Most assists in a season: Henrik Sedin, 83 (2009–10)
 * Most points in a season: Henrik Sedin, 112 (2009–10)
 * Highest plus/minus in a season: Daniel Sedin, 36 (2009–10); Christian Ehrhoff, 36 (2009–10), tied
 * Most penalty minutes in a season: Donald Brashear, 372 (1997–98)
 * Most points in a season, defenceman: Doug Lidster, 63 (1986–87)
 * Most points in a season, rookie: Ivan Hlinka, 60 (1981–82); Pavel Bure, 60 (1991–92), tied
 * Most wins in a season: Roberto Luongo, 47 (2006–07)
 * Most shutouts in a season: Roberto Luongo, 9 (2008–09)
 * Lowest GAA in a season (min. 30 GP): Dan Cloutier, 2.27 (2003–04)
 * Best SV% in a season (min. 30 GP): Roberto Luongo, .921 (2006–07)