bertuzzi2bure
Registered User
- Apr 14, 2021
- 406
- 418
I have lurked this place since 2008... never felt the need to create an account until now.
This is more for me but maybe someone needs something to read.
I have been a die-hard Canucks fan since 2000. Naslund and Bertuzzi instantly got me hooked to the Canucks. I always wore #19 for my hockey team and always pretended to be Bertuzzi when playing street hockey. I had every card, jersey, etc etc. You get it.
I made sure to watch EVERY single damn game until about 2015. A good 15 year stretch of going out of my way to watch every game. Home or away. I got my dad to take me to 3-4 games a year too. I love(d) this damn team and stuck up for them in the worst of times. The Nonis days sucked.
When Gillis came in and was given room to do his thing you could almost instantly tell that a team identity was forming. The right moves were made and the right players were being developed at the right time. In my honest opinion Luongo is the best player I got to witness as a Canucks fan. People here easily forget how god-like he was from his first game as a Canuck until maybe 2022. He should have won the Hart the year Crosby got his first one. I believe his absolute peak was higher than both the Sedins.... I am sure a lot of people here will disagree. By the way I think the Sedins are #2 and #3 for best players I got to witness.
The back half of 2009 is when you could really tell the team was going into overdrive. The Sedins were budding superstars, Luongo was the best goalie in the NHL, and guys like Kesler, Burrows, Edler and Bieksa were starting to surprise.
I really think the Canucks would have won the cup in 2010 if Mitchell didn't damn blow it against the Hawks. Amazing season regardless.
I don't think anything has to be said about 2011. We got lucky enough to witness the pinnacle of a top-tier professional sports team. What a damn team that was. Even when the Canucks went into the 3rd period down a goal or 2 they were STILL the favourites to win the game. Aside from the obvious talent, you had a team that WANTED to be together. Guys who you could tell were close off the ice too and only really wanted to play for each other. This was partly due to Gillis and Vigneault and the structure and environment they created. This isn't something you can trade for or sign. I don't mean to sound like that guy but that team was special and magic. The game 7 loss will burn forever but it was worth being able to experience every game that year.
From day 1 I was against the firing of both Gillis and Vigneault. I am against the way NHL teams so easily toss away GMs and coaches. IMO when you find good ones you should stick with them. Even after their firings, the team still had a lot of talent but you could tell something was off. The magic wasn't there. Players didn't want to play for each other anymore. The structure and identity brought in by Gillis and Vigneault was gone, even though many of the core players were still there.
I remained loyal as ever up until about 2015 when it became apparent that things were going to continually go downhill. Literally every decision seemed like the wrong one from the minute it was made. Every trade and signing has been just absolutely piss-poor. I began to lose interest and ultimately just stopped supporting the team and watching games. From 2015-2017 I think I averaged 20 games a year (this is from someone who watched every game from 2000-2015). After 2017 the shit show that Benning started got continually worse and I just couldn't anymore. From 2017 up until today I think I have watched 20 games TOTAL.
I read a comment here a week back that described the whole situation perfectly. The person said "death by a thousand cuts" and that is exactly what is happening here. WTF is going on? The Pearson signing was the last straw for me. Not trading Sutter was another bad move. Fully expect him back next season.
Am I being a bit soft and whiny? Sure. But I don't feel the need to devote not just my money but as well my ATTENTION to supporting this team. Benning has created an absolute shit show with no end in sight. At least with Nonis the problem was more just a lack of moves. With Benning it seems like every decision he makes is the wrong one, and it is clearly obvious the moment he makes it. This guy has turned a 15 year die-hard fan into someone who will not even bother to turn on the game EVEN IF I am home with nothing else to do. I will continue to be tuned out until this clown and Green are out. With Franky boy in charge though I don't think we see that for a while unfortunately.
Rant over. Someone take me back to 2011 please.
This is more for me but maybe someone needs something to read.
I have been a die-hard Canucks fan since 2000. Naslund and Bertuzzi instantly got me hooked to the Canucks. I always wore #19 for my hockey team and always pretended to be Bertuzzi when playing street hockey. I had every card, jersey, etc etc. You get it.
I made sure to watch EVERY single damn game until about 2015. A good 15 year stretch of going out of my way to watch every game. Home or away. I got my dad to take me to 3-4 games a year too. I love(d) this damn team and stuck up for them in the worst of times. The Nonis days sucked.
When Gillis came in and was given room to do his thing you could almost instantly tell that a team identity was forming. The right moves were made and the right players were being developed at the right time. In my honest opinion Luongo is the best player I got to witness as a Canucks fan. People here easily forget how god-like he was from his first game as a Canuck until maybe 2022. He should have won the Hart the year Crosby got his first one. I believe his absolute peak was higher than both the Sedins.... I am sure a lot of people here will disagree. By the way I think the Sedins are #2 and #3 for best players I got to witness.
The back half of 2009 is when you could really tell the team was going into overdrive. The Sedins were budding superstars, Luongo was the best goalie in the NHL, and guys like Kesler, Burrows, Edler and Bieksa were starting to surprise.
I really think the Canucks would have won the cup in 2010 if Mitchell didn't damn blow it against the Hawks. Amazing season regardless.
I don't think anything has to be said about 2011. We got lucky enough to witness the pinnacle of a top-tier professional sports team. What a damn team that was. Even when the Canucks went into the 3rd period down a goal or 2 they were STILL the favourites to win the game. Aside from the obvious talent, you had a team that WANTED to be together. Guys who you could tell were close off the ice too and only really wanted to play for each other. This was partly due to Gillis and Vigneault and the structure and environment they created. This isn't something you can trade for or sign. I don't mean to sound like that guy but that team was special and magic. The game 7 loss will burn forever but it was worth being able to experience every game that year.
From day 1 I was against the firing of both Gillis and Vigneault. I am against the way NHL teams so easily toss away GMs and coaches. IMO when you find good ones you should stick with them. Even after their firings, the team still had a lot of talent but you could tell something was off. The magic wasn't there. Players didn't want to play for each other anymore. The structure and identity brought in by Gillis and Vigneault was gone, even though many of the core players were still there.
I remained loyal as ever up until about 2015 when it became apparent that things were going to continually go downhill. Literally every decision seemed like the wrong one from the minute it was made. Every trade and signing has been just absolutely piss-poor. I began to lose interest and ultimately just stopped supporting the team and watching games. From 2015-2017 I think I averaged 20 games a year (this is from someone who watched every game from 2000-2015). After 2017 the shit show that Benning started got continually worse and I just couldn't anymore. From 2017 up until today I think I have watched 20 games TOTAL.
I read a comment here a week back that described the whole situation perfectly. The person said "death by a thousand cuts" and that is exactly what is happening here. WTF is going on? The Pearson signing was the last straw for me. Not trading Sutter was another bad move. Fully expect him back next season.
Am I being a bit soft and whiny? Sure. But I don't feel the need to devote not just my money but as well my ATTENTION to supporting this team. Benning has created an absolute shit show with no end in sight. At least with Nonis the problem was more just a lack of moves. With Benning it seems like every decision he makes is the wrong one, and it is clearly obvious the moment he makes it. This guy has turned a 15 year die-hard fan into someone who will not even bother to turn on the game EVEN IF I am home with nothing else to do. I will continue to be tuned out until this clown and Green are out. With Franky boy in charge though I don't think we see that for a while unfortunately.
Rant over. Someone take me back to 2011 please.
