Elliote Friedman's Oral History of the 2010-2011 Vancouver Canucks

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Part 1:


Part 2:


Lots of good tidbits from people in all levels of the organization, here. A really neat deep dive into how the team was constructed, operated, and some behind the curtains looks at that playoff run.

I know there's a growing sense of "2011 fatigue" these days amongst local media and fans, but Friedman has compiled a really damn good read for Canucks fans.

Click to read more...

 

[hitman9172]

Excellent article. I found Part II to be better than Part I because he walks us through that magical playoff run in great detail. Still opens up the wounds and makes you feel bad about how that team never won the Cup. They were so damn good.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Excellent article. I found Part II to be better than Part I because he walks us through that magical playoff run in great detail. Still opens up the wounds and makes you feel bad about how that team never won the Cup. They were so damn good.

Oh, for sure. The wounds are still fresh. It made me come away with an even more profound sadness for Aaron Rome, though.

 

[Peen]

Anyone else geting a 503?

 

[vancityluongo]

Anyone else geting a 503?

Yup. Here:

The best team in Vancouver Canucks history, Part I – Sportsnet
www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks-best-team-history-part-2/

 

[bandwagonesque]

I love reading retrospective accounts of stuff like this by the players/executives involved, years later when they've moved on and lived more of their lives. The cliches fall away, there's nothing to really risk by telling the truth, and everyone has a bit more perspective.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

I love reading retrospective accounts of stuff like this by the players/executives involved, years later when they've moved on and lived more of their lives. The cliches fall away, there's nothing to really risk by telling the truth, and everyone has a bit more perspective.

It was interesting to hear both Kesler and Luongo reflect that they wished they’d lived more in the moment, enjoyed it, not taken it quite as seriously - their edge is what made them so competitive, but the years in between have brought some humility to it, too.

 

[bandwagonesque]

It was interesting to hear both Kesler and Luongo reflect that they wished they’d lived more in the moment, enjoyed it, not taken it quite as seriously - their edge is what made them so competitive, but the years in between have brought some humility to it, too.

A few of my friends had really unpleasant experiences with Kesler at local clubs, bars, etc. More ridiculous than unpleasant in some cases. He sounds far more mature now.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

A few of my friends had really unpleasant experiences with Kesler at local clubs, bars, etc. More ridiculous than unpleasant in some cases. He sounds far more mature now.

Oh, I have a few mutual connections with him. Descriptors of him always ranged from weird to an asshole, but most described him as really, really weird.

I think you can tell even from the Kes and Juice podcast he’s a bit of a different bird. Clearly he was able to endear himself to his teammates, but he always had that prickly side to him bubbling close to the surface. He’s able to laugh at himself a bit now on that podcast (which is a must listen for Canucks fans)

 

[RobertKron]

He lived a few doors down from my folks for a while. Came off as a rude, standoffish prick - and that's even accounting for the enormous benefit of the doubt given for being an NHL player living in a Canadian city. Kind of acted like a high school mean girl out of some bad teen movie.

 

[timw33]

Absolutely jarring difference in competence between management groups reading all these snippets.

 

[MS]

I still can’t look at or read anything about 2011.

If you spent years building up a successful business and then the government took it away from you and gave it to the local pedophile, and then kicked you in the nuts for good measure, that’s how I feel about 2011.

 

[Jay Cee]

PLEASE STOP ABOUT 2011!!

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

PLEASE STOP ABOUT 2011!!

I don’t quite understand this mentality. It’s still a colossal gut punch to me that we didn’t win in 1994 or 2011; I think we greatly deserved to win in both those years. But I can enjoy everything up to Game 6 of 1994 and Game 5 of 2011 and respect how the teams were built, and the players and personalities that made up two of the most successful eras in the history of the franchise.

And at any rate - the behind the scenes looks here offered by Friedman go well deeper than any YouTube clips or game footage you could find.

 

[Jay Cee]

I might approach it from a different angle than other people who are talking like this. I have actually seen a lot of content the last little while since the game has been shut down, but I just don't need to live every game play by play from every player. I remember it. It kind of sucks the best we have is 2011 to relive.

I don’t quite understand this mentality. It’s still a colossal gut punch to me that we didn’t win in 1994 or 2011; I think we greatly deserved to win in both those years. But I can enjoy everything up to Game 6 of 1994 and Game 5 of 2011 and respect how the teams were built, and the players and personalities that made up two of the most successful eras in the history of the franchise.

And at any rate - the behind the scenes looks here offered by Friedman go well deeper than any YouTube clips or game footage you could find.

 

[RebuildinVan]

PLEASE STOP ABOUT 2011!!

Ive been here for a few years now. I cant forgive 2011 game 7. Growing up we played alot of road hockey and every game was game 7 of the stanley cup finals. The Canucks had the Canadian kids dream game.... and they completely no showed for it. When Boston went up 2-0 I knew the game was over.

 

[RobertKron]

I might approach it from a different angle than other people who are talking like this. I have actually seen a lot of content the last little while since the game has been shut down, but I just don't need to live every game play by play from every player. I remember it. It kind of sucks the best we have is 2011 to relive.

You know that you don't have to read it, right? I believe in you.

 

[Dissonance Jr]

Man, Game 7 against Chicago that year was still one of the most cathartic moments I've experienced as a Canucks fan. When we went up 3-0 in that series it felt like we were absolutely on top of the world, just pure unadulterated joy. Then the Blackhawks started dismantling Luongo and that old familiar dread came washing back. And then— the Burrows goal in OT. Not sure I've ever screamed so loud in my life.

But I'm in the process of cultivating a firm and incurable amnesia about everything that happened after that. Something about Kesler tearing through Nashville and a stanchion maybe? Nope, trying to forget.

 

[MS]

I don’t quite understand this mentality. It’s still a colossal gut punch to me that we didn’t win in 1994 or 2011; I think we greatly deserved to win in both those years. But I can enjoy everything up to Game 6 of 1994 and Game 5 of 2011 and respect how the teams were built, and the players and personalities that made up two of the most successful eras in the history of the franchise.

And at any rate - the behind the scenes looks here offered by Friedman go well deeper than any YouTube clips or game footage you could find.

I think to a lot of us it’s like being forced to watch years-old video of yourself and an ex you were crazy about who cheated on you and left. As strongly as you might have felt about it at the time, the pain isn’t something you want to relive.

For me, 2011 was the culmination of 15 years of emotional investment after sticking with the team through the very low down-cycle after 1994. And it should have paid off, and then was outright stolen from us. Thinking about it just makes me angry and bitter all over again. I’ve never felt the same about the sport since.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

I think to a lot of us it’s like being forced to watch years-old video of yourself and an ex you were crazy about who cheated on you and left. As strongly as you might have felt about it at the time, the pain isn’t something you want to relive.

For me, 2011 was the culmination of 15 years of emotional investment after sticking with the team through the very low down-cycle after 1994. And it should have paid off, and then was outright stolen from us. Thinking about it just makes me angry and bitter all over again. I’ve never felt the same about the sport since.

I guess I’ve always been able to compartmentalize my feelings a bit on it. I’m able to still be furious about how badly that team got screwed by the league, officials and injuries, but also able to appreciate the incredible highs they contributed to the franchise. To each their own, I suppose.

 

[David71]

very informative well written. it still brings bad memories though. but there was a lot of what ifs... what if vancouver finished chicago earlier? they would have had rest and all their guys would be healthy to be able to compete with boston. but what's done is done. 2011 was a special team. will always be in my heart. the best team to have never won it. they were so close... sometimes i watch the highlights of goals from every series. kesler going beastmode against the preds wow. 11 pts in 6 games are u kidding me he made nashville his bitch in that series. then the 3 powerplay goals in game 4, when the sharks took consecutive penalties. sami salo ripping from the top point then kesler from the other side. kevin bieska game 5 clincher. maxim lapeirre and torres game winners. 2-0 in the finals the city was exciting and they felt they were so close to getting the cup. by the time boston came alive, vancouver didnt have enough bodies to compete anymore.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

I think to a lot of us it’s like being forced to watch years-old video of yourself and an ex you were crazy about who cheated on you and left. As strongly as you might have felt about it at the time, the pain isn’t something you want to relive.

For me, 2011 was the culmination of 15 years of emotional investment after sticking with the team through the very low down-cycle after 1994. And it should have paid off, and then was outright stolen from us. Thinking about it just makes me angry and bitter all over again. I’ve never felt the same about the sport since.

it's funny. i'm way more pissed off about the last game of the regular season against LA and games five, six, and seven against minnesota. after that was just kind of, hey let's not do this again for a while eh?

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

but there was a lot of what ifs...

what if someone had just hugged oreskovich after burrows scored against chicago?

would he have done something instead of just standing there and leaving ehrhoff to fight adam mcquaid while poor ballard has to avenge salo and daniel?

 

[bandwagonesque]

I don’t quite understand this mentality. It’s still a colossal gut punch to me that we didn’t win in 1994 or 2011; I think we greatly deserved to win in both those years. But I can enjoy everything up to Game 6 of 1994 and Game 5 of 2011 and respect how the teams were built, and the players and personalities that made up two of the most successful eras in the history of the franchise.

And at any rate - the behind the scenes looks here offered by Friedman go well deeper than any YouTube clips or game footage you could find.

I just watched a GIF of Lucic drinking champagne out of the cup, and my only reaction was to realize how thirsty I am right now after eating an entire pizza.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

ok starting to read this thing. good on gillis for admitting his mistakes. hate to be steve bernier reading that though.

MIKE GILLIS (GM, 2008–2014) You’re not going to win in the playoffs if your top players are not elite-level, top-five-per-cent-in-the-league players. Our first meeting went kind of along those lines: What can we do to make sure that you guys are going to be the best and most productive you can possibly be? Who could we find to play with them? … They were fairly adamant that it didn’t need to be a right-handed shot. It didn’t need to be a big, tough guy. It needed to be a guy who could think and retrieve pucks, recognize what they were trying to do, how they were trying to play, and be smart enough to play that style. And we resisted that, [which] was a mistake.


also, can't believe ballard agreed to talk for this piece. if i was him i'd be like, you're mistaken elliotte, i never played for the canucks. i'm hoping there is dirty coming up...? like, man i should have never dated vigneault's daughter behind his back or something?