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

[Gurglesons]

Ice Storm was a really good book. Interested to check this out.

Easily the best team in the cap era to not win a cup. f*** the Lightning.

 

[vanuck]

Ice Storm was a really good book. Interested to check this out.

Easily the best team in the cap era to not win a cup. f*** the Lightning.

Planning on getting a copy too.

 

[End on a Hinote]

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.

Yup.

Give me all the stories of 1994 you want, I can eat those up all day.

2011 was a dumpster fire of a failure and I will not look back at that team with rose coloured glasses.

 

[mathonwy]

Yup.

Give me all the stories of 1994 you want, I can eat those up all day.

2011 was a dumpster fire of a failure and I will not look back at that team with rose coloured glasses.

That despite years and years of drafting ineptitude, rookie GM Mike Gillis and cap specialist AGM Laurence Gilman was able to acquire enough veteran depth to compliment Burke's 1999 Sedin coup and Nonis's 2006 Luongo robbery and FINALLY beat the Hawks and get within 1 game of the SC?

SO MUCH FAILURE.

 

[clunk]

That despite years and years of drafting ineptitude, rookie GM Mike Gillis and cap specialist AGM Laurence Gilman was able to acquire enough veteran depth to compliment Burke's 1999 Sedin coup and Nonis's 2006 Luongo robbery and FINALLY beat the Hawks and get within 1 game of the SC?

SO MUCH FAILURE.

It was a good run, and I enjoyed many aspects of it; especially the players we had and the opposing fanbases we pissed off.

But, in the end, our cup contending team didn't win the cup. That's a failure at the end of the day. A painful one.

I don't really hold much animosity towards the Bruins. I can even respect Marchand to a degree these days. But damn, if I said I was 'over' it, I'd be lying.

At the end of the day, though, it's a game and the emotional rollercoaster was fun.. but the end was just so bad and so embarrassing with the riot and all.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Yup.

Give me all the stories of 1994 you want, I can eat those up all day.

2011 was a dumpster fire of a failure and I will not look back at that team with rose coloured glasses.

i thought all the dumpster fires were on west georgia?

too soon?

 

[mathonwy]

It was a good run, and I enjoyed many aspects of it; especially the players we had and the opposing fanbases we pissed off.

But, in the end, our cup contending team didn't win the cup. That's a failure at the end of the day. A painful one.

I don't really hold much animosity towards the Bruins. I can even respect Marchand to a degree these days. But damn, if I said I was 'over' it, I'd be lying.

At the end of the day, though, it's a game and the emotional rollercoaster was fun.. but the end was just so bad and so embarrassing with the riot and all.

I guess I will always be a glass half-full type of fan.

2011 will always be a win in my books because, unlike 1994, that run wasn't a fluke. It was the culmination of the hard-work of three GMs and the blood and sweat of hockey players I both liked and respected immensely.

I, like yourself, don't hold much (any) animosity towards the Bruins. They won on the road and they've been a consistently top 10 team since.

And how could anyone not respect Marchand? He's a borderline first ballot HHOF that posted 100 points at age 31. Hate his antics all you want but the man can play hockey.

Thinking about where we were in 2011 and where we are now is seriously depressing the f*** outta me.

So I'm gonna stop.

 

[RussianRacket]

2011 and 94 teams are really similar, actually, when you consider how they became larger than life, and almost larger than the games they were playing.

Both had healthy mixes of homegrown warrior players like Kesler, Burrows, Linden, as well as BC boys like Courtnall and Ronning. The amazing show, but also secretive novelties of the f***ing Russian Rocket or twin brothers (has that happened anywhere else in team sports, ever?) Backstopped by beloved goaltenders.

Just memorable personalities and moments everywhere. Those two teams had a flair for the dramatic.

Of course, most other franchises have multiple teams like this, but we are of course the Canucks so it is slim pickings. Anyone who says something like they don't look back on 2011 with rose colored glasses like the do for 94, or that 2011 was an objective failure, comes across as a get-off-my-lawn old out of touch person.

The 2011 captured the enthusiasm, intrigue, and love of millions of people around the province. They ought to be celebrated.

 

[mriswith]

2011 and 94 teams are really similar, actually, when you consider how they became larger than life, and almost larger than the games they were playing.

Both had healthy mixes of homegrown warrior players like Kesler, Burrows, Linden, as well as BC boys like Courtnall and Ronning. The amazing show, but also secretive novelties of the f***ing Russian Rocket or twin brothers (has that happened anywhere else in team sports, ever?) Backstopped by beloved goaltenders.

Just memorable personalities and moments everywhere. Those two teams had a flair for the dramatic.

Of course, most other franchises have multiple teams like this, but we are of course the Canucks so it is slim pickings. Anyone who says something like they don't look back on 2011 with rose colored glasses like the do for 94, or that 2011 was an objective failure, comes across as a get-off-my-lawn old out of touch person.

The 2011 captured the enthusiasm, intrigue, and love of millions of people around the province. They ought to be celebrated.

I find it impossible to have rose colored glasses for 2011 and I am surprised any hardcore fan would feel differently. It still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, but not for the reasons you might think and I'll explain.

Initially after 2011 I hated the Bruins players passionately due to how the finals went and how utterly unfair and blatantly corrupt the officiating was, but with time those feelings have passed almost entirely.

Instead with time I've realized that it wasn't the players fault. You don't blame a toddler for bad behaviour, you blame the parents for not correcting the behaviour.

Instead I've been left with a hatred for how the league is run as a corrupt OBC, a hatred for Jeremy Jacobs and Jack Edwards who I hold responsible for why the Bruins fanbase is the most entitled and childish in the league, and a hatred for the eastern media for how they covered our team during that run.

Those are the things that leave a bitter in taste in my mouth about 2011 and I applaud anyone who can look past that and have rosy positive feelings about 2011. Instead I still feel cheated and it's still hard to really enjoy the NHL when the veil of it's enormous lack of integrity was pulled back for Canucks fans in 2011.

 

[Nucker101]

I find it impossible to have rose colored glasses for 2011 and I am surprised any hardcore fan would feel differently. It still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, but not for the reasons you might think and I'll explain.

Initially after 2011 I hated the Bruins players passionately due to how the finals went and how utterly unfair and blatantly corrupt the officiating was, but with time those feelings have passed almost entirely.

Instead with time I've realized that it wasn't the players fault. You don't blame a toddler for bad behaviour, you blame the parents for not correcting the behaviour.

Instead I've been left with a hatred for how the league is run as a corrupt OBC, a hatred for Jeremy Jacobs and Jack Edwards who I hold responsible for why the Bruins fanbase is the most entitled and childish in the league, and a hatred for the eastern media for how they covered our team during that run.

Those are the things that leave a bitter in taste in my mouth about 2011 and I applaud anyone who can look past that and have rosy positive feelings about 2011. Instead I still feel cheated and it's still hard to really enjoy the NHL when the veil of it's enormous lack of integrity was pulled back for Canucks fans in 2011.

Same. Also wish Gillis/AV/Players adapted to how the officials were calling that series before it was too late. It was clear that cross checking, interference, roughing between the whistles was all fair game. They should have embraced it, at least that way if the Bruins still got the calls with both teams playing the same way then it would look even worse on the league.

That team was simply ahead of their time, they would've thrived playing in today's NHL along with those Chicago and Pittsburgh teams, meanwhile those LA/Boston teams wouldn't have been as tough to beat.

The worst part is that the Aquillini's probably knew the league hated that team and didn't like it thinking it cost them a cup so that likely played a part in hiring a bunch of old school "nice guys" so we eventually got stuck with the trio of Linden/Benning/Desjardins and the team went from being a despised contender to loveable losers.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

I find it impossible to have rose colored glasses for 2011 and I am surprised any hardcore fan would feel differently. It still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, but not for the reasons you might think and I'll explain.

Initially after 2011 I hated the Bruins players passionately due to how the finals went and how utterly unfair and blatantly corrupt the officiating was, but with time those feelings have passed almost entirely.

Instead with time I've realized that it wasn't the players fault. You don't blame a toddler for bad behaviour, you blame the parents for not correcting the behaviour.

Instead I've been left with a hatred for how the league is run as a corrupt OBC, a hatred for Jeremy Jacobs and Jack Edwards who I hold responsible for why the Bruins fanbase is the most entitled and childish in the league, and a hatred for the eastern media for how they covered our team during that run.

Those are the things that leave a bitter in taste in my mouth about 2011 and I applaud anyone who can look past that and have rosy positive feelings about 2011. Instead I still feel cheated and it's still hard to really enjoy the NHL when the veil of it's enormous lack of integrity was pulled back for Canucks fans in 2011.

i lived in toronto that year. i remember being on bloor on the day of game seven thinking to myself, who are all these jackasses who went out and bought a divisional rival’s jersey just to hate on vancouver?

 

[RussianRacket]

One ought to be able to separate the team from the unfortunate circumstances. From all accounts, the players themselves certainly can. They were special, they got cheated.

 

[mathonwy]

I find it impossible to have rose colored glasses for 2011 and I am surprised any hardcore fan would feel differently. It still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, but not for the reasons you might think and I'll explain.

Initially after 2011 I hated the Bruins players passionately due to how the finals went and how utterly unfair and blatantly corrupt the officiating was, but with time those feelings have passed almost entirely.

Instead with time I've realized that it wasn't the players fault. You don't blame a toddler for bad behaviour, you blame the parents for not correcting the behaviour.

Instead I've been left with a hatred for how the league is run as a corrupt OBC, a hatred for Jeremy Jacobs and Jack Edwards who I hold responsible for why the Bruins fanbase is the most entitled and childish in the league, and a hatred for the eastern media for how they covered our team during that run.

Those are the things that leave a bitter in taste in my mouth about 2011 and I applaud anyone who can look past that and have rosy positive feelings about 2011. Instead I still feel cheated and it's still hard to really enjoy the NHL when the veil of it's enormous lack of integrity was pulled back for Canucks fans in 2011.

You wanna blame someone, blame the Aquilinis for being sore winners before actually winning anything.

Since 2011, hockey people view the Canucks as the Aquilini’s Canucks.

Not British Columbian’s Canucks or Vancouverite’s Canucks.

The Aquilini’s Canucks.

All the bad feelings you and many other Canuck fans feel is ultimately because our owners are slumlord dbags that didn’t play well with others.

 

[PG Canuck]

i lived in toronto that year. i remember being on bloor on the day of game seven thinking to myself, who are all these jackasses who went out and bought a divisional rival’s jersey just to hate on vancouver?

At least now we have been able to laugh at Toronto. Boston is their daddy now anyways.

 

[RussianRacket]

At least now we have been able to laugh at Toronto. Boston has made them their daddy now.

There are two ways to interpret your sentence. Either Boston has made the Leafs into Boston's daddy, or Boston has made Toronto their own daddy.

 

[PG Canuck]

There are two ways to interpret your sentence. Either Boston has made the Leafs into Boston's daddy, or Boston has made Toronto their own daddy.

Nah it was just worded weird. Either way Toronto sucks.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Either way Toronto sucks.

i'm glad we can all agree on what's really important