Pre-Game Talk: Heritage Classic - Ottawa at Vancouver Sunday, March 2 at BC Place @ 1:00 PM

[Samzilla]

is cyclone taylor gonna be there?

 

[JuniorNelson]

If anything I would have did an outdoor game at Empire Field not BC place.

That would have been great!

Queen's Park arena is still standing, too. That arena was home to the Cougars who became part of the Red Wings. Wings/Canucks in an historic old barn would be more fun than Senators/Canucks in a monstrosity.

 

[canuck4life16]

I am sure there will be more buyers closer to the game......when the prices drop?

 

[Wetcoaster]

That would have been great!

Queen's Park arena is still standing, too. That arena was home to the Cougars who became part of the Red Wings. Wings/Canucks in an historic old barn would be more fun than Senators/Canucks in a monstrosity.

The Victoria Cougars (originally the Senators, then Aristocrats) played out of the Patrick Arena in the Victoria municipality of Oak Bay and became the Detroit Cougars, then Falcons and ultimately Red Wings when sold to Detroit of the NHL in 1926.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Arena
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Cougars

In 1925 when Victoria won the Stanley Cup three games were played at Patrick Arena and one game was played at Denman Arena.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1925_Stanley_Cup_Final

 

[thebigbea]

have anyone gotten tickets yet other than STH?? 3 of my co-workers still waiting for tickets that were bought during public sale... i'm still waiting for mine..

 

[Seattle Totems]

That would have been great!

Queen's Park arena is still standing, too. That arena was home to the Cougars who became part of the Red Wings. Wings/Canucks in an historic old barn would be more fun than Senators/Canucks in a monstrosity.

uhh nope. No team in the PCHA, WCHL, or WHL actually played in New Westminster. Not even the New Westminster Royals. They played at Denman arena. Queens Park Arena was not built until 1930 after the Millionaires folded along with the WHL.

There are no arenas left that the Millionaires played in. Every barn except one from the league they played in either burned down or was demolished before the 1950s. The one building that did survive until modern times was in Spokane. The final pieces of the structure burned down in 2004.

What most people including the majority of hockey historians don't know is that this was an outdoor arena.

In a way this is kind of ironic. The Millionaires actually played regular season games outdoors in 1916-17 against the Spokane Canaries. Fast forward a hundred years and the "Millionaires" will be playing an "outdoor" game in an indoor football Stadium.

 

[LoneSteele]

have anyone gotten tickets yet other than STH?? 3 of my co-workers still waiting for tickets that were bought during public sale... i'm still waiting for mine..

Sens fan coming in peace.

My tickets came on Monday. Was expecting the nice full-colour souvenir tickets I'd seen pics of online (since the only option on ticketmaster was expresspost shipping for $14) but they're just regular generic ticketmaster tickets. A little disappointing. I did have to sign for them though - so keep an eye out for delivery notice slips if you're not home during the day.

I get what many are saying about the lack of the rivalry/appeal of the actual game - but I'm more interested in the EVENT itself than the game. Travelling to VAN the day before and spending the day in your beautiful city repping Sens gear around town will be fun. I'm also expecting something good with the as-yet-unanounced pre-game festivities and music.

I hope it does sell out and the atmosphere is good; as of right now it's only a 60% chance of rain (that's pretty good for you guys, eh?), and they did say they could leave the roof open in a light drizzle!

Should be fun!

 

[thebigbea]

Sens fan coming in peace.

My tickets came on Monday. Was expecting the nice full-colour souvenir tickets I'd seen pics of online (since the only option on ticketmaster was expresspost shipping for $14) but they're just regular generic ticketmaster tickets. A little disappointing. I did have to sign for them though - so keep an eye out for delivery notice slips if you're not home during the day.

Wow, just regular tickets, that sucks.. Wanted the souvenir tickets that most ppl got... I wonder If they ship by region.. Vancouver area ship last..

 

[Pure West]

I think this event is going to be nothing but an underwhelming black mark on the organization and fans. There is little enthusiasm for the event and the team in general, so I have a bad feeling that this is going to be a showcase of a dead atmosphere for a bad, boring team in an indoor stadium on a rainy day. I don't think anyone from Vancouver will be surprised to see those circumstances unfold....but now we get a bigger stage to showcase that to the rest of the hockey world.

I don't even think its just the ticket prices, its just the event itself. Would cutting the prices 20% really add anything to it?

 

[Nucker42]

Huge money grab, I've been to a million BC Lions games at BC Place and it's an average venue for Football so hockey will be better on TV than in person. Unless you have 500$ to buy centre ice lower bowl.

I think commitment to the Canucks have been dwindling and this would of been a perfect opportunity to give fans who can't normally afford tickets a chance.

Obviously it's a business and they need to make money but Canucks events are way to expensive these days.

Have fun to those going.

 

[Ohhh Franco]

Sens fan coming in peace!

Im heading west next Thursday morning and will be spending 6 days in your city. As a die hard Sens fan, The Heritage Classic is what is bringing me out to Vancouver. As others have said, Im looking forward to the EVENT and touring around Vancouver and hopefully running in to other Sens fans at the pubs/bars. Sight lines and the game itself may not be the best, but whatever...

Im staying at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver and am very much looking forward to visiting your city.

Any suggestions on what I MUST do while Im out there? Bike the Sea Wall, booze it up at The Roxy, etc etc?

Any other gossip or info about the Heritage Classic would be great to read in here.

Thanks!

 

[Nucker42]

Sens fan coming in peace!

Im heading west next Thursday morning and will be spending 6 days in your city. As a die hard Sens fan, The Heritage Classic is what is bringing me out to Vancouver. As others have said, Im looking forward to the EVENT and touring around Vancouver and hopefully running in to other Sens fans at the pubs/bars. Sight lines and the game itself may not be the best, but whatever...

Im staying at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver and am very much looking forward to visiting your city.

Any suggestions on what I MUST do while Im out there? Bike the Sea Wall, booze it up at The Roxy, etc etc?

Any other gossip or info about the Heritage Classic would be great to read in here.

Thanks!

Seawall for sure. On a nice day nothing beats it. Grab one of the little shuttle boats and go across the water to Granville Island. Granville Island brew house has a good taster menu and you can sample a variety of beers.

I would pass on the Roxy personally. Lots of amazing pubs in Vancouver. My suggestion is head to Gas Town and walk the strip, many to choose from, Steamworks if it's not too busy. Or head up to Broadway in Kits and start on Burrard and walk towards Arbutus. Regal Beagle is my favourite.

Have fun.

 

[Ohhh Franco]

Seawall for sure. On a nice day nothing beats it. Grab one of the little shuttle boats and go across the water to Granville Island. Granville Island brew house has a good taster menu and you can sample a variety of beers.

I would pass on the Roxy personally. Lots of amazing pubs in Vancouver. My suggestion is head to Gas Town and walk the strip, many to choose from, Steamworks if it's not too busy. Or head up to Broadway in Kits and start on Burrard and walk towards Arbutus. Regal Beagle is my favourite.

Have fun.

Yes, Granville Island is also on my list. As is touring around Gas Town and Kits. I only mentioned The Roxy because of its reputation and it's the only bar in Vancouver that I know of.

Thanks!

 

[BobbyJazzLegs]

Yes, Granville Island is also on my list. As is touring around Gas Town and Kits. I only mentioned The Roxy because of its reputation and it's the only bar in Vancouver that I know of.

Thanks!

Don't forget the Warehouse across the street. You might find Zack Kassian there indulging in some ... things.

 

[Wetcoaster]

Sens fan coming in peace!

Im heading west next Thursday morning and will be spending 6 days in your city. As a die hard Sens fan, The Heritage Classic is what is bringing me out to Vancouver. As others have said, Im looking forward to the EVENT and touring around Vancouver and hopefully running in to other Sens fans at the pubs/bars. Sight lines and the game itself may not be the best, but whatever...

Im staying at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver and am very much looking forward to visiting your city.

Any suggestions on what I MUST do while Im out there? Bike the Sea Wall, booze it up at The Roxy, etc etc?

Any other gossip or info about the Heritage Classic would be great to read in here.

Thanks!

If it is a clear, you may want to take a ride by cable car up to the top of Grouse Mountain. If you choose to eat dinner at the Observatory Restaurant the cost of the ride is included in your reservation.
http://www.grousemountain.com/Winter/dining/the-observatory/

For past discussions on this topic see:
http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=802482
http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=272202
http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=676941

Some food threads for restaurant recommendations:
http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=802482
http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=685062

Here is a listing of restaurants/drinks in the Gastown area:
http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Eating+Gastown/4314763/story.html

Some bars to catch hockey games:
http://vancouverbars.net/where-to-watch-the-canucks-game/

If you like some jazz to go along with your libations:
http://vancouverbars.net/jazz-bars-in-vancouver/

Food and whisky tasting? Shebeen Whisk(e)y House
http://www.shebeen.ca/

From the same group that runs Shebeen - Irish Heather Gastropub with a good selection of top beers and upscale pub food. I recommend the Steak and Ale Pot Pie or Bangers and Mash.
http://www.irishheather.com/


And if you are a foodie:
Upscale restaurants...

Bishop's (long-time go to place for top end dining):
http://www.bishopsonline.com/

West Restaurant + Bar
http://www.westrestaurant.com/

Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar - maybe the best seafood in Vancouver now.
http://www.bluewatercafe.net/

An old time favourite of mine is Bacchus Restaurant & Lounge in the Wedgewood Hotel - regular meetings after hours in the lounge with clients.
http://www.wedgewood...es_2/dining.php

A lot of people would say Il Giardino for Italian but I would go with Cafe Il Nido set back off Robson and Thurlow.
http://www.cafeilnido.net/

Diva at The Met - some complain about portion sizes but the food is top drawer:
http://www.metropolitan.com/diva/

Hawksworth Restaurant in the newly renovated Rosewood Hotel Georgia - David Hawksworth was previously the executive Chef at West.
http://www.hawkswort...vid-hawksworth/

L'Abattoir - set in historic Gastown in a 19th century building which was Vancouver's first jail. French influenced West Coast cuisine. One of my favourites.
http://www.labattoir.ca/index.html

New on the scene is Wildebeest - some different meat cuts:
http://wildebeest.ca/

La Pentola della Quercia in the Opus Hotel - rustic Northern Italian cuisine.
Cin Cin (maybe some celebs as well - Laura Dern the last time I ate there and I once ran into Kristin Kreuk)
http://www.cincin.net/

Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House (sort of on Robson at Thurlow)
http://www.joefortes.ca/

So many top Chinese restaurants - check the 2013 Chinese Restaurant Awards and you cannot go wrong with any of these winners:
Critics' Choice - http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/0...restaurant-awards-critics-2013_n_2770502.html

World class Japanese food - Tojo's
http://www.tojos.com/Home.html

On the North Shore:
The Salmon House
http://www.salmonhouse.com/

The Observatory on the top of Grouse Mountain - free gondola rides with reservations - spectacular views:
http://www.grousemou...the-observatory

A hidden gem in Burnaby - The Pear Tree run by by world class chef Scott Jaeger:
http://peartreerestaurant.net/

Try some of the street food carts:
http://communities.canada.com/vanco...1/06/24/vancouver-s-new-street-food-2011.aspx
http://communities.canada.com/vanco...new-vancouver-street-food-just-announced.aspx

Nu which is one of the best Greek restaurants around has two carts - Nu Greek Street (parked at Howe and Dunsmuir as well as Granville at West Georgia) - great Chicken or Lamb Souvlaki with some of the best pita bread wrap ever...$6.50.

Here is the Nu website: http://www.nurestaurant.com/ BTW a friend was just at the bar in Nu and they have a Happy Hour special weekdays from 5-7 pm where you can order three of the appetizer plates for $9.00. He says it is a great value.

Go Fish at Fisherman's Wharf near Granville Island.
http://www.yelp.ca/biz/go-fish-ocean-emporium-vancouver

The beer in the beer batter for the fish comes from Granville Island Brewery and the fries and cole slaw are great.

Menu:
http://www.bin941.com/modules/gofish/gofishaMenu.pdf

Belgian waffles:
Café Medina, 556 Beatty Street, Vancouver
http://www.medinacafe.com/menus/breakfast/

Patisserie Lebeau, 1728 2nd Ave West, Vancouver
http://www.grababetterwaffle.com/

Also try the Elbow Room Cafe - I have run into more than few Hollywood actors there over the years. This café is known for friendly "customer abuse."
http://www.theelbowroomcafe.com/zgrid/proc/site/sitep.jsp

The Red Wagon Cafe at 2296 East Hastings Street on my list of good breakfast places as well lunch and dinner comfort food:
http://www.redwagoncafe.com/menu

Another good diner choice that recently opened - Lucy's Eastside Diner at 2708 Main Street Street and it is open 24 hours a day. Great breakfast, sandwiches and burgers - classic comfort food. Try the meatloaf sandwich.
http://www.lucyseastsidediner.com/

Save-On Meats Diner Menu also still a butcher shop (closed for renos) and a sandwich counter as well:
http://saveonmeats.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/SOM-Menu_web.pdf

Reviews:
http://communities.canada.com/vanco...ve/2011/07/18/save-on-meats-diner-review.aspx
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life...just-another-faux-retro-diner/article2107092/

A Phở house (Vietnamese Beef Noodle) would likely be Le Petit Saigon 2783 E. Hastings St. near Renfrew also great Vietnamese sandwiches.

Taiwanese beef noodle is great at Huangs Beef Noodles 6940 Victoria Drive

And a new Chinese restaurant that has been getting great reviews from friends but I have yet to try is Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie at 163 Keefer Street in Chinatown - think "modern old-style Chinese restaurant". It has won a lot of awards in a short time and has been selected by several magazines and reviewers as the Best New Restaurant in Vancouver.
http://www.bao-bei.ca/

A really good Chinese meal on the cheap??? Try T&T supermarkets (across from Rogers Arena) hot food area for lunch - mix and match and also quite good barbecue as well. Take home some cold food from the deli case and try the Vietnamese subs - HINT after 6pm they clear out the cold food and barbecue at reduced prices - great when you do not want to cook. They also have quite good sushi takeout.

Comfort food??

Acme Cafe at 51 West Hastings Street - and really good value. Terrific sandwiches and try the meat loaf.
http://www.acmecafe.ca/

More upscale. Don Francesco's at 860 Burrard has great Italian food. I used to go to Francesco's original restaurant - Francesco Alongi's back in the 1970's and 1980's on Richards Street.
http://www.donfrancesco.ca/

Another really good Italian restaurant that has been around for decades. I would often go for a pre-game meal when the Canucks played at the Pacific Coliseum - Osteria Napoli on Renfrew at 1st Avenue - great Italian food. The veal was always superb. Been a few years since I have been there. Also a romantic date place.

http://www.osterianapoli.com/

Best Steak - Gotham Steakhouse.
http://www.gothamsteakhouse.com/home/
Hy's Encore a long-time favourite
http://hyssteakhouse.com/gallery/?location=2

Less expensive but still top end steak Hamilton Street Grill
http://www.hamiltonstreetgrill.com/

Best Carnivore Outing (non-steak) - Memphis Blues BBQ.
http://www.memphisbluesbbq.com/meals.php?p=bc

Best new style deli - Salt Tasting Room and it is great - incredible charcuterie and cheeses.
http://salttastingroom.com/

Classic Italian - Cioppino's - try the lunch special of rotisserie chicken and the pastas are superb.
http://cioppinos.wordpress.com/

Indian food? No contest... Vij's at 1480 West 11th Avenue and he has a takeout place next door - Vij's Rangoli. Considered some of the best Indian Food in the world.
http://www.vijs.ca/

Something different - Belgian by way of North Africa and arguably one of the best in the City and just blocks away from Rogers Arena. One of my personal favourites - Chambar, 562 Beatty Street.
http://www.chambar.com/

BTW a food blog with really good reviews of Metro Vancouver restaurants is Sherman's Food Adventures - a great place to check out restaurants that you may not have heard of as well as many that are well-known:
http://www.shermansfoodadventures.com/

 

[ItsAllPartOfThePlan]

This really lost its appeal after the 4th outdoor game....this season!

 

[vancityluongo]

????

You forget 1915.

The 1915 Stanley Cup Final was played from March 22-26, 1915. The Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) champion Vancouver Millionaires swept the National Hockey Association (NHA) champion Ottawa Senators 3 games to 0 in a best-of-five game series. The finals were played in Vancouver.

Why is this game being played now then? Why not wait until next year for the 100th anniversary...?

 

[Wetcoaster]

Why is this game being played now then? Why not wait until next year for the 100th anniversary...?

The Canucks fabled theme song?

99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall

 

[m9]

I'm going just for the event and to check it out. You can get decent lower section seats for around 80 to 90 bucks now so I grabbed some of those.

I'll probably only get to one game this year, so might as well make it one that's a little different.

 

[The Stig]

anyone got their tickets yet that bought during public sale?? still waiting for mine that were bought since dec... can't believe we paid $15 for this damn slow shipping

Yea I'm wondering about that too. Mine aren't here yet.

 

[Balls Mahoney]

Do I really want to go to a pointless gimmick game where you get to pay exorbitant prices to watch substandard hockey from two non-playoff teams while freezing your balls off for three hours?

How funny would it be if GMMG's big press conference was just a ticket sale pitch?

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

Do I really want to go to a pointless gimmick game where you get to pay exorbitant prices to watch substandard hockey from two non-playoff teams while freezing your balls off for three hours?

How funny would it be if GMMG's big press conference was just a ticket sale pitch?

It's not that cold though... I just came back from hiking up Grouse and it's about 6-8 Celsius.

 

[Sleeper]

I see the Canucks twitter still trying to sell travel packages (!) for this game as of a few hours ago.

I don't think the lack of buzz has much to do with the team or prices, but rather the very obvious fact that the game is NOT outdoors. It's a ridiculous concept trying to sell this game as an outdoor game.

 

[PG Canuck]

Do I really want to go to a pointless gimmick game where you get to pay exorbitant prices to watch substandard hockey from two non-playoff teams while freezing your balls off for three hours?

How funny would it be if GMMG's big press conference was just a ticket sale pitch?

Yeah I'm sure 10 degrees give or take is going to freeze your balls off.

 

[SnapIt]

First outdoor game and it's based on a 'rivalry' that hasn't had any heat for almost a hundred years?

If they wanted to sell tickets, this game should be against Boston or Chicago.

Waste of money, I'd advise against purchasing tickets. Go Canucks?