No one cares about Canucks in Vancouver...

[adamzilla]

You know who else are "fans" no matter what? Jihadists.

This team (including management) has VERY LITTLE to like about it.

The whole "Vancouver not a sports town" thing is hilarious.
Let's see.... Whitecaps got rid of 16? players, raised ticket prices with a team that's doing worse. You don't think people notice?
Canucks, similar situation, raised ticket prices, with a team that's essentially the same garbage, led by the same garbage "veterans". You don't think people notice?
Lions...Going through a regime change with Buono leaving, and the current owner saying it "must be sold". Again, you don't think people notice?

Do people here even live in BC or pay attention to anything whatsoever?

 

[PG Canuck]

You know who else are "fans" no matter what? Jihadists.

This team (including management) has VERY LITTLE to like about it.

The whole "Vancouver not a sports town" thing is hilarious.
Let's see.... Whitecaps got rid of 16? players, raised ticket prices with a team that's doing worse. You don't think people notice?
Canucks, similar situation, raised ticket prices, with a team that's essentially the same garbage, led by the same garbage "veterans". You don't think people notice?
Lions...Going through a regime change with Buono leaving, and the current owner saying it "must be sold". Again, you don't think people notice?

Do people here even live in BC or pay attention to anything whatsoever?

No because does the rest of B.C. even care about those teams?

 

[valkynax]

You have under 5,000 posts here discussing the team, so by that metric you aren’t THAT big of a Canucks fan.

See how dumb it is to dictate who is a fan and who isn’t?

Shit you're right...that means by criticizing the team and not shower it with all the love and praises regardless of half a decade of gross incompetence and monumental stupidity, and because some random keyboard warrior said so, I'm not worthy!

Oh my life has no meaning anymore...

Oh the humanity...

 

[PavelBure10]

I barely missed any Canuck game on TV in the past 25+ years, but the last 6 years I've been missing out on more than ever. This is all because of two simple reasons,

1. I have a family now, with two kids. It's nearly impossible to watch a Canucks game on time, I pretty much watch everything delayed on Pvr.

2. The product sucks, but Pettersson is changing that.

 

[DollarAndADream]

I know a ton of Canucks fans. I talk about the Canucks almost every single day with co-workers, and of course all over the internet.

People willing to spend the cash to go out to games, however, is a different discussion. Although now with a guy like Pettersson on the team, I know a lot of people are taking a turn and willing to go to the rink.

 

[SurferBroChad]

I barely missed any Canuck game on TV in the past 25+ years, but the last 6 years I've been missing out on more than ever. This is all because of two simple reasons,

1. I have a family now, with two kids. It's nearly impossible to watch a Canucks game on time, I pretty much watch everything delayed on Pvr.

2. The product sucks, but Pettersson is changing that.

if the product was good enough, would you ditch your kids to watch games?

 

[ProstheticConscience]

if the product was good enough, would you ditch your kids to watch games?

Lemme take a wild stab here...you have no kids.

 

[I in the Eye]

I have never enjoyed the Canucks more than I have this season, and nor have I followed, analyzed or discussed the canucks less.

The Canucks are a fantastic team to enjoy casually. This is a team tailor-made for fans who don't pay attention to or concern themselves with the details.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

Tickets too expensive for a below average product in a market where most people have very little disposable income.

Agreed...you cant charge SC contending team prices for a bottom 5 team....(in the lower bowl).

 

[Ori]

Rangers is in a similar position after a strong 2014 cup final run which we lost to LA, and you need to enjoy moments when the Franchise management is talking about a rebuild with an official letter. And it`s hard to see your team losing to get a better draft position, because they are not very talented compare to other NHL teams. And after the Sedins retires - it`s a new beginning especially when you draft players like Elias Petterson 38 games 42 points on a mediocre line - he is not with an elite passer like Zuccarello or anything. Elias carry the line and he is certainly not fully physical built like Chris Kreider with his speed based on age reason, and a different type of player.

I was actually worried about Elias physic start of the season, but he somehow been one of the most successful prospects in the 2017 draft year so as I mentioned earlier - you need to enjoy moments in this sport even if your team is losing.

Maybe the management in Vancouver need to take a decision soon what to do next; build around Elias and try to get the best team as possible while buying quality UFA signings, or continue to build a team in the draft, but it`s harder this season to get a very low 1st pick in 2019 compare to other teams who also struggle like Rangers, LA, Florida, Detroit, Hawks, and Ottawa.

 

[vancityluongo]

Here's another thought aside from "Vancouver is not a sports town" or comments on the state of the team. Maybe it's just not a crazy NHL city? Especially given that it's in a Canadian market.

Preface: I don't have any data to back this thought. But my hypothesis is that the NHL needs one of two things aside from population and cold weather/a Canadian city to really succeed in a market:

a) blue-collar populace
or
b) massive corporate crowd/support

Vancouver has neither. The first is what floats small market cities like Buffalo, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Pittsburgh. The second is what helps Calgary, Raleigh, Nashville, etc.

A city like Vancouver based on tech startups, the arts, eds and meds (ie. Atlanta, LA) just doesn't have the massive corporate push to buy season tickets as an industry operating standard, nor does it have a culture where there is literally nothing to do but watch hockey (and this isn't a diss at Edmonton's arts/entertainment scene, which is underrated and has an awesome community... but it also isn't Vancouver).

Relative to other Southern cities (Nashville - corporate support, Tampa - blue collar, Vegas - corporate) that have done well, I think this is a factor in why Florida and Arizona have struggled so much. Again, just based on perception, those two cities are gray collar - the bulk of the populace is retired white collar workers. The primary industries in those cities don't have hockey in their corporate culture.

I'd love to see some primary research being done on this topic that really dives into more potential factors behind market success.

 

[McBackup]

Ahh yes, all these anecdotes about "my friend doesn't watch" sure prove that nobody in Vancouver cares about the Canucks.

 

[Zippgunn]

Hey neighbor, East Sooke here.

So you remember when the 17 mile would show PPV games to an almost empty room?

 

[Nomobo]

So you remember when the 17 mile would show PPV games to an almost empty room?

Except for you and me.

 

[SurferBroChad]

Lemme take a wild stab here...you have no kids.

whoa detective settle down

what i'm saying is, his first reason nullify's his second reason

i dont watch many games anymore because

1.someone threw acid in my eyes and now i am legally blind

2.the product on the ice sucks!

 

[The Drop]

Aquilini continually raising ticket prices.
Team getting older, slower and worse.
Benning making this team even worse.
Expensive concessions, expensive cab rides

Hitting up your local bar with some friends or cooking food at your place with friends seems more fun sometimes

 

[McBackup]

Plenty of people care about the Canucks in Vancouver. The team had the longest sellout streak in the NHL at one point, and there were some losing seasons included in there. Personal anecdotes about "I went to a pub and the game wasn't on", "I saw a row of empty corporate season tickets on tv" or "My friend who watched hockey isn't watching this year" are not evidence that NOBODY cares about the team. Are a lot of people fairweathers? Yes, but the same goes for every other city. The narrative gets really annoying. The people who say this tend to be ones who have never experienced any other sports market. Honestly the only difference between Vancouver fans and anyone else is how incredibly self-flagellating the fanbase tends to be.

"The team isn't selling out". Yeah they're only packing the stadium at 94% capacity with ridiculous ticket prices to see a largely mediocre team. You know who else isn't selling out? Calgary, the hottest team in the league, or Edmonton with the greatest player on Earth. Montreal hasn't sold out every game either, and nobody would ever insinuate these are bad hockey markets. Because they aren't, and neither is Vancouver. Yet when Canucks fans aren't burning down the city over the team the immediate response is "well nobody cares." There is no winning. Vancouverites are either far too passionate lowlife scum who trash downtown because the team lost, or they don't care at all because they don't want to shell out $60+ for tickets in the nosebleeds to see a mediocre team face a ho-hum opponent, especially when they're paying thousands of dollars a month for a broom closet to live in and can just watch at home. It can't be both, that's doublethink at its finest.

 

[ziploc]

You know who else are "fans" no matter what? Jihadists.

Well done working that in, somehow.

 

[604]

Vancouver has never been a great sports market

Yes, the arguement can be made that there's too much other stuff to do for regular people and not enough corporate guys to fill the arena.

I've been to 3 Canucks games this year and wouldn't pay to go to any of them.

 

[F A N]

Toronto though has a much bigger population to draw from. Suspect they might be able to even support two NHL teams (though I doubt two bad teams).

I don't disagree, but it doesn't change the fact that Vancouver doesn't have the same type of support. Vancouver is simply not the big metropolitan city that some think we are. Our debt to income ratio is highest in Canada. In terms of having a passionate fan base / "caring" about their team, do you rate our NHL and CFL fan base as being more passionate compared to other Canadian cities? I don't. Maybe we beat Edmonton.

 

[Hit the post]

I don't disagree, but it doesn't change the fact that Vancouver doesn't have the same type of support. Vancouver is simply not the big metropolitan city that some think we are. Our debt to income ratio is highest in Canada. In terms of having a passionate fan base / "caring" about their team, do you rate our NHL and CFL fan base as being more passionate compared to other Canadian cities? I don't. Maybe we beat Edmonton.

Difficult for me to say as while I visited many places. (though I’ve never been to Ottawa), I’ve only lived here for lengthy period of time. I wasn’t even aware that there were a considerable amount of OTHER team fans in Victoria though I’ve been there a bunch of times. (I couldn’t understand why they were booing Hughes in the World Junior games played there until I was told there were probably Flames or Oilers fans).

 

[McBackup]

Difficult for me to say as while I visited many places. (though I’ve never been to Ottawa), I’ve only lived here for lengthy period of time. I wasn’t even aware that there were a considerable amount of OTHER team fans in Victoria though I’ve been there a bunch of times. (I couldn’t understand why they were booing Hughes in the World Junior games played there until I was told there were probably Flames or Oilers fans).

Do you really think everyone who went to that international sporting event is from Victoria?

 

[elitepete]

about a third of the fanbase has been demoralized by a moronic management team and meddling owner.

 

[racerjoe]

Huh? North America includes Mexico and the US, last time I checked. Most US cities have lower average salaries than us. I think you meant to compare Vancouver to New York and SF?

I believe the real issue is we are a top 3 city in cost of living, and around 50th for income, I think that is world wide.

That is a huge difference.

 

[I am toxic]