The 1980s in Vancouver: The Dark Ages (CBC VIDEO)

[JA]

I recently discovered this CBC recap from 1990 of the Vancouver Canucks' darkest decade (1980-1989). I thought I'd share. The feature is narrated by Barry Macdonald with an introduction from Steve Armitage. Enjoy.

Click to read more...

 

[Mofletz]

Damn, Smyl never experience a winning season as a player.

 

[Chairman Maouth]

80's were so bad I can't even remember Tom Watt.

 

[Jumptheshark]

for those who call the Vaive trade one of the worst in history--

Leafs never got to the final
Nucks did

 

[IntangiBo]

for those who call the Vaive trade one of the worst in history--

Leafs never got to the final
Nucks did

82 must be the weakest road to the Cup in history. I don't think we played a team above .500 until we got to NYI.

 

[Jimson Hogarth*]

dismal decade

 

[thom]

Vancouver were 30w33l and 17t for 77 pts-leading scorer was Thomas Gradin with 86 pts-that was the year the talented Oilers lost to Kings in play-offs.In the 80s their regular to pts scorers were Gradin,Smyl,Sundrom,Skriko,and Quinn.There top goal scorers were tiger Williams with 35 in 80-81,Gradin,Rota,Tanti led team 5 times in goals,Lindin and Skriko had 30 in 88-89 and Adams had 30 in 89-90.1984-85 team were 25-49-9 and got outscored 401-284.By dec3,they were 4-21-2 and opponents quit taking them seriously.King Richard had a 4.67 GAA.Laforge and Neale were coaches.Team featured Cam Neely who would later be traded to Bruins a move that doomed the team for many years

 

[The Stig]

What an ugly decade.

Side note, arenas back then were so cool. Each had a very unique look

 

[Zombotron]

At one point the fans cheered for Albert! HAH! That sounds like something we'd do today.



I wish they hadn't let go of Roger Neilson. Complete dummies in that management office.

 

[carolinacanuck]

the 80's were so bad i remember the canucks skated out to 'freeze frame' by the j geils band for warmups during the cup run.

omg, that's all i think of whenever i hear that song. and now you will too

 

[gobi]

Who was the Canucks gm during the 80's?

 

[Derp Kassian]

Who was the Canucks gm during the 80's?

Pat Quinn 1987-1998
Jack Gordon 1985-1987
Harry Neale 1982-1985
Jake Milford 1977-1981

 

[JuniorNelson]

In those days the Canucks staff had nameplates on the door of their office. They used a first initial format. So, Quinn's was P. Quinn. Same format for Watt.

 

[canucksfan]

In the 70's Canucks never won a playoff series. The playoff run in 82' was the only series' they would win until 92'.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

Seeing Frank Caprice being lit up by Gretzky and Co. will haunt my dreams until the day I die.

 

[Fat Tony]

Seeing Frank Caprice being lit up by Gretzky and Co. will haunt my dreams until the day I die.

Gretzky and his damned landmark goals vs. the Canucks.
-first NHL goal
-50th hattrick
-500th goal
-802nd goal (breaking Howe's record)

Never mind the Oilers' had a 30+ game winning streak against the Canucks in the 80s.

 

[gobi]

Pat Quinn 1987-1998
Jack Gordon 1985-1987
Harry Neale 1982-1985
Jake Milford 1977-1981

Thanks.

 

[Zombotron]

In the 70's Canucks never won a playoff series. The playoff run in 82' was the only series' they would win until 92'.

This was the closest they got in the 1970s. 1975. It was a good season, too. They won the division.

 

[Burke's Evil Spirit]

82 must be the weakest road to the Cup in history. I don't think we played a team above .500 until we got to NYI.

The Canucks made the playoffs with a < .500 record and still managed to only play teams worse than them until the final. How that is even possible I have no idea.

 

[Imuzi]

Woah, blast from the past.

Did CBC do any more for the 90's or 00's?

 

[me2]

welcome to the future

 

[LeftCoast]

It was a decade that saw us trade away Rick Vaive, Bill Derlego, Cam Neely, Harold Snepts, Tiger Williams and Ivan Boldirev in lobsided losing trades. We also allowed Thomas Gradin to leave a a free agent (because we had acquired Barry Pederson in the Cam Neely trade) and hired possibly the worst coach in NHL history in Bill LaForge.

 

[canucksfan]

It was a decade that saw us trade away Rick Vaive, Bill Derlego, Cam Neely, Harold Snepts, Tiger Williams and Ivan Boldirev in lobsided losing trades. We also allowed Thomas Gradin to leave a a free agent (because we had acquired Barry Pederson in the Cam Neely trade) and hired possibly the worst coach in NHL history in Bill LaForge.

Surprised no one clocked LaForge. His gauntlet exercise was so stupid.

 

[Hollywood Burrows]

The games were a lot more fun to go to back then. The crowd wasn't filled with pieces of yaletown garbage, and your eyes weren't blasted with advertising from every possible surface at every moment.

Quite a few good players passed though here, but a string of apocalyptically bad GMs and coaches squandered them away.

 

[me2]

dismal decade

Yes but we got to draft 10, 10, 11, 9, 10 to start the 80s so we must have been trying.