Where does the Canucks' current situation rank in the time you've been following the team?

[The Vasili Jerry]

I've only been through the Gillis and Benning eras of the Canucks, and I can categorically say that right now is the lowest point for me as a fan of the team. I started watching the team in 2008 (when I moved to Vancouver) and I guess I picked a perfect time. Since about 2016, my enjoyment in watching the team has gradually been eaten away, but it seems that I've now become extremely apathetic to the situation because the hope of change is gone. It's basically the culmination of the thousand things that's built up and there seems no change in sight that's got to me the most.

My question is, where do you rank this moment of the Canucks' franchise against other moments in your time being a fan of the organization? I would assume that the Bertuzzi incident would be one of the lowest points? Any other management regimes you've seen that gave you even less hope than right now?

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[SeawaterOnIce]

Had a morsel of hope with EP, Boeser, Horvat, Miller, Hughes, Hoglander and Demko. Just needed to wait for the bad contracts to clear and for new management to come in.

Though back in January that Benning was on the hot seat and thought maybe FA would consider firing him. Then Aquilini came out with those tweets, but maybe thought he was trying to save face. Then Benning signed Demko and Pearson and it appears now that he's part of the long-term plan in Vancouver.

The Aquilini's and this franchise can kiss my ass.

 

[canucksfan]

Worse than the Keenan era because this has been much longer.

 

[CanuckleBerry]

Had a morsel of hope with EP, Boeser, Horvat, Miller, Hughes, Hoglander and Demko. Just needed to wait for the bad contracts to clear and for new management to come in.

Though back in January that Benning was on the hot seat and thought maybe FA would consider firing him. Then Aquilini came out with those tweets, but maybe thought he was trying to save face. Then Benning signed Demko and Pearson and it appears now that he's part of the long-term plan in Vancouver.

The Aquilini's and this franchise can kiss my ass.

This kind of sums up the current state of things for me right now. I fully expect Benning to be here for a quite a while still. I've been a Canucks fan since the early 90s, and granted I was very young then, but this is the first time I have ever felt this way about the team. That is, the franchise itself has gone sour for me, not the players or the product on the ice even. The management and lack of competence and direction makes me for the first time feel utterly hopeless as a fan.

Even in those horrible years of the late 90s, and playoff disappointment of the WCE era, I still felt connected with the franchise. I don't have that unconditional faith anymore. Different phase of life maybe, different expectations. Maybe it's just the sum of all the parts, all of the years. I don't know. I value my time so much more than I used to, and I am becoming far more discerning about what I give my time and money to. They need to earn it, because they don't deserve it.

 

[The Vasili Jerry]

Worse than the Keenan era because this has been much longer.

I'm just looking at the GM history of the Canucks and it seems that most of them didn't get long, but almost all of them made the playoffs more often than they missed them (except for Keenan and Benning). 2 years sounds like a dream compared to 7.

 

[Izzy Goodenough]

Somewhere between when the Vancouver Canucks agreed to $500,000 in compensation to the Kings for the clandestine hiring of Pat Quinn as their future president and general manager while he was still the Kings’ coach.

Quinn Case: Winners and Losers : The NHL Changed Some Rules, but Too Late for Kings

and

when the Canucks owner was convicted in 1973 of stealing $3 million from Northwest Sports Enterprises Ltd., the company that owned the NHL Canucks, and using the money to pay off debts of Northwest’s parent company, Medical Investment Corp. (Medicor).

Tom Scallen

 

[M2Beezy]

I cant just not be a fan cause I like hockey but I can see sooner or later I give up cause this is another punch in the stumoch of Canucks fans as the signing is another indicator Benning is here to stay. Noone wants that. Ive been a fan for 10 years and this is the least Ive ever cared so unfortunately can see myself losing interest in hockey in a couple a years. Kinda suprised Ive lastted so long tbh cause we won shit during my fan years

 

[TheOtherGM]

This to me is the lowest since the 1980s, when I was just a wee lad.
What separates this from the mid-to-late 90s era is the sense I have that Benning is still firmly entrenched in his position and won't be leaving anytime soon, giving him more time to do damage.
If not for that, I wouldn't be as concerned because the top-end talent level is good enough for a good GM to get things pointed in the right direction quickly.
But knowing that the current management team is likely to stay at least another year and perhaps beyond is making me think the early years of our stars are going to be completely wasted and I'll be another decade closer to death before this team is finally a contender again.
At least in the 90s the pain was short and after the departure of Keenan you could see hope on the horizon.

 

[flying v 604]

All this because of Pearson? My God get a grip. Beagle is finished so that's a wash, team has one of the best young cores with still some high-end kids coming and 50 million in cap coming off the books the next 2 seasons.
Been a season ticket holder since the early 90s and this is easily the best young core we've had. Covid and the flat cap threw a wrench in things a bit but just look at the rest of Canada, what team has a better five year window? Threads like these are why everyone hates this fanbase, unloyal and full of fair-weather fans who in a year or 2 when this team is a top team will be like doy I've always been a fan and to prove it ill riot if we lose.
Look at the Alberta teams or the Leafs, the Oilers have wasted 2 of the best players and their outlook longterm isn't great, the Flames are looking like another rebuild is near, the Leafs are a good team that is actually capped out and might be peaking right now. Vancouver is set up much better long-term, with young players at every keystone position. AM prolly bolts in 3 years and JT will be a complete anchor sooner than later, get a grip or do real nuck fans a favour and cheer for the team that is trending right now. Pathetic.

 

[canucksfan]

I'm just looking at the GM history of the Canucks and it seems that most of them didn't get long, but almost all of them made the playoffs more often than they missed them (except for Keenan and Benning). 2 years sounds like a dream compared to 7.

One problem with the Keenan era is he brought his players in like Noonan, York, etc. while fan favorites left on bad terms such as Linden(great trade), Odjick, and Bure. The team did need to be rebuilt at the time but how some players were treated was frustrating and in poor taste. That's the only thing IMO that was worse than the Benning era.

 

[Fatass]

Reminds me of the 70’s, except seats aren’t five bucks.

 

[Hollywood Burrows]

Given how far the organization has fallen since 2011 there's no question this is the worst era in franchise history. After almost 40 years of mediocrity Gillis and co started to build an org that could have sustained success, and the owner (an objectively stupid and unqualified person) proceeded to torch it all and plunge the team back into mediocrity, which seems to be its natural state.

Maybe the Canucks had worse rosters in previous eras, but like Russians who saw their living standards collapse after communism ended it's the fall that really hurts.

My advice: stop watching. it feels great!

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I don't know where to rank it, but the entire Benning era has very 80's feel to it. Much more so than the late 90's. The massive difference being, in the 80's we drafted like shit. Historically bad drafting compared to any franchise at any time ever. Actually got bailed out slightly by the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 89.

Another massive difference was there was like 3 gm's before we finally hired Quinn. Harry Neal is the only 1 i recall. I remember at one point, the management group was referred to as 'the brain trust'. People (my dad, his friends) use to joke when they made a trade "I hope the one who has the brain today made that deal". Usually years and years of incompetence gets you fired as Canucks gm, apparently those really were the good old days.

 

[The Vasili Jerry]

All this because of Pearson? My God get a grip. Beagle is finished so that's a wash, team has one of the best young cores with still some high-end kids coming and 50 million in cap coming off the books the next 2 seasons.
Been a season ticket holder since the early 90s and this is easily the best young core we've had. Covid and the flat cap threw a wrench in things a bit but just look at the rest of Canada, what team has a better five year window? Threads like these are why everyone hates this fanbase, unloyal and full of fair-weather fans who in a year or 2 when this team is a top team will be like doy I've always been a fan and to prove it ill riot if we lose.
Look at the Alberta teams or the Leafs, the Oilers have wasted 2 of the best players and their outlook longterm isn't great, the Flames are looking like another rebuild is near, the Leafs are a good team that is actually capped out and might be peaking right now. Vancouver is set up much better long-term, with young players at every keystone position. AM prolly bolts in 3 years and JT will be a complete anchor sooner than later, get a grip or do real nuck fans a favour and cheer for the team that is trending right now. Pathetic.

I don't think you understand why this is a low point for me. I also don't think you read the post. You could have just replied with "This is actually a pretty good moment in Canucks history for me because of A, B, C, etc. This is better than the X and Y eras because back then this and that happened." It's fine to be happy with the franchise right now if you want to be, but it's also fine for others to be disappointed about it. You don't get to choose how other people feel. It's also ridiculous to say that anyone who is upset with the direction of the team has to leave and support another team. I specifically wrote that I've only been through the Gillis and Benning eras and this is the low point for me because I don't see good things getting better due to the same things happening over and over again.

 

[The Vasili Jerry]

I don't know where to rank it, but the entire Benning era has very 80's feel to it. Much more so than the late 90's. The massive difference being, in the 80's we drafted like shit. Historically bad drafting compared to any franchise at any time ever. Actually got bailed out slightly by the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 89.

Another massive difference was there was like 3 gm's before we finally hired Quinn. Harry Neal is the only 1 i recall. I remember at one point, the management group was referred to as 'the brain trust'. People (my dad, his friends) use to joke when they made a trade "I hope the one who has the brain today made that deal". Usually years and years of incompetence gets you fired as Canucks gm, apparently those really were the good old days.

So maybe it's better at the moment compared to the 80's, in your opinion, because at least now the drafting is better and there are some good young players? I'm trying to find positives from the negatives of the past. Usually I will always look back on moments that were crappy and then put that in perspective to say that right now isn't so bad compared to it.

 

[theguardianII]

This question could have been asked every year for the last 4 years and the answers would be close to the same. Lost at the bottom of a very deep hole hanging on to a rotten rope that is coming apart. A first you think it is holding but after time you realize it has unraveled.

Benning is the closest example of insanity in the league. Almost every move is a repeat of one of his past mistakes with him explaining that he is rebuilindretoollinggoingforplayoffgudleaderhipoverpaytogetthemherewaitedtoolongnotenoughtimeearly

If Benning has time to shop and sign FA's he acts too fast and without shopping ends up paying whatever the player wants
Or waits too long and lets assets walkaway for nothing
Trades away draft picks for little or no return
Continues to give out clause contracts
Still compromising the salary cap
Still spending like this is a championship team

 

[supercanuck]

Somewhere between when the Vancouver Canucks agreed to $500,000 in compensation to the Kings for the clandestine hiring of Pat Quinn as their future president and general manager while he was still the Kings’ coach.

Quinn Case: Winners and Losers : The NHL Changed Some Rules, but Too Late for Kings

and

when the Canucks owner was convicted in 1973 of stealing $3 million from Northwest Sports Enterprises Ltd., the company that owned the NHL Canucks, and using the money to pay off debts of Northwest’s parent company, Medical Investment Corp. (Medicor).

Tom Scallen

Wow! I didn't even know these events happened!

I still think the Messier era was the worse. I feel Messier/Keenan are actually horrible human beings while Benning is just incompetent/arrogant.

 

[Fatass]

All this because of Pearson? My God get a grip. Beagle is finished so that's a wash, team has one of the best young cores with still some high-end kids coming and 50 million in cap coming off the books the next 2 seasons.
Been a season ticket holder since the early 90s and this is easily the best young core we've had. Covid and the flat cap threw a wrench in things a bit but just look at the rest of Canada, what team has a better five year window? Threads like these are why everyone hates this fanbase, unloyal and full of fair-weather fans who in a year or 2 when this team is a top team will be like doy I've always been a fan and to prove it ill riot if we lose.
Look at the Alberta teams or the Leafs, the Oilers have wasted 2 of the best players and their outlook longterm isn't great, the Flames are looking like another rebuild is near, the Leafs are a good team that is actually capped out and might be peaking right now. Vancouver is set up much better long-term, with young players at every keystone position. AM prolly bolts in 3 years and JT will be a complete anchor sooner than later, get a grip or do real nuck fans a favour and cheer for the team that is trending right now. Pathetic.

The seven year era of Benning is the 70’s all over again. It’s awful, and our future is dismal. We are a slow older team, that plays slow. And Benning signing Pearson to three more years just continues the older, slow player problem. IMO we are going to see a lot of empty seats, just like the 70’s.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

So maybe it's better at the moment compared to the 80's, in your opinion, because at least now the drafting is better and there are some good young players? I'm trying to find positives from the negatives of the past. Usually I will always look back on moments that were crappy and then put that in perspective to say that right now isn't so bad compared to it.

Yeah, that's it. We have good young players who are worth watching and rooting for. However, to counterbalance that, Benning will keep his job when his cap management alone is a fireable offence. That shit drafting in the 80's ended up with Quinn as our gm.
Jim Benning can't hurt me...I was teenage Canuck fan in the 80's. If I didn't quit then, i'm not quiting now.

 

[timw33]

The difference between all the other low eras is that eventually there was accountability and changes were made within a couple years.

I don't think enough people acknowledge how insane it is that Benning has been the GM for this long with the results that he's gotten. It's now among the Maclean's, the Milbury's, the Tambellini's of the world.

 

[TheOtherGM]

All this because of Pearson? My God get a grip. Beagle is finished so that's a wash, team has one of the best young cores with still some high-end kids coming and 50 million in cap coming off the books the next 2 seasons.
Been a season ticket holder since the early 90s and this is easily the best young core we've had. Covid and the flat cap threw a wrench in things a bit but just look at the rest of Canada, what team has a better five year window? Threads like these are why everyone hates this fanbase, unloyal and full of fair-weather fans who in a year or 2 when this team is a top team will be like doy I've always been a fan and to prove it ill riot if we lose.
Look at the Alberta teams or the Leafs, the Oilers have wasted 2 of the best players and their outlook longterm isn't great, the Flames are looking like another rebuild is near, the Leafs are a good team that is actually capped out and might be peaking right now. Vancouver is set up much better long-term, with young players at every keystone position. AM prolly bolts in 3 years and JT will be a complete anchor sooner than later, get a grip or do real nuck fans a favour and cheer for the team that is trending right now. Pathetic.

No, not all because of Pearson. I gave this management team plenty of rope for the first few years and thought Benning was getting a little better at his job lately. But it's just worn me down and when we finally got to the part where some bad contracts would be coming off the books, he went and signed another one.

Also, central to my post which you definitely read, this is a sign that Benning's departure isn't imminent, which is depressing.

 

[timw33]

All this because of Pearson? My God get a grip. Beagle is finished so that's a wash, team has one of the best young cores with still some high-end kids coming and 50 million in cap coming off the books the next 2 seasons.
Been a season ticket holder since the early 90s and this is easily the best young core we've had. Covid and the flat cap threw a wrench in things a bit but just look at the rest of Canada, what team has a better five year window? Threads like these are why everyone hates this fanbase, unloyal and full of fair-weather fans who in a year or 2 when this team is a top team will be like doy I've always been a fan and to prove it ill riot if we lose.
Look at the Alberta teams or the Leafs, the Oilers have wasted 2 of the best players and their outlook longterm isn't great, the Flames are looking like another rebuild is near, the Leafs are a good team that is actually capped out and might be peaking right now. Vancouver is set up much better long-term, with young players at every keystone position. AM prolly bolts in 3 years and JT will be a complete anchor sooner than later, get a grip or do real nuck fans a favour and cheer for the team that is trending right now. Pathetic.

run: //goldenretriever_brain_fan.exe

 

[sting101]

I've only been through the Gillis and Benning eras of the Canucks, and I can categorically say that right now is the lowest point for me as a fan of the team. I started watching the team in 2008 (when I moved to Vancouver) and I guess I picked a perfect time. Since about 2016, my enjoyment in watching the team has gradually been eaten away, but it seems that I've now become extremely apathetic to the situation because the hope of change is gone. It's basically the culmination of the thousand things that's built up and there seems no change in sight that's got to me the most.

My question is, where do you rank this moment of the Canucks' franchise against other moments in your time being a fan of the organization? I would assume that the Bertuzzi incident would be one of the lowest points? Any other management regimes you've seen that gave you even less hope than right now?

Jeesh add 25 plus yrs and then we can talk about low points.

You youngins have no idea about suffering and hardship. It's like complaining about Covid to a WW2 vet

It's actually funny that people are upset they got a 35-40 pt winger that can PK and protect a lead for a fair price. Yes sure we should have gotten a draft pick and yes we should be allocating the money for bigger better pieces but holy hell are people overreacting

anyway to your point....

Yes the Bertuzzi incident was a massive low point knowing that the team would never be the same and it was essentially the end of the WCE era's contention before it should have been.

The Nonis era was bad. Felt like we weren't gonna do anything worthwhile and kept adding useless pieces at the deadline costing us quality picks somewhat like today actually.

During the late 90's and even during the early WCE days things were as bad as ever. Was so bad that we almost lost our team. The owner didn't care about Vancouver and would have moved if it meant profit and believe me it was being considered.

Say what you want about Brian Burke he brought back respectability in the community and on the ice and fought hard to keep this team here. He built much of the WCE, brought back Linden another fan favorite and set the table for the Gillis era with the Sedins Burrows Bieksa Kesler. Think about that. The Sedins wasn't a given at all. He mastered that move in a shit draft and helped save the franchise and built a great team and set the table for years of good teams

Man i miss having Burke or Pat Quinn running the team. Everyone makes mistakes but those guys could make things happen that had impact and when they spoke you felt like we had a strong respectable leader.

 

[The Vasili Jerry]

Jeesh add 25 plus yrs and then we can talk about low points.

You youngins have no idea about suffering and hardship. It's like complaining about Covid to a WW2 vet

It's actually funny that people are upset they got a 35-40 pt winger that can PK and protect a lead for a fair price. Yes sure we should have gotten a draft pick and yes we should be allocating the money for bigger better pieces but holy hell are people overreacting

anyway to your point....

Yes the Bertuzzi incident was a massive low point knowing that the team would never be the same and it was essentially the end of the WCE era's contention before it should have been.

The Nonis era was bad. Felt like we weren't gonna do anything worthwhile and kept adding useless pieces at the deadline costing us quality picks somewhat like today actually.

During the late 90's and even during the early WCE days things were as bad as ever. Was so bad that we almost lost our team. The owner didn't care about Vancouver and would have moved if it meant profit and believe me it was being considered.

Say what you want about Brian Burke he not brought back respectability in the community and on the ice and fought hard to keep this team here. He built much of the WCE, brought back Linden another fan favorite and set the table for the Gillis era with the Sedins Burrows Bieksa Kesler. Think about that. The Sedins wasn't a given at all. He mastered that move in a shit draft and helped save the franchise and built a great team and set the table for years of good teams

Man i miss having Burke or Pat Quinn running the team. Everyone makes mistakes but those guys could make things happen that had impact and when they spoke you felt like we had a strong respectable leader.

Well thought out reply, sir. A youngin like me needs some perspective. Just to be clear, it isn't just the Pearson deal in a vacuum; it's the fact that this is a pattern and now I don't know what the plan is (although I'm not totally clear what it has been the whole time anyway).

 

[4Twenty]

This 35-40 point player required league leading EN points to put those numbers up, has putrid 5 on 5 metrics, is on pace for 25 points/82 currently and has 4 points and is -6 in his last 20 games.

Some people see Pearson as much more than he is. Not surprising who they are.

And if you think this disdain is about only Tanner Pearson, you're being intentionally obtuse.