Vancouver Canucks
League
Championships None
Conference
Championships 2 - 1982 (Campbell), 1994 (Western)
Division
Championships 4 - 1975 (Smythe), 1992 (Smythe),
1993 (Smythe), 2004 (Northwest)
Playoff
Appearances 20 - 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1981,
1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993,
1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004
Vancouver Canucks
professional ice hockey team and one of five
teams in the Northwest Division of the Western
Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL).
The Canucks play at General Motors Place in
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and wear
uniforms of dark blue, white, black, and red.
The team’s logo is a killer whale in the
shape of the letter C. The franchise name is
derived from a legendary Canadian folk hero
known as Johnny Canuck, who was both a logger
and an ice hockey player.
Vancouver joined the NHL as an
expansion team in 1970. The club struggled in
its first four seasons, placing no better than
sixth in its division from 1970-71 to 1973-74.
In the 1974-75 season, however, head coach Phil
Maloney guided the Canucks to a division title.
Outstanding players included goalie Gary Smith,
left wing Andre Boudrias, defenseman Harold
Snepsts, and right wings Bobby Schmautz and
Dennis Ververgaert. The Canucks lost in the
first round of the 1975 playoffs, and they again
fell in the first round in 1976, 1979, 1980,
and 1981.
Under head coach Roger Neilson,
Vancouver advanced beyond the first round of
the playoffs for the first time in 1982, reaching
the Stanley Cup Finals despite posting a losing
record during the regular season. Center Thomas
Gradin led the team in scoring for the second
consecutive year. In the postseason the Canucks
defeated the Calgary Flames, the Los Angeles
Kings, and the Chicago Blackhawks to reach the
finals. There they lost to the heavily favored
New York Islanders, 4 games to 0.
From 1982 to 1991 Vancouver reached
the playoffs five times, again losing in the
first round each year. Star players of this
period included right wing Stan Smyl, center
Patrik Sundstrom, right wing Tony Tanti, and
center Trevor Linden. After 13 seasons in Vancouver—including
eight years as team captain—Smyl retired
in 1991 as the Canucks’ career leader
in points, goals, assists, and games.
In both the 1991-92 and the 1992-93
seasons, head coach Pat Quinn piloted the Canucks
to division crowns, but both years the team
was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs.
In the 1991-92 season Quinn received the Jack
Adams Award as coach of the year, right wing
Pavel Bure earned the Calder Memorial Trophy
as the NHL’s rookie of the year, and goalie
Kirk McLean ranked first in the league in shutouts.
In 1994 Quinn guided the Canucks
to the franchise’s second Stanley Cup
Finals, where the team lost to the New York
Rangers 4 games to 3. Following the season,
Bure became the first Canuck to be named to
the NHL All-Star First Team. After failing to
make the playoffs in 1997, the franchise bolstered
its roster by signing former New York Ranger
center Mark Messier as a free agent. The Canucks,
however, failed to qualify for the playoffs
again in 1998.
May 8, 1982
Canucks make their first-ever appearance in
the Stanley Cup finals against defending champs,
the New York Islanders. Vancouver loses 6-5
in overtime as Mike Bossy scores at 18:58 of
the first overtime period. Thomas Gradin ties
a club record with two goals and an assist.
Oct. 7, 1983
Team history is made as the Canucks defeat the
visiting Minnesota North Stars 10-9 in a wild
shootout at the Pacific Coliseum. The 19 goals
by both teams is just two short of the NHL record
and has not been duplicated in the League since.
Ironically, no player had a hat trick in that
contest.
Feb. 29, 1984
Patrik Sundstrom scores a goal and six assists
for a seven-point night, setting new team records
for assists and points in one game, as the Canucks
win 9-5 in Pittsburgh. Sundstrom became only
the third player in NHL history to earn six
assists in a road game after Detroit's Billy
Taylor (1947) and Bobby Orr (1973). Ironically,
Orr collected his six assists against the Canucks.
Oct. 5, 1989
Canucks open their 20th NHL season with the
first Soviet players-Igor Larionov and Vladimir
Krutov-ever to appear in a Canuck uniform in
their lineup. The addition of these players
marks the fruition of years of negotiations
with the Soviet Ice Hockey Federation and numerous
trips back and forth to the USSR by Canuck officials.
Nov. 3, 1991
The Canucks honour Stan Smyl in a jersey retirement
ceremony at centre ice at the Pacific Coliseum.
Smyl's jersey #12 banner is hoisted to the rafters
and later (1995) transferred to General Motors
Place. Smyl retires with all-time club marks
in games played (896), goals (262), assists
(411) and points (673). He is also named assistant
coach.
26. June 14, 1994
The Canucks invade hostile Madison Square Garden
for the all-important seventh game of the Stanley
Cup final. Late in the third period and trailing
3-2, Canuck centre Nathan LaFayette rings a
shot off the goal post which would have tied
the game. The Rangers hang on to win their first
Stanley Cup in 54 years.
Oct. 9, 1995
The Canucks play their first regular season
game at their new home, General Motors Place.
Mike Ridley scores Vancouver's first goal in
their new digs but the visiting Detroit Red
Wings spoil the festivities by winning 5-3.
Oct. 4 & 5, 1997
The Canucks play the Mighty Ducks in a two-game
series at Yoyogi Arena in Tokyo, Japan marking
the first time in NHL history that a regular
season game is played outside North America.
The teams split the games, each winning 3-2.
Jan. 18, 1998
Vancouver hosts the 48th annual NHL All Star
Game. The North American All Stars defeated
the World Team All Stars 8-7. Canuck captain
Mark Messier scores a goal and an assist for
the North Americans while fellow-Canuck Pavel
Bure earns an assist for the World team.
June 26, 1999
The Canucks make three trades on the morning
of the NHL Entry Draft in Boston to secure the
second and third overall selections. With those
picks, Canuck general manager Brian Burke scoops
Swedish twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin from MoDo
in the Swedish Elite League.
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