Why I Don't Like the Canucks

Sitting amongst a sea of blue and green at a local bar (By the way Melrose, you should be ashamed to call yourself the home of the red mile) I couldn’t help but stand up and cheer every single time Boston lit the lamp.

I received my fair share of evil, stink, and crook eyes but I truly could care less. I found one local “Bruins fan” to high five and that was plenty to satisfy my need. I was smiling ear to ear.

I’m not a Bruins fan per say. I’m just a Flames fan who would rather see anybody but Vancouver win the cup. It’s pretty simple actually.

This year’s playoff hockey has been outstanding for the most part. The first round itself comes to mind. The overtimes, the drama, the excitement – it was all just fine and dandy from a genuine hockey fans perspective.

But, I have had no greater pleasure throughout this entire post-season than I have had cheering against the Vancouver Canucks. I just hate them that much.

And now we get the joy of witnessing a Stanley Cup Final Game 7. Does it get any better?

Well, the answer would be yes and that’s if the Flames were in the final, but we know that’s not going to happen anytime soon. I digress.

I don’t know what it is exactly about the Canucks that I hate so much. Maybe it’s the whiney fans, maybe it’s the pansies that play for that team that constantly dive (I’m looking right at you Lapierre, Burrows, the Sisters, and throw in Kesler), or maybe it’s the simple fact that they are Calgary’s arch nemesis.

1989. The Flames beat the Canucks in a gruelling seven game series when a puck goes in off Joel Otto’s skate while charging to the net.

Go back to 1994 when Pavel Bure took a two-line pass (yeah I said it) and scored the winning goal in triple overtime in game 7.

2004. The Flames come back from 4-0 down in game 6 to send it to overtime only to have Brendan Morrison score in triple overtime to send it to a game 7.

In game 7, the Flames let in a goal with less than 10 seconds left to send it to overtime. Then, Martin Gelinas ends it sending Flames fans into the streets and sending Canuck fans...well, into the streets as well.

That’s how a rivalry is formed. That’s how true hatred is formed.

If the Emperor was looking for a way to bring Luke Skywalker’s hatred out and turn him to the dark side, he had bad luck that Luke wasn’t a Flames fan because all you would have to do was show footage of 94’ or any game in which the Canucks beat Calgary – which would be five times season—and Luke would be knocking out Jedi left right and center.

Someone asked me why I’m cheering for the Bruins? I simply said, because I’m a Flames fan and I would rather eat hot garbage than watch Henrik Sedin hoist the cup over his head.

I can’t cheer for them. I’ve never tried and I never will. It would feel like I was cheating on a really hot girl that constantly disappoints you but never fails to keep you guessing, and therefore always has your heart.

The Canucks are a great team, don’t get me wrong, but it doesn’t mean I have to like them.

So now it’s Game 7.

Bruins.

Canucks.

For all the marbles and possibly years saved of hearing Canucks fans brag about 2011 and how they won it all.

I really can’t say it enough.

ABV and GBG.

Rant over.

Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman