(photo by Ric Ernst / Province)
For the first time in a decade, Vancouver is buzzing with the thrill of meaningful playoff hockey. The Canucks’ first-round victory over Nashville has sent the city into overdrive, and even those who don’t usually call themselves Canucks fans are caught up in the excitement.
These newfound fans are what we call “fairweather fans” – folks who hop on the bandwagon when the team starts winning. Don’t get them confused with true bandwagon fans, who jump ship from team to team – those are much worse!
Now, you might get a few snarky comments from the diehard fans who feel like they’ve earned their stripes after enduring a decade of disappointment. (Guilty as charged, though I reserve my worst taunts for Leafs and Oilers fans.) But if you’re going to jump on the Canucks train after the rest of us suffered through 10 years of mediocrity and are now being joined in the revel by those who’ve never heard of Travis Green- who am I to stop you? (Did I say that out loud?)
“Nothing beats the playoff atmosphere in Canada…Everybody has flags on their cars. My kids in school, everybody dressed in Canucks jerseys.”
🗣 Nikita Zadorov on the playoff hype surrounding the All-Canadian matchup.@theprovince | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/PyawTdXgQv
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) May 8, 2024
Seriously, it’s a fantastic time to be a fan, and the boys need all the support they can get. So, here’s your crash course on blending in – some basic Canucks fan philosophies that’ll take the heat off you until Tyler Myers inevitably does something to make everyone scream. Let’s dive in:
- The refs are out to get us. It doesn’t matter how many penalties we rack up or whether the calls are actually fair – the refs are biased against the Canucks. Period. Get used to that, and you’re golden.
- Time to be an armchair GM. After a loss, it’s necessary and generally encouraged to abandon all sense of rationality and start suggesting how the team can do better. We’re the experts, and the Canucks front office would be lost without our brilliant insights. Welcome to the chorus of passionate (and often slightly delusional) voices in the Canucks media world.
- Elias Pettersson… what happened? Okay, this one’s real. Our superstar hasn’t been himself lately. He was especially buns in the first round of the playoffs with just 3 points in 6 games. We just signed him to an 8 year, 11.8 million dollar contract as well- we’re starting to get into the worry zone with that one.
Besides that, just do your best not to riot if the Canucks happen to lose. Memorize these, and you’ll fit right in! Best of luck, and Go Canucks Go!