Canucks Army Roundtable: Friday Afternoon Rivalry
7 years ago
It’s the dead of the summer, which means it’s the time of year that we explore topics that we typically don’t get to in the rush of the season. The Oilers and Jets announced their Heritage Classic today (including a beautiful new/old Winnipeg uniform) and it made me think about rivalries and what they mean to a franchise. Who are the Canucks rivals? They have changed a lot over the years, with teams like Calgary staying as constants. In recent memory the Blackhawks and Bruins were big rivals as well. Where do they stand now? Our writers discuss.
Question: Rivalries are what makes sport great,
getting amped up for a game in mid-January can be tough, but rivalries
keep you coming back. As it stands right now, do you think the Canucks
have any true rivals? And if so, who?Grainne Downey
Vanessa Jang
That being said, there will always begetting amped up for a game in mid-January can be tough, but rivalries
keep you coming back. As it stands right now, do you think the Canucks
have any true rivals? And if so, who?
JD Burke
I don’t want to be that guy
but rivalries are usually born of proximity or playoff familiarity. The
Canucks don’t really have much to cling to there. I mean, if I had
to pick any one team as their rival, I’d probably go with the Calgary
Flames. They’ve both been similarly terrible of late and there’s somehow
always been a little bit of bad blood between the two clubs. Not to
mention, there was the John Tortorella and Bob Hartley thing. Seriously
though, can we all agree that there’s no rivalry between the Canucks and
Bruins/Blackhawks? Those days are long gone, my friends.
but rivalries are usually born of proximity or playoff familiarity. The
Canucks don’t really have much to cling to there. I mean, if I had
to pick any one team as their rival, I’d probably go with the Calgary
Flames. They’ve both been similarly terrible of late and there’s somehow
always been a little bit of bad blood between the two clubs. Not to
mention, there was the John Tortorella and Bob Hartley thing. Seriously
though, can we all agree that there’s no rivalry between the Canucks and
Bruins/Blackhawks? Those days are long gone, my friends.
Grainne Downey
Even in their current state I feel like the
Canucks do get up to play the Blackhawks. I don’t know if that makes
them rivals because they aren’t close to as good as the Hawks and
there’s definitely less animosity than there once was – but I feel like
when they meet the games usually end up being competitive and there’s at
least a bit of lingering ill will. Which isn’t really a rivalry, but
whatever.
Canucks do get up to play the Blackhawks. I don’t know if that makes
them rivals because they aren’t close to as good as the Hawks and
there’s definitely less animosity than there once was – but I feel like
when they meet the games usually end up being competitive and there’s at
least a bit of lingering ill will. Which isn’t really a rivalry, but
whatever.
Vanessa Jang
I agree with Grainne that there is somewhat
of a VAN-CHI rivalry. Even though Chicago is better on paper, it’s
always fun to watch them play the Canucks because it’s usually
competitive. I can’t say that the Canucks have a true rival because EDM
or CGY have the Battle of Alberta, and the same goes for the California
teams. This is why I’m all for a Seattle expansion in the near future.
I’d love to take a trip down to Seattle and watch the Battle of the
Pacific Northwest!
of a VAN-CHI rivalry. Even though Chicago is better on paper, it’s
always fun to watch them play the Canucks because it’s usually
competitive. I can’t say that the Canucks have a true rival because EDM
or CGY have the Battle of Alberta, and the same goes for the California
teams. This is why I’m all for a Seattle expansion in the near future.
I’d love to take a trip down to Seattle and watch the Battle of the
Pacific Northwest!
Always90Four
I have to agree, the Calgary Flames still for
whatever reason have a minority share of the Canucks attention. Sure,
as of now, its meaningless and we bring up the days of yesteryear, yore
and thunder to get our kicks. As fans, its a totally different spin but
that wasn’t the question. With 18 year old Sam Bennett and Sean Monotone
we may see it re-lit against the Bo Horvats and Jake Virtanens but that
is yet to see.
Hopefully there’s a rivalry coming because at the
very least we deserve that. I suppose Florida could be, half our players
are there now. LA might be an option because of the losing. Man we sure
have sucked.
whatever reason have a minority share of the Canucks attention. Sure,
as of now, its meaningless and we bring up the days of yesteryear, yore
and thunder to get our kicks. As fans, its a totally different spin but
that wasn’t the question. With 18 year old Sam Bennett and Sean Monotone
we may see it re-lit against the Bo Horvats and Jake Virtanens but that
is yet to see.
Hopefully there’s a rivalry coming because at the
very least we deserve that. I suppose Florida could be, half our players
are there now. LA might be an option because of the losing. Man we sure
have sucked.
Jackson McDonald
For me, what complicates things is that the
Canucks are very much in transition right now. I believe, deep down,
that the Sedins still have those old rivalries with teams like Chicago,
LA, and Boston. But that just doesn’t exist for the younger players. The
say familiarity breeds contempt, and the Bo Horvats of the world just
don’t have the level of experience to breed that type of familiarity.
Canucks are very much in transition right now. I believe, deep down,
that the Sedins still have those old rivalries with teams like Chicago,
LA, and Boston. But that just doesn’t exist for the younger players. The
say familiarity breeds contempt, and the Bo Horvats of the world just
don’t have the level of experience to breed that type of familiarity.
hatred among the Western Canadian Triumvirate. It doesn’t matter how
awful any of the teams are, the Oilers, Flames and Canucks always show
up for the games they play against each other.
Jeremy Davis
I believe that rivalries go well beyond teamversus team. They are about the individual players involved, and they
are about the fanbases as well. As JD mentioned, they are typically born
out of proximity and playoff contention. For the latter reasons, I
believe that Chicago and Boston can still be considered rivals, so long
as the fanbases hate each other, and in particular while players like
the Sedins and Alex Burrows are still employed by the Canucks, while the
Blackhawks still have Kane and Toews and Keith and the Bruins still
have Chara and Marchand. While
the Blackhawks are an objectively better team (and it’s not close),
just consider that November game last year against the Hawks, where
Daniel potted three goals (the infamous hat-less hat-trick) and Henrik
had the first five-point night of his career. Nights like that indicate
that the head-to-head rivalry is not yet dead, even if a rivalry in the
standings, or the playoffs, is a thing of the past. As for the Bruins, I
still hate them with every fiber of my being, so in my mind that
rivalry still burns. The fact that Don Sweeney is at the helm in Boston
should also keep the Bruins close to the Canucks in the standings (not
that that means much for east-west rivals).
Of
course, those rivalries are predicated somewhat on the players that
remain. When they inevitably move on, the rivalry will all but die out,
as the young players don’t have that hatred in them – at least not yet.
Proximity may form the biggest rivals going forward as the Oilers and
Flames are building potential powers in Alberta, although their
proximity to Vancouver in the standings connects them as well. The
Canucks and the Flames have recent playoff history as well, though the
biggest bout there, Kevin Bieksa and Michael Ferland, is already
irrelevant. (see what I did there?)
course, those rivalries are predicated somewhat on the players that
remain. When they inevitably move on, the rivalry will all but die out,
as the young players don’t have that hatred in them – at least not yet.
Proximity may form the biggest rivals going forward as the Oilers and
Flames are building potential powers in Alberta, although their
proximity to Vancouver in the standings connects them as well. The
Canucks and the Flames have recent playoff history as well, though the
biggest bout there, Kevin Bieksa and Michael Ferland, is already
irrelevant. (see what I did there?)
petbugs13
The Canucks’ only true rivalry right now is with math.
Matthew Henderson
I definitely think the Flames are still a rival, though only when they meet up in the playoffs. I think they play too often for rivalries to truly linger, as usually any bad blood that spills from game to game doesn’t last the season. I suppose this will change when both franchises are good again, with both having a young core that they are hoping to build around. I think the Canucks get up to play the Blackhawks still, but I don’t think the Blackhawks see it the same. The Bruins aren’t a rival anymore, most players from that final don’t even play for the teams anymore. I think the Flames are definitely the best bet.
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