Canucks Army Roundtable: Reflecting on 2016

Well, we have almost reached the end of 2016. For some, they are grateful for a new year and a fresh start, and I can understand why as 2016 had more ups and downs than the PNE Wooden Roller Coaster. However, 2016 was a great year for myself personally as I landed a dream spot at a graphic design agency. But enough about me. As always, 2016 provided some great sports moments, especially in the NHL. I asked the writers to tell me what their favourite hockey moment of 2016 was. Here’s what they said!

Question: What was your favourite hockey moment of 2016?

I bet everyone else will say the World Cup of Hockey and I want to sooooo bad, but that wasn’t it. Phil Kessel winning the Cup and bringing it back to Toronto to the Children’s Hospital I believe. The Canucks winning in California to basically ruin their chances at Auston Matthews and then losing again at the lottery and then losing again at the Draft was just too much. 2016 took a lot of things away from us and the semi-joy I had for my Canucks was heavily drained.

Phil Kessel winning the Stanley Cup and taking it to Toronto on his day with it.

There is just nothing I love more than to see stupid people get put in their place, and that’s essentially what he did. Plus, he seems like a legitimately sweet, awkward dude. And now, Steve Simmons will get hot dog tweets for the next 100 years.

1) The whole Crosby comeback story. He had a horrible start last year and basically everyone thought he was going to go downhill from there. He got to over a PPG pace, won the Stanley Cup, won the Conn Smythe, won the World Cup, and missed a bunch of games at the start of this season but has played his way to the top of the league in scoring. He’s silenced the haters and shown that the “best player in the world” title is still his own.

2) When Tyson Jost was drafted by Colorado just cause 🙂 <3

Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey. That was the most entertaining, creative, fast-paced, and energetic hockey I have ever watched and showed how the game could be played at a high level

I’m a big fan of Chris Tanev (who knew?) so seeing him play a huge role in Team Canada’s World Championship gold medal win was actually very fun for me. The Worlds are usually not on my radar but it was cool seeing players like McDavid, Perry, etc. give Tanev props for his game because he doesn’t get a whole lot of attention outside of Vancouver. He wasn’t on for a goal against in any situation throughout the tournament. It was fun.

I agree with Grainne, in that watching Canada win the world championship in May was a fun experience, not the least of which because there was a sense that Canada could lose (unlike the World Cup). But as a rejoinder to Vanessa’s entry, I think watching the Penguins win the Stanley Cup with a unique brand of hockey based almost entirely on speed was a favourite “moment” for me. I don’t think I had ever seen a team recover the puck and start moving it forward at the pace the Penguins did this year. Pittsburgh’s speed often overwhelmed teams, and as a fan of the sport it was fun to watch. What I found most fascinating about the Penguins’ system was its utter simplicity. The defence would get the puck and flip it out, and the forwards would – having already anticipated this maneuver – blow the zone and catch up to the puck in full flight. It’s a beer league strategy executed perfectly – and for me one the more memorable hockey stories of 2016.

For me, it was Craig Anderson’s 37 save shotout in his first game back after his wife’s cancer diagnosis. As a sports fan, there are certain moments that transcend the game and take you out of the bubble. This was one of them, and the courage and power from Anderson, coupled with the reaching out to help that the community in Ottawa and across the NHL, showed that even when darkness wants to rule 2016, light will always find its way through.