Through 4,212 NHL games, the Vancouver Canucks have amassed 1,843 losses. The organization has a points percentage of 49.34% across its entire history. The early days were not good. Large swaths of the 80s were not good. The late 90s and early 2000s had the same issues as years gone by. Then there was the recent malaise from which the team just recently emerged.

With this many games, there must be a big enough sample size to find the worst date for the franchise, a date where the Canucks just can’t buy a win. By mapping out the wins, losses, ties, and overtime losses throughout the team’s entire history, it must be possible to narrow down the worst dates for the Canucks to play a game. There was no resource for this that I could fin,d so I did it myself.

I came up with two dates that I believe are the worst in history.

The Canucks are 5-17-2-1 on November 9th. A points percentage of 26% through 25 games. This was proven true this season when the Canucks lost 7-3 to the Edmonton Oilers. The date started off poorly, with the Canucks losing their first six games on this date. Strangely, the Canucks met Winnipeg Jets on this date for three straight seasons, with every match ending with one team scoring seven goals.

Overall, the Canucks have a goal differential of -29 on this date. They are 1-4-2-1 when playing in Vancouver and 4-12-0 when on the road.

However, there is another date that isn’t friendly for the Canucks. A date with a points percentage so bad that 26% laughs at it. 26% is more than one quarter!

Vancouver holds a 3-12-2 on February 8th, with only a 23.53-point percentage. A day that should be infamous amongst Canucks fans but, ultimately, is not even recognized for the futility it has wrought. The only thing arguable this date might not be worse than November 9th is because the sample size is much smaller (17 games vs 25 games). Only one game was played by the Canucks in the 70s, a loss, of course, and then three more times in the 80s, two losses and a tie.

The Canucks have played on February 8th five seasons in a row and have one win and four losses to show for it. With a goal differential of -31, a home record of 1-4-1, and an away record of 2-8-1, it’s a day that has gone against the Canucks far more times than it’s worked out in their favour.

While November 9th has the majority of its losses in bygone eras, February 8th has its roots firmly in the present. For example, Brock Boeser has been a part of the roster since the February 8th, 2018, loss. This Canucks roster has a chance to rewrite history.

They play the Toronto Maple Leafs on February 8th, and with a win, they’d pull the points percentage from 23.53% to 27.78%. The very same Maple Leafs franchise that has defeated the Canucks three previous times on this very same date, with all three meetings in Toronto. Perhaps playing in familiar territory, as this next game will be in Vancouver, would cement November 9th as the indisputable worst date to play a game for the Vancouver Canucks.