Hockey is MORE than just a game…

Sometimes it is a smooth ride along the track that is an 82 game season and sometimes its a very bumpy one. The Canucks 2013-2014 season definitely falls in the bumpy route category. It came down to a long shot in which everything had to align just right in order for the Canucks to sneak their way into the playoffs but of course things never go as planned and the Canucks will not be participating in the 2014 NHL playoffs.

Does this mean I will stop supporting the team or that I will not watch any playoff games? No. There are STILL 3 games left for the team to play &  I don’t know about you, but I WILL support the team nice & LOUD. I will be there all the way to the final buzzer of game 82, all off-season, & come October when it all begins anew. In regards to that official playoff hockey, while I wish my Canucks were in that group, I will of course still be watching. The Canucks are my team BUT I am also a hockey fan at the end of the day, and there is something special about playoff hockey no matter who is playing. Hockey is like a roller coaster, there will be ups & downs BUT nothing can take away the thrill.

It has been a very trying season between an insurmountable number of injuries and just plain bad luck. I guarantee that this was not how the team envisioned their season going as the mission always is to be in the final 16. Bad seasons will & do happen to EVERY team in the NHL…but that is not when we stop supporting a team. It is seasons like THIS when we should support them more!

Changes will happen as they always do after a season like this one and the changes have already begun. Rumor became fact with the announcement that Mike Gillis had been relieved of both his GM and President duties and that was the right decision. I am to the first to admit that while I didn’t I always agree with Gillis, he DID do some great thing with this team -helping them get to the playoffs 5/6 years including the 2011 SCF, brought in Sundin, Samuelsson, Malhotra, Higgins, etc., so rather than focus on the negativity that the local medal will tell me to, I’m choosing to focus on the positives that he brought to this team. The Canucks are holding a press conference at 10:30 AM (PT) at April 9th, 2014 to address Gillis being let go and potentially announcing his replacement. Questions are mounting as to whether there will be a separate General Manager and President (or one combined) and WHO could potentially be stepping into those shoes. Rumors are swirling from Bob Nicholson to Trevor Linden and even potentially Markus Naslund. Tomorrow more answers on this front will be revealed.

As for Torts, I say give him another year. Letting Torts go would be a mistake. Let’s give Torts a real chance to prove himself with a healthy roster & see what happens.Torts has proven himself with every previous coaching post he’s held that he improves over time and you can hardly blame the guy for everything that went wrong this season. Let’s see what Torts can do without everyone second guessing him every other day and a ridiculous amount of injuries piling up all at once.

I do NOT fall in the camp that believes a FULL rebuild is necessary…some changes YES BUT more importantly we NEED a healthy roster for the FULL 82 games & remember our prospects: Horvat, Shinkaruk, Jensen, Fox, Gaunce & co. will be looking to crack the roster. Chin up Canucks fans, the future looks much brighter for our team than most realize! Let’s enjoy these final three games and look forward to the changes that will come.

As for the rest of you hockey fans, are YOU ready for some incredible playoff hockey? The madness is set to begin April 16, 2014. Where will you be watching the madness from? Being a hockey fan is like riding a roller coaster from initial anticipation to the ups and downs to the irreplaceable thrill of the ride. Every season is a different story and every season a new champion emerges and come mid-June the book on the 2013-2014 NHL season will come to a close. Are you ready to discover the ending?

As always, until next time, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.