The Vancouver Canucks entered the All-Star break with two consecutive losses to drop them to 20–19–11 on the season with 51 points. They currently sit in a tie for tenth in the Western Conference.
Many pundits believe the Canucks should trade their veteran players and go the way of a full rebuild. There is an historical argument against this direction. Most SFU students who are Canucks fans remember the thrill and anguish of the 2011 season, in which the Canucks won the President’s Trophy, and then suffered a 4–0 defeat to the Bruins in Game 7 of the NHL Finals.
I am not making an analogy between the 2016 Canucks and that 2011 team. However, there are some parallels to 1994.
Many SFU students were not even alive in 1994 when the Canucks also reached Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. That season is remembered in the hockey world as the year when the great hero Mark Messier led the New York Rangers to their first Stanley Cup Victory in 54 years. That playoffs included a Messier victory guarantee in game six of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New Jersey Devils and Ranger players like Brian Leetch and goaltender Mike Richter becoming legendary. That narrative almost did not happen because of a Vancouver Canucks team that came breathtakingly close to a spoiling the Rangers’ dream season.
The Canucks that season were led by a determined and hardworking captain Trevor Linden; a veteran goaltender in Kirk McLean; colourful tough guy Gino Odjick, and electrifying winger, Pavel Bure. The Canucks finished the 1993–94 campaign with a mediocre 41–40–3 record good for seventh in the Western Conference. Few thought Vancouver had any chance to even get through the first round in a loaded conference featuring very strong teams such as Calgary, Detroit, and — don’t laugh — Toronto.
In their first round match up the Canucks drew the heavily favoured Calgary Flames. Calgary jumped out to a 3–1 edge with a roster still loaded with players from their 1989 Stanley Cup victory. The series became a war as the Canucks won in overtime in game five, overtime in game six, and double overtime in game seven on Pavel Bure’s legendary winning goal.
The Canucks then crushed the Dallas Stars in five games, followed by another five game beat down of the Maple Leafs to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.
The finals saw the Canucks fall down three games to one against the Rangers. Vancouver then throttled New York 6–3 and 4–1 before one of the best game sevens in NHL History. The Rangers leapt ahead 2–0 when Trevor Linden stepped up and netted a shorthanded goal early in the second period. Mark Messier then scored to give the Rangers a 3–1 edge. Linden was a man possessed that night, and scored again early in the third period to make the score 3–2. With five minutes left, Canuck centre Nathan LaFayette who had just one goal in the regular season beat Richter with a wobbly shot that rang off the post!
The final minutes of the game were extremely hectic as the Canucks fought and pushed for the equalizer. With 37 seconds left, there were three faceoffs in the Rangers’ zone as Richter was pelted with shots. As the buzzer sounded, the New York storybook victory was complete. However, one is left to ponder what would have happened in overtime had the Canucks beat Richter and how a Canucks victory would have affected the history of the game.
The 2016 Canucks have a Team USA Goalie who brought the Americans to the brink of gold in the Vancouver Olympics, two gifted offensive players in the Sedin twins and a roster mixed with youth and veteran talent. If they scrape in the playoffs is the 2016 edition of the Canucks capable of the magic of the 1994 team?
Nobody knows right now, but one thing is for certain; if the Canucks decide to trade away their veteran players at the trade deadline, we will never find out.
