It’s no secret of my dislike for the Vancouver Canucks. While some of you Canuck fans will base this solely on the fact that I’m an Oilers fan (with a mix of Chicago and L.A) you couldn’t be any further from the truth. The past few years as an Oilers fan haven’t been the greatest in terms of wins but that’s OK, we stockpile top 3 picks to become the next best, which is the only way to become a legitimate contender year in and year out. That’s what has made the Canucks as good as they are

I still don’t like them though and I know they (their fans) don’t care but when you call down my team for being last you should realize that most us knowledgeable hockey (Oiler) fans don’t care. We know we’re last and while you are potentially winning a Stanley Cup this year we will be drafting another piece to the puzzle in our attempt to capture that same prize down the road. Do I want Vancouver to win? No. But like I said it has nothing to do with the Canucks being a division rival, the city, or their success (in fact back in the years of Pavel Bure I enjoyed watching the black and yellow and was routing for them to win in 94).

I don’t want Vancouver to win because they lack:

Integrity

There you have it. I’m not entirely sure when it started in the league (I suppose it’s always been there) but it’s gotten so bad in the past ten years at times it’s almost unbearable. I’m not fully blaming the Canucks because there are players throughout the league that make a mockery of this game I so dearly love but it just seems that it has filtered through the majority of Vancouver players that it’s OK to look like an idiot on a regular occurance, worst of all the captain, the team leader, leads by example.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8XHcG8DwrY

Not his first offense though

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpsR9pDpSn4

you get the point. Diving absolutely disgusts me. The Canucks have a whole plethora of players notorious for diving or selling something to try and stir a call. The Sedins, Kesler, Burrows, Torres (seen him do it), Lapierre, Raymond, even Luongo sells out to try and draw a call. Why? Because in today’s game a Powerplay can be the difference between winning and losing…at least that’s the thought. But why does Vancouver do it? Detroit (from what I’ve seen) rarely if ever does it, does it have anything to do with the fact that the Canucks are led by a Swedish captain? No, because the Wings have Lidstrom, Zetterberg, and Datsyuk. So Why? Why is Vancouver let it become so bad that it’s acceptable? I’ll never know. My question is to Vancouver fans, does it bother you that your team is notorious for diving? Enough is enough Vancouver, stop embarrassing yourself and play the game the way it should be played.

I’ve hard the argument, “Whatever it Takes To Win”.

Valid point but in Vancouver point it is taken in the wrong context. Whatever it takes to win is a saying for blocking shots, finishing hits, playing hard etc. Not diving and embellishing a simple cross check.

Oh calm down Walks,

You’re Just Jealous

I’m not. I don’t hate Vancouver because of there continued success, I hate them because of how they handle themselves on the ice. Diving, whining, hair pulling, even biting now. That’s not hockey and anyone who knows me well enough knows I will never sell a call and would mock anyone who does dive, pull hair, or bite. Win as many Stanley Cups as you want, I truthfully don’t care. It’s not your winning that I hate, it’s how you play a Canadian game like a bunch of pre-madonna’s. I can’t comment for the majority of Canada in why they wont cheer for you but I would guess it might have something to do with the fact that your best players play the way they do or your

Irritating Fan Base

Yes Vancouver, you have an irritating fan base. Now, not all fans are bad and every fan base has idiots. Oilers, Flames, essentially any Canadian team, are prime examples but why do I think you have an irritating fan base? My problem began when I started attending every regular season game in Edmonton for the better part of the last 8 or so years. This was right around the time the Canucks started to have continued success which was fine, in those days there wasn’t much to worry about but as the team consistently improved more and more fans came out of the wood works and the next thing you know parade routes were being planned yearly.

Cocky.

The moment something takes a turn for the worse you have the media and a fan base who jumps ship ragtailing players and the team. Does everyone remember the Luongo fiasco after game 6 last year? I’m pretty sure it went as far as fans defacing his posters in bus stops and what not.

Don’t get me wrong, every team has it’s ups and downs and there are always fans that will throw players under the bus and want everything overhauled from the ground up but Vancouver seems to be multiplied by ten. Heck I remember Pat Quinn mentioning it on CBC’s Hockey Night In Canada at some point this playoffs (maybe it was regular season) and he loves Vancouver. I don’t remember the Oilers ever doing it…

Even this year the whole motto “We Don’t Need The Rest of Canada to Cheer For Us” is full of hilarity. It’s almost as if the media is making a big deal out of this because they initially thought it was a slap in the face to start with but now it’s “we don’t need the rest of Canada” we’re good enough without.

Breaking News: All of Canada didn’t want the Senators to win in 07, the Flames in 04, and the Oilers in 06.

I lived it, I was there, I remember people complaining about the bandwagon filling with casual fans and I distinctively remember the whole mock of “Canada’s Team”. You’re not the first team that people don’t want to win the cup.

“Hey Walks, why dont you”

Stop Living In The Past

Of course the best argument Nuck fans have to us Oiler fans. Stop living in the past, stop living in the past, stop living in the past. My response:

Stop using a lame excuse.

We enjoy talking about the past because for those that we’re around it was some of the best memories of our team and hockey in general. Wayne Gretzky, the greatest player who has ever played, was dazzling on a nightly basis playing on one of (if not thee) greatest teams ever assembled in the NHL’s history. That dynasty of the 80′s changed the game forever. We claimed 5 Stanley Cups in that time, who knows how many more we would have had had Gretzky not been traded.

As an individual do you ever tell stories or enjoy reliving moments from your past?

Thought so. We talk about moments from our past much like moments from our sports teams pasts because they remind us of the fun we used to have. If the Canucks win the cup this season and a Nuck fan brings it up next year is he living in the past? Umm yup. If this is Vancouvers only cup it will be talked about for generations because the fans who were there will remember it and pass the stories along until the day they die.

Needless to say you idiots telling us to stop living in the past need to realize we have a pretty spectacular past to talk about, not to many other hockey clubs do.

Credit

I will give some credit where it’s due. This past year I’ve seen the likes of Ryan Kesler shut his trap and play hockey, even Burrows to a degree (not nearly as much as Kesler), but both players still dive. Even more I dont have to watch Burrows skate to the opposing goalie during TV timeouts and stand in front of him. Despite my hatred for Bieksa he even wanted players on his own team to stop diving (hopefully it wasnt a joke). For the most part success has followed some of these guys because “THEY CONCENTRATED ON PLAYING HOCKEY”. Now, just stay out of the pool.

Oilers Suck

I’m sure someone will make a jab over the course of the next year not about how well the Canucks are playing but how bad the Oilers are or how all of us are so bitter at Vancouver’s success. I can’t speak for all Oiler fans but I will say I care more about the draft and what my team is working on building then what your win/loss record is or how many cups you may just win. I don’t like the Canucks not because of there success but because how they play a game in ways I despise.

Mark my words, if the Oilers ever played that way I would think twice about cheering for them. Don’t believe me? Well let’s look at the difference between us

I endlessly mock players like Stortini because he’s a pest, cant skate, and would hug people to death. I call it as it is with players on my team. If he’s being an idiot he should be suspended.

Most Nuck fans celebrate players like Burrows because he pulls hair and bites people. Is that right? Is that how hockey should be played?

Vancouver is full of Good players but they’re setting a bad example on the ice. We complain when we see a dive…well when so and so’s favorite hockey player is doing it it must be OK.

Keep being good players and stop being embarrssing role-model’s for aspiring hockey players.

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