Vancouver Canucks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vancouver Canucks
Conference	Western
Division	Pacific
Founded	1945 (PCHL) 1970 (as NHL expansion team)
History	Vancouver Canucks 1945–1952 (PCHL) Vancouver Canucks 1952–1970 (WHL) Vancouver Canucks 1970–present (NHL)
Home arena	Rogers Arena
City	Vancouver, British Columbia
Colours	Blue, green, white
Media	Sportsnet Pacific Sportsnet One Sportsnet 650
Owner(s)	Canucks Sports & Entertainment (Francesco Aquilini, chairman)
General manager	Patrik Allvin
Head coach	Adam Foote
Captain	Vacant
Minor league affiliates	Abbotsford Canucks (AHL) Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL)
Stanley Cups	0
Conference championships	3 (1981–82, 1993–94, 2010–11)
Presidents' Trophies	2 (2010–11, 2011–12)
Division championships	11 (1974–75, 1991–92, 1992–93, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2023–24)

The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team from Vancouver, Canada. They play in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Canucks are part of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference. Their home games are played at Rogers Arena. Adam Foote is the head coach. Jim Rutherford is the president of hockey operations, and Patrik Allvin is the general manager.

The Canucks joined the NHL in 1970. They were a new team, called an expansion team, along with the Buffalo Sabres. The team has reached the Stanley Cup Final three times. They lost in 1982, 1994, and 2011. They also won the Presidents' Trophy twice in a row. This award goes to the team with the best record in the regular season. They won it in the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons. The Canucks have won many division titles over the years. They won their first Pacific Division title in 2024. The Canucks and the Sabres are the two oldest NHL teams that have not yet won the Stanley Cup.

The Canucks have honored six players by retiring their jersey numbers. These players are Pavel Bure (number 10), Stan Smyl (number 12), Trevor Linden (number 16), Markus Naslund (number 19), Daniel Sedin (number 22), and Henrik Sedin (number 33). These numbers will never be worn by another Canucks player.

The History of the Vancouver Canucks

Early Hockey in Vancouver

Before the NHL Canucks, Vancouver had another famous hockey team. They were called the Vancouver Millionaires. This team started in 1911. They even won the Stanley Cup in 1915! This was a big deal because it was the first time a team from the West Coast won the trophy. After the Millionaires, Vancouver had minor league teams for many years. One of these teams was also called the Vancouver Canucks. They played from 1945 to 1970.

Joining the NHL

Vancouver wanted to have its own team in the National Hockey League (NHL). So, they built a new arena called the Pacific Coliseum in 1966. In 1967, a group from Vancouver tried to get an NHL team, but their request was turned down.

Later, another NHL team, the Oakland Seals, was having problems. There was a plan to move them to Vancouver. But the NHL didn't want a new team to move so quickly. So, the league promised Vancouver would get a team in the next round of new teams. In 1970, Vancouver finally got its own NHL team! They joined the league with the Buffalo Sabres. This new team bought the old minor league Canucks. They became the NHL's Vancouver Canucks for the 1970–71 season.

First Years and the 1982 Playoff Run

To build the new team, the NHL held a special "expansion draft." The Buffalo Sabres got the first pick. The Canucks chose defenceman Gary Doak as their first player. Orland Kurtenbach became the team's first captain. Their first game was on October 9, 1970, which they lost 3–1. But two days later, they won their first game against the Toronto Maple Leafs!

The Canucks had some tough years at first. They didn't make the playoffs in their first four seasons. But in the 1974–75 season, they had their first winning record. They even made the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time!

The "Towel Power" Story of 1982

A statue of coach Roger Neilson outside of Rogers Arena, commemorating the 1982 Stanley Cup run

The Canucks made a big splash in the 1982 playoffs. Even though they didn't have a great regular season, they played amazing in the playoffs. They reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time!

During a game in Chicago, their coach, Roger Neilson, was upset with the referees. He put a white towel on a hockey stick and waved it like he was giving up. The players on the bench did the same thing! When the team played in Vancouver next, fans started waving white towels to cheer them on. This became a famous tradition called "Towel Power" and is now seen in many sports.

The Canucks played against the strong New York Islanders in the Final. The Islanders had won the Stanley Cup the two years before. The Canucks fought hard but were swept in four games. Even though they lost, it was an exciting run for the team!

New Players and the 1994 Stanley Cup Run

After 1982, the Canucks had some ups and downs. Key players like Patrik Sundstrom and Tony Tanti joined the team. In 1987, Pat Quinn became the general manager. He helped rebuild the team. He brought in players like Greg Adams and goaltender Kirk McLean. The team also drafted future stars like Trevor Linden in 1988 and Pavel Bure in 1989. Bure was a very exciting player, known as "The Russian Rocket."

The Exciting 1994 Playoffs

Kirk McLean was a key member of the Canucks' 1994 Stanley Cup run.

In the 1993–94 season, the Canucks made another amazing run to the Stanley Cup Final. They started the playoffs as the seventh-best team in their conference. In the first round, they were losing 3-1 to the Calgary Flames. But they came back to win the series in seven games! The final three games were all won in overtime. Goaltender Kirk McLean made an incredible save in Game 7, known as "The Save." Then, Pavel Bure scored a breakaway goal to win the series.

The Canucks then beat the Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs to reach the Final. They faced the New York Rangers. The series was very close, going to a seventh game. Despite a great effort from Trevor Linden, the Canucks lost the final game 3–2. After the game, there was some disappointment in the city. But two days later, 45,000 fans gathered to celebrate the team's amazing effort.

The West Coast Express and the Sedin Twins

After 1994, the team moved to a new arena, General Motors Place (now Rogers Arena). They also got new players like Alexander Mogilny and Markus Naslund. In 1999, the Canucks made a very important draft choice. They picked two twin brothers from Sweden, Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin. These brothers would become huge stars for the team.

In the early 2000s, the Canucks became a strong playoff team again. This was thanks to a famous line of players called the "West Coast Express." This line included Todd Bertuzzi, Brendan Morrison, and captain Markus Naslund. They were known for their fast and high-scoring play. Naslund and Bertuzzi were among the top scorers in the league.

Todd Bertuzzi, Brendan Morrison, and Markus Naslund during the Canucks 2005–06 season opener. The three players formed the West Coast Express, a hockey line that played from 2002 to 2006.

In 2004, there was a controversial incident during a game. Player Todd Bertuzzi was suspended by the NHL for his actions. This led to legal discussions. The team still won their first Northwest Division title that season.

New Goaltender and More Playoff Runs

After the 2004–05 NHL season was cancelled due to a player lockout, the Canucks made big changes. They traded Todd Bertuzzi and brought in All-Star goaltender Roberto Luongo. He quickly became a fan favorite. In the 2006–07 season, Luongo had an amazing year. The team won the Northwest Division title. They had a long playoff game against the Dallas Stars, which went into quadruple overtime! They won that series but lost in the next round to the Anaheim Ducks.

Roberto Luongo during the 2008–09 season, with a C visible on his goaltender mask denoting his captaincy. He was named captain of the Canucks in September 2008.

In 2008, Roberto Luongo was named team captain. This was special because goalies usually aren't captains in the NHL. He wore the "C" on his mask instead of his jersey. The team continued to improve. In the 2009–10 season, Henrik Sedin became the first Canucks player to win the Art Ross Trophy (for most points) and the Hart Memorial Trophy (for most valuable player). He set a new team record with 112 points!

The 2011 Stanley Cup Final Run

Henrik Sedin accepts the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl on behalf of the Canucks as the 2011 Western Conference champions.

The 2010–11 season was a huge year for the Canucks. Henrik Sedin became the new captain. The team finished first in the entire league, winning the Presidents' Trophy for the first time! Daniel Sedin won the Art Ross Trophy, making history as the first time two brothers won the award in back-to-back years.

In the 2011 playoffs, the Canucks had another thrilling run to the Stanley Cup Final. They faced the Boston Bruins. The series went to a seventh game in Vancouver. The Canucks lost the final game. After the game, there was disappointment in downtown Vancouver. A large rally was held later to thank the team for their efforts.

The Canucks won the Presidents' Trophy again in the 2011–12 season. But they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

Recent Years and Rebuilding

The team went through some changes in the following years. In 2014, Trevor Linden returned to the team as president of hockey operations. New general manager Jim Benning and coach Willie Desjardins joined. The team continued to feature the Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik, who were still star players.

New Young Stars Emerge

Jordie Benn wearing the Canucks current uniform, featuring a 50th anniversary patch.

As the Sedin twins neared the end of their careers, new young players started to shine. Brock Boeser made his debut in 2017. The Sedins played their final game in 2018. In the 2018–19 season, Elias Pettersson had an amazing rookie year, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's best rookie.

The Canucks celebrated their 50th season in 2019–20. Bo Horvat was named the new captain. Quinn Hughes also had a fantastic rookie season. In 2020, the Canucks won their first playoff series in nine years. They beat the St. Louis Blues before being eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights.

In December 2021, Jim Rutherford became the president of hockey operations, and Patrik Allvin was hired as general manager. In January 2023, Rick Tocchet became the new head coach. Later that year, Quinn Hughes was named the team's captain. He became the youngest captain in the NHL and the first American captain for the Canucks.

The 2023–24 season was a great one for the Canucks. They finished third in the Western Conference and won their first Pacific Division title since 2013! They won their first playoff series against the Nashville Predators but lost in the second round to the Edmonton Oilers. After the season, Coach Tocchet won the Jack Adams Award, and Quinn Hughes won the James Norris Memorial Trophy.

During the 2025–26 season, the team made a big trade. Rutherford and Allvin traded captain Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild. This trade was part of an effort to rebuild the team for the future.

Team Information

Home Arenas

Pacific Coliseum, home of the Canucks from 1970 to 1995

Rogers Arena, current home of the Canucks

The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena in downtown Vancouver. This arena opened in 1995 and can hold over 18,000 fans for hockey games. Rogers Arena was also used for ice hockey during the 2010 Winter Olympics. Before moving to Rogers Arena, the Canucks played at the Pacific Coliseum for 25 years.

Logos and Jerseys

The Canucks have had several different logos and jersey designs over the years.

The "Stick-in-Rink", 1970–1978; alternate logo, 2003–2007

The team's first NHL jerseys, worn from 1970 to 1978, featured a hockey stick shaped like a "V" inside a blue rink-shaped "C." This is known as the "Stick-in-Rink" logo.

In 1978, the team changed to a bold yellow, red-orange, and black "V" design. This was sometimes called the "Flying V." In 1985, they changed again to a logo with the word "Canucks" in a diagonal slant, often called the "Flying Skate."

Canucks Wordmark Logo; 2007–present

In 1997, the Canucks introduced a new logo. It showed a Haida-style orca (killer whale) breaking out of ice, forming a "C." The colors were blue, red, and silver. In 2007, the orca logo stayed, but the colors changed to royal blue and kelly green, which were their older "retro" colors. The word "Vancouver" was also added above the orca.

"The Stick-in-Rink", modified; alternate logo, 2007–2019

The team also uses alternate jerseys. In 2008, they brought back a modernized "Stick-in-Rink" logo. They also added a "V" with the head of Johnny Canuck on the shoulder. Johnny Canuck is a Canadian cartoon hero. For their 40th anniversary in 2010, they wore special throwback jerseys from their early years.

In 2019, the Canucks updated their main uniforms. They removed the "Vancouver" script and made the "Stick-in-Rink" logo white. They also released a "Heritage" uniform inspired by their first season. In 2023, they debuted a new version of the black "Flying Skate" jerseys as an alternate uniform.

Mascot

Fin, the official mascot of the Vancouver Canucks, in 2009

The Vancouver Canucks' official mascot is Fin the Orca. Fin is a friendly killer whale who bangs a drum and skates around during games. He sometimes shoots t-shirts into the crowd. Fin is known for his "chomping" where he playfully bites the heads of fans.

Two fans, known as The Green Men, became unofficial mascots. They wear skin-tight green bodysuits and cheer on the team. They even traveled with the team to the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. They were inducted into the "Hall of Fans" by ESPN. After an eight-season break, The Green Men made surprise appearances in the 2023–24 season.

Media

The Vancouver Canucks broadcast area in red

You can listen to Canucks games on Sportsnet 650 radio. John Shorthouse is the main play-by-play announcer for TV broadcasts. Sportsnet Pacific shows most of the regional games on television.

Ownership

The Vancouver Canucks and Rogers Arena are owned by Canucks Sports & Entertainment. This group is led by Francesco Aquilini and his brothers. They bought the team and arena in 2004 and 2006.

Minor League Affiliates

The Canucks have teams in other leagues where younger players develop their skills. These are called minor league affiliates.

• 1970–1972 – Rochester Americans (AHL)
• 1972–1975 – Seattle Totems (WHL, CHL)
• 1975–1978 – Tulsa Oilers (CHL)
• 1978–1982 – Dallas Black Hawks (CHL)
• 1982–1988 – Fredericton Express (AHL)
• 1988–1992 – Milwaukee Admirals (IHL)
• 1992–1994 – Hamilton Canucks (AHL)
• 1994–2000 – Syracuse Crunch (AHL)
• 2000–2001 – Kansas City Blades (IHL)
• 2001–2011 – Manitoba Moose (AHL)
• 2011–2013 – Chicago Wolves (AHL)
• 2013–2021 – Utica Comets (AHL)
• 2021–present – Abbotsford Canucks (AHL)

Secondary affiliates:

• 1987–1988 – Flint Spirits (IHL)
• 1991–1992 – Columbus Chill (ECHL)
• 2002–2006 – Columbia Inferno (ECHL)
• 2006–2011 – Victoria Salmon Kings (ECHL)
• 2011–2015 – Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL)
• 2016–2017 – Alaska Aces (ECHL)
• 2017–2021, 2023–present – Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL)

Season-by-Season Records

This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Canucks. Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Players and Personnel

Current Roster

Updated December 30, 2022

#	Nat	Player	Pos	S/G	Age	Acquired	Birthplace
74		Bear, EthanEthan Bear	D	R	28	2022	Regina, Saskatchewan
6		Boeser, BrockBrock Boeser	RW	R	29	2015	Burnsville, Minnesota
44		Burroughs, KyleKyle Burroughs	D	R	30	2021	Vancouver, British Columbia
60		Delia, CollinCollin Delia	G	L	31	2022	Rancho Cucamonga, California
35		Demko, ThatcherThatcher Demko	G	L	30	2014	San Diego, California
24		Dermott, TravisTravis Dermott	D	L	29	2022	Newmarket, Ontario
15		Dries, SheldonSheldon Dries	C	L	31	2021	Macomb Township, Michigan
23		Ekman-Larsson, OliverOliver Ekman-Larsson (A)	D	L	34	2021	Karlskrona, Sweden
79		Ferland, MichealMicheal Ferland	LW	L	33	2019	Swan River, Manitoba
8		Garland, ConorConor Garland	RW	R	29	2021	Scituate, Massachusetts
53		Horvat, BoBo Horvat (C)	C	L	30	2013	Rodney, Ontario
43		Hughes, QuinnQuinn Hughes	D	L	26	2018	Orlando, Florida
81		Joshua, DakotaDakota Joshua	C	L	29	2022	Dearborn, Michigan
96		Kuzmenko, AndreiAndrei Kuzmenko	LW	R	30	2022	Yakutsk, Russia
20		Lazar, CurtisCurtis Lazar	C	R	31	2022	Salmon Arm, British Columbia
7		Lockwood, WillWill Lockwood	RW	R	27	2016	Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
30		Martin, SpencerSpencer Martin	G	L	30	2021	Oakville, Ontario
65		Mikheyev, IlyaIlya Mikheyev	RW	L	31	2022	Omsk, Russia
9		Miller, J. T.J. T. Miller (A)	C/RW	L	32	2019	East Palestine, Ohio
57		Myers, TylerTyler Myers (A)	D	R	36	2019	Houston, Texas
70		Pearson, TannerTanner Pearson	LW	L	33	2019	Kitchener, Ontario
29		Pederson, LaneLane Pederson	C	R	28	2022	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
40		Pettersson, EliasElias Pettersson	C	L	27	2017	Sundsvall, Sweden
5		Poolman, TuckerTucker Poolman	D	R	32	2021	Dubuque, Iowa
2		Schenn, LukeLuke Schenn	D	R	36	2021	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
61		Stillman, RileyRiley Stillman	D	L	27	2022	Calgary, Alberta
18		Studnicka, JackJack Studnicka	C	R	27	2022	Tecumseh, Ontario

Retired Numbers

A banner with Stan Smyl's retired number 12

The Canucks have retired the jersey numbers of six special players. This means no other player on the team will ever wear these numbers again.

Numbers Taken Out of Circulation

Some numbers are not officially retired but are no longer used out of respect for players who wore them.

• 11 – Wayne Maki, LW, 1970–1973. This number was taken out of use after he passed away in 1974.
• 28 – Luc Bourdon, D, 2006–2008. This number was taken out of use after he passed away in a motorcycle accident in 2008.
• 37 – Rick Rypien, C, 2005–2011. This number was taken out of use after he passed away in 2011.

Hall of Famers

Many former Canucks players and team builders have been honored in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Players

Builders

Ring of Honour Inductees

The Vancouver Canucks Ring of Honour celebrates individuals who made a big impact on the team.

• Orland Kurtenbach, C, 1970–1974, inducted on October 26, 2010.
• Kirk McLean, G, 1987–1998, inducted on November 24, 2010.
• Thomas Gradin, C, 1978–1986, inducted on January 24, 2011.
• Harold Snepsts, D, 1974–1984; 1988–1990, inducted on March 14, 2011.
• Pat Quinn, D, 1970–1972; president and general manager, 1987–1997; head coach, 1991–1994; 1996, inducted on April 13, 2014.
• Mattias Ohlund, D, 1997–2009, inducted on December 16, 2016.
• Alex Burrows, RW, 2005–2017, inducted on December 3, 2019.
• Roberto Luongo, G, 2006–2014, inducted on December 14, 2023.

Team Captains

Henrik Sedin was named the Canucks' team captain in 2010. Sedin remained as team captain until his retirement in 2018.

Fifteen players have served as captain for the Canucks. The first captain was Orland Kurtenbach. Stan Smyl and Henrik Sedin were captains for the longest time, each for eight seasons.

Even though goalies usually can't be captains during games, Roberto Luongo was named captain from 2008 to 2010. Instead of wearing the "C" on his jersey, he put it on his goalie mask. The alternate captains handled talking to the referees during games. The current captain is not yet named.

Draft Picks

The Canucks have picked many talented players in the NHL draft. Their first pick ever was defenceman Dale Tallon in 1970. They have had 13 top-five draft picks but have never had the very first pick overall. In 1999, they famously drafted twin brothers Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin in the same year.

General Managers

Head Coaches

The Canucks have had 22 head coaches. Alain Vigneault coached the most games for the team. Pat Quinn, Alain Vigneault, and Rick Tocchet are the only Canucks coaches to win the Jack Adams Award for best coach. The current head coach is Adam Foote, who was hired in May 2025.

Awards and Trophies

NHL Awards

All-Star Teams

NHL All-Rookie Team

• Jim Sandlak: 1986–87
• Trevor Linden: 1988–89
• Corey Hirsch: 1995–96
• Mattias Ohlund: 1997–98
• Brock Boeser: 2017–18
• Elias Pettersson: 2018–19
• Quinn Hughes: 2019–20

Franchise Records

Scoring Leaders

Recording 733 points with the Canucks, Trevor Linden holds the fourth-highest all-time points total in the franchise.

These are the top-ten players with the most points in Canucks history.

•  *  – current Canucks player

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game

Individual Records

As of the 2023–24 season

Skaters

• Most games played in a career – Henrik Sedin, 1,330 (2000–2018)
• Most goals in a career – Daniel Sedin, 393 (2000–2018)
• Most assists in a career – Henrik Sedin, 830 (2000–2018)
• Most points in a career – Henrik Sedin, 1,070 (2000–2018)
• Most penalty minutes in a career – Gino Odjick, 2,127 (1990–1998)
• Most goals in a season – Pavel Bure, 60 (1992–93 and 1993–94)
• Most assists in a season – Henrik Sedin, 83 (2009–10)
• Most points in a season – Henrik Sedin, 112 (2009–10)
• Highest plus/minus in a season – Christian Ehrhoff, 36 (2009–10); Daniel Sedin, 36 (2009–10)
• Most penalty minutes in a season – Donald Brashear, 372 (1997–98)
• Most points in a season, defenceman – Quinn Hughes, 92 (2023–24)
• Most points in a season, rookie – Elias Pettersson, 66 (2018–19)
• Fastest goal recorded by a Canuck – Alex Burrows, 6 seconds (2012–13)

Goaltenders

• Most games played in a career, goaltender – Kirk McLean, 516 (1987–1997)
• Most wins in a career – Roberto Luongo, 252 (2006–2014)
• Most shutouts in a career – Roberto Luongo, 38 (2006–2014)
• Most wins in a season – Roberto Luongo, 47 (2006–07)
• Most shutouts in a season – Roberto Luongo, 9 (2008–09)
• Lowest GAA in a season (min. 30 GP) – Cory Schneider, 1.96 (2011–12)
• Best SV% in a season (min. 30 GP) – Cory Schneider, .937 (2011–12)

Images for kids

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  Eagle sculpture featuring Stan Smyl, who was captain for eight seasons

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  Pavel Bure, became the first Canuck to win the Calder Memorial Trophy in 1992 and is the only sixty-goal scorer in team history. He is regarded as the team's first superstar.

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  Scoreboard after game one of the 2007 conference quarterfinals between the Canucks and the Dallas Stars. Ending at the 138-minute mark, it was the longest game in the club's history.

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  The Vancouver Canucks and Ottawa Senators participated in the 2014 Heritage Classic at BC Place.

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  Ryan Miller with Henrik and Daniel Sedin warming up prior to a game in the 2014–15 season. Miller was acquired as a free agent in July 2014.

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  The Vancouver Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers warm up before a match at General Motors Place in October 1997.

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  Marc Crawford became the Canucks' head coach in 1998–99. Crawford also played for the team in the 1980s.

See also

In Spanish: Vancouver Canucks para niños