Vancouver Canucks facts for kids

Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
	2014–15 Vancouver Canucks season
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
Colors	Blue, green, silver, white;
Media	Sportsnet Pacific; Sportsnet One; TSN Radio 1040
Owner(s)	Canucks Sports & Entertainment; (Francesco Aquilini, Chairman)
General manager	Jim Benning
Head coach	Willie Desjardins
Captain	Henrik Sedin
Minor league affiliates	Utica Comets (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	10 (1974–75, 1991–92, 1992–93, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13)

The Vancouver Canucks are an ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL).

History

Early games

The Canucks were first an amateur team in the Pacific Coast Hockey League (PCHL), winning the championship in 1946 and 1948. In 1952, the PCHL joined with the Western Canada Senior Hockey League to form the minor-league Western Hockey League. The Canucks won the championship in this league in 1958, 1960, 1969, and 1970.

The term "Canuck" is slang for "Canadian". It is sometimes used in an insulting way in the USA. Canadians generally do not find the term offensive.

Beginning

The Canucks joined the NHL in 1970. They were not a good team at first, though they won their division in 1975. Andre Boudrias was a star for the team at this time. The team made the Stanley Cup finals in 1982, which surprised many people, since they had finished below average in the regular season. Goaltender Richard Brodeur, along with forwards Stan Smyl, Thomas Gradin, and Darcy Rota, led the team. Coach Roger Neilson and some players raised white towels on top of their hockey sticks to "surrender" to the referees, who they thought were unfair (a white flag means surrender or "I give up"). After that, the fans all waved white flags during Canucks playoff games (this is called "Towel Power"). The team lost four games to zero in the finals to the New York Islanders.

Comeback

In the late 1980s, players such as Toni Tanti and Petri Skriko led the team. They made the finals again in 1994, due to players such as goaltender Kirk MacLean, the "Russian Rocket" Pavel Bure (who scored the most goals in the NHL that year), Trevor Linden, and Cliff Ronning. However, they lost the series four games to three to the New York Rangers.

Problems

Markus Naslund

The Canucks did poorly in the late 1990s, but improved in the 2000s. Markus Naslund came second in scoring in 2002 and 2003, and was named the Pearson Trophy winner as players' choice for the best player in 2003. Todd Bertuzzi, Matthias Ohlund, and Ed Jovanovski were also important players who helped lead the team to the division title in 2004. However, they lost in overtime of deciding game seven to the Calgary Flames in the first round of the playoffs (just as they had done in 1989), and the Flames went to the finals (just like 1989).

The Canucks just missed the playoffs in 2006. Two of the young stars, identical twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin, along with players such as Anson Carter, were important to the team that year.

On April 8, 2014, the Canucks fired General Manager Mike Gillis. Not too long afterward, they announced that they had hired Trevor Linden as their new General Manager.

40 Man roster current team 2010-11 NHL Season

Player	Jersey number	Position	Birthplace
Andrew Alberts	-	D	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Keith Ballard	-	D	Bruedette, Minnesota
Kevin Bieksa	3	D	Grimsby, Ontario
Alexandre Bolduc	49	C	Montreal, Quebec
Alexandre Burrows	14	RW	Point-Claire, Quebec
Pavol Demitra	39	RW	Dubnica nad Vahom, Czechoslovakia
Alexander Edler	23	D	Ostersund, Sweden
Christian Ehrhoff	5	D	Moers, West Germany
Tanner Glass	15	LW	Regina, Saskatchewan
Michael Grabner	40	RW	Villach, Austria
Dan Hamhuis	2	D	Smithers, British Columbia
Jannik Hansen	36	RW	Herlv, Denmark
Christopher Higgins	-	LW	New York, New York
Cody Hodgson	-	C	Toronto, Ontario
Ryan Kesler	17	C	Livonia, Michigan
Eddie Lack	-	G	Norrtajle, Sweden
Maxim Lapierre	-	C	Montreal, Quebec
Roberto Luongo	1	G	Montreal, Quebec
Manny Malholtra	-	C	Mississuaga, Ontario
Willie Mitchell	8	D	Port McNeill, British Columbia
Victor Oreskovitch	-	RW	Whitby, Ontario
Ryan Parent	-	D	Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
Joel Perrault	-	C	Montreal, Quebec
Andrew Peters	-	LW	St.Catherans, Ontario
Matt Pope	29	C	Langley, British Columbia
Andrew Raycroft	30	G	Beleville, Ontario
Mason Raymond	21	RW	Calgary, Alberta
Aaron Rome	29	D	Nisbett, British Columbia
Rick Rypien	37	C	Coleman, Alberta
Sami Salo	6	D	Turku, Finland
Mikael Samuelsson	26	RW	Mariefred, Sweden
Peter Schaefer	27	LW	Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan
Cory Schnieder	-	G	New York, New York
Daniel Sedin	22	LW	Ornskoldsvik, Sweden
Henrik Sedin	33	C	Ornskoldsvik, Sweden
Sergei Shirokov	-	RW	Moscow, Russia
Bill Sweatt	-	C	Elburn, Illinois
Lee Sweatt	-	D	Elburn, Illinois
Jeff Tambellini	20	LW	Calgary, Alberta
Christoper Tanev	-	D	Toronto, Ontario
Raffi Torres	-	LW	Toronto, Ontario
Kyle Wellwood	42	C	Windsor, Ontario
Aaron Volpatti	-	LW	Revelstoke, British Columbia

Images for kids

Eagle sculpture featuring Stan Smyl, the team's longest serving captain
A statue of coach Roger Neilson outside of Rogers Arena, commemorating the 1982 Stanley Cup run
Pavel Bure, nicknamed "The Russian Rocket", 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 player.
Kirk McLean was a key member of the Canucks' 1994 Stanley Cup run.
The Vancouver Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers warm up before a match at the new General Motors Place, October 1997
Marc Crawford became the Canucks' head coach in 1998–99. Crawford also played for the team in the 1980s.
Markus Naslund, Brendan Morrison and Todd Bertuzzi formed the "West Coast Express" line.
Todd Bertuzzi and Dan Cloutier of the Vancouver Canucks leave the ice after warmup for a match in 2005. 2005–06 was their final season as members of the team.
Towel Power in the 2007 Playoffs
Henrik Sedin accepts the Campbell Bowl on behalf of the Canucks as the 2011 Western Conference champions
Ryan Kesler spent the first 10 seasons of his NHL career with the Canucks.
A hockey game between the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings at Rogers Arena in March 2013
The Vancouver Canucks and Ottawa Senators participated in the 2014 Heritage Classic at BC Place.
Henrik and Daniel Sedin seen with Ryan Miller during a pre-game warm up
Fin, the official mascot of the Vancouver Canucks, in 2009
Game-worn jerseys belonging to Wayne Maki, Pavel Bure and Glen Hanlon on display at Rogers Arena
Trevor Linden, who was drafted by the Canucks, served as team captain from 1991–97. He is currently the team's President of Hockey Operations and Alternate Governor.
The Canucks selected Henrik Sedin third overall in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. He has served as the team's captain since 2010.