The Hockey Post

The disappointment of falling one game short of winning the Stanley Cup pales in comparison to the frustration I've felt in seeing how people have reacted to this whole event.

It would be easy to simply disregard all of this insanity by accepting the fact that it is only a game, and there are so many more worthwhile topics and endeavors in this world to focus on. Even I, a die-hard hockey fan, can fully agree with this sentiment; however, it's not the simple fact of coming so close to hockey history and failing on an epic level that I am so upset about.

Let me first note that I can honestly say that I'm satisfied with Boston winning the Cup. They deserved it; they outplayed Vancouver and showed more desire and drive to win. And Thomas was fantastic in net. Simply amazing. It's nice to see the Cup going to an Original 6 team with a strong fan base. I could give my own analysis of why I think we lost, but at this point it doesn't really matter, and I'd hate to come across as just trying to give excuses for our failures. Boston was the better team; kudos to them.

The media has painted an unfair picture of the Canucks this year in the playoffs. And before you call me a homer, just hear me out. On one hand, the scrutiny was to be expected; we were the favourites going into it, and some of the criticism was warranted. But I am frustrated with just how slanted the coverage has been, and even more angry with how people have eaten it up without any question to the objectivity of the reports. If you think I'm being unreasonable, take a few minutes to read this article.

An example of the one-way slant that people seem to run with was when Luongo said that he would have made the save that Thomas failed to make on Lapierre's goal in Game 5. He then goes on to explain that there are also saves that Thomas will make and Luongo will miss. He was comparing their goaltending styles, and all anyone seemed to hear and focus on was the first part of what he said. He gets partially quoted, and he sounds like an arrogant ass because of it. I think he was misunderstood; he's an emotional guy, but I can't see him trying to purposely insult Thomas when on so many other occasions, he had nothing but compliments for him. If that's the price he pays for opening his mouth, then so be it. But don't misquote him and claim to offer an objective take on the situation.

The Sedins have had to deal with an unreal amount of verbal abuse from the media. I'm not referring to them being criticized about their lack of offensive production in the final series; that's fair game, as they certainly weren't delivering. I'll get back to that point in a second. But being referred to as "the Sisters" and "Thelma and Louise" is brazenly sexist and immature; how is this garbage any more acceptable than if they were to be called a homophobic slur, or a racist term? Maybe if we had some intelligent analysis on their lack-lustre performance in these playoffs, there would be more discussion on the excellent match-ups that we've seen and less discussion on their apparent lack of male genitalia?

While this does not completely excuse their poor performance, perhaps we should remember that Stanley Cup Champion Johnathan Toews won the Conn Smythe in 2010 despite going minus-5 with no goals and three assists, and in 2009, Sidney Crosby hoisted the Cup after going minus-3 with a single goal and two assists. The reality of it is that you have two excellent teams going head-to-head in the final series of the Stanley Cup Championship - top-par offence against rock-solid defense. Bruins won this battle, but that doesn't mean that the Sedins should be shipped back to Sweden.

Class (or, more accurately, lack thereof) was a common theme throughout the final series. We've seen countless game clips and heard many analysts speak about how the Canucks are a bunch of cheap-shot taking, Euro-softie, classless divers. I will be the first to admit when one of my Canucks makes a dangerous play, or takes a cheap shot, or an embarrassing flop onto the ice. It has definitely happened in these playoffs, and it's hurting the integrity of the game. I hate seeing it. But I also hate seeing the bias that surrounds this issue.

There is not one team who doesn't have players guilty of pulling these shenanigans. Not one. And the argument that the Canucks do it more frequently than anyone else is unfounded and ill-conceived.

In the regular season, Boston took 73 major penalties. Vancouver took 31. In the playoffs, Boston took 6 major penalties. Vancouver took 5. I lost count of how many times I saw a Bruins player repeatedly slash the backs of Canucks player's legs. The excessive chirping and taunting by Recchi and Lucic when they were running away with game 3 was embarrassing. We all heard about Burrows' finger biting, and Lapierre's finger waving, but what of Recchi and Lucic shoving their fingers into the mouths of Canucks players? 6-7 punches into the face of an elite veteran (and Art Ross trophy winner) by an instigator rookie, because he "felt like it," was disrespectful. What about when Thomas shot a puck directly at Luongo during the pre-game skate? Or when Raymond was laying on the ice in Boston with a broken back, listening to the fans chant, "Flopper! Flopper!" Here's something I learned: Don't wear a Canucks jersey in Boston unless you want to get pissed on (literally), or otherwise physically and verbally assaulted.

(I should clarify that I don't think the antics of a few Boston fans accurately represent the whole fan base, even though the same logic about Vancouver fans isn't always afforded reciprocally. Nevertheless, bad behaviour has happened on both sides, and it's unfair to only consider one side of the coin, as many have done.)

To be fair, I could rattle off a list of the Canucks' transgressions and bad behaviour by select "fans," but we've already heard it all in the media, and I'm not denying that some of it went down. Yes, it's shameful.

I am upset that due to unfair media coverage and general ignorance/lack of critical thinking on the public's part, people have developed this strict dichotomy: Canucks = Evil Divers, Bruins = Classy Angels.

People on both sides of this coin need to get off their respective high horses and realize that both teams have been guilty of poor sportsmanship, embellishment on the ice, and dangerous plays.

The hypocrisy of branding the Canucks team and fan base as classless, all the while making derogatory comments about the Sedins, coming up with immature nicknames for Luongo, and generally acting unsportsmanlike has been infuriating.

Fan class is a major issue of contention, especially with the riot that occurred on Wednesday night. This has bothered me on many levels. Not only is it embarrassing that it happened again after 1994, but I take it personally when a small group of opportunists use an event like this to cause such damage to a city that I am profoundly proud of. To have people from around the country (and the USA) look down their noses on an entire city or hockey club because of this is ignorant and hurtful. I am mostly upset at the reaction of some of my fellow Canadians, who have essentially used it as yet another opportunity to unfairly judge an entire city and professional sports organization. It was a dark moment, and so few people outside of the Lower Mainland seemed willing to offer any compassion.

More than 15,000 true fans and proud Vancouverites volunteered to pick up the pieces on Thursday morning and cleaned up almost the entire downtown area. But all people want to do is watch the videos and look at the pictures, and judge. Unfairly.

I've heard fans of other hockey franchises use the riot as even more ammunition for why they would never cheer for the Canucks, ever. A classless organization, from the fans to the management, they say. It is petty and illogical to use the actions of a handful of people, many of whom were not even there for the game, to colour an entire organization as such. The Vancouver Canucks is a huge supporter of the community - Canucks Autism Network, Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, Raise-A-Reader, Canucks Centre for BC Hockey, and the Canucks for Kids Fund are just a few of the Vancouver Canucks' community partnerships. Our players are deeply involved in the community, and have a rich legacy of community participation (Linden, anyone?). The Sedins alone have made private contributions of $1.5 million to the BC Children's Hospital, not to mention other players who have contributed to the various charities that the Canucks have set up.

I have no more words for such simple-minded stupidity.

In a way, I am ashamed to admit that this all has affected me so much. At its simplest, I am just an embarrassed fan who is disappointed that her team couldn't pull it together and even more appalled at the actions of a few idiots who wreaked havoc on the city she loves and is so proud of. Looking past that, though, and more than anything else, I'm frustrated at the lack of integrity and poor sportsmanship that I have seen in the media and, worst of all, fans of the game.

I have no problem with most of the back-and-forth banter and teasing that goes on between fans of rival teams. It's part of the fun of cheering on your own favourite team. But what I have witnessed in these past few weeks has gone beyond what I think is acceptable for any decent fan of the game.

For the past few years, I have seen that my hockey sense has been slowly changing, but the events of these playoffs have definitely solidified how I fundamentally view this game. As I've begun to watch more and more hockey, whether it be NHL, IIHF, or college-level play, I've started to gain a greater appreciation of the intricacies of the game. And yet, I have so much to learn. This has slowly changed my "hardcore Canucks fan" approach. I had always detested our division rivals (Calgary, Edmonton, Chicago in particular) and would cheer against them at any chance I got, simply for the fact that they are the enemy. I think I've finally reached the point - maybe it's a sort of hockey maturity thing - where I am a hockey fan first, and a Canucks fan second. While I can admit that I'll always have an inherent bias towards my team, and I'll always want them to win, I enjoy the game first and foremost, and cheering for my home team second. This has led me to believe that, at least for me, it's illogical to cheer against a team simply because they're a rival of your own team, or you just "don't like them." I've missed out on enjoying and appreciating a lot of good hockey due to that fallacious argument.

So for me, this playoff run has boiled down to three fundamental facts. #1, Life's not fair. Not everyone will perceive things the way I think they should, nor will everyone agree on what is logical and fair. Oh well, there are greater injustices in the world today. #2, No one is capable of being completely objective, and while I may get frustrated at what I see around me, I can only control my own attitude and approach. #3, I still love my Canucks. Forever.

It's just hockey. But it can bring out the best - and worst - in people.