Remembering The 1993-94 Vancouver Canucks

For our generation of Vancouver Canucks fans, nothing will ever be better than the 1994 run to the Stanley Cup Finals. 2011, for all the promise and expectation, it paled in comparison, even though I do not really understand why exactly. Nor do I care to revisit all of that any time soon. Even had the Canucks won in 2011, somehow the 1994 team would always live on as my personal favourite moment in Canucks history.

Maybe my memories have grown in legend thanks to the passage of time. Perhaps my heroes have been magnified by my youthful naiveté. Perhaps events have been mythologized more than they should be. I make no apologies for that.

With that in mind, what follows is a tribute to the 1994 Vancouver Canucks. It is a collection of memories, originally intended to be a book that never found a publisher and therefore never properly completed. I present it now, as is, as a tribute to a generation. Most importantly, it is my way of saying thank you. Thank you to Trevor Linden for setting an example that all Canucks – players and fans – strive for to this day. Thank you to Pavel Bure, the most exciting hockey player I’ve ever watched. Thank you to Kirk McLean, quite literally the Canucks’ saving grace. Thank you to Pat Quinn, the mastermind behind the Canucks greatest moment.

Thank you to, in my mind anyway, the greatest team to never win the Stanley Cup.

Remembering The 1994 Vancouver Canucks

June 11th, 1994, Pacific Coliseum – Game Six

 “Last minute of play in the third period.”

Public Address announcer John Ashbridge’s call is drowned out by the boisterous sold out crowd at the Pacific Coliseum. Canucks fans are going crazy, fully intent on saluting their on-ice heroes.

Moments earlier Geoff Courtnall scored the 4-1 goal to all but officially give the Vancouver Canucks a victory over the New York Rangers in game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. With the rollercoaster win the Canucks forced a decisive game seven three days later back in New York City. It is hockey’s greatest showdown on hockey’s greatest stage.

Suddenly much of the cheering turns to a chorus of boos. Other fans turn silent and stand stunned. The loudest screams in the building might be coming from Canucks captain Trevor Linden. Vancouver’s leader is doubled over in intense pain, trying to crawl back to the Vancouver bench.

Linden was blindsided by the Rangers big winger Adam Graves. That play was innocent enough, as the speeding Graves was trying to get back on-side. But everyone knows Graves made sure he got a piece of Linden in the process. That’s hockey.

The unsuspecting Linden was doubled over in pain. He had already been playing the Stanley Cup Final with cracked ribs complete with torn cartilage. Before games doctors would administer a needle into his rib cage so that the pain could be managed in the heat of battle. With each needle the Canucks crooked-nosed captain could be heard screaming in terrorizing agony.

Whether Mark Messier suspected as much or not we may never know.  As the Rangers’ leader skated by the fallen Linden he fully intended to complete the job Graves started. He brutally hits the defenseless Vancouver hero from behind with a stick right into the ribs. Messier, one of hockey’s greatest warriors yet also one of its dirtiest, knew exactly what he was doing.

The television cameras do not catch it. Somehow neither does referee Bill McCreary. Not surprisingly, the National Hockey League chooses not to discipline Manhattan’s Messiah, letting the assault go completely unpunished.

Writhing in pain on the bench, Linden, very much a warrior in his own right, was determined to stand unbowed. He eventually joins his teammates on the ice to congratulate goaltender Kirk McLean.

Here are the Canucks celebrating the greatest game in franchise history. They are celebrating the chance to play for the Stanley Cup in a game 7 at Madison Square Gardens, the greatest arena in the world. Fireworks are going off as the players congratulate one another and salute the fans. Almost to a man it is the greatest game they will ever have played in.

Yet the lasting image is not one of elation. Instead it is of a weary and bloodied Linden leaning on McLean in sheer exhaustion. Victory never felt so good. It remains the most iconic photo in the history of the Vancouver Canucks.

Any concern over the health of Trevor Linden is emphatically dismissed by Canucks legendary play by play broadcaster Jim Robson.

“He will play! You know he’ll play. He’ll play on crutches! He will play and he’ll play at Madison Square Gardens on Tuesday night!”

There was never any doubt.



June 14th, 1994, Madison Square Gardens

Game Seven

Trevor Linden would indeed play in game seven. He did not need crutches, though he needed another painful needle to the rib cage and a specially designed flak jacket to play through the pain. A badly swelling black eye did not help matters much, either.

Linden would be named the game’s first star. He was the only Canucks player to score that night. He scored twice - once shorthanded on a determined solo rush, and once on a third period power play, undoubtedly quieting all of Manhattan. It could be easily argued that Trevor Linden’s game seven performance was the greatest game ever played by a player in a Vancouver Canucks uniform. He seemingly willed the Canucks through the biggest game in franchise history

Of course the Vancouver Canucks did not win the Stanley Cup that night. You know that. The Rangers would win, 3-2. Nathan Lafayette hit the crossbar late in the third period. I still fully believe in my heart that the Canucks were coming on in that game. Had they forced overtime the Canucks surely would have won the game. They were every bit as good as the Rangers - the best team that money could buy. The team deserved better. We all deserved better.  Instead the Canucks went home devastated and empty. What an awful feeling to get so close and walk away with absolutely nothing.

Not that we would change a thing. Not even the ending. Somehow the 1994 Vancouver Canucks captured a very special place in our hearts even without winning the long coveted championship. We cling to the heartbreak, because that’s all we have.

Table of Contents:

June 11th/14th, 1994 - The Highs, The Lows

Bure-ing The Flames
- The Russian Rocket
- Captain Kirk

Shooting Down The Stars
- The Elbow
- The Mighty Pat Quinn
- Cliff Ronning: The Little Man That Could

Be-Leaf It Or Not!
- Forever A Canuck: Trevor Linden
- Greg Adams! Greg Adams!

New York: All The World Is A Stage
- The Penalty Shot
- Nathan Lafayette And That Damn Goal Post
- What A Mess!
- Doug Lidster: The Lone Ranger
- It Was A Riot!

June 15th, 2011: Looking Back At 1994

1994 Vancouver Canucks: The Russian Rocket

The following is an excerpt from my unreleased book: Remembering The 1994 Vancouver Canucks. Please see below for the full table of contents.

The Russian Rocket

Vancouver hockey fans never had a superstar before. After years and years of the likes of Wayne Gretzky and Steve Yzerman coming to town and beating us singlehandedly, embarrassing us in the process, Pavel Bure represented hope as much as hockey excellence. Finally Vancouver had a shooting star of our own.

Pavel Bure was the most electrifying player I have ever seen.  Bure had the rarest of all abilities a hockey player can possess - to pull the fans out of their seats seemingly every time he touches the puck. Heck, fans may have paid full price for their seat on any given night, but they didn’t use it very often when Bure touched the puck. Those of us watching at home on television had to pay close attention. There was no multitasking during Canucks games back then. If you did, there was a fair chance you would miss something spectacular.

Every goal the Russian Rocket scored and every rush he lifted off on was truly an event in itself.  Not even the Great Gretzky had the crowd standing night in and night out.

No one loved to score goals as much as Pavel Bure. Even in practice he wanted to see the twine bulge. In that sense Bure ranks as one of the greatest pure goal scorers in hockey history. Names like Mike Bossy and Rocket Richard are fair comparisons.

Bure was nicknamed the Russian Rocket because of his incredible speed. Few players could match his foot speed, but what made Bure so special is he could carry the puck at top speed. Most players just push the puck in front of them as they break down the wing; Bure was capable of deking through a top defenseman without losing steam. Sometimes he even dropped the puck into his feet to kick it by the blueliner, and then accelerate by him to get in alone. He was truly a magnificent player to watch, and you often watched with your jaw hanging open.

Vancouver fans still remember his first game. He did not score any goals that night, and the game was not even televised. But fans stayed up to watch the late night highlights and were absolutely awed by this kid’s speed and flash and dash. Finally, after years of wallowing, Vancouver had a superstar.

Though small by NHL standards, Bure was built like a rock, blessed with great strength and balance. He had legs like tree trunks that powered his scary speed. He had an arsenal of goal scoring tricks. His wrist shot was lethal, as was his slap shot. But most of all he loved to deke.

Bure’s most famous goal came in the 1994 playoffs. You know which one. Game 7 vs. Calgary – double overtime nonetheless. Jeff Brown knifes a pass through the neutral zone to a breaking Bure. Number 10 splits the defense to get in alone and put his patented backhand-forehand deke on Mike Vernon. The Canucks were on the brink of elimination in that series, down 3 games to 1. But thanks to three straight overtime wins, the Canucks completed the comeback and went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Bure was a back-to-back 60 goal scorer by then, and had cemented his superstar status with that incredible goal and his spring performance that year. He led the entire National Hockey League in goals that post-season with 16. His 31 points was the second highest, only trailing the Rangers Brian Leetch. In fact, Pavel Bure scored at least one point in 16 consecutive playoff games in the spring of 1994. Bryan Trottier of the New York Islanders holds the NHL record at 18 games.

Outside of game five, Bure was not his dominant self in the Final series against New York. He had a respectable 3 goals and 8 points in the 7 game series, but he was targeted by the Rangers and shut down at the key times.

For me, the two memorable Bure moments in the Stanley Cup Final were both bad ones. In game 3, playing in front of their home fans for the first time in the series, the Canucks came out storming and energized. A win at home this early in the series would have been significant. Bure gave the crowd exactly what they wanted when scored on his first shift to give them the early lead. But late in the period, with the score tied 1–1, Bure hit Jay Wells in the face with his stick and bloodied him. That led to the expected penalty, but no one thought the referee would have the nerve to kick the Canucks best player out of the game. “They would never kick out Messier,” I kept saying to myself, and I was proven right later in the series. Everyone knew that. How could they kick out our star player? And when Glenn Anderson scored on the ensuing power-play I knew the game was over. The Rangers cruised to a 5–1 victory and 2-1 series lead.

The major turning point in the entire series was in the second period of game four. The Canucks were all over the Rangers, leading 2-0, even though goaltender Mike Richter was standing on his head with one of the greatest goaltending performances I have ever watched. Richter’s exclamation point came when he stopped Pavel Bure on a rare Stanley Cup penalty shot. Had Bure scored on his patented deke, it would have been a dagger in the Rangers’ heart and evened the series. Instead Richter’s heroics energized the Rangers who came back and won the game 4-2 and took a stanglehold on the series, 3 games to 1. I remember being so disheartened.

After 1994 Pavel Bure became a controversial figure in Vancouver. “Whatever” is my response nowadays. Back then I lamented him too much, too. Maybe he was too one-dimensional of a player. Maybe he was not the greatest team player. Maybe he never warmed to the community. Maybe he should have played his exit card from Vancouver more professionally. I never once bought into the unsubstantiated rumor that he threatened to hold out from game 7 against the Rangers unless he got a new contract. But I, like so many others, grew to dislike the greatest player in Vancouver Canucks history.

But when I look back at the Russian Rocket nowadays, I just want to remember the good times – the astonishing speed, the spectacular breakaway goals, the powerful slap shot, the goal against Calgary, and, most of all, the hope and joy he brought us all.

June 11th/14th, 1994 - The Highs, The Lows

Bure-ing The Flames
- The Russian Rocket
- Captain Kirk

Shooting Down The Stars
- The Elbow
- The Mighty Pat Quinn
- Cliff Ronning: The Little Man That Could

Be-Leaf It Or Not!
- Forever A Canuck: Trevor Linden
- Greg Adams! Greg Adams!

New York: All The World Is A Stage
- The Penalty Shot
- Nathan Lafayette And That Damn Goal Post
- What A Mess!
- Doug Lidster: The Lone Ranger
- It Was A Riot!

June 15th, 2011: Looking Back At 1994

1994 Vancouver Canucks: One Last Look Back At 1994

The following is an excerpt from my unreleased book: Remembering The 1994 Vancouver Canucks. Please see below for the full table of contents.

June 15th, 2011

With the score knotted at two, the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks faceoff to start overtime in game two of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.Off the opening faceoff Daniel Sedin quickly dumps the puck into the Boston zone. The diminutive Alex Burrows zooms in on the puck, somehow beating out the long reach of the giant defenseman Zdeno Chara. Burrows bursts behind the net, scoring a rare wraparound goal just 11 seconds into overtime! The goal gives the Canucks a 2-0 series lead. They only need 2 wins in the next 5 games to finally become Stanley Cup champions!

I vividly remember the Burrows winning goal in game 2. For the first time that entire Stanley Cup playoffs I allowed myself to think “this is really happening.” “The Canucks are going to do this.” “That was a goal of destiny – the Canucks are destined to win the Stanley Cup!”

That was a rare feeling in the spring of 2011. For the first time ever the Canucks were truly Stanley Cup contenders – favorites even, in the eyes of many. But I never enjoyed a moment of it.

When the same Alex Burrows “slayed the dragon” in the Chicago series I let out a horrendous scream of relief that scared my girlfriend’s dog for the rest of the night. The worst part is no one could tell if the Canucks had won or lost based solely on my exasperation. I was secluded in the basement and my primal urge was one of relief and exasperation more than joy or celebration. I sat downstairs for probably 20 minutes, completely exhausted, before emerging to go for a long walk by myself. Remember, the dog was
scared of me.

So was everyone. I was scared of me. I continued to be scared of me the rest of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs.  The Canucks knocked off Nashville and San Jose, but I continued to be a wreck. I was a wreck until Burrows quick overtime goal against Boston in game 2.

With that win and the seemingly commanding series lead, I decided I needed to try and actually enjoy what was going on. For the life of me I could not understand why I enjoyed that ride so little. I still do not comprehend it. But that night I sat back content and proud.

Oddly my thoughts quickly drifted from Henrik and Daniel, Kesler and Burrows, Louie and Vigneault back all the years before when it was so tough to be a Canucks fan. King Richard Brodeur. Stan Smyl. Harold Snepsts. And of course my thoughts quickly came back to 1994. Back to Trevor Linden and Pavel Bure, Kirk McLean’s save against Calgary and Greg Adams! Greg Adams! It truly was the best of times. A Vancouver Stanley Cup championship in 2011 would be for those guys as much as the current group, I decided. That made me happy.

That is also when I realized even if the Canucks had won the Stanley Cup in 2011, it wasn’t the same. I had not enjoyed almost any of the 2011 run because I was full of apprehension. I wanted more badly than ever to win that damned Stanley Cup, just so I could feel relief. I can’t imagine what the players must have been feeling.

It was different back in 1994. Maybe it was my more youthful (naïve?) way back then. But I enjoyed every step of the way. I didn’t enjoy 2011 at all, except for the first few moments after that Burrows OT goal.

That’s when I realized that nothing would ever replace the 1994 Vancouver Canucks in this fan’s heart. I suspect many fans of that era can say the same. And truth be told, as much as I wanted to see Trevor Linden hoist the Stanley Cup and pass it around to McLean, to Bure, to Ronning, to Quinn . . .  I wouldn’t change a thing. Not even the ending.

Of course, somehow, the Canucks failed to finish the job in 2011. I still do not understand what happened. I still have not gone back to revisit it, and I likely never really will. I swear to god that when I die I want the Vancouver Canucks to be my pall bearers so they can let me down one last time. The Canucks always let me down, except for in 1994.

I had a definite suspicion that the 2011 playoffs would change me somehow. I had no real idea how at the time. But I guess part of me knew I had to take a break from hockey, at least for some period of time. I needed to be allowed to let go from my own self-imposed binds. A Stanley Cup championship would have so nicely allowed me that freedom. I simply could not go through the heartache again.

The 2011 playoffs was supposed to be the crescendo of my fandom. I was truly cemented as a Canucks fan forever following their terrific 1994 Stanley Cup final run. Even though that team, too, lost in game 7, I would never go back and change a thing. However, I was really hoping the 2011 team would complete the saga, finally winning the Stanley Cup and ending the story. That would allow me to move on with a great deal of satisfaction. I badly needed that sense of completion.

Of course, the 2011 team did not win. Despite being a superior team to that of 1994, these Canucks, felled by injuries, questionable refereeing and Boston's penalty kill, also lost the Stanley Cup in game 7. But this time, despite an incredible season, the only lasting feeling is that of disappointment.

At least we will always have 1994, right Canucks fans?



June 11th/14th, 1994 - The Highs, The Lows

Bure-ing The Flames
- The Russian Rocket
- Captain Kirk

Shooting Down The Stars
- The Elbow
- The Mighty Pat Quinn
- Cliff Ronning: The Little Man That Could

Be-Leaf It Or Not!
- Forever A Canuck: Trevor Linden
- Greg Adams! Greg Adams!

New York: All The World Is A Stage
- The Penalty Shot
- Nathan Lafayette And That Damn Goal Post
- What A Mess!
- Doug Lidster: The Lone Ranger
- It Was A Riot!

June 15th, 2011: Looking Back At 1994

1994 Vancouver Canucks: Nathan Lafayette And That Damn Goal Post

The following is an excerpt from my unreleased book: Remembering The 1994 Vancouver Canucks. Please see below for the full table of contents.

To this day I lament Nathan LaFayette and his goal post.

Whenever something really good is about to happen in my life or my work or in hockey but then unexpectedly falls through or at least threatens to fall through, I often mutter something like “It’s the LaFayette goal post all over again.”My co-workers don’t get it, and I generally just leave it unexplained now. My girlfriend and her kids have had it explained to them a few times. I suspect they tune me out each and every time.

Of course, you Canucks fans need no introduction to this. June 14th, 1994. Madison Square Gardens. The game is in the third period of game 7 with the New York Rangers clinging to a 3-2 lead. The Canucks are pressing hard, clearly dominating the third period. If we could only tie it up, I figure, the game is ours. We are playing too well. We are overwhelming them. Get it into overtime and we will win it then. We will win the Stanley Cup!

That moment finally comes. With about six minutes left in the game, Geoff Courtnall turns from the corner and wildly passes the puck into the slot. Enter 21 year old rookie Nathan LaFayette – perhaps the least likely Canucks player to be a Stanley Cup hero. As if he flashed in from out of nowhere LaFayette burst through the Rangers’ defense and immediately wired a hard shot on net. The television announcers were certain Mike Richter actually made an unthinkable glove save. Richter was so good that series that I believed he did, too. But no, Nathan LaFayette had actually beaten Richter. But he could not beat the goal post.

Had Nathan LaFayette’s shot been half an inch to the inside of that post, the Canucks surely would have won that game. I am completely certain of it to this day.

Instead the puck frittered away harmlessly. In a split second I went – we all went – from the brink of complete elation to being utterly disheartened. The chance had come and gone. We all knew it. I am certain the players knew it right then and there. The hockey gods – those cruel, cruel hockey gods – refused to smile on the Canucks again.

Nathan LaFayette had a lengthy pro hockey career, including a couple hundred games in the National Hockey League. But in Vancouver he will always be known as the guy who hit the goal post.

June 11th/14th, 1994 - The Highs, The Lows

Bure-ing The Flames
- The Russian Rocket
- Captain Kirk

Shooting Down The Stars
- The Elbow
- The Mighty Pat Quinn
- Cliff Ronning: The Little Man That Could

Be-Leaf It Or Not!
- Forever A Canuck: Trevor Linden
- Greg Adams! Greg Adams!

New York: All The World Is A Stage
- The Penalty Shot
- Nathan Lafayette And That Damn Goal Post
- What A Mess!
- Doug Lidster: The Lone Ranger
- It Was A Riot!

June 15th, 2011: Looking Back At 1994

1994 Vancouver Canucks: Greg Adams! Greg Adams!

The following is an excerpt from my unreleased book: Remembering The 1994 Vancouver Canucks. Please see below for the full table of contents.

I still do not know who I was happier for – Greg Adams or Jim Robson.

Adams, of course, scored the overtime series winning goal against Toronto. With that goal the Vancouver Canucks would advance to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1982.

Jim Robson was the Canucks long time play by play man. He had seen virtually every National Hockey League game ever in Vancouver. Robson was as professional as they came – that’s why he has since been honoured by the Hockey Hall of Fame.

But he truly loved the Canucks, and particularly British Columbia boys like Greg Adams.

“Adams shoots . . . SCORES! Greg Adams! Greg Adams! Adams gets the winner! Fourteen seconds into the second overtime. The Vancouver Canucks are going to the Stanley Cup Finals!”

I still get chills when I hear those classic words. To this day I can hear the excitement, the pride and the hint of disbelief in Robson’s voice.

Adams called that goal against the Leafs “the biggest one I ever scored,” but he may have scored an equally as important of a goal the following game.

Game one of the Stanley Cup Final. The Rangers are all over the Canucks, but they can not beat Kirk McLean in net. Despite 54 shots the game is late in the first overtime period. “Last minute of play in the period” has already been announced Brian Leetch finally beats McLean with a clean shot but the puck rings off the crossbar. The Canucks break up ice with a three-on-one rush. Bure pushes the puck up to Cliff Ronning. The undersized Ronning cleverly punches the puck over to an open Adams. Adams wastes no time in blasting the puck past Mike Richter.

Madison Square Gardens instantly fell silent. We did not even need the television microphones to hear CBC’s Bob Cole exclaim “Scooooores!!!”

The hair on the back of my neck still stands up on end even as I write this twenty years later.

The lanky Adams, who often played left wing on Pavel Bure’s line, was one of the most under-appreciated players of the ’94 Canucks. He was not flashy like Bure, or even Geoff Courtnall or Cliff Ronning. He was not unconditionally loved like Trevor Linden. But, in addition to his clutch goal scoring, he was this glue guy who was integral to the Canucks success. I do not think anyone realized just how important he was until he was traded in 1995.

June 11th/14th, 1994 - The Highs, The Lows

Bure-ing The Flames
- The Russian Rocket
- Captain Kirk

Shooting Down The Stars
- The Elbow
- The Mighty Pat Quinn
- Cliff Ronning: The Little Man That Could

Be-Leaf It Or Not!
- Forever A Canuck: Trevor Linden
- Greg Adams! Greg Adams!

New York: All The World Is A Stage
- The Penalty Shot
- Nathan Lafayette And That Damn Goal Post
- What A Mess!
- Doug Lidster: The Lone Ranger
- It Was A Riot!

June 15th, 2011: Looking Back At 1994

1994 Vancouver Canucks: Shooting Down The Stars

The following is an excerpt from my unreleased book: Remembering The 1994 Vancouver Canucks. Please see below for the full table of contents.

The Canucks faced the Dallas Stars in round 2 of the playoffs. Vancouver would once again start on the road in Dallas. The first game went to Vancouver on the basis of a 6-4 victory.

Two days later Kirk McLean registered his 2nd shutout of the post season en route to a 3-0 victory. That game will be forever remembered for a vicious elbow delivered by the Canucks superstar Pavel Bure on Dallas tough guy Shane Churla. The elbow, which would draw a fine from the league, perhaps sent a message to the rest of the NHL - Don't mess with Pavel, he can and will take care of himself! The hit also marked the beginning of Don Cherry's "Bure's a weasel" campaign on Hockey Night in Canada. Lost in the mayhem of the controversy was the fact that Bure scored 2 of the 3 goals in the game and probably played his best playoff game up to that point.

The two teams would return to Vancouver for the next 3 games. Dallas would crawl back into the series with a 4-3 victory in game 3. But the Canucks responded in game 4 with a 2-1 overtime victory. With the Stars on the ropes, the Canucks headed into game 5 determined to capture the series victory and avoid having to return to Dallas for a game 6. In an workmanlike effort, the Canucks played perfect defensive playoff hockey to win 4-2, and secure a berth into round three with a 4-1 series victory over the Dallas Stars.

Vancouver would have to wait to see who their next opponent would be. A pesky San Jose team took the Toronto Maple Leafs to a full 7 games before finally bowing out. That would set up an all Canadian showdown between the rested Canucks and weary Leafs. The winner would have a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup!

June 11th/14th, 1994 - The Highs, The Lows

Bure-ing The Flames
- The Russian Rocket
- Captain Kirk

Shooting Down The Stars
- The Elbow
- The Mighty Pat Quinn
- Cliff Ronning: The Little Man That Could

Be-Leaf It Or Not!
- Forever A Canuck: Trevor Linden
- Greg Adams! Greg Adams!

New York: All The World Is A Stage
- The Penalty Shot
- Nathan Lafayette And That Damn Goal Post
- What A Mess!
- Doug Lidster: The Lone Ranger
- It Was A Riot!

June 15th, 2011: Looking Back At 1994

1994 Vancouver Canucks: Bure-ing The Flames

The following is an excerpt from my unreleased book: Remembering The 1994 Vancouver Canucks. Please see below for the full table of contents.

Coming off of a so-so regular season, there was little expectation for the 1994 Vancouver Canucks. The previous two seasons saw the Canucks really establish themselves as league power-houses, recording 96 and 101 points during the regular season. However 1993-94 was a season of regression. The team slipped to 85 points, just one game above the magical .500 mark. They finished second in the relatively weak Pacific Division, and weren't expected to make it much farther past the second round if that. But sometimes things don't go according to plan!

Round One saw the Canucks facing off against the arch-rival Flames from Calgary. Game one was played in the Saddledome in Calgary. The Canucks won the game handily with a 5-0 shutout. Kirk McLean was simply spectacular while the Canucks got some timely bounces to bury Calgary early.

Game Two was quite a different story however. Calgary would even the series in a high scoring 7-5 Flames' victory. The game featured Flames' forward Gary Roberts running McLean twice, thus knocking Captain Kirk off of his game somewhat.

Calgary would take a commanding 3-1 series lead with victories in games three and four. The games were played very evenly, but Calgary goaltender Mike Vernon now was the hot goalie, perhaps stealing a victory from the Canucks. But the Canucks would refuse to die. Despite the monumental task ahead of them, the Canucks were determined to come back and win the series in 7 games.

Game five went in to overtime tied at 1-1. Pavel Bure had the Canucks' goal, his first of the post season. Mike Vernon continued to frustrate the Canucks with spectacular saves. But in the extra period Geoff Courtnall managed to spring lose on a semi breakaway and wire a "Gretzky-like slapshot" into the top left corner. The goal suddenly revived the Canucks' confidence in being able to beat the hot goaltender, and people started talking about a series comeback.

The Canucks had managed to elude elimination once, but would have to do it again in game 6. This time at least the game was played in Vancouver, and the boisterous fans might have given the Canucks' enough support to pull out a series-tying victory. With the game tied 2-2 after the period, the game would once again be decided in sudden death overtime. The Flames' were called for a too-many-men penalty during the extra frame. The resulting powerplay saw Trevor Linden scoop a Pavel Bure rebound behind a fallen Vernon. Suddenly, the series was all tied at 3 games each, but the Canucks definitely had the momentum on their side.

Game seven would once again be decided in over time. The Canucks' Greg Adams would score late in the third period to tie the game at 3, thus forcing the extra frame. The over time period was dominated early by the hometown Flames. Kirk McLean stymied the attackers time and time again, including one save which is now considered on of the greatest moments in playoff hockey history. At roughly the halfway mark of the fourth period, Theoren Fleury and Robert Reichal came in on a broken 2-on-1 rush with only Jyrki Lumme back to defend. Fleury perfectly faked a shot and turned it into a pass over to Reichal, forcing McLean to make a split second jump. McLean flung himself feet first and managed to get his left toe on the puck just in time to deny the Calgary shooter. Even the goal judge signalled it was a goal because he couldn't believe McLean was able to make that stop! Video replays show the puck was stopped right on the goal line.

Late in the overtime session the Flames dumped the puck out of their zone and on to the stick of Dave Babych. The veteran Canuck would move it over to new Canuck Jeff Brown, who would in turn spot Pavel Bure streaking at the Flames' blueline. The airborne pass managed to find its way through a maze of players right on to the tape of Bure's stick. The Flames' defense is caught almost off-guard as Bure splits the defense to go in on Mike Vernon all alone. Bure would quickly fake to his backhand before returning to his forehand to slide the puck past the outstretched Calgary netminder.

The miracle was complete. The Canucks came back from a 3 games to 1 game deficit to win the series, and were riding a wave of momentum into the next round.




June 11th/14th, 1994 - The Highs, The Lows

Bure-ing The Flames
- The Russian Rocket
- Captain Kirk

Shooting Down The Stars
- The Elbow
- The Mighty Pat Quinn
- Cliff Ronning: The Little Man That Could

Be-Leaf It Or Not!
- Forever A Canuck: Trevor Linden
- Greg Adams! Greg Adams!

New York: All The World Is A Stage
- The Penalty Shot
- Nathan Lafayette And That Damn Goal Post
- What A Mess!
- Doug Lidster: The Lone Ranger
- It Was A Riot!

June 15th, 2011: Looking Back At 1994

1994 Vancouver Canucks: What A Mess!

The following is an excerpt from my unreleased book: Remembering The 1994 Vancouver Canucks. Please see below for the full table of contents.

While I firmly believe Brian Leetch and Mike Richter deserve more of the credit for the New York Rangers Stanley Cup championship in 1994, even Canucks fans have to give Mark Messier his due.

With his guarantees and scary stare, he was the rare hockey player who transcended New York. He truly was Manhattan’s Messiah!

Messier was hockey’s ultimate warrior. Universally hailed for his leadership and his take no prisoners approach to the game, Messier’s legacy is unquestioned. He is undoubtedly one of the top  players to ever play the game of hockey.

What a Mess!

Unfortunately, a few years later Vancouver fans would learn just how big of a mess Mark Messier could really make.

And I still can't stand this image:

June 11th/14th, 1994 - The Highs, The Lows

Bure-ing The Flames
- The Russian Rocket
- Captain Kirk

Shooting Down The Stars
- The Elbow
- The Mighty Pat Quinn
- Cliff Ronning: The Little Man That Could

Be-Leaf It Or Not!
- Forever A Canuck: Trevor Linden
- Greg Adams! Greg Adams!

New York: All The World Is A Stage
- The Penalty Shot
- Nathan Lafayette And That Damn Goal Post
- What A Mess!
- Doug Lidster: The Lone Ranger
- It Was A Riot!

June 15th, 2011: Looking Back At 1994

1994 Vancouver Canucks: New York: All The World Is A Stage

The following is an excerpt from my unreleased book: Remembering The 1994 Vancouver Canucks. Please see below for the full table of contents.

Game One was held in Madison Square Garden. The Canucks showed a bit of rust throughout the game as they had a long layoff, giving the Rangers an early series advantage. But Kirk McLean showed absolutely no rust as he stymied the Rangers time and time again. 52 saves McLean made in total in game one. He kept the Canucks in the game and forced overtime. His goaltending performance in that game is now considered to be one of the magical moments in playoff history. With just 30 seconds left in the first overtime period, Greg Adams, the Canucks overtime hero time and time again, stepped into a shot that wired past Ranger goalie Mike Richter. Much to everyone's surprise, the Canucks stole a victory from the heavily favored New York Rangers!

The unfortunate part about game one and the goaltending heroics is that the rest of the team didn't play that well. And that trend would continue in the next three games. Game two was a 3-1 victory for the Rangers. The score flattered the Canucks performance. Game 3 was controversial in that the Canucks exploded out of the gate but then Pavel Bure was kicked out of the game for a highstick on Glenn Anderson. That seemed to swing the momentum back into the Rangers favor and they went on to win the game rather easily, 5-1.
Game 4 saw the Canucks come out hard but Brian Leetch, the eventual Conn Smythe Trophy winner, took control half way through the game. A major turning point was in the second period when Pavel Bure was stopped by Mike Richter on a rare Stanley Cup penalty shot. The Rangers won the game 4-2 and had a stranglehold on the series, 3 games to 1.


The Canucks were previously down 3 games to 1 in the Calgary series, and managed to come back. That was the task they faced again, only no one expected it. The Rangers appeared to be playing at a level higher than the Canucks, and New Yorkers were already beginning to celebrate their first Cup in 54 years.

Game 5 was played in New York, and you know the Rangers wanted to clinch the series on home ice. The Rangers stormed out to take a 3-1 lead after one period. But the second period was one of the wildest periods in Finals history. The Canucks exploded for 5 goals, led by Pavel Bure and Geoff Courtnall with two apiece. The Canucks then shut the door and won the game 6-3. The Rangers' victory parade was cancelled.
Game 6 saw the Canucks come home to the boisterous Pacific Coliseum. The task was simple. Win and you play game 7, lose and that's it.

Game 6 was an incredible display of playoff emotion by both teams. The Canucks handled the Rangers surprisingly easily in the first period, landing 15 shots on Mike Richter, but only coming out of the period with a 1-0 lead. Geoff Courtnall would make it a 2-0 lead early in the second only to watch Alexei Kovalev narrow the lead to 2-1. Canuck Captain Trevor Linden out-hustled Mark Messier behind the Ranger net and got the puck to Jeff Brown who made it 3-1. The fans were going crazy, the Canucks had all the momentum.

Then one of the weirdest plays in playoff history occurred. Geoff Courtnall rang the puck off of the inner crossbar of the net and started celebrating another goal. The only problem was the puck bounced in and out of the net so quickly that the referee assumed it hit the outside crossbar. Meanwhile the Rangers took the puck and went to the other end of the ice and Mark Messier subsequently scored a goal too! The Canucks persuaded the referee to do a video review on Courtnall's shot and it was then that it was revealed that Courtnall had indeed scored! So Courtnall's goal counted, and it was 4-1, not 3-2 had the Rangers goal counted!


That play seemed to take the remaining wind out of the Rangers sails for that game. The Canucks hung on to win 4-1 in what is generally agreed to be the greatest game in Vancouver Canuck history.

Game 7 was to be played in Madison Square Gardens. Perhaps the most exciting Stanley Cup Finals in a long time came down to a game 7. Unfortunately for the Canucks, their brush with glory came just short. The Rangers held an edge from the beginning of the game. Trevor Linden potted both Vancouver Canuck goals as the Rangers held onto a 3-2 lead late in the game. With 1:10 left in the third period, Geoff Courtnall placed a perfect pass on Nathan Lafayette's stick. The New Westminister rookie rung the puck off of the goal post. Had it been a centimeter over the other way, the Canucks would have forced overtime. The Rangers clinged to their lead, and eventually time ran out on the Canucks.

The Canucks went home devastated and empty handed as the Rangers partied for days. What an awful feeling to get so close and walk away with nothing, yet knowing they were every bit as good as the Rangers.



June 11th/14th, 1994 - The Highs, The Lows

Bure-ing The Flames
- The Russian Rocket
- Captain Kirk

Shooting Down The Stars
- The Elbow
- The Mighty Pat Quinn
- Cliff Ronning: The Little Man That Could

Be-Leaf It Or Not!
- Forever A Canuck: Trevor Linden
- Greg Adams! Greg Adams!

New York: All The World Is A Stage
- The Penalty Shot
- Nathan Lafayette And That Damn Goal Post
- What A Mess!
- Doug Lidster: The Lone Ranger
- It Was A Riot!

June 15th, 2011: Looking Back At 1994

1994 Vancouver Canucks: Be-Leaf It Or Not

The following is an excerpt from my unreleased book: Remembering The 1994 Vancouver Canucks. Please see below for the full table of contents.

Many Canuck fans - and for that matter, many of the players - believe the victory over Toronto was the biggest highlight of the entire Cup run. In a sense it was a battle for the unofficial Canadian championship if you will.

Game one would go to the hometown Leafs. A 3-2 victory came in overtime. The loss was a disappointment to the Canucks as they had really been coming on as the game got later, and the rust wore off from their long break.

But the Canucks would return the favor in game two. The Canucks would edge out the "Buds" with a 4-3 victory.

The Canucks would return to Vancouver once again for the next three games. Kirk McLean, who already had two shutouts, cranked his game up yet another notch. Games 3 and 4 were both convincing Canuck victories, and Captain Kirk didn't surrender a goal in either game! Game 3 was won 4-0 while game 4 featured a 2-0 final score. The back-to-back shutouts gave Kirk 4 shutouts in the post-season, tying an NHL record for shutouts in one playoff year. The record, shared by 7 other goalies, was first set back in 1926!

Game 5 was played in Vancouver with a chance for the Canucks to clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup Finals while on home ice. And that is exactly what they did. The game was close and went into overtime tied at 3. But Nelson British Columbia's Greg Adams snuck the puck past fallen Leaf netminder Felix Potvin to win the game and win the series.

Many think of this series and this win as the real highlight of the Canucks magical run. The all Canadian showdown between Toronto and Vancouver and the excitement generated by the victory. But the Canucks had to regroup and refocus as they still had more hockey to play. This time, they were going for the Stanley Cup!

“Greg Adams! Greg Adams! Adams gets the winner! The Vancouver Canucks are going to the Stanley Cup Final!”

It never gets old.



The Canucks had to wait to see who would be their opponent in the Finals. The New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers series was dragged out to overtime in game 7 in a very close and very physical series.

The series highlight was a game 6 victory by the Rangers. Mark Messier proclaimed boldly before the game that they would win, and Mess went on to score a hat trick leading the Rangers to victory. In game 7 big Stephane Matteau would score in overtime to give the first place Rangers the right to meet the Canucks in the Finals. The Blueshirts were going after their first Cup in 54 years. The Canucks were going after their first Cup ever!

June 11th/14th, 1994 - The Highs, The Lows

Bure-ing The Flames
- The Russian Rocket
- Captain Kirk

Shooting Down The Stars
- The Elbow
- The Mighty Pat Quinn
- Cliff Ronning: The Little Man That Could

Be-Leaf It Or Not!
- Forever A Canuck: Trevor Linden
- Greg Adams! Greg Adams!

New York: All The World Is A Stage
- The Penalty Shot
- Nathan Lafayette And That Damn Goal Post
- What A Mess!
- Doug Lidster: The Lone Ranger
- It Was A Riot!

June 15th, 2011: Looking Back At 1994

1994 Vancouver Canucks: Forever A Canuck: Trevor Linden

The following is an excerpt from my unreleased book: Remembering The 1994 Vancouver Canucks. Please see below for the full table of contents.

Before you read this, I must confess: Trevor Linden may be my favorite player of all time.

I grew up watching hockey on the west coast in the 1980s. The Edmonton Oilers reigned supreme back then, and Wayne Gretzky was everybody's favorite. I also had a serious infatuation with Soviet hockey players long before they were allowed to play in the NHL.

I quickly became a pretty sophisticated fan of the entire league. And I've always had the history bug, allowing me to respect the legends that preceded my time.

But I was always a Vancouver Canucks fan, which was anything but easy for most of the 1980s. It was not until Trevor Linden's arrival that I finally had someone to truly admire. No disrespect to Tony Tanti, my other favorite Canuck of the 80s, but in so many ways Trevor Linden became the player I admired most.

In comparison to Gretzky and the Soviets, Linden may seem like an odd choice. Linden was not flashy or highly skilled, not a great scorer or a flawless skater. He was essentially a hard worker, the personification of selflessness, an unquantifiable hockeyist who excelled in intangibles, effort and class.

He was also a great person - the kind of person we all want to be. Perhaps that drew me to him as much as his hockey. His charity efforts. His tireless work on the ice. His genuine likability off of it.

I had first heard of Trevor Linden back when he was still in junior. Not being located anywhere near a WHL team at the time, Linden may have been the first junior superstar I had really learned of. So when Linden came to Vancouver, so too did a lot hope, at least in my heart.

I was not disappointed. And, by no small coincidence, probably for the first time in my adolescence of hockey, I truly realized just how much I loved this game.

Linden led the Canucks to the team's greatest moment in 1994 - game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. After a relatively disappointing 85 point, 2nd place finish, the Canucks caught fire in the playoffs. After falling behind 3-1 in the opening round against Calgary, the Canucks stormed back to win 4 games to 3 and then would blow by Dallas and Toronto to face Mark Messier, Mike Keenan and the New York Rangers. Lead by Linden's leadership and physical play, Pavel Bure's goal scoring and Kirk McLean's incredible goaltending, the Canucks took the Rangers to 7 games. The final game was as close as could possibly be. Had Nathan Lafeyette's third period shot hit the inside of the goalpost instead of the outside, perhaps the Canucks could have forced overtime. Unfortunately, the Canucks would lose game 7 by a score of 3 goals to 2, both scored by Trevor Linden.

The iconic photograph of an exhausted and bloodied Trevor Linden congratulating Kirk McLean after a victory in Game 6 remains the quintessential image of the franchise. Linden was literally beat up in that Finals, playing with badly damaged ribs that made it hard to get up and down, let alone battle for the Stanley Cup.

Mark Messier inflicted more pain when he attacked Linden late in Game 6, drawing blood with a high stick before turning back to drive his stick into Linden's ribs. Somehow all of that went unnoticed by the refs and the league, while Linden crawled back to the bench in agonizing pain.

But there was never any doubting Linden would lead the Canucks into battle in game 7.  He set the tone physically and scoring both Vancouver goals that night. He played so well he was even named as the first star of that game seven. Trevor Linden had undoubtedly earned the respect of everyone in hockey.

Unfortunately the New York Rangers would win that game. The pain of the loss that night was far worse than cracked ribs and broken noses.

June 11th/14th, 1994 - The Highs, The Lows

Bure-ing The Flames
- The Russian Rocket
- Captain Kirk

Shooting Down The Stars
- The Elbow
- The Mighty Pat Quinn
- Cliff Ronning: The Little Man That Could

Be-Leaf It Or Not!
- Forever A Canuck: Trevor Linden
- Greg Adams! Greg Adams!

New York: All The World Is A Stage
- The Penalty Shot
- Nathan Lafayette And That Damn Goal Post
- What A Mess!
- Doug Lidster: The Lone Ranger
- It Was A Riot!

June 15th, 2011: Looking Back At 1994

1994 Vancouver Canucks: It Was A Riot!

The following is an excerpt from my unreleased book: Remembering The 1994 Vancouver Canucks. Please see below for the full table of contents.

Yes, unfortunately, Vancouver fans are internationally renowned for Stanley Cup rioting. It began in 1994. The ’94 riot was almost small potatoes compared to 2011, but nonetheless it was an embarrassing end to a great Stanley Cup run.

The riot, which started at the intersection of Robson and Thurlow streets, cost an estimated $1.1 million in property damage. Shops along Robson street had windows smashed, including 50 windows at the old Eaton’s department store.

Approximately 200 people were injured, including one critically when he was struck in the head by a plastic bullet fired by one of the 540 police officers called to the scene. The fellow laid in a coma for a month and suffered permanent brain damage (remember that the next time a hockey player takes a puck to the head) and later sued for damages. The first trial found him 75% responsible for his own injuries. A retrial at the Supreme Court level was dismissed.

Interestingly, St. Paul’s hospital closed their emergency room doors to those suffering from the effects of tear gas. Security guards eventually provided buckets of water in the parking lot for such “victims.”

The riot was part of the Stanley Cup narrative, but I tend to overlook it almost entirely nowadays. Selective memories? Sure, but I just want to remember the good times from 1994. There was enough disappointment and heartbreak on the ice let alone off of it.





June 11th/14th, 1994 - The Highs, The Lows

Bure-ing The Flames
- The Russian Rocket
- Captain Kirk

Shooting Down The Stars
- The Elbow
- The Mighty Pat Quinn
- Cliff Ronning: The Little Man That Could

Be-Leaf It Or Not!
- Forever A Canuck: Trevor Linden
- Greg Adams! Greg Adams!

New York: All The World Is A Stage
- The Penalty Shot
- Nathan Lafayette And That Damn Goal Post
- What A Mess!
- Doug Lidster: The Lone Ranger
- It Was A Riot!

June 15th, 2011: Looking Back At 1994

1994 Vancouver Canucks: The Elbow

The following is an excerpt from my unreleased book: Remembering The 1994 Vancouver Canucks. Please see below for the full table of contents.

Oh That Elbow!

Looking back at the 1994 Stanley Cup playoff run, fans do not have a lot of memories of the Dallas series. The comeback against Calgary? Lots of memories. The Leafs? Anytime you beat the Leafs is a good memory. And then of course the Rangers. Oh those Rangers.

But there is one particular play in that Dallas series that every Canucks fan remembers. They still talk about it to this day. It was an egregious foul that nowadays would get you banned the rest of the playoffs. Rightly or wrongly (okay, mostly wrongly) we remember this player’s hit as much as many of his spectacular goals.

And we are okay with that.

I’m talking about Pavel Bure, of course. Pavel also had a nasty streak him and would not take anything from bigger players. Just ask Shane Churla. Churla, a noted NHL ruffian and admirable player as well, was giving Pavel a hard time whenever he had the chance. Pavel took only so much before he caught Churla with an infamous blind hit and a vicious elbow.

It was not Bure's prettiest moment, but he gained respect because he let the NHL know he would not take such abuse without retaliation.




June 11th/14th, 1994 - The Highs, The Lows

Bure-ing The Flames
- The Russian Rocket
- Captain Kirk

Shooting Down The Stars
- The Elbow
- The Mighty Pat Quinn
- Cliff Ronning: The Little Man That Could

Be-Leaf It Or Not!
- Forever A Canuck: Trevor Linden
- Greg Adams! Greg Adams!

New York: All The World Is A Stage
- The Penalty Shot
- Nathan Lafayette And That Damn Goal Post
- What A Mess!
- Doug Lidster: The Lone Ranger
- It Was A Riot!

June 15th, 2011: Looking Back At 1994

1994 Vancouver Canucks: Doug Lidster: The Lone Ranger

The following is an excerpt from my unreleased book: Remembering The 1994 Vancouver Canucks. Please see below for the full table of contents.

No matter how much we hated to see the New York Rangers celebrating with the Stanley Cup, there was one “Blueshirt” even the most dejected Canucks fan had to feel good for that night.

It was tough watching Doug Lidster skate for the Rangers. For the previous decade the Kamloops native skated with the Canucks. He may have been unheralded throughout the rest of the league, but he was arguably the Canucks best blueliner for much of that time. He was instrumental in helping bring along some of the Canucks younger players like Trevor Linden and Jyrkki Lumme. In some ways Lidster was the quintessential Canuck of the previous generation.

The summer of 1993 saw Lidster move to New York in a bizarre move that saw the Canucks acquire John Vanbiesbrouck. The Beezer was one of the top goalies in hockey, but the Canucks desperately wanted to keep both Kirk McLean and Kay Whitmore protected in that summer’s expansion draft. In a typically cagey move by Pat Quinn, he parted with his veteran defenseman to acquire the star goalie. The Canucks had to expose a goalie with NHL experience, so rather than expose Whitmore they acquired another option.

Lidster, who replaced Alexander Karpovtsev as a regular late in the post-season, played really well in a depth role in New York. In fact, both of his goals that post-season were scored against the Canucks in the Final.

While it was awkward for us fans to watch one of our guys playing for the Rangers, it was equally odd for Lidster. After the game seven victory, Lidster was said to have been struggling with mixed emotions.

“Once we won (the Stanley Cup) and we were shaking hands, I realized that I knew the Canuck players better than I knew my own teammates,” Lidster said years later.

“One of the advantages of being a west-coast team, because you travel so much, you have the opportunity to really bond with your teammates. I felt a real camaraderie with (the Canuck players). To win the cup against them was a very bittersweet moment for me.”

June 11th/14th, 1994 - The Highs, The Lows

Bure-ing The Flames
- The Russian Rocket
- Captain Kirk

Shooting Down The Stars
- The Elbow
- The Mighty Pat Quinn
- Cliff Ronning: The Little Man That Could

Be-Leaf It Or Not!
- Forever A Canuck: Trevor Linden
- Greg Adams! Greg Adams!

New York: All The World Is A Stage
- The Penalty Shot
- Nathan Lafayette And That Damn Goal Post
- What A Mess!
- Doug Lidster: The Lone Ranger
- It Was A Riot!

June 15th, 2011: Looking Back At 1994

1994 Vancouver Canucks: The Mighty Pat Quinn

The following is an excerpt from my unreleased book: Remembering The 1994 Vancouver Canucks. Please see below for the full table of contents.

If there is anyone who is truly bitter about 1994 it is Pat Quinn. Whenever you hear him talk about 1994 nowadays, the former Canucks coach has trouble hiding his disappointment. Twenty years later, Pat Quinn is still sour about what how those playoffs ended.

Quinn was the architect of the Canucks success in the early 1990s, and most definitely in 1994. He was the coach, the general manager and the team president. This was his team more than anybody’s. He acquired all the key players. He pushed all the right buttons. But yet again he walked away with nothing to show for it.

I have always said I would be the happiest person if Pat Quinn were to ever write an autobiography. His career could fill volumes, though I would settle for the volume about the 1990s Canucks.

Quinn was a big, physical defenseman, and he quickly was tagged as intimidating and mean-spirited. He only played in 99 games in the blue and white, scoring just two goals while collecting 12 assists for 14 points with 183 penalty minutes. Quinn's most famous moment with the Leafs - and probably his entire playing career - came in an infamous game in which the big Irishman caught Bobby Orr, the league's best player, with his head down. Though he was tagged with a 5 minute major for elbowing, in reality the hit was clean but it devastated the superstar Bruin defenseman, knocking him out with a concussion. Needless to say Quinn made a name for himself around the entire hockey world that night!

Despite the stigma that comes from such incidents, Quinn, unlike some other players in history, was able to overcome that and prove he was a valuable hockey player and not just "the guy who clocked Bobby Orr." Perhaps that was in part due to the fact that he was moved on from the Leafs and got a chance to play a bigger role when the Vancouver Canucks claimed him in the 1970 NHL expansion draft. He played two seasons on the West Coast scoring 4 goals and collecting 14 assists.

The Atlanta Flames made the original Canuck an original Flame on June 6, 1972 when the expansion team from Georgia claimed the 6'3" 205lb native of Hamilton Ontario in their expansion draft. Quinn would go on to enjoy 5 seasons with the Flames as a steady, defensive, hard hitting blueliner.

Quinn retired in 1977 with 18 goals and 131 points in 606 games. He added an assist in 11 playoff contests.
Quinn would go on to achieve much greater fame as an NHL coach and general manager. He would twice be named the NHL's best coach. He led the Philadelphia Flyers to a record 35 games without a loss in 1979-80 and a 1st place finish before bowing out to the dynastic New York Islanders in the 1980 Stanley Cup finals.

Pat would end up in the sunny weather of Los Angeles where he brought some respectability to a very weak mid-1980s team. Each of the three seasons he was in Hollywood the Kings made the playoffs.

One of the most controversial events in hockey history occurred in December 1986. While still coaching with the Kings, Quinn, who had studied and became an astute lawyer in the few years when he was out of hockey (he has a law degree from Widener University, Delaware School of Law), signed with the Vancouver Canucks to be come their general manager and president effective the following season. In the meantime Quinn remained the coach of the Kings. The Kings of course cried bloody murder, and the NHL fined Vancouver heavily. However, after much legal hullabaloo, Quinn did end up in Vancouver the following season.

The Canucks were every bit as bad as the Kings in those days. But the mighty Quinn would build the once weak franchise into a Stanley Cup contender, only to fall one goal short in game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs. Quinn was responsible for bringing in such memorable Canucks as Trevor Linden, Pavel Bure, Kirk McLean, Jyrki Lumme, Cliff Ronning, Greg Adams and Geoff Courtnall.

Quinn was somewhat surprisingly dismissed by new ownership in Vancouver, although the team had gone downhill ever since that incredible 1994 Stanley Cup crescendo. Quinn resurfaced in Toronto and helped to bring respect back to the blue and white, the team he first broke in with 30 years earlier. Quinn had a bumpy ride with the relentless Toronto media at times, but he delivered results.

Quinn can come across as a pretty mean person at times - a trait from his old playing days. But ask anyone who's ever played for him and they'll tell you that he's the kind of coach who you will go through a brick wall for. Quinn, who is bigger than almost every player he's ever coached, commands and demands respect and hard work. In return he's extremely loyal, probably to a fault.

Such respect around the hockey world and his tremendous experience were two of the reasons why the gum chomping Quinn was selected by Wayne Gretzky to coach the 2002 version of Team Canada at the Salt Lake Olympic Games. Not yet able to hoist the Stanley Cup over his head, returning the Olympic gold medal to Canada for the first time in 50 years stand as his greatest coaching accomplishment.

All of Canada was happy for Quinn on that day, but especially fans of the 1994 Vancouver Canucks. Finally Pat Quinn had won the big game he so richly deserved. It was not the silver he had always dreamed of, but gold never looked so good.

June 11th/14th, 1994 - The Highs, The Lows

Bure-ing The Flames
- The Russian Rocket
- Captain Kirk

Shooting Down The Stars
- The Elbow
- The Mighty Pat Quinn
- Cliff Ronning: The Little Man That Could

Be-Leaf It Or Not!
- Forever A Canuck: Trevor Linden
- Greg Adams! Greg Adams!

New York: All The World Is A Stage
- The Penalty Shot
- Nathan Lafayette And That Damn Goal Post
- What A Mess!
- Doug Lidster: The Lone Ranger
- It Was A Riot!

June 15th, 2011: Looking Back At 1994