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Canucks News: Rebuild a Tough Sell, Fans Must See Big Picture

By Janik Beichler

Jun 24, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; Olli Juolevi poses for a photo after being selected as the number five overall draft pick by the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft at the First Niagra Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 24, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; Olli Juolevi poses for a photo after being selected as the number five overall draft pick by the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft at the First Niagra Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports /
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A rebuild is exactly what Vancouver Canucks fans have wanted for a long time. But now that it’s coming, tickets are a tough sell.

For the Vancouver Canucks, losing games seems like the best plan for the rest of the season and probably for next year as well. In the long term, that will lead to high draft picks and a stronger prospect pool. For fans, however, losing hockey is totally unattractive.

Thankfully, there is a way to get a little bit of both: losing games, but playing exciting hockey in the process.

Season Tickets a Tough Sell

Derrick Penner (Vancouver Sun) — Canucks season tickets a tough sell as NHL team struggles

"In the halcyon days, when they finished first in the NHL regular season two years in a row and went to the Cup final in 2011, the team had to cap season tickets at about 17,000, with a waiting list that stretched to 6,000.It was an enviable position, Mayenknecht said, with season-ticket-renewal rates running about 98 per cent, with the 150 or so lost sales easily replaceable from the waiting list.That season-ticket base has fallen. Renewals were down about 15 per cent last year, said team executive Jeff Stipec, though he wouldn’t be specific about the number of how much lower."

It’s kind of funny how fans are the ones calling for a rebuild — and, in a way, losses — but once the losses come, they stop visiting Rogers Arena. That process is totally normal, though.

When fans ask for a rebuild or even use the term ‘tanking’, they don’t really want the team to lose. What they want is an exciting future, because the present is everything but.

At times this season, the Canucks have been truly painful to watch. Low-event hockey with few Canucks scoring chances and, most of the time, losses. Those games weren’t fun to watch, so why spend hundreds of dollars on a single ticket?

Related Story: Jonathan Dahlen Brings Instant Excitement

Luckily, rebuilds can be exciting, even when the team is losing. Once the Canucks start playing their prospects — and I am talking about guys like Brock Boeser, not Reid Boucher — their games will instantly be more exciting.

Just take a look at the Edmonton Oilers. In recent years, they haven’t been too successful. But throughout their difficult years, they had players like Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid. All young guys who were exciting to watch.

The Canucks currently have Bo Horvat as their “exciting star player”, but that isn’t nearly enough.

If Vancouver manages to form a young, exciting team, fans won’t care about the results as much as they do right now. But today, Canucks hockey can really be painful to watch, so it’s no surprise that people aren’t willing to buy season tickets.

Seeing the Big Picture

Ed Willes (The Province) — Willes’ Musings: Canucks fans must see big picture, even if it’s ugly right now

"It’s hard to see the big picture when there’s an ugly, little picture in front of you, but if you can focus long enough, you’ll realize this season has been a win for the Canucks."

This obviously has a strong relation with ticket sales. Canucks hockey this season is that “ugly, little picture in front of you”. But if you are willing to look past that, you will see a big picture of hope.

When you look past Jayson Megna, Michael Chaput, Joseph Cramarossa, Drew Shore and Jack Skille, you can find Brock Boeser, Olli Juolevi, Thatcher Demko, Jonathan Dahlen, Jake Virtanen and Adam Gaudette. Plus, the Canucks already have Bo Horvat, Sven Baertschi, Markus Granlund, Nikolay Goldobin, Troy Stecher, Nikita Tryamkin and Ben Hutton.

Looking even further ahead, you will see a high-end prospect like Nico Hischier, Gabriel Vilardi or Casey Mittelstadt.

There is no doubt that things might get even worse for the Canucks before they start getting better. But, they will get better, and it might not take that long.

Next: Canucks Are Closer to Stanley Cup Than You Think

By 2019-2020, which is just two years from now, the aforementioned players will build the club’s new core. In addition, prospects selected in the 2017 and 2018 drafts might be ready to make the jump.

Canucks hockey is ugly. But it’s bound to get better soon.

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