After a great atmosphere in the season opener, the Vancouver Canucks are seeing a lot of empty seats at Rogers Arena. It’s a sign that fans are fed up with the direction and performance of this team.
The Vancouver Canucks opened up their 2017-18 last Saturday in terrific fashion, defeating Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers in a thrilling 3-2 victory. I was there to witness it, and the atmosphere was almost playoff-like, even if a large chunk of the folks were wearing Oiler jerseys.
Three days later, I was there to watch a fairly entertaining game against the Edmonton Oilers; one in which the Canucks lost 3-2 in a shootout. As Dario Balca from CTV News pointed out, however, there were nearly 1,600 less fans at the Sens game.
Yesterday, Jason Brough of TSN gave an alarming figure of what the Canucks attendance was, while also showing what attendance looked like during warmups against the Winnipeg Jets:
Official attendance was 15,589 last night at Rogers Arena.
— Jason Brough 🙁 (@SadClubCommish) October 13, 2017
— Jason Brough 🙁 (@SadClubCommish) October 13, 2017
Per Balca, that’s the lowest Canucks attendance figures since 2001. This early in the season where Brock Boeser made his season debut? Against an exciting Winnipeg Jets team that boasts stars like Mark Scheifele and Patrik Laine? Not good.
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That’s a very bad sign for the Canucks. It appears to be yet another sign that fans are disgruntled with not only the way this team has played over the last two seasons, but the direction of this team.
After a disastrous 2014-15 season, the Toronto Maple Leafs hired Brendan Shanahan to become team president.
He told the fans that long-term pain was coming. So how did the fans react? Despite having the NHL’s most expensive ticket prices on average, the Maple Leafs sold out every home game.
Ditto for the Calgary Flames. Expensive ticket prices and poor quality on the ice didn’t stop the fans from showing up during 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15, which were rebuilding years.
The Canucks haven’t been very clear with their direction, and the empty seats are the best way fans can voice their frustrations with this team.
After firing former general manager Mike Gillis and head coach John Tortorella in 2013-14, it appeared as though the Canucks would rebuild. They missed the playoffs and went three consecutive years without winning a playoff series, after all.
But since that time, the Canucks signed veterans Ryan Miller, Radim Vrbata and Loui Eriksson. They traded Alex Burrows a few years too late and have decided to keep fading veterans Alexander Edler and the Sedins here.
Last year, president Trevor Linden said he couldn’t rebuild, since it wasn’t fair to the twins. Then this spring, he said the Canucks were “rebuilding”. So what did they do after picking in the top-five for a second straight year? Sign veterans Sam Gagner, Thomas Vanek, Michael Del Zotto and Anders Nilsson.
The Canucks frustrating play on the ice is only so responsible for a decline in attendance figures. Judging by other Canadian teams with passionate fan bases, the fans will show up if the direction is clear.
But right now, the front office is lying to themselves by trying to add more veterans in hopes that it will create a playoff team. In the NHL, you either rebuild or you’re going for the playoffs and a Stanley Cup. There is no in between.
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So unless the Vancouver Canucks A) start playing better or B) show an actual direction, it’s hard to believe the attendance figures will return to their normal state. After all, leaving seats empty is the best way for fans to show they’ve had enough.