Vancouver Canucks where are they now: Aaron Rome

Aaron Rome was only with the Vancouver Canucks for a brief period of time, but in his short stint — he became infamous for one of the most series-changing events in Canucks history.

Aaron Rome spent four seasons on the west coast and made himself a fixture on the bottom defensive pairing. He was part of the grit which helped the Vancouver Canucks go far in the playoffs, and push them through gruelling, Presidents Trophy winning seasons.

Never in his career was Rome known for his offensive prowess. In 148 games for the blue and green, Rome notched 19 points. Most of the time, fans would not remember a player with such dismal stats. However, it was not his skill or offensive prowess which enraged him into Vancouver hockey folklore.

In game three of the 2011 Stanley cup finals against the Boston Bruins, the Canucks were trailing and Rome decided to take matters into his own hands to reinvigorate an uninspiring Vancouver performance — in the worst way possible.

In the middle of the ice, Aaron Rome bashed Bruin’s forward Nathan Horton with a late and high hit, ending the forwards season, and preventing him from being the player he was ever again. The hit, unarguably changed the whole series and shifted the momentum into Boston’s favour.

The exact opposite of the intentions. The Bruins went on to win games three and four at home, and used Horton’s injury as their inspiration to win the Stanley Cup. On the play, Rome was assessed a match penalty, and was later suspended for the remainder of the series.

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Rome spent his junior career in the WHL playing for Saskatoon Blades, the Kootenay Ice, the Swift Current Broncos and the Moose Jaw Warriors, before he was drafted by the LA Kings in the fourth round of the 2004 entry draft.

Never signed by the Kings, Rome would finish his eligible time in junior before signing with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim organization. He would play four seasons in the Ducks system, however he only played one NHL game for them in 2007.

Failing to find a home in California, he ventured to Columbus where he finally began his NHL career. He was a floater, spending time in both the minors and the NHL, although he spent two years with the Blue Jackets organization before moving on to Vancouver.

Upon his signing with Vancouver, many questioned the acquisition, as he was not the type of player that jibed with the Canucks roster at the time. He turned out to be a very valuable player for the Canucks, up until game three of the finals.

After his suspension, Rome had one more season under contract in Vancouver. However, he would only play a handful of games due to a hand injury he sustained prior to the season.

When his contract expired in Vancouver, the Canucks were quick to let one of the most infamous players walk for free. He signed a deal with the Dallas Stars and played parts of two seasons with their organization. He was forced to retire from playing after his contract came to an end and a hip injury prevented him from skating. He sued the NHL in 2014 to pay for his ailing hip, but nothing came of that. He did earn himself a tryout with the Detroit Red Wings in an attempted comeback, but it never materialized.

While he was in Vancouver, he met his girlfriend and now wife Adrianne. The two had a son named Grayson, who is yet to begin to play hockey. Following his retirement from playing, Rome took a few years away from the game to enjoy family and de-stress.

Now he and his family live in Brandon, Manitoba and he has taken on a coaching position with the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings. His role with the Wheat Kings is very intriguing, he is a skills coach; not something you would expect from someone who made their name in the game as an enforcer and only scored six NHL goals.

The Rome family has always enjoyed the small-town life, Aaron was born in Nesbit — a town of approximately 30 citizens, and he spent a lot of his life in major NHL cities. This makes Brandon the perfect place for him and his family. Not too big, not too small, but just right.

Rome is solely responsible for one of the most infamous events in Canucks history, and some may even blame him for the Stanley Cup finals loss in 2011. Nevertheless, he established himself as a consistent NHLer and you have to be pretty darn good to play any part in a Stanley Cup Final.