The last five years have been transition years for the Vancouver Canucks. As a result, they’ve qualified for the playoffs only once in the past five years, but have still had some memorable moments during the regular season.
You may think it’s crazy if you’re on the outside looking in, but the Vancouver Canucks have some diehard fans who support this team through thick and thin. Through all the questionable trades and free-agent signings, the Canucks have drafted well over the past five years and have begun to reap the rewards as of late.
But during those five years, there were some dark days. They’re the dark days that Canucks’ owner Francesco Aquilini believes are finally behind his team. It’s only up from here, so while you may be better off trying to get the last five years of Canucks’ hockey out of your head, let’s take a trip down memory lane and look back on the most memorable moments from the Canucks’ last five seasons.
2014-15: Horvat’s First Career Playoff Goal
This was the Canucks’ first season under current general manager Jim Benning. It’s also the last time that the Canucks qualified for the playoffs. Benning inherited a roster full of ageing veterans, many of whose deals carried no-trade clauses; and a near-empty prospect pool, with one glimmer of hope, Bo Horvat, who played his first season in the NHL in 2014-15.
More from The Canuck Way
- Which team won the Bo Horvat trade?
- What to expect from newcomers Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Räty
- Back to the future: How the skate uniforms became a regular Canucks’ feature night
- Canucks kick off 2023 with disappointing 6-2 loss to Islanders
- 2nd period penalty trouble sinks Canucks in 4-2 loss against Winnipeg
The Canucks finished second in the Pacific Division with a record of 48-29-5 under first-year NHL head coach Willie Desjardins and found themselves facing the Calgary Flames, who finished third in the Pacific that year.
Fans will remember that it was a forgettable series for the Canucks, as they were eliminated in six games by the Flames. The thing most fans probably remember from that series is how well then-rookie Micheal Ferland played against the Canucks in that series. In fact, Ferland was one of the key reasons that the Flames were able to beat the Canucks in that series.
For Canucks fans, the most positive memory from that season is watching Bo Horvat take strides into becoming the reliable centerman and leader that we now know and love today. At the time, Horvat was the Canucks’ youngest player and was soaking it all in; now, Horvat is a huge part of the new Canucks’ core, but 2014-15 was our first look at Horvat.
Horvat is one of the few players on the Canucks’ current roster with any playoff experience. In fact, he performed relatively well in those playoffs too. In six games, Horvat scored one goal, picked up four assists, and only took one penalty throughout the entire series.
It was good to see the young Horvat get that experience, and watching the jubilation on his face after scoring his first playoff goal will not only give you goosebumps, but it will also make you want to see Horvat compete in the playoffs soon. For me, Horvat’s first career playoff goal is the most memorable moment from the 2014-15 season.