Always The Bridesmaid Never The Bride

Always The Bridesmaid Never The Bride

[paypal_donation_button]Always The Bridesmaid, Never The Bride

When the Vancouver Canucks acquired goaltender Roberto Luongo in 2006, they seemed destined to finally win their first Stanley Cup. The All-Star netminder was arguably the best in the NHL, even given the competition of similarly spectacular players like Martin Brodeur and Henrik Lundqvist. Terry Murray, his old coach with the Florida Panthers, even called him ‘the guy teams have to have to win the Stanley Cup.’ Having reached the Cup Finals twice in its history and losing both times, Vancouver pinned its championship hopes and dreams on their new star. In 2011, Vancouver again reached the Cup Finals—and, once again, fell short. In 2014, Luongo left them to return to the Panthers, having failed to bring victory home to the thirsty (and increasingly brutal) Vancouver fans. Hockey fans across North America wondered what it would take for Vancouver to win it all—a question Canucks fans had been asking for decades.

The Canucks first made the Stanley Cup Finals in the 1982 NHL post-season, their 12th season in the NHL. Though they tore through the first three rounds of the playoffs, they were swept out of the Cup Finals by the New York Islanders. Their second run at the Stanley Cup came in 1994, when they played the New York Rangers. The Canucks took the series to its fully 7 games, but ultimately fell short once again. Their only Stanley Cup Finals appearance during the Luongo era came in 2011. Again, the series was hard-fought, and it took the Boston Bruins the full 7 games to oust the Canucks.

As of this third Stanley Cup Finals loss, only the St. Louis Blues had lost three or more Stanley Cup Finals without winning at least one championship. The St. Louis Blues reached the Stanley Cup Finals their first three years in the league, from 1967-1970 (two of their losses were unlucky run-ins with the Montreal Canadiens, who dominated the league at this time). The especially unusual thing about the Canucks’ various deep post-season runs is the fact that over a decade passed between each Finals appearance. All three of the Blues’ finals rounds were played with the same core team and management. Moreover, they benefited from the NHL’s structure following the 1967 expansion that brought St. Louis into the league. The original six made up one division, and the expansion teams another, meaning St. Louis was spared from facing established teams until the final round. The Canucks, on the other hand, were completely different teams in each of their Conference Championship years. At three different points in their history, the Canucks put together a team that was arguably good enough to win the Stanley Cup—and three times, they just barely fell short.

The Canucks’ first two championship losses were arguably instances of bad luck, facing seemingly unbeatable opponents. In 1982, they came up against the New York Islanders. The Islanders dominated the NHL in the early 1980s, winning 4 consecutive Stanley Cups from 1980-1983. The Canucks were good; the Islanders were better. In 1994, the New York Rangers were the best team in the regular season going into the post-season. Their bevy of talent included several members of the late ‘80s-era Edmonton Oilers, including Mark Messier, Adam Graves, and Craig MacTavish — players who led that team to several championships. With their addition an already strong roster, the Rangers ended a 53-year Stanley Cup drought in a storied series of events that made their ultimate victory feel something like destiny.

In 2011, it was the Canucks who seemed to have fate on their side. They won the President’s Trophy during the 2010-11 NHL season and came into the playoffs with the best power play and penalty kill. Their ultimately downfall is often blamed on the Boston Bruins’ Vezina-award winning goaltender Tim Thomas, who stood up strong in the Cup Finals round, frustrating the Canucks. Vancouver’s playoff run was also riddled with penalty trouble, including a biting incident against the Bruins and other moments of poor sportsmanship that left a sour taste in the mouths of many fans.

While the team had changed between its victory attempts, many of the fans had not. The frustration in Vancouver was palpable after their 2011 near-miss. Riots broke out in the city following the loss, and though the actions may seem extreme in hindsight, the emotions are understandable. The third time, after all, is supposed to be the charm. For the 2011 Vancouver Canucks, it was just one more disappointment.