Vancouver Blogger Sriseth

Vancouver Canucks is the only Canadian NHL team not to win the ultimate prize of hockey, the Stanley Cup. Fans of all other Canadian cities currently having NHL teams have had the great opportunity of celebrating their team bringing the Stanley Cup home once or several times. On the other hand no Canadian team has been successful in bringing the cup home since Montreal Canadians did it in 1993. For 17 long years the cup has not returned to the land where it originated back in 1893. Canadian teams came close but each time beaten by an American team at the final series. Canucks in 1994, Flames in 2004, Oilers in 2006 and most recently Senetors in 2007. One would say that odds of a Canadian team winning the cup is only 20% since there are only 6 Canadian teams in NHL out of total 30 franshises. Still that doesn't justify the 17 year jinx.

The desperation of Canadian hockey fans in seeing the Stanley Cup returning to Canada was evident during Stanley Cup runs of Flames and Oilers in 2004 and 2006. All of Canada got together to cheer them. Many Canadian hockey fans may have their favourite Canadian players playing for Stanley Cup winning US based teams to cheer for, but it's nothing like having your own city winning the cup.

This year 3 out of 6 Canadian NHL teams made the playoffs and it is widely believed that Vancouver Canucks has the best chance out of these 3 teams to win the Stanley Cup. During the same year Canada broke the Olympic gold jinx and made it to the record books as the host of greatest Winter Games, can the same city hosted that Olympics be the place for another great sporting moment whole of Canada waiting for.

Ironically the responsibility of it falls on shoulders of the same man who carried Canada to Hockey gold, the crowning moment of the Olympic games. Vancouver captain Roberto Luongo achieved the defining moment of this career by winning the Olympic gold. But he knows until you have your name on the Stanley Cup, nothing else matters. This year he has the great opportunity of becoming the first goaltender to win both Stanley Cup and Olympic Gold in the same year at the same venue.

After establishing as a NHL team in 1970 Vancouver Canucks had ups and downs along the way during the 4 decades of its existence. Canucks have won 7 division titles including this season and made it to the Stanley Cup finals twice. First it was in 1982 during the time New York Islanders won 4 back to back titles under Al Arbour. Then it was the famous 1994; strong Canucks team led by Trevor Linden and powered by great Pavel Bure the Stanley Cup final series went for 7 games ultimately crowning Mark Messier and the Rangers. Canucks' hopes of building upon 1994 success came to a swift end when Mike Keenen and Mark Messier moved to town. The very same men who brought glory for New York made a mess here. Beloved captain Trevor Linden was traded off and the 1994 team fell apart. Next phase came around the turn of the millennium when GM Brian Burke and coach Mark Crawford slowly built up another strong team. Powered by the league's most feared offensive line with wingers Markus Nusland and Todd Bertuzzi and centre Brendan Morrison, the team developed into a strong Stanley Cup contender by 2003/04 season. But indefinite suspension of Todd Bertuzzi ended the dreams and Canucks were defeated in the first round (game 7 OT) by eventual runner up Calgary Flames.

This year is the first time since then Canucks are regarded as a strong Stanley Cup contender. Since 2004, ownership, management and coaching staff have changed; Nusland, Bertuzzi and Morrison were traded away; Canucks acquired one of the leagues best goaltenders and built a young and strong team. Besides Sedin twins and Sami Salo, it's a different Canucks team altogether. But it's a team with lot of talent and belief. With league leading  six 25+ goal scorers, Canucks are not a team with too many superstars; it's a team with right balance both in offense and defense. And with a great goaltender in Roberto Luongo, they have every chance of success in the playoffs. I'd dream of Canucks overcoming LA Kings and go onto beat Chicago and Detroit before beating defending champs Penguins at game 7 in Vancouver. That would be quite a celebration for the Vancouver fans. But there is a long way to go before that. And the quest starts now.