Come For The Banter - Stay For The Disappointment
Nucks Fan Rebuild & Retool Center - Come For The Banter - Stay For The Disappointment
Anyone who pays any attention at all to the Canucks knows last year didn't exactly go as planned. Off the ice, things didn't go much better, with Sportsnet 650 closing radio stations, leaving a city of 2 million+ without a sports station. That ended a lot of Canucks-centred podcasts as well, damaging a lot of careers on the way out.
The deal that Sportsnet had with the CBC has also expired, ending free access to any televised Canucks games. Which sucks, because this season is gonna be rough, but would be easier to tolerate if we could get at least a few free games.
There will be some games on Prime Video on Wednesdays, though we don't know which ones yet. It might be all eight games, which means if you don't add Amazon Prime to your cable plan, you don't get to see 9.3% of Canucks games this year. Pay Jeff Bezos, or lose one of the things that makes life a bit more bearable. Joy.
On the plus side, the radio play-by-play will continue, apparently on Kiss Throwback 104.9. There will be audio streaming on whatever your particular player is, such as iHeartRadio or RadioPlayer. Even with video, I like the radio cast more and usually have it running when I can. Nothing against John Shorthouse, who's very good at his job, but I'm an old. Radio's how I caught all Caucks games way back when. I imprinted on it like a baby bird.
But let's move on.
Last season, I actually gave someone advice to stop watching games. He was so, SO angry at anything and everything Vancouver did on and off the ice that every game was rage-inducing. Any mistake a player made - and hockey is a game of mistakes - was proof the player was the worst to ever skate. Any announcement the team made was doomed idiocy, no matter what it was or who made it.
Why'd he still watch? Couldn't tell you. But I could tell him that he needed to back off for his own health, 'cause that just ain't good for you. This season, allow me to suggest we flip the script.
It goes without saying that optimism about the Canucks is hard to come by right now in Vancouver.
-Travis Yost
Allow me to disagree.
In a perfect world, the Canucks play reasonably well early, get good offers for their veterans, and they go into Draft Day with another top-three pick. Their kids show signs of improvement; the younger kids do well in Abby/College/CHL/etc; and plans are finalized for a four-sheet facility. HUZZAH!
While that all isn't happening, some of it certainly will. Young NHLers are going to make some mistakes, and not every prospect will pull through. Injuries happen, veterans can stumble, and lord knows what's going on with getting a practice rink. But some good times are going to happen along the way, and those are the moments we're aiming for this year.
Low bar? You bet!
A big part of what made the fan I mentioned so angry was high expectations. There were big changes, and the team decided to walk the Rebuild-on-the-Fly tightrope a little bit longer, just to see if it had an end. Unfortunately, the end they were walking toward was on fire.
This season, no one has any such illusions. Vancouver acted on their belief that this was an actual, honest-to-goodness rebuild, and the team ended the year accordingly. Ownership has finally decided that the fans aren't complete idiots and can recognize the situation they put themselves in. Hearing management say they know the team is going to suck for a little while is a nice change, really.
Bonus of knowing the good times are off in the future? Any we get now are just gravy, baby!
Still, it's gonna be a long year. Here are some ways to protect your mental health during it.
What do the coaches of bad teams do? As often as not, you'll hear them talk about a 10-game block they're focusing on. Every ten games is a new, self-contained season. Or go in 21-game quarters, two-week stretches, however you want to break it up.
Pro: No losing streak is longer than ten games.
Con: "I haven't scored in three seasons!"
Circle specific games on the calendar now, or maybe just come in when the mood strikes. Look at the boxcars the next day if you're curious about games you missed. If something made news, check out the highlights!
Pro: No carrying anger over from one game to the next.
Con: Missing miracle plays and big moments in a year where there may be few of them. Sure, Curtis Douglas only played 14 games for Vancouver, but his first career NHL goal was still a pretty big moment. Not for the season, but you can see how much the team loved it.
Narrow that focus down. You have one guy you're watching this year, and whatever anyone else does is almost irrelevant. Watch Thatcher Demko's movement whenever he gets back in net to see how comfortable he is dropping down. Look for Zeev Buium's decisions and control, and see if he takes on Filip Hronek's role as the year goes on. Spot when Elias Pettersson attacks a defending opponent. Or the first moment Luke Schenn drops 'em.
Pro: You're going to get to know that player's style, and that's pretty fun. Getting granular can help you stretch your knowledge of any subject - hockey included.
Con: Instantly regret not doing this in Physics class years ago, dammit.
Hey, I get it. The most important part of the season is coming once it's over. Moves in the offseason with whatever assets the team has managed to collect matter more for their long-term prospects, and that's what you want to see. Wake me up a month before the draft!
Pro: There's actual optimism when we're talking about prospects and players who aren't actually part of the team yet. They can't fail if they don't exist yet!
Con: Missing everything else. Like, EVERYTHING else. Big plays. Little plays. Player improvement, sure, but also the young guys finding their space. New arrivals, new departures, and what the team is turning into. That's a lot, but if the bad outweighs the good, more power to ya!
Buddy, we're here for you. Let's do this.
*Repeat as necessary
