What’s to despise, exactly?
Getting to bottom of Canucks hatred
During an appearance on Bob Mccown’s talk show — and somebody please explain the logic of having a radio show on TV — Brian Burke offered his thoughts on why the Toronto Maple Leafs are reviled in the hockey world.
“People love to hate the Toronto Maple Leafs,” opined Burkie, who was feeling it this night. “They hate the fact we’re the centre of the hockey universe. They hate the fact our fans are so loyal and wonderful. They love to hate this team.”
OK, that explains the Leafs although, somehow, their GM forgot to mention that, despite not having won so much as a participation ribbon since 1967, the Leafs still affront with their sense of self-importance.
But that also leaves the Vancouver Canucks who, if the dispatches from every other NHL city are to be believed, have supplanted the Leafs as the most hated team in hockey and are closing in on Tom Cruise, Wall Street and tax audits as the most hated thing on our planet.
That distinction might have been up in the air before last weekend’s game in Boston but, following the Canucks’ 4-3 victory, they’re clearly the kings of the dunghill.
The next question is why — and this is where things get a tad confusing.
It’s not that it’s impossible to understand why some dislike is directed the Canucks’ way. The fact is they’ve got a few players — Alex Burrows, Maxim Lapierre, Ryan Kesler — who don’t exactly play according to hockey’s timehonoured code.
True, that code — like the Bible — can mean just about anything you want it to mean, but there’s a perception that the Canucks instigate things and don’t stick around when the bill comes due for their acts.
We get that. We also get there’s a layer of institutional arrogance about the Canucks that is hard to miss.
But that no more defines this team than, say, Steve Ott defines the Dallas Stars, John Tortorella defines the New York Rangers or Matt Cooke defines the Pittsburgh Penguins.
And that’s why we’re left to wonder at the intensity of emotion aimed at the Canucks. What are we missing? Is it the players? Maybe. But let’s see. The Sedins play the game as cleanly and skilfully as any players in the league. They’re also consummate role models who are active in the community and generous with their time. Sorry, what’s to hate there?
Go down the rest of the lineup. Mason Raymond? Not exactly a controversial figure. Chris Higgins, good guy. Same with Dan Hamhuis, Alex Edler, Cody Hodgson, Jannik Hansen, Cory Schneider and so on.
So is it their style? Well, the Canucks aren’t quite the Nancys of popular imagination. Before last night’s games they were the fourth-most penalized team in the league and, here’s a good one, top 10 in the NHL in majors.
Boston, shockingly, leads with 33. The Canucks have 27, including two more last night for the goons from Griffiths Way. They were also second in the NHL in goals scored, all of which means they play an aggressive, attacking, physical game which is as entertaining as any team in the league.
Yet, as we’ve determined, they’re more hated than hairless cats. So, again, we ask why?
Now, a lot of it stems from their rivalry with the Boston Bruins, who’ve basically accused the Canucks of wanton cowardice because they don’t stand up and fight like men.
To this we can only ask, have you seen Burrows fight? Or Lapierre? They’re terrible, and to engage the Bruins at that level would be the height of lunacy.
We’d also ask how tough you have to be to pick fights you know you can win, but the Bruins are held up as keepers of the code while the Canucks are portrayed as rats. Again, we’re confused. The Canucks, in fact, don’t have a lot of the characteristics associated with hated teams. They’re not intimidating. They’re not overly physical. They don’t fight.
They do, however, have the one trait shared with those teams. They win. And that, coupled with a few players who are on every roster of every NHL team, seems to have inspired this level of virulence.
Sorry, it seems misplaced. But look at the bright side. Every great drama needs a villain. The Canucks might not make the most convincing one but, in the absence of the real thing, they’ll have to do.