The Canuck Monkey – A Brief History (Uhhh, maybe not *so* brief.)

I’m not overly superstitious. I don’t get squirrelly going under open ladders or on Friday the 13th (check your calendar). ;-) I have 2 black cats (okay, okay so one has white mittens and a small white patch on his chest and a spot of white on his nose) that cross my path a million times a day, in an attempt, I am convinced, to kill or at the very least seriously maim me but that’s not superstition; they’re just inherently evil creatures at times.

But then there is the Canuck Monkey.

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I have been a fan of the NHL Vancouver Canucks ever since my dad took me to my first hockey game when I was 6 or 7. Okay, so I went to games before that (Western Hockey League) but I became a fan of the Canucks when they first entered the league in 1970. Let me tell ya, it’s been a long haul of peaks and valleys, mostly valleys, during my tenure as a Canucks fan.

In 1985 I began what I always considered my dream job (or rather my dream employer), working in the front office of the Vancouver Canucks. Many days, the job sucked (Receptionist) especially since those were probably three of the worst seasons in franchise history (85-88) and at times the fans were downright owly when they called in, but I was such a huge fan that it always felt a privilege to work there, and yes if the right job came along with the organization today, I’d probably jump at the chance. I left with great memories in the Summer of 1988, alas seasons tickets and memberships in private restaurants run by the Canucks, while very cool, didn’t pay the bills.

During the three seasons I was there, a lot of players came into the office like Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe, as well as some of my childhood Canucks heroes like Andre Boudrias (a.k.a. Super-pest) and Bobby Lalonde (I almost hyperventilated the day Lalonde came into the office). One of the best bosses I’ve ever had in my entire working life was during my time at the Canucks - Brian Burke. He went on to be an Executive in the NHL’s front office and currently is the GM and Exec VP of the Anaheim Ducks. He could be blunt at times and very much to the point, but you always knew where you stood with him and he genuinely cared about his staff and the city of Vancouver; I will always have the utmost respect for him.

To this day, I am convinced that I had a little something to do with bringing my all time favourite Canuck #16 Trevor Linden to Vancouver (at least that’s what I like to think). ;-) He and Mike Modano (currently playing with the Dallas Stars) were among the top prospects in the 1988 Entry Draft and Canucks management brought the top 3 prospects to the office for pre-draft interviews. I met both Modano and Linden and instantly liked Linden; Modano seemed too cocky for my taste and already too big for his britches at the age of 18. If I recall correctly, the NHL Entry Draft that year took place in Toronto and I was lucky enough to be able to sit in the press box at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver watching it on TV with other staff and members of the local media. Canucks had the 2nd pick and the Minnesota North Stars (who eventually became the Dallas Stars) had 1st pick overall. I held my breath as the draft began hoping upon hope that the Stars would choose Modano, and sure enough they did. I was so excited cuz I knew that meant the Canucks would pick Linden, and as I sat there in the Canucks press box next to Brooke Ward, then a reporter with one of the local radio stations, who asked me who I thought the Canucks would pick, I could only look at him with a sheepish smile - no, I was not privy to any decision making process by Canucks management of course - but in my gut, I just knew Linden would become a Vancouver Canuck that day.

Oh ya, this is a story about the Canuck Monkey.

At one point during my time with the Canucks, my mom made a little sock monkey, and knitted the then colours of the Canucks (the hideously red and golden-yellow uniforms that to this day still give Canucks fans nightmares). While the real uniforms had the even more hideous V’s down the front, my mom couldn’t bring herself to include them, so we just sewed a patch of the Canucks logo onto the front of the monkey’s jersey. She knitted hockey pants and a cap as well, and voila - the Canuck Monkey was born!

Ever since then, I cannot go through a Canucks playoff season without my Canuck Monkey. He’s unnamed officially, although in more anxious times I call him Jack since without his little knitted hat, he reminds me of Jack Gordon, a former Canucks General Manager, who had a rather round yet pointed bald head. In 1994 Jack the Monkey was instrumental, I believe, in pushing the Canucks to the Stanley Cup Finals against Mark “Fish Face” Messier and the New York Rangers. We lost that series in 7 games (I had the opportunity to attend Game 4, which was a thrill) but to me it was one of the most exciting playoff series and playoff runs I can remember. (I still playback the video of Game 6 of that series!) ;-)

After missing the playoffs last year, the Canucks enter the 2006-2007 post-season with their best showing after Christmas (usually they fade somewhat after the holidays), having collected the most points in franchise history and doing it, in all deference to the Gary Smith’s, Richard Brodeur’s and Kirk McLean’s who were all great former Canucks goalies, with arguably one of the best goalies in franchise history, if not the best goalie currently in the league, Roberto Luongo. La La La Luongo. Ironically, Mike Modano (playing for the Dallas Stars) and my beloved Trevor Linden, who as I mentioned earlier faced off as draft prospects back in 1988, meet again in this first round series, and if last night’s quadruple overtime game is any indication, it’s gonna be a long, hard-fought series, hopefully with my Canucks prevailing. And the Canuck Monkey, with his toes and arms crossed for good luck (and because he’s been like that for 2 years, I’m almost afraid to untwist him now) will be with me through every nail-biting moment.

Interestingly enough the Canucks first appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals happened in 1982 against the NY Islanders. Twelve years later, in 1994, they returned to the Finals and went 7 games against the NY Rangers. While it’s now been 13 years since the Vancouver Canucks have made an appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals, superstitious Vancouver fans will insist that it’s actually been only 12 years since NHL players were locked out for the entire 2004-2005 season.

Hmmm….12 years between 1982 and 1994 and now some would say it’s been 12 years between 1994 and 2007….hmmmm. Will they make it to the Finals this year then?

Why I felt compelled to cover Jack’s eyes as I wrote that last sentence, I’m not sure. I mean, I’m not overly superstitious, right??? :-)

GO CANUCKS GO!

Sly