White towels rekindle memories of when Canucks exceeded playoff expectations

by Charlie Smith on April 17th, 2015 at 9:35 AM

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Here's one thing I've noticed about this year's playoffs.

The Vancouver Canucks are keen to invoke the nostalgia of their trips to the finals in 1982 and 1994.

During Game 1 at Rogers Arena, there were plenty of images flashed on the Jumbotron of King Richard (Brodeur), Harold Snepsts, Cliff Ronning, Tiger Williams, and other Canucks legends from bygone eras.

Curiously, there was no video of the Canucks playing the Boston Bruins in the 2011 Stanley Cup final. Of course, that might be because some players on this year's squad endured that devastating loss and witnessed the ensuing riot in our town. The Sedins, Kevin Bieksa, Alex Edler, and Alex Burrows probably don't need any reminder of that.

As virtually every Canuck fan knows, the white-towel tradition began during the 1982 run when coach Roger Nielsen waved one on top of a hockey stick to signal his disapproval with the refereeing. The fans responded in later games, waving their own towels to cheer on the team of underdogs.

Now, these towels are laid out on every seat in advance of playoff games by Canucks staff, including team president Trevor Linden.

It's not as spontaneous as in 1982, but it still makes for entertaining images on TV whenever the Canucks score a goal.