Sports

"Fire Benning" chants ring out again in Rogers Arena

by Charlie Smith on December 5th, 2021 at 10:03 AM
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      On last night's Hockey Night in Canada broadcast, Canucks fans showed their displeasure with the team in a couple of ways.

      One person in the audience threw a Canucks jersey onto the ice near the end of the team's 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

      More ominously for the Canucks front office, there were repeated chants of "Fire Benning", which were audible to anyone watching the game on TV at home.

      Play-by-play commentator John Shorthouse referred to the fans' chants without spelling out exactly what they were saying about the team's general manager, Jim Benning. And colour commentator John Garrett condemned the tossing of the jersey.

      But the reality is that a significant number of paying fans are fed up with the team's lacklustre performance. And no amount of sugar-coating in the broadcast booth will deny this reality.

      This year's edition of the Canucks are comfortably ensconced in last place in the Pacific Division with only eight wins in 25 games.

      The fans want someone to pay for this. If it's not Benning, then it will likely be off with someone else's head, perhaps head coach Travis Green.

      That's because it doesn't look good for the team when Vancouverites wake up the morning after another loss and see that #FireBenning is once again trending on Twitter.

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