The Canucks finished last in their division but are bringing back the same general manager and head coach for next season. With the team not making any significant changes in leadership, it’s understandable that some fans might need a little reassurance that everything's going to be okay.
Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini sent out a letter to the team’s season ticket holders on Friday morning to thank them for their support and attempt to provide some hope for the future.
There’s a lot going on here, so I want to take some time to break this letter down.
Let’s start with what you won’t find in the letter: any mention of the Stanley Cup. In fact, Aquilini’s letter doesn’t even use the word “playoffs” or any variation of it like “postseason.”
That seems odd, right? I can’t be the only person who finds that odd.
In contrast, Jim Benning frequently mentioned the playoffs during his press conference on Friday and emphasized his belief that the team’s core group could win the Stanley Cup. It’s just odd that a letter to season ticket holders didn’t have the same emphasis. Oh well. Moving on!
“I’m writing to thank you for your support during what has been an incredibly strange, difficult year for everyone. And to explain why I’m confident you’ll see a much better Canucks team next season, and beyond.”
I’m straining hard to avoid spending this entire article correcting grammar and syntax. I frequently start sentences with conjunctions, so maybe I should leave the awkward phrasing of starting the second sentence with “and” alone. It’s just that this would work so much better if it was one sentence.
In any case, “strange” and “difficult” are appropriate descriptors for this past year. It’s obviously been a particularly weird one for the Canucks and other Canadian teams, who have not been able to have any fans in arenas all season, so selling fans on renewing their season tickets for next season has to be a priority.
“Every one of us has been impacted by the pandemic. I hope you have found the strength that our players, and our staff behind the scenes, have shown to persevere through this incredibly challenging time.”
Well, some have been impacted more than others. For instance, billionaires were affected less than the Canucks staff who were laid off en masse during the COVID-19 pandemic.
I understand Aquilini is primarily referring to the hockey operations staff here, but it feels strange to talk about the strength of staff behind the scenes when the Canucks made massive cuts to so many of their behind-the-scenes staff.
“I’m disappointed by our 2021 record, of course. We’ve spent considerable time reviewing the team and the business. Many factors were beyond our control. We have much work to do on those things we can control, with an eye to next year and beyond.”
Here’s the thing: the factors that were beyond the team’s control were also beyond the control of every team in the NHL. Every team had to contend with a flat salary cap and reduced revenues. Every team had a shortened training camp and no preseason. Every team had a condensed schedule, even if the Canucks’ schedule was more challenging than most.
“As owners, we remain committed to providing Jim and his management team with the full resources they need to take the Canucks to the next level.”
This seems to speak directly to how frugal the team appeared to be this past season. From the staff layoffs, to backloaded contracts that reduced the amount spent this season, to waiting for months to negotiate a contract extension for Travis Green, it seemed like the belt had been tightened.
Benning suggested that buyouts were on the table for clearing up cap space this offseason. Combine that with Aquilini’s declaration that he will have “full resources” and it seems like the belt has been loosened a few notches.
“I remain very confident about our future.”
That must be nice.
“We have one of the most promising group of young players in the league. Horvat, Pettersson, Hughes, Boeser, Demko, Miller — Jim, Travis, and I all believe in this core group.”
Ahem. “Group” should be plural. Ahem.
The Canucks do have the makings of a great core group. It’s a little odd to list J.T. Miller after talking about “young players” considering he’s 28 years old, which isn’t young by NHL standards. Heck, Bo Horvat is 26 and has played over 500 games — he’s not young either.
Of course, by saying that players who are much younger than I am are not “young,” I have made myself feel very, very old. Okay, Miller and Horvat can be young and promising. It’s fine. It’s fine. I’m fine.
“We have youthful talent pushing for their opportunity to contribute to the team. Höglander and Rathbone looked right at home in a Canucks uniform, and we can’t wait to see Podkolzin.”
Love the use of the umlaut (which isn’t an umlaut) in Nils Höglander’s name here. Honestly, I would put Höglander in the “young core” section rather than the “pushing for their opportunity” section — he’s that good. Of course, then Jack Rathbone might be all on his own because I'm not sure any of the Canucks’ other young players made enough of an impression.
Also, Olli Juolevi's name is pretty conspicuous in its absence.
“I’m delighted that Travis has agreed to a new contract. He’s become a better coach each year he’s been here.”
“We’ll have a high draft pick in July.”
Good thing they made the playoffs last year or the Tampa Bay Lightning would have their pick instead.
“We’ll look to strengthen the team through free agency and trades. We’ll have real competition for roster spots at training camp in September.”
This is something the Canucks say literally every year. Really, it’s less about having competition for roster spots and more about how good those players are who are competing for those spots.
I’m not sure how excited I am to see Zack MacEwen and Matthew Highmore battling for a spot in the bottom-six, but if you can bring in more talented players to compete for those spots, then baby, you’ve got a stew going.
“We’re moving our AHL team to Abbotsford, which will benefit us, and the Fraser Valley, in many ways.”
Comma overload!
Having the team’s AHL affiliate in Abbotsford is legitimately exciting, both from a hockey ops perspective and a fan perspective. It will be significantly easier to call players up from Abbotsford, just a short drive away from Vancouver, compared to Utica. It also has an international airport, which Utica lacks, so even getting players to away games will be easier.
For fans, it’s a great opportunity to see the team’s prospects in person, as well as get a great hockey experience at a cheaper ticket price than a Canucks game.
“In short, the future is bright. I know I’ve been saying that for a while now, but progress doesn’t always follow a straight line. Believe me, I’m as impatient as you are to see the Canucks return to top-tier status. Yes, it’s been a long time. But the darkest hour is just before dawn.”
Many people called out this last quote as coming from The Dark Knight, spoken by Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent, but he actually says the famous quote a little bit differently: “The night is darkest just before the dawn.” That’s an appropriate phrasing for a movie titled “The Dark Knight” but strays from the original quote by Thomas Fuller.
Perhaps it's more likely that the 61-year-old Aquilini is instead thinking of a song released when he was 20, rather than a superhero movie. That song would be “Darkest Hour is Just Before the Dawn” by Emmylou Harris, a cover of the original by Ralph Stanley.
As for progress not always following a straight line, that much is true. Progress also isn’t a guarantee. Sometimes on a roller coaster, you race downwards at a high speed so you can make it up the next hill. Other times, you race downwards because you came off the track and are about to crash.
“Please get vaccinated as soon as you can so that we can be together again at Rogers Arena in the fall. One thing we learned this year is how much our players rely on your enthusiasm — empty rinks just aren’t the same.”
I mean, get vaccinated so that everyone can be safe and healthy. But yes, also get vaccinated so businesses can open up and large gatherings can be allowed, including hockey games. As one of the people at the games in press row, I can tell you that the atmosphere was severely lacking. NHL games need fans.
“Our players know that the Canucks represent Vancouver, the Lower Mainland, and the province. So does our management group and the Aquilini family. We’re all working hard to repay your loyalty, and we’re grateful for your ongoing passion and support.”
For some fans, it’s probably more accurate that the team and the Aquilinis need to work hard to regain their loyalty. In any case, fans should be loyal to the team, not the team's billionaire owners.
At least, that’s my opinion.
