issue 1// vol 47

Three takeaways from the Canucks playoff run this year

» What is the future of our Vancouver hockey team?

Mo Hussain Sports Reporter

Wwe the Vancouver Canucks falling short in this year’s playoffs due to

a heartbreaking game seven loss against the Las Vegas Golden Knights, many are speculating about where the team might be headed. Here are three important points to keep in mind with the Canucks moving forward:

Thatcher... Demko Prior to Demko’s first start in game five of the series against Las Vegas, many believed that the Canucks would continue to roll with all-star veteran goalie Jacob Markstrom the following season as many thought Demko still needed time to develop into a starting goaltender. However, after stopping 128 of 130 shots and averaging a 0.64 goals against average in the three pivotal games against the Golden Knights, it’s safe to say Demko has shown he is capable of stepping up to the plate much sooner than expected. The Canucks front office must now decide on whether or not to go all inon the rising 24-year old netminder next year, or opt to resign Markstrom who just played the last season of his contract and head into next year with the same goaltending strategy.

Resilience

Prior to this year, the Canucks often found

themselves in vulnerable positions where

they were unable to get far in the playoffs. In 2012, the Canucks fell short to the

Los Angeles Kings in game five of the first

y

round. The following year they were swept by the San Jose Sharks in the first round as well. In 2015, the Canucks also could not get past the first round of the playoffs as they lost to the series to the Calgary Flames four to two series victory.

Photo by Luke Lawreszuk on Flickr

Professional sports are a psychologically essential industry

» COVID-19 shutting down sports games shows how much people need them

Mo Hussain Sports Reporter

f there is something I have learned

since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s that the return of live professional sports proved to be much needed. So much so that I would argue professional sports should be classified as a “psychologically essential industry.’

Although sports do not provide essential goods or services needed for our survival, what many of those who don’t keep up with professional sports don't understand is that sports bring fans a kind of experience that is incomparable to any other form of entertainment.

Unlike keeping up with your favorite TV show or waiting for part two of your favourite movie series, sports games don’t have a “series finale” or a “final chapter.’ Sports has pretty consistently delivered its viewers a new year long season every single year for decades.

Fans have had players and coaches participate in their final games which is somewhat of a “season finale,” but fans still keep in mind that they can get together with their friends and family to enjoy

watching their favorite team the following season as they know their favorite TV series’ is going to continue.

The concurrent viewing experience of sports is also an important aspect. Whether youre a multimillionaire watching from your Coal Harbour penthouse or a low- income family who has to watch ona small screen, when the game kicks off, everyone is united by watching the same game. There aren’t any “spoilers” or “leaks.” The live, raw, and unpredictable nature of sport keeps all its fans at the edge of their seats.

To some extent, there is also a unique personal connection that sports fans feel with their favorite players and teams. After all, it’s not like what fans are watching is choreographed. Fans have been immersed with both the highs and lows of their favorite teams and players which can lead toa bond and a connection fans can feel. The experience is one full of rewarding emotions.

So, when fans who have been keeping up with their favorite teams for 10, 20,

30, 40 or more years have that type of entertainment pulled out from under them, finding an alternative escape to fill in that missing gap can be difficult.

rm

For many, sports provide an escape; an escape from work, school, personal issues, and so forth. For those folks, watching their favorite team climb up the ranks may be the only thing they look forward to and can give them joy with all the chaos surrounding their everyday lives.

sports // no. 7

This year was much different however, as the team not only managed to knock off the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues in the first round, but they managed to bring their second round series against Las Vegas to game seven after being down three to one.

That kind of experience can help shift the team’s playoff morale moving forward and can give them the confidence to potentially set the bar even higher next year.

The rebuild is officially over...

The most important overall takeaway from this season is that the Canucks are officially over the rebuilding process. Young players like Bo Horvat, Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Quinn Hughes, and Thatcher Demko are no longer prospects that the team is waiting for to develop after having put on the kind of performance they put on this year. This season showed that the Canucks’ young players are capable of leading this team and of posing a credible threat to arguably any other team in the league if they continue to grow and play at their best.

If the Canucks front office can somehow manage to keep their core group of young stars together for the foreseeable future and adjust key areas on the team that would compliment their game, who knows what the ceiling is for the Canucks in the coming years?

Particularly in unprecedented times like these where people are losing their loved ones, livelihoods, social life, and sanity, being immersed in watching your favourite team for a moment can lift some of the weight off your shoulders.