NHL's Vancouver Canuck Country

Traveling to Vancouver was a last minute trip, unplanned before hand but springing to life in a quick jiffy three days before the plane soared off the runway towards it.

I knew I would be flying over to Canuck diehards, everyone from perfect strangers to members within our own family because all would be cheering madly for their home team during the second finals against the Chicago Blackhawks team. I knew I might be interrupting everyone who had arranged their time around catching each new game to come as the second round of finals continued.

His favorite "Canuck" hat was newly washed again

Assorted emblems of the Vancouver Canucks graced jerseys hanging in homes, nearby TV viewing areas to quickly don during the games, and baseball caps were on so many heads in the airport, let alone anyone else seen along my journey to my adult children and our parents. Very large flags were flapping in the wind hooked onto all moving vehicles, and huge ones were outside businesses and residential homes, even hanging off of apartment patios and on top of tall flag poles. I saw a few in large picture windows. Only in Vancouver they say....eh?

Small dilemna? How could I interrupt such things by showing up without any notice? Easy. Watch it with them...and no matter how hard I tried, that "Vancouver Canuck Diehard" age old emotion remains within me from my own experiences of sitting in row 3 behind home goalie during the 1994 NHL Vancouver Canuck game finals when they almost took the cup that year.

Though the locals would aspire to believe their team able to win the Stanley Cup, another crowd induced premium riot on the streets of Vancouver are just not a preferred behavioral repeat preference anytime soon. Imagine a riot after a hockey game! Yep, I could believe it because Vancouver loves their ice hockey and they have a very loyal following from fans around the globe.

Family friends who are currently living in Kenya,
Africa are keeping abreast of NHL ice hockey news here

As I type this up, I personally know of one such family who are dear friends (hello and love to all of you there!!) currently living a wonderful experience in Kenya, Africa, and another in the heart of Texas who have highlighted their schedules around the same hockey games. :-) woop, woop...

Even after I have been away from the area for three years now, that super exciting swell for our home team still makes me proud. (see my big grin) Yep, once the craze hits, one if forever a knowledgeable and most passionate Canuck hockey fan.

Typical of many Vancouverites on May 9th during Game 5;
Vancouver Canucks versus Chicago Blackhawks and loses 4-3 in OT

Supposedly one is supposed to adopt a more local team when relocating to another geographical location somewhere around the globe, however (and respectfully to others) we have had great difficulty supporting those nearby our new home. We did watch hopefully after hearing former Vancouver Canuck team's general manager Pat Quinn had moved to take control of the team, but no big change...at least for this year.

The girls were deeply disappointed but kept their
jerseys on looking forward to positive thoughts for
Game 6 to come on May 11th

Our sons still living at home were horrified when I, their mother, snatched every baseball cap in their possession to wash them, brighten them up a bit and get them CLEAN once more!

Vancouver Canuck hockey finals deserve clean hats!

Horrified was the emotion of the day because the question nagged them; What would they wear to watch their next Canuck final game 3 live programming? Would they be dry?

No hats were worn for Game 3 while at home, sorry boys.

Happy to say, everyone in our family becomes a wee boisterously repetitive by cheering and shouting; "Go Canucks Go"!

Sadly even though the team lost at the end of Game 5 last week on May 11th while I was present in Canuck Country, diehard fans were generally disappointed but still quite supportive. There's always next year. Great work team! Great work!