By Joel Smart (Sports Editor) – Email
There is something about Vancouver that makes it the perfect storm for an obsession with hockey. Compare the message boards on each of the official NHL team websites and you might find the Canucks’ board is leaps and bounds more popular than those in most other cities. Turn your radio dial to Team 1040 and chances are good that there will be a couple of people chatting about the Canucks – if they aren’t broadcasting one of their games, that is. Maybe it’s because we don’t have a big NBA or MLB team, but for whatever reason, it is our favourite distraction here; the outcome of a game can change the collective mood of the entire city. Sure, we have more than our fair share of idiot fans, but we don’t get credit for the devoted, intelligent ones we’ve got as well. But if you pay attention long enough, you’ll start to pick up a few things about hockey that you might not have guessed if you lived somewhere else.
One amusing realization is the fact that people keep track of every possible statistic you can imagine in hockey. They are used to stretch and skew the numerous ways to apply analysis, to try and understand what just happened in the game you watched, or what will happen in the game to follow. You can even bet on them. Oh, it goes beyond how many seconds each player spent on the ice, and how many goals a team has scored against a particular goaltender. It wouldn’t be inconceivable to hear someone mention who has the best record on a Tuesday in November against the Northwest Division, when it’s raining out. Okay, maybe not the rain part.
A couple of analysts actually tallied up how many goals each player on the Canucks squad scored against teams that will likely make the playoffs this year. The point – to make a reasonable estimation of which players will be most likely to score for us come playoff time. It’s either a brilliant plan or a completely crazy one. Either way, that’s hockey in Vancouver. By the way, turns out Kesler hasn’t scored many of his goals against elite teams.
Besides the obsessive-compulsive preoccupation with counting every single thing about the game, there is another fascinating fixation amongst the hockey obsessed: routine, superstitions, omens, and prayers to the hockey gods. Yes, the game of puck can get downright religious in Vancity, and it was well exemplified in a recent TSN broadcast of an exhilarating showdown between the two top teams in the Western Conference. In the March 23 bout between the Canucks and the Red Wings, the two commentators discussed the likelihood of a Luongo shutout with about half of a period to play. For many Canuck fans, this is among the worst crimes you can commit during a game. When your favourite goalie is playing a strong game, and has successfully kept all of the pucks from crossing the goal line, you had best keep your mouth shut – if you know what’s good for you. The last thing you do is broadcast to the world that “Oh, he’s got that shutout, no problem.” Sure, the shutout taboo is silly, because chances are, it really has no effect. But wouldn’t you know it, Luongo let in a goal a few minutes later, and a significant portion of those watching were silently casting blame towards the announcers.
For some fans it goes much further. If you really want a win, wear your lucky jersey. Don’t get over confident, even with a four-goal lead, until the final buzzer. Don’t predict a score before a game. Don’t anger the hockey gods.
Hockey fans come in all shapes and sizes, and they often come with their own set of traditions and anxiety-reducing practices. Yes, other sports fans develop these afflictions as well (as well as those highly concerned about their eternal souls), but in Vancouver, these fears and prayers and mythical beliefs are part of what it means to truly love hockey.
