ANALYSIS | Canucks In The 2024 Playoffs: Pure Luck Or Skill?
Photo Credit: Shaan Sandhu
Disclosure : Mr. A. Wightman is The Griffins’ Nest’s teacher sponsor.
After a successful season and Pacific Division run, the Canucks made it to the playoffs for first time since the Covid shortened 2020 season. Their last appearance prior to 2020 was in 2015. Although they won the first round of the playoffs against the Nashville Predators, the team was knocked out of the playoffs in the second round against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7. Fans were left disappointed and began to question if the Canucks’ success this year was merely luck rather than skill.
The team finished the 2023–2024 season with a 50–23–9 (win–loss–overtime loss) record and finished first in the Pacific Division. The team’s success this season shocked many fans as the team’s record ending the 2022–2023 season was 38–37–7.
With the Canucks hosting their first-ever playoff game since 2015, their success led to huge growth in their fanbase. The Canucks had their first watch party in late April at Rogers Arena, where fans could watch the game on the jumbotron with live music during the intermissions. Fans were given 2024 Canucks playoff towels to wave around in support, creating an atmosphere similar to a live playoff game.
After seeing a high interest in viewing party tickets, prices increased and tickets sold out quickly. During Game 6 against the Edmonton Oilers, all 18,500 watch party tickets were sold out within an hour, according to Daily Hive.
Vancouver also hosted a free, family-friendly public viewing area for the playoffs in Oak Meadows. Hundreds of fans gathered and enjoyed the away and home games. Similar to Rogers Arena, the viewing area was buzzing with energy.
"The playoffs are all about bringing people together,” said Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim in a statement. “Whether you’re a die-hard fan or getting swept up in the Canucks spirit for the first time, head to Oak Meadows, pull up a chair with your neighbours, and cheer on the Canucks to victory while creating fun memories with friends and family.”
Viewing parties began late in the playoff run to avoid a repeat of the 1994 and 2011 playoffs when havoc erupted across the city when the Canucks lost.
Hamberite Rebecca Barrett (10) attended these viewing parties and commented on the atmosphere created by the fans. “It’s kind of a new experience for Vancouver since they haven’t been in the playoffs for a few years so I was glad to see everyone get the hype over it.”
Despite several highlights, the Canucks faced a few hiccups during the playoffs. Fans were not pleased with star player Elias Petterson’s performance and felt that his $11.6 million contract was unfair compared to the skills of other players on the team, putting up only 6 points over 13 playoff games.
Unbeknownst to the public, however, the formerly consistent player had been dealing with tendinitis since January, according to Coach Rick Tocchet in an interview. Tendinitis occurs when a tendon is inflamed and gets worse as time progresses, according to Mayo Clinic. This can affect a player’s skating and shooting accuracy, which fans noticed in Pettersson before the season ended and as the playoffs were underway.
Fans like Mr. A. Wightman (Social Studies) believe that Pettersson faces a lot of pressure to do well next season, especially given how much his contract is worth. “If he can raise his game, then we will have a good team. If he can’t then there’s a serious $11.5 million issue we are facing.”
Preparation for next season means signing and re-signing players for the Canucks. Nine current players are set to become Unrestricted Free Agents (UFAs), meaning that the Canucks fans may not be seeing them playing for the team next year.
Goaltending is a large question facing the Canucks heading into the offseason. After Arturs Silovs took over in the net after Casey DeSmith got injured, Silovs out performed DeSmith. Given that both the goalies are free agents, it leaves the Canucks with an important decision about which goalie to keep as the backup. Many Hamber students, like Nicholas Vranakis (11), believe that Silovs was a key player in the playoffs. “If it wasn’t for him, we would've been out much, much earlier,” he said.
Despite their hopes and expectations, the Canucks must prepare themselves for what lies ahead next year. “The expectations are always raised in Vancouver, and I don't think that the fan base would accept not getting into the playoffs next year,” Mr. D. Mugford (English) said. “The Canucks’ success truly comes down to management.”
Due to the lack of support from fans, Barrett predicts a rocky season for the Canucks. “In the series against the Oilers, no one really thought they would do well … everyone thought they would get swept, but they still played a good fight.”
Mr. Mugford believes there isn’t a lot of pressure for the team next year and that they have a good chance of making the playoffs because of their coach Rick Tocchet. “He is quite progressive in the way that he deals with the players,” he said, “so I think that's a big part of it, considering some of [the] coaches we've had in the past.”