In 1994 I was 12 years young and everyone around me was going crazy. My family, teachers, and friends… everyone had caught on to “towel power” as the Vancouver Canucks battled on their epic run to Lord Stanley himself. It was the best time, and for me, my personal favourite memory of what it means to be a hockey fan. 1994 was a momentous year, and I still remember being glued to the television watching every game with my mother, especially. We cheered, we yelled, and we cried when we lost. It was a big deal. There was no such thing as “homework” on game nights, both from teachers and parents alike. Everyone had a Canuck t-shirt. At school, I remember there was an assembly at one point and the gym was packed with kids and Canuck paraphernalia. Somewhere in my parent’s home, I still have the 1994 towel that everyone waved at games (thank you sentimental hoarding genes). I have great memories of that year, and they have stayed close with me whenever people talk “hockey”. This past winter I was over at a friends house and we played a little Canucks trivia game, just for kicks. My friend and I had to start at Jersey No. 1 and list the player’s number and name of whomever wore that jersey, in numerical order. I beat him. To protect his identity and ego, he shall remain nameless 
When we lost Game 7 and all off Robson street was rioting, recovery to normal life was beginning. I went back to my life as a sixth grader, and hockey became a thing of the past. Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Devon Sawa was a much bigger deal. Hockey re-emerged in my life as soon as Todd Bertuzzi joined the team. It was an exciting time for the Canucks, and there was a glimmer of hope that along with Markus Naslund, the team would obtain reach of the Stanley Cup again. That never happened, and I drank a lot as I ditched studying for university exams in exchange for playoff drinks and bar food. Sadly, due to his Steve Moore aggressive head punching incident, lawsuits, and suspension, he left the city, and I left hockey (again).
Vancouver has always been a hockey city, but admittedly, I’ve found the Canucks hard to love in the past few years *insert unanimous boo-ing here. In the past few seasons, I would watch a game, get hyped, cheer, and then be disappointed with bad goals, reckless turnovers, and overall defeat. As a person, I don’t deal well with disappointment, and that was all the Canucks were delivering for a long time. It’s 2011, and it’s again, a great time to be a hockey fan in this city. Best goal tending in the league, top scoring twins, and the coveted President’s Trophy says it all. Hockey mania has ensued as car flags, jerseys, and seas of blue and green litter the city. Contagious campaigns such as “Believe in Blue” caught fire overnight. The green men are local celebrities, and so is the chick who decided to flash her boobs at then of Game 2 versus San Jose. It’s undoubtedly a great time to be a Vancouver Canucks fan right about now.
I get quite a bit of flack from everyone who doesn’t approve of my lacking Canuck mania. It’s okay though, because for me, hockey and the Canucks hold a very dear spot in my heart. In 1994, when I was 12 years young, I loved nothing more than Kirk McLean and Trevor Linden. Pavel Bure “The Russian Rocket” had a spot on my bedroom wall, and I’ll always know every 1994 team player and jersey number to heart. I loved the Canucks when they stayed at the Pacific Coliseum before the glitz of Rogers Arena. I loved them with all my youthful spirit I had, topped with a bag of gummy bears. There is a deep Canuck fan inside of me, and I hope this year, the same fan will resurface. I feel it, and as the road to Lord Stanley continues, even though I don’t possess the same pre-pubescent enthusiasm, I make up for it in hope and heart.
For the remainder of the playoff run, I’m going to believe in blue. And for the remainder of the playoff run, a little part of me will be 12 again.
