What makes a Canucks fan a Canucks fan?

Puck the Media has posted a quite hilarious NHL Fan Glossary (H/T Puck Daddy for the link). Here is what they have to say about Canucks fans:

"Canucks, Vancouver. Is kind of embarrassed that the team is basically a different way of saying Canadiens. Thinks Steve Moore had it coming. Owns every one of the teams 27 different jerseys."

Okay, "had it coming" might be a tad strong, though I was quite upset by Moore's previous hit on Naslund. And, personally, I'm not at all embarrassed that Canuck means Canadian! It means we don't have to resort to putting the Canada flag on our jerseys like a certain Alberta team I can think of (anyone else think the Flames come off as a bunch of college kids travelling around Europe who try to be "cool" by rocking the maple leaf on their backpacks?).

And yeah, the team has had a veritable colour prism of jerseys over the years. All of which make appearances in the stands at games. Bonus points if you own the salmon-red third jersey from the mid-90s. Extra bonus points if you actually wear it outside the house.

Unfortunately the entry on the Canucks appears to be the second smallest after the Maple Leafs ("Cherishes the team’s most recent Stanley Cup win in “The Love Guru”"). Surely there is more that makes up the identity of Canucks fans? Here are my suggestions for further entries (some serious, some humorous):

• Still has mixed feelings about the Orca.

• Still talks about the '94 Stanley Cup run like we actually won the Cup.

• Will always hate Mike Keenan for coaching the Rangers in '94, for the way he treated Trevor Linden, and for recently coaching the Calgary Flames. And for just being Mike Keenan.
  

• Conveniently forgets that Linden is actually from Alberta and grew up a Flames fan.

• When speaking with Leafs fans will counter the "Well the Canucks have never won a Stanley Cup" argument by noting that Toronto has not won one since before the Canucks existed as an NHL franchise.

• Has thought "we have a chance this year!" every season since 2001, only to be bitterly disappointed come April/May.

• Loves Stan Smyl even if he/she never saw him play.

• Regularly contemplates what could have been in the 2003-04 season if Todd Bertuzzi hadn't, well, you know...
  

• Knows that the 7th Man banner at GM Place was really, really lame and avoids talking about it all costs.

• Is happy that Matt Cooke won a Cup, even if it wasn't with the Canucks.
  

• When complaining about Roberto Luongo having an off game, forgets that his predecessors included Felix Potvin, Dan Cloutier, Bob Essensa, Peter Skudra, Garth Snow, Arturs Irbe and Alex Auld. Upon remembering this fact, kisses the ground and thanks his/her lucky stars.

Do you have suggestions for the list? Any defining Canucks' fan characteristics you care to share? use the comments section to add suggestions to the list.

Nazzy retiring?

Unconfirmed news came today that current NY Ranger, and all-time awesome Canuck, Markus Naslund may be hanging up the skates for good. You can read the TSN report for more details, or check out Puck Daddy for a detailed explanation of how Nazzy, in his usually classy way, put the team ahead of his own interests.

In short, the Rangers would have had to pay him $2 million if they bought out his contract, which was a likely scenario given the team's cap-crunch. By retiring Naslund forgoes the $2 million but saves the Rangers valuable cap space for next season and the one after. How many pro athletes would forego that kind of cash to avoid screwing over a team with which they had only spent one season?

It is sad that Naslund did not retire a Canuck, but no doubt he expected more from himself in his new start in New York. His numbers this season were decent, but not Naslund-like: 24 goals and 22 assists for 46 points in 82 games. This continues the downward trend since his brilliant 104-point campaign in 2002-03.

Naslund will go down as one of the greatest Canucks of all-time. He holds club records for goals and points, and was peer-voted to win the Lester B. Pearson Trophy in 2003. While he wasn't the same heart-and-soul type of player as Trevor Linden and Stan Smyl, he was nonetheless an excellent captain in his own quiet way - though the burden of the 'C' did seem to be wearing on him as the seasons dragged on.

I hope, and expect, that Naslund's number will one day be hanging alongside Smyl and Linden in the rafters of GM Place. We will have to wait for the official announcement before reflecting too much further on Naslund and his impact on the Canucks organization, but here's wishing Markus all the best with his future plans.

And I can't help but wonder, if he chooses to play a season in Sweden next year, if we might see Nazzy back on GM Place ice for one last hurrah with Team Sweden at the 2010 Olympics. I have a feeling that the applause would bring down the house.