The Vancouver Canucks announced earlier in the summer that the team would be celebrating the 20th anniversary of Rogers Arena during the upcoming 2015-16 season.
For people like me that have followed this team since the beginning, it's mind-blowing to realize that nearly half of the Canucks' 46-year history has now been housed at the new downtown arena.
I lived on the edge of downtown when Arthur Griffiths first announced his ambitious plans to build the arena and bring an NBA team to Vancouver, and literally watched the arena go up from my living-room window.
Couldn't beat that five-minute commute on foot when the Canucks started their 1995-96 season full of hope and promise, but my family gave up our season tickets after the team hit bottom in 1998-99, finishing 26th in a 27-team league with a dismal 58 points in Year 2 of the Mark Messier era.
I do have fond memories of the hoopla surrounding the arena's opening. I've been to plenty of concerts there and also saw the Juno Awards, figure skating, the Harlem Globetrotters—I even had Grizzlies "Jam Paks" for a couple of seasons and got to see Shaq and Jordan in action when the Bulls and the Lakers ruled the NBA.
Last week, the Canucks released the full schedule of their #20in20 events for the upcoming season.
Click here to take a look.
Here are the highlights that stand out for me:
Opening Night - October 10 vs. Calgary
Rockin' the Rog - October 16 vs. St. Louis - A review of the standout musical moments. I'm hoping it'll help me decide my favourite concert that I've seen at Rogers Arena. Off the top of my head right now, I'm remembering the Red Hot Chili Peppers with Foo Fighters opening and Lenny Kravitz with Pink opening—she was a great surprise at that stage of her career.
Grizzlies Night - November 2 vs. Philadelphia - Will they bring back some Grizzlies alums from that inaugural team to join the celebration?
West Coast Express Night - December 2 vs. Buffalo - Were Naslund, Bertuzzi and Morrison the only line in Canucks history to get a proper name that stuck? The only other one I can think of was the Sedins' "Mattress Line."
Forever Canucks - December 28 vs. Los Angeles - I'm not sure I'm exactly "looking forward" to this, but it'll be an emotional night, paying tribute to those who left us too soon.
The Olympic Journey - January 11 vs. Florida - This could be one of the most fun nights of the year, paying tribute to Team Canada's gold medal-winning effort at the 2010 Olympics with Roberto Luongo in the house.
Heavy Hitters - February 4 vs. Columbus - I enjoyed the tough-guy tribute very much during the 40th anniversary celebration in 2010-11. I wonder if the line brawl from the Torts year will get screen time?
'95 Retro Night - February 13 vs. Toronto - We already knew about this one: the return of the black skate jersey as part of the tribute to the Canucks' first season at the new arena.
Canucks Cult Classic - March 1 vs. NY Islanders - This should be fun. "Vote for Rory, The Brabarian and a goalie named Chris among the characters that captured our imagination."
All told, it'll be fun to have an overriding theme to the season, with special guests and surprises for the fans.
I'm not saying they're poised to match these accomplishments, but the Canucks captured lightning in a bottle in the year of their 40th Anniversary celebrations in 2010-11, winning their first Presidents' Trophy and coming within one game of the big prize. I think it's a great move for management to try to recreate that vibe as much as possible next season, independently of how things are going on the ice.
Willie Desjardins Has Never Missed the Playoffs
I'm normally leery of Canucks analysis by national writers, but Josh Cooper's season preview at Puck Daddy earlier this week is even-handed and quite insightful.
Click here to take a look.
Cooper was a long-time beat reporter for the Nashville Predators who's now based in Los Angeles, so he knows his way around the Western Conference.
He overlooks the fact that Eddie Lack was traded because the Canucks are expecting Jacob Markstrom to be an upgrade next season, but he makes a couple of points that I found quite interesting.
Firstly, "Desjardins has never missed the playoffs in a full year as a head coach between Major Junior. The AHL and the NHL. This includes three championships of some sort."
After fans grew frustrated with Willie's slow adjustments to his matchups during the playoffs, this is a good reminder that the "real good" coach has been a winner everywhere he has worked. There was plenty of evidence that he was learning has he went along during the regular season last year, so he may have more tricks up his sleeve as he starts his second full NHL campaign as bench boss.
Also, after complimenting the Sedins and their chemistry with Radim Vrbata, Cooper suggests that "With so many teams having turned over players this season, Vancouver’s first line should get off to a roaring start in comparison to the rest of the Western Conference."
Given the Canucks' tough schedule through the first part of the season, they'll need a good start from the twins if they want to deliver on Cooper's overall prediction:
Desjardins does what he always does – makes the playoffs. The Canucks will win a round this year, but will get trounced in the second-round. They have the veterans to get you into the playoffs, but they don’t have the young depth – outside of Horvat – to go deep into the postseason.
Not what you want to hear if you're part of the fanbase that craves high draft choices.
I'm more of a believer that good players can be found anywhere, as long as teams draft and develop well, so I'm happy to see someone project the Canucks to finish higher than sixth in the Pacific Division.
I want the Canucks to make the playoffs this year so that we can see whether or not Jim Benning's personnel adjustments really do amount to a team that's better equipped to compete in the postseason.
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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