tinsouls:

So…that happened.

With the close of the Canucks 2013-2014 season, we are faced with some long months ahead. Things are a bit bleak. There will be no playoffs. People have and probably will be fired. Trades may happen. Trades have happened. Things are in flux. But it’s so easy to focus on the negative, which is why I present my 10 feel-good moments from this past season.

10. Mike Santorelli - Okay so his story isn’t totally positive as he was sidelined for the second half of the season with a shoulder injury, but looking back, Santorelli might have been Gillis’s best signing of the season. After a dreadful season last year netting only 2 goals while splitting time between the Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets, the Vancouver native needed a fresh start. He signed a one year 2-way deal for the league minimum $550,000. Not much was expected, but he showed up to training camp in excellent condition and impressed immediately. He went on to score 28 points in 59 games including 10 goals. It is unknown if he will re-sign next year, but with the promise he showed this year, we can only hope.

9. Canucks Visit Northern BC - The Canucks have done a great deal for the lower mainland in terms of charity and fan outreach. But they are beloved by fans all across BC. Before the season began, the Canucks took the time for a trip to the communities of Prince Rupert and Massett. Players were surprised by the reaction they received as fans lined up to greet them and welcome them into their community. They were presented with several gifts, including hand-carved paddles and the infamous Haida Hat, which became a post-game tradition. The player voted the game’s MVP wore the Haida Hat for post-game interviews. It was a nice gesture after a great team-bonding trip that showed the Canucks their influence across the province.

8. Kellain Lain’s Eventful Debut - Kellain Lain entered the record books in his first game, but not in the ways a player normally would. The rookie set a record for fastest fight to start a career at 2 seconds into the game. The infamous game began with 4th line against 4th line and when a brawl broke out, all players were ejected including poor Lain whose parents flew out to watch their son play his first game, which lasted 2 seconds. What followed was an outpouring from Canucks fans as well as John Tortorella for putting him in that position, but that’s not what makes this a positive moment. Only a few nights later, Lain was back in the line-up and his game lasted much longer and included his first NHL goal on his first NHL shot. It was a nice piece of a redemption for the hulking forward, and made his first few games certainly memorable.

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