If the world seems upside down right now, it isn’t because you’re a forlorn Pierre Poilievre supporter or distressed Donald Trump romantic. You must be a Vancouver sports fan.
Early May 2025 ought to be when we would be gathering feverishly to watch the Stanley Cup-contending Vancouver Canucks.
Early May 2025 also ought to be when we would be casting a trifling glance at the unlikely-to-matter Vancouver Whitecaps.
Yet here we are in the best of times, in the worst of times, a tale of two city franchises dashing in different directions, doing exactly what they ought not to be doing, disrupting their business models and fan bases. One is a new source of satisfaction, one a new source of sheepishness.
First, pinch yourself and squeeze hard, because it does not seem real that the Whitecaps are what the footie faction refers to as top of the table in Major League Soccer—the best squad, one loss in 11 games, in what the soccer seers were sure would be a sour season. Instead, it has mainly mauled the opponents, including not once but twice humiliating Lionel Messi, the world’s most accomplished player, in advancing past his Inter Miami club and into the CONCACAF final June 1.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
Skepticism was grounded: a new coach with no MLS experience was hired with only a few weeks to introduce a new system, manage a heavy schedule of league and tournament games in the early going with what we thought was a lean talent base, and deal with early injuries to his best international and Canadian players.
But Jesper Sørensen has proven a phenomenal find of immediate dividends. I mean, who does that?
Remember, the Caps are frustratingly frugal. While other teams spend as the league grows, Vancouver treats every loonie like a manhole cover. Moreover, uncertainly hovers because the team is for sale, might even be for the taking by another city.
All those apprehensions appear unfounded, at least for now.
Indeed, the Whitecaps’ for-sale sign is knocking some sense into the city, and maybe even the province, in discussing the construction of a right-sized setting at Hastings Park for its games—and presumably those of the 小蓝视频 Lions, perhaps the Vancouver Canadians or even a team at a higher level of baseball’s minor leagues.
小蓝视频 Place is a proud home, but it fills infrequently and only for overpriced rock shows—or to make a mess of Messi. Last Saturday’s game featuring the league leaders attracted fewer than 20,000.
A far-reaching strategy would be to couple a new stadium deal with the new franchise ownership deal, then route SkyTrain into Vancouver’s east side, onto the Pacific National Exhibition grounds, then over the water to the North Shore. Once done, take down rather than further double down on 小蓝视频 Place post-World Cup and, to quote our prime minister, build, build, build. 小蓝视频 Housing could make a lot out of that lot. But I digress and likely expect too much of our leaders.
Now the bad news, because what there is to say about the Canucks is that there is little nice to say.
Only 10 months ago, everything was just ducky and we were ready to contemplate an eventual championship parade one season soon. After all, the team came one blocked shot away with 17 seconds left on the clock from pushing the Edmonton Oilers into a seventh-game series overtime and pushing themselves into a possible Stanley Cup semi-final.
Now that seems a century ago—the Canucks were the first Canadian-based team eliminated from playoff contention this season—and light years from credible optimism.
To repeat myself: This wasn’t supposed to happen.
We should have seen the trouble in the off-season with the departure of key pieces through free agency, when the imports didn’t offset the exports—as Trump would say, we subsidized the others.
A protracted psychodrama among its two stud forwards contaminated the dressing room, sent JT Miller packing at a deep discount price and did nothing to spur Elias Pettersson into justifying his US$11.6 million keep.
We lost count of the injuries and ineptitude, how the Canucks would giddy up for the great teams and pratfall for the poor ones. Rumours that the team was also for sale proved false, although one of the three Aquilini brothers (Paolo) left the ownership group.
When the dust settled, the coach walked away despite the offer of a big raise. Rick Tocchet has proven a phenomenal loss of long-range dividends. I mean, who does that?
The horizon hardly entices. Goalie Thatcher Demko is alternately brilliant and brittle physically, top scorer Brock Boeser looks likely to leave in free agency with nothing in return for the nine-season investment, and otherworldly defenceman and captain Quinn Hughes is two seasons away from what the team president acknowledges could be the same flight risk. Hughes’ two brothers play in New Jersey. So, stay here? To quote the locals there: Fuhgeddaboudit.
Kirk LaPointe is a Glacier Media columnist with an extensive background in journalism. He is vice-president in the office of the chairman at Fulmer & Company.
