Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks: a Pacific Division team that joined the NHL in 1970 and has reached the Stanley Cup Final three times.

The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. The Canucks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Rogers Arena. Manny Malhotra is the head coach, Ryan Johnson is the general manager, and Daniel and Henrik Sedin serve as the co-presidents of hockey operations.

Quick Facts

Division: Pacific Division
First meeting: 2021-2022 NHL Season
Status: Active

Lore & Background

The Canucks joined the league in 1970 as an expansion team along with the Buffalo Sabres. The team has advanced to the Stanley Cup Final three times, losing to the New York Islanders in 1982, the New York Rangers in 1994 and the Boston Bruins in 2011. They have won the Presidents' Trophy in back-to-back seasons as the team with the league's best regular season record in both the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons. The Canucks have won three division titles as a member of the Smythe Division from 1974 to 1993, seven titles as a member of the Northwest Division from 1998 to 2013, and one title as a member of the Pacific Division in 2024. The Canucks, along with the Sabres, are the two oldest teams in the NHL to have never won the Stanley Cup.

Reader's Guide

The Canucks have retired six players' jerseys in their history—Pavel Bure (10), Stan Smyl (12), Trevor Linden (16), Markus Naslund (19), Daniel Sedin (22) and Henrik Sedin (33); all but Bure and Daniel Sedin have served as team captain, and all but Naslund were on one of the three Stanley Cup Final rosters. Smyl has the distinction of being the only Canuck to have his jersey number retired at their original arena, the Pacific Coliseum.

Did You Know?

The first professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver was the Vancouver Millionaires, formed by Frank and Lester Patrick in 1911.
The Millionaires won the Stanley Cup in 1915 over the Ottawa Senators, the first time the Cup was won by a West Coast team.
The Canucks' minor league predecessor (also known as the Vancouver Canucks) played from 1945 to 1970 in the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Hockey League.
The Canucks were awarded an NHL expansion franchise for the 1970–71 season for $6 million.
Defenceman Barry Wilkins scored the first goal in Canucks history in their inaugural game on October 9, 1970.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did the two franchises first meet on the ice?

The two teams played their inaugural game against each other during the 2021-2022 NHL Season. This marked the beginning of their competitive history in the Western Conference.

Are both teams currently in the same NHL division?

Yes, both the Seattle Kraken and Vancouver Canucks compete within the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. This ensures they face each other frequently throughout every regular season.