This is an obvious choice for the top spot among the most tortured fan bases in the NHL right now. The Vancouver Canucks have a strong fan base, despite what type of success they’re having. In their nearly 50 year history, the Canucks had some good stretches of positive times.
However, the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, which resulted in a series defeat to Zdeno Chara and the Boston Bruins, is a microcosm of life as a Canucks fan. Vancouver has three berths in the Stanley Cup Finals, none of which they came up victorious.
These struggles in the Cup Finals put a lot of pressure on the front office to keep the success going. Vancouver’s overall level of talent and competitiveness saw a decline in the past few years. Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin are still part of the team, but they’re getting older and will soon retire.
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There is an injection of good young forwards for the Canucks right now that can lead them to a brighter future. Players like Bo Horvat and 2018 NHL All-Star Game MVP Brock Boeser highlight the main source of hope for the Canucks.