Dated June 3, 2011: I am a Canucks fan (for better or worse).

I bought my first Canucks jersey in 1992, a vintage 1990-1991 jersey that was only worn for a period of 2 years before they switched to the famous red yellow and white/black (home/away) jersey that typified their famous 1994 run. I still plan to get the famous red, yellow, black of the away jersey fame (I've never liked the white home jerseys and are glad that they were switched to the more colorful away jerseys for home use.



This particular jersey is no longer available unless you're willing to shell out hundreds of bucks for a player jersey that has been game worn. Nobody seems to be willing to acknowledge that this orange/yellow/white or black jersey was ever worn by the Canucks, but when you have guys like Igor Larionov who back in 1991 was one of the best damned Russian skaters next to Pavel Bure to put on a Canucks uniform, this jersey needs to at least be acknowledged. . And considering he became a Detroit Red Wings icon, you can be damned sure that we were stupid to let him go. But unfortunately there were financial ramifications. The Russian Ice Hockey Federation would have received fees which in that time were absolutely exhorbitant and the Canucks had no choice to let him go play International Hockey in Switzerland after his three year contract expired with the 'Nucks or pay the money. To me, he will always be Canucks #18.

There were some great memories made in that time the Canucks wore that jersey. We weren't the best team in the league, and we sure as hell didn't play .500 hockey. We would win and lose in streaks and believe me, half the time we would suffer right along with the Canucks as they won or lost according to their spotty play.

Guys like Dave Capuano, Dave Mackey, Tom Kurvers, Garth Butcher. all wore this jersey. Every Canuck from that era, despite the fact that as a team we completely sucked, were loved by Canuck fans who are old enough to remember this jersey. 1991 was also the year that we got in trade 4 cornerstones that would be a part of the Stanley Cup run of 1994, Cliff Ronning, Sergio Momesso, Robert Dirk and Geoff Courtnall and we said good-bye to Big Butch and Dan Quinn as they went to the Blues.

Most teenagers and those in their early 20s nowadays don't remember those players who wore this jersey, they wouldn't have been around, or they'd be too young to have remembered. But since I'm a crusty old 40 year old, I do remember those times. The times before the heady rush of the 1994 Stanley Cup run. Those were the times that older Canuck fans remember and give thanks today for the depth that this 2011 Cup Run team has. That's why I'm watching this team carefully this year (as I have always watched the 'Nucks) because if this is the year to do it, this is when they will. We don't have a better chance than now.