Canucks at Forty: Our Game, Our Stories, Our Passion

From the inaugural Canucks goal in 1970 and their unexpected first Stanley Cup appearance in 1982 to glory days of the West Coast Express and the captaincy of Roberto Luongo, the fans have been there all the way. Now in their 40 th year, the Vancouver Canucks are celebrating the greatest moments in their history and giving fans an inside look at their team.Filled with brilliant photographs from the team archives, Canucks at 40 features the many intriguing characters and special moments that contributed to Vancouver's first four decades in the National Hockey League. Accompanying text by veteran sports journalists Greg Douglas and Grant Kerr-as well as contributions from hockey insiders such as Jim Hughson, Ben Kuzma, Don Taylor, Iain MacIntyre, Garry Raible, and Norm Jewison-documents much of the rich history of the team, including magic moments from the past, star players and coaches, as well as Canucks goalies, legends, colourful characters, big goals and playoff runs. This epic collection of photographs and commentary from the last four decades, featuring many never-before-seen shots, will be sure to bring back memories for every Canucks fan.Stories range from Orland Kurtenbach's early leadership to the goaltending of another captain, Roberto Luongo, plus a look at the great goal scorers in team history, from Stan Smyl to Pavel Bure to Markus Naslund, along with playoff memories from two trips to the Stanley Cup final. The franchise history unfolds magnificently, including a look at the face of the team for many years, Trevor Linden. There's much more, including the manipulating that secured the talented Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik, the birth of "Towel Power" under Roger Neilson, and colourful characters like Dave "Tiger" Williams, Gino Odjik, and Jim Robson, the Foster Hewitt of the Vancouver Canucks. Canucks at 40 leads readers through the ages with unprecedented access to the organization, and first-hand comments and quotes from players, coaches, and others who were there. This is a real treasure for fans of the Canucks and of NHL hockey.