Future Canucks outdoor watch parties should look a lot different
Remember the last time the Vancouver Canucks made the playoffs?
It was just two years ago, before Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller left town and the rebuild began.
The hype in the city was off the charts to see the Canucks host playoff hockey in Vancouver for the first time in nine years. The atmosphere at Rogers Arena was incredible, both for home games and away watch parties. The players were blown away by the reception.
But we didn’t do a good job with outdoor watch parties.
After initially refusing to hold outdoor watch parties at all, the City of Vancouver caved midway through the Canucks’ second-round playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers. Outdoor screens were put up in Oak Meadows Park on the west side of Vancouver, far away from downtown and rapid transit.
It was family-friendly, but the crowds were sparse, and the screens were small. It looked really lame.
Playoffs in the Park viewing party underway for Game 4 in Oak Meadows Park. Good crowd, sunshine and good vibes rooting for our #Canucks! pic.twitter.com/py0cjhqhCg
— Sarah Kirby-Yung 楊瑞蘭 (@sarahkirby_yung) May 15, 2024
It looked nothing like Maple Leaf Square in Toronto or the Moss Pit in Edmonton. And it looked nothing like the many epic outdoor FIFA World Cup watch parties we saw in Vancouver this summer.
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We have a blueprint now.
Mayor Ken Sim noted the Stanley Cup riots when expressing his hesitation to hold watch parties in 2024. And certainly it would be senseless to open up Georgia Street to every Molotov-cocktail-carrying member of the public like we did in 2011.
But how about the PNE? The City of Vancouver was planning to host watch parties there in 2024, had the Canucks advanced to the Western Conference Final. Who knows how it would have looked.
Now that’s a watch party. (@FWC26Vancouver/X)
The new PNE amphitheatre, now known officially as the Freedom Mobile Arch, is perfect. The open-air facility has a roof to protect from rain, large screens built in, and a stage. It’s not located downtown, but that’s a good thing for anyone fearing another riot. You can also easily set up security checkpoints.
“The City is proud of the public viewing events and celebrations hosted in Vancouver during the FIFA World Cup 2026. We are now gathering information and reviewing lessons from the experience, which will help inform planning for future large-scale public events,” a City of Vancouver spokesperson told Daily Hive.
“There are no specific plans under discussion for future Canucks playoff watch parties at this time. Any future approach would be considered on an event-by-event basis, in collaboration with public safety partners and other key community and event stakeholders.”
It’s likely going to be a few years before the Canucks make the playoffs again, so there’s plenty of time to plan. Canucks ownership should kick in money, given the incredible marketing material they’ll gain from the event, to really make it a success. Get Al Murdoch and Fin on stage to whoop up the crowd, set up a pop-up shop to sell merchandise. Have ex-players sign autographs and give everyone playoff towels.
What an easy win.