Outdoor viewing parties could return when Canucks make playoffs again

Jun 3 2022, 2:00 pm

Outdoor viewing parties are becoming a staple for NHL teams in Canada and the United States during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Toronto has them. So do Edmonton and Calgary.

And one day, maybe Vancouver again?

If you lived in Vancouver in 2011, you’re surely now getting flashbacks of the Stanley Cup riot — but hear me out.

We haven’t seen a mass outdoor viewing party for Canucks games since Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, despite the team making the playoffs in 2012, 2013, and 2015. The City of Vancouver even shut down the idea of holding a Raptors viewing party during their championship run in 2019.

Viewing parties in 2011 didn’t begin until the Western Conference Final, but nowadays, teams begin holding them in Round 1.

If outdoor viewing parties were to return to Vancouver, they would clearly need to be held a lot differently from the ones that got out of hand in 2011. It can be done responsibly. The Raptors won an NBA championship after all, and Jurassic Park never got out of hand.

It’s something the Canucks have thought about.

“It’s something we’ve talked about internally, and would obviously love to explore it again,” a Canucks spokesperson told Daily Hive. “We were looking at options just prior to the pandemic interrupting the 2019-20 season. I’m sure we will explore it again in a way that is safe, exciting for fans and unique to our Vancouver market.”

The Canucks would surely learn lessons from successful viewing parties in other Canadian cities, which have been well attended and well behaved. Unlike the City of Vancouver’s free-for-all in 2011, their events are well organized, with security checkpoints and capacity limits.

Viewing parties are a great marketing tool for teams, who get amazing visuals out of the deal. It’s also a way to engage with fans, many of them young in age, who aren’t able to see games in person.

 

The pandemic ruined any reasonable plan the Canucks had during their 17-game playoff run in 2020. There were brief internal discussions about holding a drive-in viewing party at BC Place that year, but that never materialized.

canucks fans sharks 2011

Viewing parties started off small in 2011 with the CBC airing games on its outdoor screen (jmv/Flickr)

Shutting down Georgia Street isn’t likely to happen again, and Rogers Arena’s small footprint doesn’t leave enough room for a mass event on Canucks property.

But there are a number of suitable spots available nearby.

Parking lots across the street from Rogers Arena, on the other side of Pat Quinn Way or the other side of Pacific Boulevard near the water, would work if they were available.

There’s also space near Rogers Arena at the parking lot on the corner of West Georgia Street and Beatty Street, which is where the FIFA Women’s World Cup Fan Fest was set up in 2015.

With a little bit of money and some intelligent planning, it can be done.

Now all the Canucks need to do is host a playoff game at Rogers Arena for the first time in 7+ years.

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