As the city awoke from the ashes of the Stanley Cup Riots, 15 thousand Vancouverites arrived at the crack of dawn to pick up broken glass, scrub graffiti off the walls and wash blood off the roads.
Among all these volunteers, not a single member of the Vancouver Canucks was to be found.
Their lack of involvement has left the city to wallow in the backlash of the riot’s consequences, ones that are still being felt now. The Canucks have historically been very active in the community and pride themselves on being leaders, but they did not feel that on this particular occasion their involvement was necessary.
Had the Canucks shown up, it would have been a massive demonstration of their commitment to the city and more importantly, the people they represent every time they put on the blue and green.
Although Captain Henrik Sedin chose to not participate, he had no problem commenting on the situation. He displayed disgust towards the rioters and disappointment with the city itself. But for a man who is making 6.1 million dollars annually, a mere comment is clearly not enough.
After 40 years of representing Vancouver, there is absolutely no excuse for the Canucks’ lack of action. The Canucks were just as much a part of the riots as the innocent citizen who took time out of his everyday life to try and salvage the dignity of Vancouver. With the decision to abstain from clean-up, the Canucks distanced themselves not from the riot, but from the people whose support they rely on.
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