New Van Fan is a web-series that follows the adventures of long-time Canucks fan Dan as he attempts to bring novice Canucks fan Andreas up to speed. The whole thing may or may not be an excuse to point out the inherent silliness of this fanbase — we’re not quite sure. Have an idea for an episode? Suggest it in the comments.

Spitballin’ (or Super Pass It To Bulis: All In, if you love adventurous acronymizing) is a feature that allows us to touch on a multitude of things really fast, because in the world of hockey, there are always lots of things to find and colour. Here are a few quick topics.

Pavel Bure ruined me as a hockey fan.

I was seven-years-old when Bure made his debut with the Vancouver Canucks. I was nine when he scored the game-winning overtime goal in game seven against the Calgary Flames in the first round of the 1994 playoffs and led the team in scoring en route to the Stanley Cup Final. And I was fourteen when he was traded to the Florida Panthers.

Those were the primer years of my development as a hockey fan, the time when passions, loyalties, and expectations are defined for the rest of a person’s life. In those prime years, I watched Bure skate faster than seemed humanly possible, while controlling the puck with perfect precision and shooting with pinpoint accuracy. How could anyone else compare?

Pavel Bure made his NHL debut as a member of the Vancouver Canucks on November 5, 1991. It was a month into the 1991-21 schedule, but Bure was unable to join the team from the outset because the Canucks still had to settle a transfer dispute with his Russian club, Central Red Army. Once the two sides settled on a one-time cash payment of $250,000 in a Detroit court in late October (one-fifth of which was paid by Bure himself), Bure could finally make his long-awaited and memorable debut.

And speaking of big Novembers brought about by long, cumbersome delays by franchises being haughty and stubborn: it would appear the Russian Rocket will be informed this weekend by Vancouver Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini of the team’s plans to finally retire his jersey.

Spitballin’ (or Super Pass It To Bulis: All In, if you love adventurous acronymizing) is a feature that allows us to touch on a multitude of things really fast, because in the world of hockey, there are always lots of things to find and colour. Here are a few quick topics.

On November 12th, Pavel Bure will be officially inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. It was a long time coming for the Russian Rocket, who was in his 6th year of eligibility. As one of the greatest goalscorers in the history of the NHL, it was about time that Bure got into the HHOF, but right now I want to remember more than just his goalscoring.

Bure’s electrifying speed combined with his incredible hands made him arguably the most exciting player in the NHL and definitely the most exciting player in Canucks history. Every time he came flying through the neutral zone or even just touched the puck, fans inched to the edge of their seats and held their breath. It wasn’t just that he scored a lot of goals, it’s that he always seemed like he was just about to score a goal whenever he was on the ice.

That is why he was thrilling to watch night in and night out. But while Bure’s stupendous goalscoring is well documented, there’s not a lot of footage available online of Bure when he wasn’t scoring.

In stepped YouTube user WeatherWiseCDC to fill the void. WeatherWiseCDC took six games from Bure’s career as a Vancouver Canuck where he didn’t score and edited together two highlight reels. He called them “The Lost Shifts.” I call them awesome.

After 6 years of being snubbed by the induction committee, Pavel Bure is finally getting his due from the Hockey Hall of Fame. He joins Joe Sakic, Adam Oates, and Mats Sundin as the class of 2012, which makes me desperately hope that Bure’s portion of the ceremony comes before Sundin’s so that no one can say that Sundin was the first Canuck inducted into the HHOF on a technicality. Before you ask, Mark Messier never played for the Canucks; I don’t know who keeps spreading that myth, but it’s about time Snopes.com debunked it.

Two years ago, the Sedins lost their cool during the Canucks’ series against the Chicago Blackhawks and were criticized for their lack of mental discipline, as they uncharacteristically took part in the after-whistle scrums with the likes of David Bolland and Andrew Ladd. The story quickly became that you could distract the Sedins and get them off their game with chippy, physical play.

A year later, the Sedins took the opposite tack in the Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins, accepting any and all punishment in hopes of drawing penalties and taking advantage on the powerplay. This, however, resulted in the Sedins being called soft, particularly when Daniel allowed Brad Marchand to repeatedly punch him in the head after a whistle. The story quickly became that you could intimidate the Sedins and get them off their game with chippy, physical play.

It seemed like they were damned if they did and damned if they didn’t. If they responded, they were criticized for lacking mental toughness, but if they didn’t, they were criticized for lacking physical toughness.

After Wednesday night’s game four in Los Angeles, it seems like the Sedins are trying to find a happy medium between the two.

Trying to get inside the heads of those that determine who gets to enter an athletic hall of fame is an impossible task, no matter the sport.  The mechanics of every hall of fame are distinct and the appointments often controversial.  The Hockey Hall of Fame (“HHOF”) is no exception.  And likely ripe for a proper [...]

After another decisive road loss during a post season that has had its share of dizzying heights and now back-breaking lows (with all apologies to Mason Raymond), the members of good ship Canuck were all heard to declare they had once again turned the page and were only thinking about game 7.  At this time [...]

With the Canucks now just four wins away from Canada’s first Stanley Cup in 18 years, you’d think that the head talking head at the CBC might be just a little more complimentary of Canada’s team. Despite predicting the Canucks’ game 5 victory against San Jose (dandy Don even got the score right), it’s hardly like [...]