I'm So Lucky

I like to think that I've always been a Canucks fan at heart. Sure, when I was a little kid, I didn't watch games, but there was always a seed, a seed that at any moment was ready to burst out into full flower. That happened in the spring of 2009.

I guess it all started because of my dad. He always watched Canucks games, and sometimes I would watch too. But often I wasn't very interested, and I didn't know much about the current Canucks or their history. But then, a friend of mine started talking about the Canucks a lot, and I decided to start watching hockey. Unfortunately for me, I only watched about five games before the Canucks were knocked out of the playoffs by the @$%** Blackhawks.

Next season was when I really became a true Canucks fan. No longer was I asking stupid questions like, "Hey, where's Markus Naslund? What's icing?" No, I read up on the game, became interested in it, watched Canucks games, and became more and more in love with the game of hockey. The 2010-2011 season was when Henrik Sedin won the Art Ross and Hart trophies. It was the season of the history-making 14-game road trip, which was caused by the Olympic hockey tournament right here in my backyard. Vancouver 2010, one of the greatest stories in Canadian hockey history, and I was alive to witness it. Unbelievable.

That playoffs, of course, was the second year in a row we had gotten knocked out by the Hawks. I felt we were a better team than that and was sorely disappointed. All summer long I yearned for the season to start again. Finally, it did.

The Canucks got off to an okay start, but late November-early December was when they really started putting on the heat. Franchise records were broken left and right, in fact, the Canucks record books were being re-written, and still are. It's hands down the franchise's best season to date in 40 long years of history. And here I am, 14 years old, to witness it.

I can't believe my luck! Here I am, having been a fan for such a short time (compared to older fans who have been with the Canucks for all 40 years) and being able to watch an amazing team like this is, well... amazing!! The team was soooo bad in the 70's, late 80's, etc. And for all the diehards that stuck with the team through thick and thin, I salute you. And although I'd like to consider myself a diehard too, (heck, I'm so obsessed, I'm blogging about the Canucks!) I really respect the longtime fans who have been around so long and seen it all.

I hope this is the year. We've been treated to an unbelievable season so far, and I've been unable to wait for the the playoffs since the moment the Hawks defeated us and went on to win the Cup. But for now, I'm just gonna sit here and soak it all in. I guess it was the right time to jump on the bandwagon back in 2009, and now I'm so in love with my Canucks, I'll stick with them through anything.

Thank you team! I'm so lucky to be around to witness this!