Editing Vancouver Canucks (section)

====1982 Stanley Cup run====
[[File:Roger Neilson Statue 2011.jpg|thumb|A statue of coach [[Roger Neilson]] outside of [[Rogers Arena]], commemorating the 1982 Stanley Cup run]]
The Canucks made their first significant playoff impact in the [[1982 Stanley Cup playoffs|1982 playoffs]]. In their previous five playoff appearances, the team had failed to win a single series. Though the Canucks finished three games under a .500 win percentage in the [[1981–82 NHL season|1981–82 regular season]], they began gaining momentum by finishing the campaign on a nine-game unbeaten streak.<ref>Rossiter 1994, p. 57.</ref> Meanwhile, Smyl emerged as the club's leader, replacing McCarthy as the captain after the latter was sidelined with an injury late in the season (he would retain that position for a team-record eight years).<ref>{{cite news|title=Blues looking for good luck|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DnodAAAAIBAJ&pg=7071,2867769&dq=stan+smyl&hl=en|access-date=May 2, 2010|date=March 21, 1982|work=[[Pittsburgh Press]]}}</ref><ref name="longest captaincy">{{cite news|title=Henrik Sedin named Canucks' captain|url=https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=336908|access-date=October 16, 2010|date=October 9, 2010|publisher=[[The Sports Network]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131011134829/http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=336908|archive-date=October 11, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Continuing their success in the playoffs, the Canucks made the [[1982 Stanley Cup Finals|Stanley Cup Finals]] with a combined 11–2 record in series against the [[Calgary Flames]], Los Angeles Kings, and Chicago Black Hawks.<ref name="playoff history">Media Guide 2008, p. 235.</ref> Despite having a losing regular season record, Vancouver had a home-ice advantage in the first series, having finished second in the Smythe Division to the [[Edmonton Oilers]]. The Canucks also had a home-ice advantage during the second-round series against the Kings, who upset the Oilers in the first round.

Late in game 2 of the conference finals in [[Chicago]], Vancouver's interim head coach [[Roger Neilson]], frustrated with what he felt was the poor officiating in the game, placed a white towel on the end of a hockey stick and held it up in a gesture mocking surrender (waving the [[white flag]]). The players on the Canucks' bench followed suit. When the series shifted to Vancouver for the next two games, the team's fans cheered them on by [[rally towel|waving white towels]] above their heads. The habit stuck, becoming an original Canuck fan tradition now seen across the league and in other sports, known as "[[Towel Power]]." The Canucks proceeded to win the series in five games, making it to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in their history.<ref>Rossiter 1994, p. 58.</ref>

Entering the Finals against the New York Islanders, the Canucks were the first team from Western Canada to play for the Stanley Cup in 56 years, when the [[Victoria Cougars]] reached the [[1926 Stanley Cup Finals]]. It also marked the first-ever coast-to-coast Stanley Cup Finals.<ref>{{cite web|title=Stanley Cup champions and finalists|url=http://www.nhl.com/cup/champs.html|access-date=May 31, 2011|publisher=National Hockey League|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090629213230/http://www.nhl.com/cup/champs.html|archive-date=June 29, 2009}}</ref> Competing against the Islanders—the [[Stanley Cup]] champions of the previous two years, who had finished with 41 points more than Vancouver in the regular season standings—Vancouver took the first game to [[overtime (ice hockey)|overtime]]. In the final minute of the extra period, Canucks defenceman and fan favourite [[Harold Snepsts]] gave the puck away with an errant pass from behind his net, leading to a [[Mike Bossy]] goal. Like the first game, the Canucks held a 3–2 lead after the first two periods in the second game, but were not able to keep their lead, and lost 6–4.<ref>Rossiter 1994, p. 61.</ref> The Canucks were unable to complete their [[Cinderella (sports)|Cinderella]] run and were swept, losing their next two games by 3–0 and 3–1 scores. The 1982 playoffs proved to be the last year in which Vancouver won a playoff series until [[1992 Stanley Cup playoffs|1992]].<ref name="playoff history"/>