Editing Vancouver Canucks (section)

====1994 Stanley Cup run====
[[File:Kirk McLean.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Kirk McLean]] was a key member of the Canucks' 1994 Stanley Cup run.]]
In {{scfy|1994}}, the Canucks made their second trip to the Stanley Cup Finals, entering the [[1994 Stanley Cup playoffs|playoffs]] as the seventh [[seed (sports)|seed]] in the renamed [[Western Conference (NHL)|Western Conference]]. Despite underachieving in the regular season (their points total decreased by 16 from the previous year, although they finished second in the newly renamed Pacific Division),<ref name=seasons/> the Canucks played well in the playoffs and embarked on another unexpected run.

Opening the playoffs with a close first-round series against the Calgary Flames, Vancouver rallied from a three-games-to-one deficit to win the series in seven contests. Games 5 through 7 were all won in overtime with goals from [[Geoff Courtnall]], Trevor Linden, and Pavel Bure, respectively.<ref>Rossiter 1994, pp. 15–16.</ref> The deciding seventh game featured two of the most recognizable and celebrated plays in Canucks history. With the game tied 3–3 in the first overtime, goaltender Kirk McLean made what became known thereafter as "The Save", sliding across the crease feet-first and stacking his pads on the goal line to stop [[Robert Reichel]] on a one-timer pass from [[Theoren Fleury]]. The following period, Pavel Bure received a breakaway pass from defenceman [[Jeff Brown (ice hockey, born 1966)|Jeff Brown]] before deking Calgary goaltender [[Mike Vernon (ice hockey)|Mike Vernon]] to score and win the series. Fifteen years later, Bure's goal and McLean's save were ranked first and second in a ''[[Vancouver Sun]]'' article listing the "40 most memorable moments in team history."<ref name="forty memorable moments">{{cite news|title=40 most memorable moments in team history|url=http://www2.canada.com/topics/bodyandhealth/story.html?id=2049807|access-date=May 31, 2011|date=September 30, 2009|work=The Vancouver Sun|location=Canada|last=Pap |first=Elliott|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905142421/http://www2.canada.com/topics/bodyandhealth/story.html?id=2049807|archive-date=September 5, 2012}}</ref>

Following their victory over the Flames, the Canucks then upset both the [[Dallas Stars]] and [[Toronto Maple Leafs]] (both in five games) en route to the franchise's second Stanley Cup Finals appearance.<ref name="playoff history"/> Forward Greg Adams sent the Canucks into the Finals with a double-overtime goal against Maple Leafs goaltender [[Felix Potvin]] in game 5.<ref name="forty memorable moments"/> Staging the second coast-to-coast Finals in league history, the Canucks were matched against the [[Presidents' Trophy]]-winning [[New York Rangers]]. Vancouver achieved victory in game 1 by a score of 3–2 in overtime, largely due to a 52-save performance by goaltender McLean.<ref>Rossiter 1994, p. 87.</ref> After losing the next 3 games, the Canucks won the next two to force a seventh game at [[Madison Square Garden]] on June 14, 1994.<ref name="playoff history"/> Despite a two-goal effort (one on a shorthanded breakaway) from Linden (who was playing with cracked ribs),<ref name="WeekesBanks2010">{{cite book|first1=Don |last1=Weekes|first2=Kerry |last2=Banks|title=Hockey's Top 100: The Game's Greatest Goals|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KKESWkMExGkC&pg=PA50|access-date=May 26, 2011|date=August 23, 2010|publisher=Greystone Books|isbn=978-1-55365-660-9|page=50}}</ref> Vancouver lost the game by a 3–2 score. The Canucks' efforts to tie the game included a post hit by forward [[Nathan LaFayette]] with just over a minute remaining in regulation.<ref name="Rossiter">Rossiter 1994, p. 103.</ref> The loss was followed by a [[1994 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot|riot]] in Downtown Vancouver, which resulted in property damage, injuries and arrests.<ref>{{cite news|title=4 Canadian Sports Riots|url=http://www.macleans.ca/culture/books/article.jsp?content=20051222_140516_2124&hubname=nhl|work=Maclean's|access-date=December 6, 2008|archive-date=December 25, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081225101721/http://www.macleans.ca/culture/books/article.jsp?content=20051222_140516_2124&hubname=nhl|url-status=dead}}</ref> Two days after the riots, the team held a rally at [[BC Place Stadium|BC Place]] attended by 45,000 fans, who congratulated the team for their effort.<ref>{{cite news|title=45,000 Canuck fans pack stadium to thank players|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/496996591.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jun+17%2C+1994&author=&pub=Waterloo+Region+Record&desc=45%2C000+Canuck+fans+pack+stadium+to+thank+players&pqatl=google|access-date=June 3, 2011|date=June 17, 1994|work=Waterloo Record|archive-date=November 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107030618/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/496996591.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jun+17,+1994&author=&pub=Waterloo+Region+Record&desc=45,000+Canuck+fans+pack+stadium+to+thank+players&pqatl=google|url-status=dead}}</ref>

With a young core that included Linden, Bure and McLean still in their 20s after the 1994 playoffs, the Canucks appeared poised to remain contenders in the league.<ref name="Rossiter"/> However, the team failed to record a winning season in the six years following their Stanley Cup Finals appearance.<ref name=seasons/> Prior to the lockout-shortened [[1994–95 NHL season|1994–95 season]], Quinn stepped down as head coach to focus on his managerial duties and was replaced by [[Rick Ley]];<ref>{{cite news|title=Sports people: Hockey; Pat Quinn Turns Over Coaching Duties|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/11/sports/sports-people-hockey-pat-quinn-turns-over-coaching-duties.html?src=pm|access-date=May 31, 2011|date=August 11, 1994|work=The New York Times|agency=Associated Press}}</ref> Vancouver finished with a .500 record that year.<ref name=seasons/> Their elimination from the [[1995 Stanley Cup playoffs]] in game 4 of the second round marked the Canucks' last game played at the Pacific Coliseum,<ref name="playoff history"/><ref>{{cite news|title=Stanley Cup Playoffs NHL Report: Blackhawks, Wings Sweep Into Finals|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/newsday/access/20493099.html?dids=20493099:20493099&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+28%2C+1995&author=COMPILED+FROM+WIRE+REPORTS&pub=Newsday+(Combined+editions)&desc=STANLEY+CUP+PLAYOFFS+NHL+REPORT+Blackhawks%2C+Wings+Sweep+Into+Finals&pqatl=google|access-date=May 31, 2011|date=May 28, 1995|work=Newsday|location=Long Island, New York|archive-date=November 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107030640/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/newsday/access/20493099.html?dids=20493099:20493099&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+28,+1995&author=COMPILED+FROM+WIRE+REPORTS&pub=Newsday+(Combined+editions)&desc=STANLEY+CUP+PLAYOFFS+NHL+REPORT+Blackhawks,+Wings+Sweep+Into+Finals&pqatl=google|url-status=dead}}</ref> as the team moved into the new [[General Motors Place]] (since renamed Rogers Arena), a new $160&nbsp;million arena situated in [[Downtown Vancouver]], the following season.

[[File:GM Place 1997.jpg|thumb|left|The Vancouver Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers warm up before a match at General Motors Place in October 1997.]]
The Canucks made another significant move in the off-season by acquiring high-scoring Russian forward [[Alexander Mogilny]] from the [[Buffalo Sabres]], reuniting Bure with his former [[HC CSKA Moscow|CSKA Moscow]] and national team linemate.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mogilny trade steals spotlight|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=j5ZGAAAAIBAJ&pg=1241,1657144&dq=pavel+bure+alex+mogilny&hl=en|access-date=May 31, 2011|date=July 9, 1995|work=The Day|location=Connecticut|last=Miles |first=Gary}}</ref> While Mogilny became the second player in team history to record 50 goals and 100 points in a season,<ref name="single-season goals"/><ref name="single-season points">{{cite web|title=Regular Season – Vancouver Canucks – All Skaters – Single Season Leaders For Team – Career Points|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/careerstats.htm?fetchKey=00002VANSAHAll&sort=points&viewName=careerLeadersSingleSeasonForTeam|access-date=May 31, 2011|publisher=[[National Hockey League]]}}</ref> chiefly playing with centre [[Cliff Ronning]], the expected chemistry between Mogilny and Bure never materialized, with the latter suffering a season-ending knee injury early in the campaign.<ref>{{cite news|title=Severe knee injury ends season for Canucks' Bure; Surgery scheduled soon|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HaspAAAAIBAJ&pg=6320,965813&dq=pavel+bure+alex+mogilny&hl=en|access-date=May 31, 2011|date=November 12, 1995|work=The Spokesman-Review|location=Spokane, Washington}}</ref> Vancouver finished [[1995–96 NHL season|1995–96]] two games below .500 and were defeated in the first round of the playoffs by the [[Colorado Avalanche]].<ref name="playoff history"/><ref name=seasons/> The season also marked the arrival of another future Canucks superstar, as [[Markus Näslund|Markus Naslund]] was acquired from the [[Pittsburgh Penguins]] in exchange for [[Alek Stojanov]]. The deal is regarded as one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history, as Stojanov soon became a minor-leaguer, while Naslund became the team's all-time leading goal- and point-scorer years later.<ref>{{cite news|last=Montgomery|first=Ted|title=Eight of the NHL's worst trades of all time|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/columnist/montgomery/2008-02-13-worst-trades_N.htm|work=USA Today|access-date=March 9, 2008|date=February 13, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/penguins/2006-04-20-gm-patrick-out_x.htm | title= GM Craig Patrick leaves Penguins after 17 years |work=USA Today| access-date=July 25, 2008| date=April 20, 2006| first=Alan| last=Robinson}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=What was the worst trade in Penguins history?|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10062/1039696-125.stm|access-date=October 16, 2010|date=March 3, 2010|work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]}}</ref> Despite a late season swoon, Ley was fired and replaced by Quinn down the stretch. The team limped into the playoffs, losing to the [[Colorado Avalanche]] in the first round.

In the 1996 off-season, Quinn hired [[Tom Renney]] whose tenure as the team's head coach lasted less than two seasons.<ref>{{cite web|title=Vancouver Canucks Coach Register|url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/VAN/coaches.html|access-date=May 31, 2011|publisher=Hockey-Reference.com}}</ref> Despite strong performances from Mogilny and team-leading point-scorer [[Martin Gélinas|Martin Gelinas]] in Bure and Linden's absence (both of whom were injured for long periods of time during the season),<ref name=seasons/> the Canucks missed the playoffs for the first of four consecutive seasons that year.<ref name="playoff history"/> Making another high-profile acquisition on July 27, 1997, the Canucks signed free agent [[Mark Messier]] to a three-year deal.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nhl.com/news/this-date-in-nhl-history-july-28/c-281214410 | title=July 28: Messier leaves Rangers for Canucks}}</ref><ref name="Klein2004">{{cite book|first=Jeff Z. |last=Klein|title=Messier|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PC1ny2IqyrMC&pg=PA325|access-date=May 26, 2011|date=October 26, 2004|publisher=Doubleday Canada|isbn=978-0-7704-2908-9|page=325}}</ref> They had come close to signing [[Wayne Gretzky]] the previous summer, but were reportedly spurned away when they refused to continue negotiations and gave Gretzky an ultimatum to sign.<ref name="quinn fired">{{cite web |title=Quinn top Canuckle-head |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/1997/11/09/quinn-top-canuckle-head/ |website=New York Daily News |access-date=November 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231122111211/https://www.nydailynews.com/1997/11/09/quinn-top-canuckle-head/ |archive-date=November 22, 2023 |date=November 9, 1997}}</ref>