I’m home, eh?

Posted on: 04/20/09 2:33 PM | by Jonathan McKee

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I just walked in the door from my trip to Canada, a great time ministering with a church about an hour east of Vancouver in a small town called Abbotsford.

Yes… I was actually in Vancouver last night… not a great time to be in Vancouver. Why, you ask? Because their hockey team won! (I know… I know… it doesn’t make sense). But everytime the team wins, the surrounding towns go crazy! In Abbotsford, it’s a giant “cruise” up and down the streets. I was speaking Sunday night and the pastor asked, “Honestly, if the game was still in overtime, who WOULDN’T be here?” A huge amount of hands went up.

Wow. I’m no match for hockey! These guys accepted the Canucks into their heart at age 5!

I was in a pizza place for dinner when the game started. Everytime the Canucks scored the place errupted. It was like being in Oakland during a Raiders game. It was like being anywhere in WI during… during the entire football season!!!! (let’s be honest… Cheeseheads are a little obsessive about the Packers!)

If you think that’s bad… feel free to research what happened when Vancouver’s Canucks lost the playoffs years ago in game 7. (Okay… quick contest for us Yanks. First American to comment on my blog with the answer gets one of my books free. Your choice.)

I’ll blog more about my Canada trip later. I’ve got a pile of work in my inbox and barely any time to do it.

Gotta go! Off to help with my daughter’s track team!

WINNER NOTE: I approve all comments before adding them. I’m just approving them now, 10 AM Tues morning. So you’ll see them added now. Looks like Dan won- I’ll be emailing him. Funny… most people just did an internet search!  🙂

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19 Replies to “I’m home, eh?”

  1. I’m not a yank but after they lost to the Rangers in 7 there was a full out riot…looting, vandalism, riot police had to come out, craziness. Here in Winnipeg our Jets never made past the second round, but now we have no team… 🙁

  2. Ha… I’m already getting Canadian people commenting. Note: i’m going to hold off adding Canadian’s comments until a “Yank” gets the answer. 🙂

  3. They had a 50,000 person riot in the streets after losing games 7 of the cup
    Finals

  4. Are you referring to 93-94 when the Canucks lost in game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals to the New York Rangers and many fans in Vancouver began a riot in downtown Vancouver. Then later many of the fans formed a rally at the BC Place to congratulate the team on their effort.

  5. Was this when the Rangers beat them in the early 90’s in the Cup Finals? It was after ’91 cause that’s when the Pens last won. Man we need some hockey fans in S.C.

  6. It was great to have you here speaking at our church eh… I had my eyes opened at our luncheon that’s for sure. I was not going to go, but obviously God had other plans and I am thankful for His leading and also for your willingness to obey the Lord. You scared me a lot and encouraged me a little. One seperate comment, I was one of those guys in the 90’s “cruising around” with the other Canuck fans on our loss. Imagine what could have happened had we won!! Sorry Blues fans, not this year eh.

  7. Hey! We have more than 135000 people in our “little town” (5th largest city in British columbia)Thanks for coming. Had a good time.

  8. Hey Jonathan, thanks for coming to our church this weekend, it was a great pleasure to meet you and have you speak so much at our church. I have started looking at the books I bought from you and they look very very useful. Thank you for all you do.

  9. In 1994, The Canucks lost the 1994 Stanley Cup Final, and like 50,000 fans came out in the streets and went crazy. Looting, vandalism.. soon the cops came out and a riot ensued.

    Book? 🙂

  10. Although I am not in the US, if i’m first and right will you still send me a book? There was a riot in Vancouver causing an estiomated 1.1 million canadian dollars worth of damage. The Vancouver Police department and the mounties were involved needing approx. 540 officers ( not sure if that includes the horses.) One of the rioters was shot in the head, spent a month in a coma, 9 months in jail and had a civil lawsuit thrown out as the judge found him 75% liable for his own injuries.

    Alec

  11. Found this info online about what happened in 1994.

    The 1994 Stanley Cup Riot occurred in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on the evening of June 14, 1994 and continued into the following morning. The riot arose after Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals in which the Vancouver Canucks lost to the New York Rangers.
    After the NHL contest was concluded, 50,000 to 70,000 individuals reportedly converged upon Downtown Vancouver. What initially was a gathering developed into a riot at Robson and Thurlow Street. This happened after an accident involving one or more victims who fell through scaffolding related to construction of a building on the corner, and later spread to surrounding areas of downtown.Total damage to the downtown core was estimated at $1.1 million CAD. Like other Robson and surrounding retailers, the then Eaton’s department store had more than 50 of its storefront windows smashed.

    Subduing the crowd required the efforts of both the Vancouver Police Department and Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers. In all, 540 officers were directly involved with the riot. Many individuals were arrested and charged, and up to 200 individuals were injured.[3]

    [edit] Aftermath
    Ryan Berntt, a rioter who was shot in the head with a plastic bullet by police, causing a four-week coma and permanent brain damage, filed a civil suit against police and the City of Vancouver claiming excessive force. In 1997, he was found 75 percent liable for his own injuries, however, the British Columbia Court of Appeal ordered a new trial in 1999. In 2001, Berntt’s civil suit was dismissed by the Supreme Court of British Columbia.[4][5]

  12. Well I am not a fan of professional sports of any kind but it seems the whole city had a riot because of the loss of a GAME. The turned on one another attacked looted, rioted and beat each other and the police senseless. Ah nothing like professional sports to bring a community together. It kind of reminds me when our parents cuss and yell at each other during middle school football games. Hold on did someone say this was just a game?

  13. Robson Street was the epicentre of the 1994 Stanley Cup riot, which brought 50,000 fans out onto the street after the Canucks lost Game 7 in the Stanley Cup final series. Looting and vandalism led to a charge by police in riot equipment, and a full-fledged riot.

  14. Well according to Wikipedia . . . 🙂 There was a riot in 1994 when the Vancouver Canucks lost the Stanley Cup during game 7 against the New York Rangers. In this riot, some 50-70 thousand civilians befell upon downtown Vancouver and chaos ensued. Apparently it took over 500 police and mounties to help restore order and one man, a Ryan Berntt, was even shot in the head by a rubber bullet, endured a four-week coma and brain damage, and sued the police for excessive force. That’s insane! But that’s just what Wikipedia said . . . 🙂

    I also found this article kind of funny since it even mentioned a police presence in Abbotsford in an attempt to be prepared “just in case” rioting happened again.

    http://www.vancouversun.com/Sports/Police+ready+case+Canuck+fans+turn+frantic/1516166/story.html

    Thanks for the history lesson Jon!

  16. 1994 they lost to the Rangers and there was a huge riot. Here is what wiki says…

    The 1994 Stanley Cup Riot occurred in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on the evening of June 14, 1994 and continued into the following morning. The riot arose after Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals in which the Vancouver Canucks lost to the New York Rangers. The suspected cause was due to the impartial judging by the referees during the New York home game.

    After the NHL contest was concluded, 50,000 to 70,000 individuals reportedly converged upon Downtown Vancouver. What initially was a gathering developed into a riot at Robson and Thurlow Street. This happened after an accident involving one or more victims who fell through scaffolding related to construction of a building on the corner, and later spread to surrounding areas of downtown.[1][2] Total damage to the downtown core was estimated at $1.1 million CAD. Like other Robson and surrounding retailers, the then Eaton’s department store had more than 50 of its storefront windows smashed.

    Subduing the crowd required the efforts of both the Vancouver Police Department and Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers. In all, 540 officers were directly involved with the riot. Many individuals were arrested and charged, and up to 200 individuals were injured.[3]

    Jared Nicastro
    Youth Pastor, Jackson Baptist Church
    Developing ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ to impact eternity
    Jackson Baptist Church
    360 Bennetts Mills Rd.
    Jackson, NJ 08527
    Office: 732.928.0080
    Cell: 732.267.1344

  18. to answer your question there was a riot in downtown Vancouver… they lost in a game 7 to the New York Rangers. It is sad because if passion could score a couple of goals then Canada would clearly be winning the Stanley Cup rather than the Tampa Bay Lightning, where ice does not exist unless it is under a roof. This is coming from a Minnesota boy who knows a thing or two about hockey. (well and ice too!!)

  19. Let’s put this into perspective, shall we. The whole riot incident over being that close to drinking out of Lord Stanley’s cup and falling short just proves how bad the Canucks have been over the years! Other cities can just say “Maybe next year”. In Vancouver we’re simply left to hope that maybe our great-grandchildren will live to see another run at the cup! The Canucks force us to believe in a higher power who can still work miracles.

    Anyways, great to have you here Jonathan. You’re a gifted individual and we are incredibly grateful to have benefited from your weekend with us.

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