Blackhawks fans sound off on the Canucks

An informal poll via Twitter suggested one thing: There appears to be a seething hatred for all things Canucks among Blackhawks fans.

It most likely works both ways, and there’s no denying some fans — and even players — enjoy seeing their rival lose.

But why?

Here’s a look at what some Hawks fans had to say about the Canucks when asked to explain their feelings for them on Twitter.

But first, here’s an email from @lkrzepkowski, who said 140 characters wasn’t enough …

Hi Adam,

Below are some of my thoughts on Canucks hatred – clearly 140 characters wasn’t enough!

– Raffi Torres: the guy is synonymous with stupidity. Vancouver rid itself of the embarrassment of a player that is Matt Cooke, only to replace it with Torres this season. Not only does he target the head with hits (Jordan Eberle and Brent Seabrook this season alone), but he complains whenever he’s disciplined appropriately by officials. In the current hockey climate that is moving away from unnecessary like violence that Torres perpetuates, it’s embarrassing that a player like him is still employed in Vancouver.

– Officiating complaints: Where to start? Mike Gillis seems convinced that the Canucks will lose the cup not due to a lack of effort or skill from his team, or making errors, but due to the officials. When Torres was suspended for his hit to the head on Eberle at the end of the season, Gillis was irate. Then there’s the famous presser he held in sharing with the media a variety of stats related to officiating during the Chicago series. Thank goodness the league fined him for that. And yet they still won’t shut up. During Game 5 of the San Jose series, Kesler slashed Thornton’s stick with his own – resulting in breaking his OWN stick. Then he looked at the ref, and threw his hands up in anguish. Ridiculous. Following the icing call in the third period of Game 5 in the San Jose series that resulted in Kesler’s tying goal, you didn’t see Doug Wilson spouting about the incorrect call – which was CLEARLY the wrong call to make. The complaining from this team never stops.

– Lack of respect for other players: Case in point – Henrik Sedin. Following Chicago’s Game 7 loss in the first round of the playoffs, Henrik Sedin took the high road – and unlike commending his opponents like Ryan Kesler – said that Chicago didn’t deserve to be playing in a Game 7. Not only were the Hawks *this* close to eliminating the Canucks, they came back from a seemingly inevitable loss. They defied the odds in coming back and the least Sedin could have done was to commend his opponents.

Next example? Kevin Bieksa. The guy just fights dirty – and never on guys his own size. Following John Scott’s ejected from a game during the Chicago series, Bieksa immediately went after a smaller Chicago player for no warning – didn’t even let the player get his hands up to defend himself. I have no problem with fighting in the NHL, as long as it’s fair. Engage an opponent your own size, and give him a chance to defend himself. Going after him like that is just dirty and irresponsible. Fight like a man.

– Finally, the diving. Need we say more. This team has perfected it – and I anticipate during the finals we’ll see a ton of it, along with the unsportsmanlike conduct, complaining about officiating and the lack of respect.

As a Canadian who has grown up with Canucks hatred, there would be no greater moment than seeing the Canucks eliminated. Forget the gold medal in hockey last year – this is what we live for.

Here’s another email from Mark:

A good place to start would be the asinine assertion by one of the Sedins that the Hawks had no business being in the playoffs. I love a witty bit of gamesmanship but that’s a little overblown

.

Oh, and if I needed more incentive to dislike them; I’m a #MNWild fan (who hates his team being in the NW Division, not the Norris Division-like central) whose family is all from Chicago and my fiance’s is from Boston.

And here’s the many Twitter responses:

@ MikeSolarte they have caught every lucky bounce in playoffs, from Sharpie denial, to non-icing call, to fluke bounce on Bieksa series winner.

@Katarin They’re diving divers who dive & they’re ALL whiners, from the GM down to the players.

@SuburbanFiveOh because of the #Canucks top-to-bottom commitment to being both divers AND cheap shot artists

@SouvenirCity because Alain Vigneault blames everyone and everything but himself and his players for losses they’ve been involved with. sack up and own it. Chris Campoli did in our loss to them.

@Artemchubarov “because we’re bitter!!! 🙁 :(”

@rojan61 Bitter, bitter Chi-town. Your next Stanley Cup is due in 2059.

@Katherine215 They whine, they cry, they dive, they complain, they take cheap shots at Hawks players. And they have creepy twins.

@MusingMaryAnn b/c Hendrik Sedin said, “They had no business being in this series” – That was a punk talking, not some seasoned professional

@HawksBearsCubs Burrows hair pulling in 2009 put me over the edge and I’ve never come back on Vancouver.

@mlaframboise I live in Vancouver. I’ve never met a more ignorant or obnoxious fan base than the Canucks’.

@ BriscoPhoto Burrows hair pulling, Sedins diving, sense of entitlement this year, and GM’s whining over penalties in first round.

@KanersEnforcer so many reasons, but Vigneault whining about us “running up the score” on him kind of pushed me over. & the creepy Sedins!

@peacecompassion dislike for #Canucks Because of their GM went crying to the Nhl about penalties! i thought this is hockey not basketball

@imp44 My hate is strong for the Canucks due to their arrogance and perceived entitlement as well as their diving and incessant whining

@stevewsop I hate #canucks because of dirty play in past series, and their fans insistence that NHL fixes games via refs so they lose.

@dmpatton I hate the Canucks because they beat up my BHawks. Yet I want them to win, so at least we lost to the eventual Champs

@TonyDuffin It begins and ends with the Sedin’s….go Bruins! #Canucks

@flahawkfan The Canucks team is full of whiners and divers and thugs, oh my. That’s why I hate ’em.

@tyedie19 h8 them bc they whine have hair pullers and a coach who can’t take a loss in stride. Also, the fans are classless, just like them

@The_FFF Dirty, diving, whining, sense of entitlement — what an awful combination. Can’t respect them. #Canucks

@pokapops hate canucks b/c not respectable team and think they are entitled to the Stanley Cup just b/c their from Canada.

@K_Holder98 hockey is one thing with diving and crying. To me a lot of their players seem like they would be jerks if you saw them at a bar.

@teddYO81 Dislike them for the lack of respect they show in the league. Anytime VAN fails, they place blame on everyone but themselves

@flahawkfan Also, maybe worse, nothing bad is ever the Nucks’ fault — and Vigneault lets them get away with total lack of responsibility.

@erikburgio whiney fans. Whiney players. Sense of entitlement. Exchange rates.

@smo13 not only do they excel at the dirty plays but they complain about penalties and the coach cries about running up the score when he does the same thing. They don’t do anything classy.

@Lawnie2 they have employed dirtbags lately. Shane O’Brien, Kevin Bieksa, and Alex Burrows are really easy to dislike for that reason.

@this_juncture entitled, whining, diving hypocrites. See AV’s comments about Hawks rolling “top PP unit” in Nov w/5goal lead. (Boynton&Stalberg)

@DysFuncJunc Because they’re sissy baby hairpullers. I mean C’MON. Who pulls hair outside of the 2nd grade??

@Lovethe88 unlikeable group-from Vigneault, Burrows, Bieksa & Torres to Sedins & Hamhuis-imo they have big flaws in character & personality

@SINI5TAR Alexandre Burrows hair pulling “fight” with Duncan Keith makes me hate them. Fight like a man!

@sydcon_mktg Two creepy sisters & one whiney cry-baby goalie gives hockey a suzy image. Not something youth players what to look up to!

@erinbrady1128 I hate them for doing all of the stuff they accuse other teams of doing and not getting called on it..among many other reasons

@WindyCitiSports “If I can change, and you can change…EVERYBODY CAN CHANGE!”-Rocky IV sums up my feelings. Go Bs

@brewtownandy To explain why I hate the Canucks, I explained how the Sedins got drafted to my wife. Now she refers to the “[bleeping] Sedins.”

@lesliejafff I feel that the Canucks are cocky and don’t deserve to win the Cup. They’re skilled, but I want Boston. Canucks are done.

@bogey26 9 of 10 times sharp buries that bck door pass from toews that happened in ot gm7. luongo made the save of his life go bruins !!!

@tazer1921 yelling LUUUUUUUUUU everytime reBORAT makes a mediocre save is also frustrating

@815Sox I don’t really hate the Canucks. They have a talented team and beat a Hawks team that struggled all year. Not a surprise.

@mary_kenn Their goalie thought a first round playoff win was better than winning an Olympic gold medal on home ice.

@mary_kenn Why do I hate the Canucks? Burrows pulling hair, Kesler being a coward, Vigneault complaining, Lu crying, Bieksa breathing.

@bhawks399 From mgmt to fans, coach down to Lu, they’re classless, whiny babies even in victory. They act like the cup is OWED to them