Vancouver Went INSANE After The Canucks' 2011 Stanley Cup Defeat

When the puck dropped for Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, Vancouver was ready to celebrate their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Instead, as the Canucks limped through the biggest game in franchise history, that massive crowd descended into violence: spurred by the Canucks’ gutting Game 7 loss, a full-on riot erupted in Vancouver, the city’s second Stanley Cup riot in a 17-year span and one of the most disgraceful moments in NHL history.
Written & Narrated by: Jonah Birenbaum (@Birenball | X)
Produced & Edited by: Andrew Bartlett (@andrewnbs | Instagram)
Thumbnail Design by: Justin Shipley (@shipleysportstudio | Instagram)
Courtesy List: pastebin.com/S...
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#vancouvercanucks #riot #nhl

[@DGS2605]

Fun Fact, Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo figure and the creator of Super Mario, was flown out to Vancouver to check in on progress for Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon and the riots occurred during his time there. He learned how seriously Canadians take hockey. 😂

[@MrGUnit27]

Honestly, unless you're a Bruins or a Jets fan, 2011 was a rough year for hockey as a whole. Not only were there the Vancouver riots, but there was also the Lokomotiv plane crash, the untimely deaths of multiple enforcers (including Rick Rypien, Wade Belak, Derek Boogaard) and several star players missing time due to concussions

[@ariccua6101]

Worst offseason yet.

[@jkapozelewksi]

If you ask non-Canuck fans about the most memorable moment in Canucks history, it’s the riots. Other cities do it when they win - which overshadows the riot - while Vancouver wins the riot title for not winning then beating up their own fans.

[@Indioprophecy81]

All i remember from the riot was the iconic photo of the couple laying on the ground kissing in the middle of the chaos.

[@DodgerFan1988]

L.A. had some mini-riots following the Lakers championships in 2000, 2010, & 2020.

[@IAmAHeater]

We win we riot....we lost we riot....nobody wins

[@Chris-ex5ed]

Alcohol ruins everything

[@erics.czernecki7333]

Y'know, I hate to consider it... but do you think maybe that whole Montreal scuffle in 1993 cursed Canadian teams in general? Before then, Canada was just as competitive as the US in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but ever since then, there's been constant relocations, struggles, and anytime a Canada team makes it that far, they either prolapse on the ice or choke in devastating fashions. True, it could have just as much to do with economic conditions, but the coincidence seems almost a bit TOO exact not to at least CONSIDER the possibility. But hey, maybe the Oilers will break it. Who knows?

[@calvincharlie703]

Nah I think Wayne Gretzky cursed us from winning the Stanley Cup. We won over the King's and Gretzky. That's why Wayne said Aleksander Barkov was a great 2 way player he's ever seen

[@j1mster3]

the league is more rigged than ever

[@tudormiller887]

No mention of Gary Bettman in all this ? Every NHL expansion team goes to either the Western or southern US states.

[@DGS2605]

@@tudormiller887The point of the NHL is to make revenue. The Canadian dollar is weak and there are no big markets aside from Toronto, Montreal and arguably Vancouver. The Jets need 6% of Winnipeg's population to sell out a game, Toronto is less than 1%. Not a winning formula.

[@joeonthego8247]

The Jays winning in 91/92 then Habs in 93. Within a few years 1 baseball team, 1 basketball team, and 2 hockey teams would be moved away from Canada. Its no coincidence.

[@Amm17ar]

If you’re reading this, watch the 30 For 30 on the riots. It’s a really good piece of work. Goes fairly deep into the causes, effects and the damage it left behind.

[@tudormiller887]

OK ? I'll give it a watch..In case most hockey fans aren't aware, riots & hooliganism are regular occurrences in soccer.

[@rngfootball759]

As Boston fan im glad to watch games in front of my home TV that night. Watched in shock on the news the next day. There isnt a lot of room for public viewing space in Boston. Theres a 30 for 30 for the Vancouver Riots i believe. Even in Boston, after the super bowl win in 2004 and the Red Sox reverse sweep the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS there was unrest.

[@humanbeing2420]

I'd be so embarrassed to be a Vancouver resident. What an utter disgrace. I thought the 1994 riot made absolutely no sense whatsoever since nobody expected that team to make the playoffs let alone win three rounds, but that obviously had nothing to do with it.

[@FloydRunner2049]

It was almost all 20 somethings from the burbs. Watch the actual people charged and their remorse

[@luccac6247]

@@FloydRunner2049 You keep denying that. The burbs huh? So many folks still delusional

[@FloydRunner2049]

@@luccac6247 Just say you weren’t there without saying. School of fish mentality brought all the fish from the burbs and they get drunk. They still do! ROFLMAO

[@luccac6247]

@@FloydRunner2049 😂😂🤣🤣🤣🙄🙄🤡🤡typical Vancouverite. Enough said. Hey genius I was in and out of court rooms listening the testimony of those involved. You couldn’t be any more wrong. Nice try though. Here’s your cookie 🍪 for your efforts. Your organization is still a joke and will always be one.

[@GreenBayPayton]

3:15 Just a tip, both Blackhawks series wins over Vancouver in 2009 and 2010 were in the second round, not the first round. Great video otherwise.

[@jkapozelewksi]

I mean, would have been nice to mention the blown 3-0 lead too in the serious. That OT in game 7 was super tense

[@GreenBayPayton]

@@jkapozelewksi yeah especially with Chicago scoring the tying goal with under 2 minutes left. As a Blackhawks fan it would’ve been nice to win that but hey at least they have their Cup lol

[@BrandonHilikus]

@@GreenBayPayton settle down you already have 3 cups

[@BrandonHilikus]

@@GreenBayPayton also ducan keith is a head shotting tool

[@ExplodingHaggis]

That time saw a spat of sport riots. A few years prior, Edmonton rioted after game one of the cup finals in ‘06, Montreal rioted in ‘08 and again in 2010. Plus there were a number of other riots in fan bases for other sports at that time as well. It was a weird time, and I’d like to see a take on those other ones too.

[@PatDK]

One of the biggest reasons why they got labeled as the worst fanbase, and for the most part it’s true…from anytime a Canuck fan responds online

[@PrincessErica84]

Blaming current fans for the riots is not fair. I was a 14 year old crying at home when they lost in 2011. I’m 27 now and still a fan. 95% of current fans played no part in the riot. Just to give you some context

[@fmboss7276]

@@PrincessErica84 Can't blame the whole fanbase but the fact that they had similar riots 20 years apart should say something. And Canucks fans are widely known as the most toxic online fanbase too.

[@PrincessErica84]

@@fmboss7276 say what you want about our fan base. These fans are loyal and care so much about the Canucks. Stuck by them even when they suck. This city is desperate for their first cup. We get disrespected by the majority of other fanbases and always have. If you listen to interviews from players after our G1 win vs Preds this year, it will answer any questions you have about the fans here. If your team was constantly disrespected would you be a little angry too?

[@tudormiller887]

Are they the worst fandom in the NHL ? 🤔🇨🇦🏒🏆

[@tudormiller887]

​@@PrincessErica84That's most Canadian hockey fans though with every province from BC to Ontario. 🇨🇦🏒🏆

[@MrHuang-rh4bj]

They went insane in 94 too.

[@TractControlOff]

Organizations should request the names of the arrested from police and ban those fans from attending future games.

[@SoyBoySk8]

Basically all of Vancouver through a temper tantrum

[@PoetryInMotion-n4x]

Threw

[@SMITHOMATIC]

Babies

[@blanewilliams5960]

Yeah, ok. Do you have any idea what the population of Vancouver is ? How many people actually participated in the madness ? Check your facts and learn how to spell.

[@SoyBoySk8]

@@blanewilliams5960 I am not spell checking because I literally don’t care about the Canucks

[@desyncer]

Basically, all of the fans from the Greater Vancouver Area who didn't actually live in Vancouver* threw* a riot*.

[@IACHUA]

Additional information and context to the riot (Born and raised in Vancouver). The year before in 2010 the Olympics were held and we were encouraged to go out to viewing parties. Everyone at the public viewing areas during the 2011 Playoffs were regulars and we all started to know who was around the area and our spots. Almost instantly after the game ended the screens turned off and the crowd started to get rowdy. My parents were watching the game in their DT office while I was at the viewing party with my friends. We rushed to my parents workplace as soon as the fires started and drove across the Cambie bridge as fast as we could. The riot police were marching over, while leaving the DT core the RCMP were let us through. I still cry about this event every now and then 😢

[@FloydRunner2049]

Road hockey was super friendly in Feb 2010 in Granville Mall. Everyone was smiling

[@spendarthegreat]

It was later found out in the 2011 riot that professional anarchist disguised themselves in jerseys came to Vancouver just to start the riot. The visiting anarchist first started the car fire which started off the riot.

[@LargeBasstafarian]

Win or lose, I believe Vancouver was destined for a riot that night

[@PatFrenchLeafsFan1]

"Silence is like a cancer grows, hear my words that I might teach you, take my arms that I might reach you!"

[@professordogwood8985]

I always wondered what responsibility the NHL should take for this situation. By game three, they practically changed the rules and suspended Aaron Rome for a clean hit but let the Bruins punch and slash their way to a championship. Fair play went out the window and these invested fans reacted accordingly by out-bostoning Boston.

[@renbrod]

Imagine getting this upset about a sports team who has 0 idea as to who you are

[@eriklakeland3857]

Would’ve appreciated a mention of Aaron Rome’s brutal hit against Nathan Horton in game 3. The hit seemed to galvanize the Bruins.

[@FloydRunner2049]

Horton hears a who admiring his pass

[@MNATrevor]

9:32 dude literally fell into the fire 🫣🤯

[@Statsy10]

This was a great in-depth piece on the riot... but it leaves out two key components; Firstly, the timing of this event was spaced out perfectly from our original 1994 riot such that it was still in memory, but also just far enough that it left the younger fans feeling left out. They wanted to have their own generation's riot moment. The second thing is that the riot was a much discussed event the entire day of Game 7 on Social media. Lots of people were openly planning online for this to go down like it did.

[@higgy04]

I wonder what would have happened if Canada had lost the Men's Hockey Gold Medal final to the Americans in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics? Would there have been a riot in downtown Vancouver?? What would have happened regarding the Closing Ceremonies that night???

[@TheDjcorey19]

The key to that series was Lucic knocking out Hamhuis. The Canucks no longer had a solid shut down guy

[@barontaylor7139]

Vancouver had a riot in 2002 over a Guns N Roses concert

[@BikJTube]

Must be a slow news day..

[@JBTriple8]

The Habs fans had Riots in 2021 during the Habs cinderella run

[@ethanparker7900]

the canucks were very lucky to just get out of the first round tbh because the blackhawks were no ordinary 8th seed being the defending champions with roughly 70% of the same team from the year before still being intact and tbh they prolly didn't deserve to but just got lucky cause once they got David Bolland back in game 4 after he didn't play the first three, they absolutely dominated the canucks. I mean they played more like a 5th seed or 6th seed rather than an 8th cause they were just that loaded and just imagine if the blackhawks were to have won game 7 instead of the canucks to complete the reverse sweep what would've happened to the canucks? The team as a result of a historic collapse likely would've been blown up going into rebuild mode with all the coaches and most executives losing their jobs and every player getting traded or bought out (except burrows, bieksa, edler and the sedins) and no run to the final would've happened and also no way in hell they would've won another presidents trophy the next year too had they lsot game 7 and those actions were to have occurred. PS the canucks previously played the hawks in the second round in 2009 and 2010 not first the first was only 2011.

[@wadekevin2074]

I live near Vancouver. Not a fan of canucks. But the canucks fan's don't even believe it was there fault. It's ridiculous how they deny reality. I'm not a canucks fan because of there toxicity. Go oilers

[@AD_RC]

thunder and lightning

[@KJBrazy604]

Oilers had riots too 😂🤦‍♂️

[@hnitsua]

Dat timing I was thinking abt the cops w the shields slammed the people behind their backs during the riot and this vid was in my home page, which I later realized what I was thinking

[@GreatWhiteBud420.]

ZERO! ZERO CUPS! AH AH AH!

[@FloydRunner2049]

Vancouver Millionaires won a cup bro 1915

[@Batmite66]

I just happened to get caught in the riot by happenchance. It was nuts.

[@nbapbaupdate8338]

Vancouver CRAZY STATE

[@giancarloturchiarolo7111]

Bros voice and delivery is absolutely awful

[@TMBpk]

The riot is memorable because most of Canada was supporting the Bruins. LMFAO. 😂

[@Cartoondude135]

It's the final game of the Trophy Finals! - The *odd game 7* that decides who takes all today/tonight. And to just lose that Grand Trophy to the opposing team - especially after coming this far into the Sports Trophy Championships is just too much for the fans to bear! Only compounded by the alcohol coursing through the people's bodies and impeding their ability to process their actions properly. Not to mention that year marks the sports team's special occasional year (I.E., an anniversary). - And it's at the home team's ice rink compounded by a shutout from the visiting team - which adds more insult to injury. Canadians raise their children to play hockey; it's the country's national sport. And to lose that Stanley Cup is just too much for them to bear! Not only did the Canucks lose, their fans turned into los_ers_. Some enraged people *want to lay waste before leaving!* So... what better way to vent out one's frustration and rage... than to *destroy stuff?* And by stuff, I mean anything - and I mean literally anything within one's view and reach? Including overhead power lines, traffic lights on suspension poles, overhead flag poles on highrise buildings, etc. Not only that, those enraged people feel the need to find someone to engage in fights with to relieve the rage from within them after what they just bore witness to. They start harrassing innocent people who are trying to clear out - it's like they *needed a villain to fight.* Hooligans go from rocking vehicles... ...to turning them upside down and wrecking them. - That's a sure way to drive up anyone's insurance costs. Anything abandoned, unlocked, or unprotected on the open streets becomes these morons' idea of a "smashing" good time. After all, *what better way to show team support than to foolishly wreck and char other peoples' stuff?* All these people gathered to watch a game and have fun and by night, they all turn into criminals, because their emotions got the better of them.

[@Creatorfragments]

That’s gonna be Edmonton

[@Realistic316]

so embarrassing

[@kevindoe1000]

I remeber this i was sitting there saying wtf is going on

[@christianloubardias6375]

Hey Canucks fans! My Winnipeg Jets haven't won a Stanley Cup either, but you need to realize that it's JUST A GAME!! I did an angry rant on social media after the Jets were bounced from the first round this year, but my dad reminded me that there's nothing I can do about it

[@vernonhowell4070]

What a great night. This will be a regular occurrence by next year and it will have nothing to do with hockey.

[@thefourhorsemen91]

Eh, like, stop that rioting eh?

[@ericmchumbles9892]

Not gonna lie once Vancouver wins there will probably be a even bigger celebration

[@empire0]

I wouldn't hold my breath on that😂

[@michaelk2811]

my bad guys

[@JimMacintosh]

This is the Vancouver I miss! The Vancouver of today is woke and feminine.

[@ry_an.]

Exactly

[@CSportz-p5r]

So being woke and feminine is worse than being a fucking criminal?

[@hughesfan4343]

The pettiness and anger from Canucks fans is just 54 years of no Cup... Id take a Stanley Cup if it meant being garbage for 10 straight years. This years run helped fill the hole of hurt from 2011. Im begging we do it in this window. We have all the tools. Not sure if we make the finals Canucks fans could handle going 0-4 in cup finals.

[@tudormiller887]

Yeah! Only in Vancouver or Philadelphia right ? 😮🇨🇦🏒🇺🇸

[@deanchar108]

After dealing with a lot of their fans on twitter I am 100% sure they will riot again if they're ever in the finals again. Hockey gods please make sure they never win a cup😂

[@camtymoschuk7665]

we should have lost our team this night

[@cujo505]

Vancouver has the worst fans period

[@justgary2471]

Lol, well this foreshadowed what Vancouver would eventually become... a decriminalized complete mess.

[@NoMercyYTAsGhost]

Yk imma just say right now, this isn’t Canadian

[@3one2hp60]

Van played Chicago in the 2nd round of 2010

[@keithpodhradsky1314]

This was an embarrassment. This is the type of crap Detroit pulled off in 1984 and that was a win, for godsakes. Poor losers.

[@concernedcanadian8460]

People get more upset when their sports team looses than when their country is throwing them under the bus. Pathetic!

[@WolfHaileyy17]

The fans were so cringe..

[@jamduke7885]

That was the yr I lost complete and absolute respect for Canucks fans it was absolutely disgusting the way there fans acted its afucking hockey life does go on and I feel it was an absolutely disgusting excuse for those fans to act like drunken rejects !!!

[@spy56]

Slow news day?

[@Black_hole5]

It might happen again

[@gimmybhullar574]

I believe it was rigged, the Canucks wanted to create a Game 7 so they can win at home at a sold out arena and did not play their best because they thought they will easily win.

[@TwinCitiesOxygen]

If they were “better” then they would have won.

[@simonmarshall19]

Garry Bettman is to blame . A true Yankee Doodle and raising our taxes . He’s truly anti Canada .

[@Warren_Flatt]

yeah who elected this POS to office? god damn Bettman, lock him up!

[@toedrag-release]

Trudeau is raising your taxes not Bettman

[@andygrenn680]

Bruins are innocent to this nonsense. Bruins came for Cup. And left with the Cup vintage 2011…Go BRUINS!

[@boba9599]

20k views, fell off

[@KB-ic2jg]

Riots and grizz ...... Just NOT a sports city

[@BrokTheLoneWolf]

What a trash fan base.

[@joeonthego8247]

They never speak about the 2006 Edmonton riots after their loss. Amazing that 5 years later cell phones would make this riot much more memorable

[@NeilEvery]

It's worth considering some basic math and statistics. 300 arrests out of 150,000 people. That's 0.2%, hardly representative of an entire fan base that so many over the years like to include in this. Even if one inflates this number allowing for the many who got away with crimes it's still a tiny fraction of the number of folks who were there. Anyway, sad event

[@chrisruth7057]

Vancouver was very lucky to even take the series to game 7 cause the series should have been over in 5 games cause Boston was definitely the better team that year

[@Junkosama1]

Deserved 😂

[@sbath2714]

The 2011 Vancouver Canucks were the most annoying team in NHL history. Never having won the President’s Trophy before 2011 and finally defeating the Chicago Blackhawks in the playoffs, the Canucks fan base was obnoxious and entitled. The sense of entitlement was so strong that a Vancouver newspaper published the Canucks parade route prior to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. The Canucks were heavily favoured to win. It was satisfying to watch the Canucks get shutout in their own building in the deciding game.

[@edgeofEurasia]

Canucks fans are a sensitive bunch. They get defensive anytime the riots are mentioned even though the riots are infamous events linked to the team and its fans. Many Canucks fans are hating on Edmonton and laughing when they went 0-3 to start the finals. If Edmonton pulls off the biggest of comebacks and wins the cup, I'm expecting plenty of Canucks fans to go on about how they lost to the eventual champions as if it can make them quasi winners by association. It doesn't. Many Canucks fans are as bad or worse than Leafs fans in thinking they deserve to win because the team sucked for so long.

[@anciltom7098]

You must feel real tough shit talking right now don't you 😂

[@FloydRunner2049]

This won’t age well. There are still oilers fans in Vancity chats chirping. Case in point, it’s a month ago already 😂 Get a grip

[@luccac6247]

@@anciltom7098 Guessing the same could be said about you too hey muppet? Remind me again who won the Van- ED series this year? I'll wait...

[@user-br7sb3wk4h]

If the rioters were black this would be portrayed differently

[@undercoverhotdog]

This championship was second only to the Red Sox in 2004. Legendary win.

[@kevinwilkie2150]

Why does theScore keep releasing videos, covering the same topics of the producer and Director who made much better documentaries. First the grizzly truth on the Vancouver grizzlies and now this riot video where a 30 for 30 was made. Get some new material.

[@Selecterstylee]

Ah another shitty documentary, at least some people do their homework and realize it was a lot of people out of province that came just to start a riot. 94 was another story.

[@nbapbaupdate8338]

Rise or another fall for Charlotte Hornets new ERA & new owners you're next video theScore 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@BrokTheLoneWolf]

What a trash fan base.

[@BrokTheLoneWolf]

What a trash fan base.