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Vancouver Canucks
Overall: 113
Title track: 115
Ownership: 90
Coaching: 92
Players: 102
Fan relations: 94
Affordability: 120
Stadium experience: 106
Bang for the buck: 110
Change from last year:-1
It was only four years ago that the Canucks advanced to the Stanley Cup finals and ranked a respectable No. 43 in our standings. But the bottom fell out the next year (with a 59-point drop) and has settled a little bit deeper every year since. The Canucks have their lowest mark since we began our rankings in 2003 and are in triple digits for the second straight year.
What's good
A No. 92 coaching rating might not look all that commendable, but it represents a 28-point leap from the previous year when fans could not run the combustible John Tortorella out of town fast enough. Enter rookie head coach Willie Desjardins, who stepped up from the Texas Stars of the AHL and guided the Canucks to an 18-point, regular-season improvement. The ranking could have been even better if not for a first-round playoff loss to Calgary.
What's bad
The Canucks are more than a year into the regime change under president Trevor Linden, and fans need both patience and deep pockets. The lowest category for the Canucks is affordability (120th), due to an average ticket price of $84.87, more than $20 above the NHL average. Offering less bang for the buck (110th) -- and fewer playoff games -- the Canucks had a streak of 474 consecutive home sellouts end in October, and attendance dropped 8 percent to 18,170 per game. Another triple-digit showing came in players (102nd). An emotional attachment remains with the Sedin twins, but a combined three goals from Daniel and Henrik in six playoff games left fans wanting more.
What's new
The Canucks overhauled their hospitality program, hiring 1,200 staff members, expanding concourse space and introducing over 180 new food and beverage items at Rogers Arena, most notably the Steamer's Dog, named after Canucks great Stan Smyl. There were a dozen -- inspired by Smyl's No. 12 jersey -- varieties of hot dogs, including one topped with pierogies and sour cream, and another with cheese curds, gravy, hickory sticks and fried potatoes. "I inhaled it in four fast bites wishing I could line up for another," wrote one reviewer. Despite all the changes, stadium experience (106th) dropped seven points with their hockey-worst score in fan-friendly amenities. Cheese curds and gravy can't fix everything.
Next: Toronto Maple Leafs | Full rankings