Vancouver riot reactions: Thousands volunteer to clean up mess, Henrik Sedin voices disgust

James O'Brien

Jun 16, 2011, 12:02 PM EDT

32 Comments

APTOPIX Stanley Cup Vancouver Scene Hockey

AP

While it still remains unclear how much precise damage and the exact number of people who were injured in some way during last night’s riots in Vancouver, the latest numbers indicate that 130 to 140 people were admitted to local hospitals. Many of those injuries were reportedly related to the tear gas and pepper spray used at the scenes, although three people were treated for stab wounds with one person in critical condition. There haven’t been any fatalities reported at this time, though.

Whatever the final, official numbers end up being, it’s a huge black eye for the city of Vancouver (even if the spin dictates that it was a relatively small piece of the populace). The city also rioted in 1994 following the team’s Game 7 loss to the New York Rangers, leaving about 200 people injured in that incident.

While this event probably cost the city millions in damage – not to mention terrible public relations that might impact their tourism? – there have been some moments that remind us that there are good people in that well-liked city. Lesley Ciarula Taylor of the Star reports that 11,300 people volunteered to help clean up the mess that looters made in the city, although it isn’t known if that many people actually followed up on the encouraging drive.

(The Facebook group is located here while the Twitter group is @VancouverClean.)

Taylor’s story provided some reactions by local athletes and celebrities.

“World: as you can imagine Vancouver is being embarrassed by a relative few,” wrote basketball star Steve Nash of Victoria, B.C., according to The Canadian Press.

“We’re a great city and have a lot of class. Our team is great and our championship will come. Soon.”

Also on Twitter, B.C. Premier Christy Clark begged rioters: “Let’s not make things worse,” she said. “Time to go home.”

Former B.C. premier and past Liberal MP Ujjal Dosanjh tweeted: “Shame! “Not the Vancouver I know.”

Musician Johnny Reid urged the vandals to “stop the madness.”

“Trying to figure out why a few idiots can leave an entire country with a black eye?”

Henrik Sedin also expressed his disappointment about the situation.

“It’s terrible,” Canucks captain Henrik Sedin said, shaking his head. “This city and province has a lot to be proud of, the team we have and the guys we have in here. It’s too bad.”

This ugly incident makes it tough to argue that the city has progressed much since 1994. If the team makes it to a big stage like this – a likely scenario since elite players, for the most part, remain in place – let’s hope that officials are more prepared and fans are less unruly. If that takes limiting alcohol sales and gatherings around big screens altogether, then so be it.

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32 Comments (Feed for Comments)

cccingred - Jun 16, 2011 at 12:14 PM

lots of pictures posted of the crap that went on.
i hope they are identified and arrested.
- jcfromdallas - Jun 16, 2011 at 2:26 PM
  
  No big screens. Let everyone watch it at home. If they get pissed, they can wreck their own stuff. Simple…
- florida727 - Jun 16, 2011 at 3:36 PM
  
  Unfortunately it only takes a handful of idiots to tarnish the reputation of a city. I too hope they get identified and ‘dealt with’ appropriately. Congrats to the Canucks on a great season. Congrats to the Bruins for hoisting the Cup. What a great series to watch.
sanjosecupcrazy - Jun 16, 2011 at 12:44 PM

Classless, just like their hockey team and fans.
- warpstonebc - Jun 16, 2011 at 12:58 PM
  
  LOL, that’s right @sanjosecupcrazy, thanks for showing us how classy you are.
  - thorisbc - Jun 16, 2011 at 1:18 PM
    
    You are trying to tell us about class … REALLY? … YOU?? Your team got beat, just like the Canucks did. You adding insult to injury doesn’t make it any easier for the Sharks and the few morons that crapped all over the stage in Vancouver definitely didn’t make it any easier for the Canucks.
- govtminion - Jun 16, 2011 at 1:12 PM
  
  To: Pot
  From: Kettle
  
  Message reads: You are black.
  
  END.
- galuple - Jun 16, 2011 at 1:14 PM
  
  I just live here that’s it. I’ll burn my Canucks jersey tomorrow.
  - uglycassinova - Jun 16, 2011 at 11:59 PM
    
    No you still don’t get it, stop burning things
BB_Baker - Jun 16, 2011 at 1:01 PM

This is the best picture of the riots – http://bit.ly/jla7Zl
- nesuperfan - Jun 16, 2011 at 1:16 PM
  
  Looks Photoshopped to me.
  - thorisbc - Jun 16, 2011 at 1:19 PM
    
    Yep … cheap effort to get traffic
  - BB_Baker - Jun 16, 2011 at 2:10 PM
    
    Not photoshopped – http://on.msnbc.com/je3C52
    
    Picture made it to the front page of MSNBC.
    
    Thought it was wonderful picture of love amid the chaos of the riots. Something we need more of.
  - uglycassinova - Jun 17, 2011 at 12:03 AM
    
    If it’s on MSNBC then it must be real.
    When has the Media ever lied to us?
    Come on it’s as fake as it gets
- manhorse69 - Jun 16, 2011 at 2:02 PM
  
  Bruins fans!
  - florida727 - Jun 16, 2011 at 3:39 PM
    
    I like the caption. It says “a couple kiss”. KISS? Looks like the guy’s about to get laid!
tk1966 - Jun 16, 2011 at 1:02 PM

He should also have been disappointed in the fans at the arena after the loss. Far too much booing and throwing cups on the ice – and not just when Bettman was talking. I know that every team has classless buffoons, but it sounded like there were more than one would expect or hope to see in that setting.
- gainesweaver - Jun 16, 2011 at 2:37 PM
  
  Uhm, no. Only in the most literal of senses does “every team have classless buffoons”. You can hate all the Sun Belt teams and say they don’t “deserve” teams because they aren’t “natural” hockey markets, but their fans are particularly noted by other teams at having exceptionally polite fans. In the last 10 years, the ‘Canes have made the Stanley Cup Finals twice. We lost one (2002) and won one (2007). I don’t know how we managed it (rolling eyes) but we figured out how to lose and win without having ANY incidents of vandalism. And you know who we hate? Not our natural rivals within our division. Rather its the teams that travel with the most obnoxious, rude, drunken, want-to-fight-for-no-reason-or-over-a-stupid-game fans. That would be Buffalo.
  - tk1966 - Jun 16, 2011 at 2:51 PM
    
    So you are telling me that of the 18+/- thousand fans in the arena, you don’t have even one moron / idiot / drunkard / buffoon? I find that hard to believe. Only the most myopic would believe that about their fan base.
    
    I wasn’t talking about vandalism, about rivalries – I was talking about the cup-throwing, booing clowns.
  - gainesweaver - Jun 16, 2011 at 3:17 PM
    
    tk1966, comprehend much? What part of “Only in the most literal sense does ‘every team have classless buffoons’.” did you not understand? Clearly, I was indicating that every team has at least a very few. But there are some (Vancouver and Buffalo for starters) that are off the charts. “Every team has classless buffoons” sounds very much like “everybody does it” which is clearly not the case. It is offensive to compare these barbarians to the respectful fan bases that keep everything in perspective.
  - uglycassinova - Jun 17, 2011 at 12:28 AM
    
    Any arena that serves alcohol in those plastic cups is going to have the emptys thrown onto the ice at some point that is just a sad truth. What I think is even more sad is that there a few arrogant fan bases that feel like they have some sense of entitlement which allows them to act like a jackass when things don’t go their way. All to often I hear about how there are certain markets that are nontraditional and shouldn’t be a part of the league but I can’t recall any of those markets ever creating a scene like this. Take Nashville for example, the team is on the verge of leaving and the city rally’s behind them to keep them in place. This year after being eliminated by Vancouver they skate off for the final time of the season to a standing ovation. In our “little market” we have an almost uncanny ability to keep things in perspective. Like realizing it’s just a game. A GAME. Played by men on skates that get payed very well. Win or loose I still have to wake up in the morning and go to work and try to make ends meet. I like my team but I love my city and I am embarrassed for all of those in Vancouver who actually get it.
- hystoracle - Jun 16, 2011 at 3:18 PM
  
  The only difference is that most teams’ “buffoon fans” don;t go out and torch the city after they lose. Fans will boo and jeer but defiling the city is a whole different level.
  - tk1966 - Jun 16, 2011 at 3:57 PM
    
    Um, gainesweaver, do you assume too much? Where does “Every team has classless buffoons” indicate that everybody does it? Be careful about the assumptions there, buddy. If I meant to say that that “everybody does it”, I would have said “Every fan of every team is a classless buffoon”. See the difference?
- tommytd - Jun 16, 2011 at 9:36 PM
  
  Bettman gets booed everywhere he shows up. He’s a moron.
whatagreatfootballmind - Jun 16, 2011 at 1:24 PM

Just think if the Canucks, you know, actually won.
nyncsports - Jun 16, 2011 at 1:48 PM

Don’t know why there acting like this. They haven’t won crap EVER! Go Rangers!
francoisduvalle - Jun 16, 2011 at 3:55 PM

…Welcome to Vancouver ..The Detroit for white people
tommytd - Jun 16, 2011 at 9:41 PM

I hope V fans eventually voice their disgust for the performance of the Sedin sisters. They really let their team down. I suspected all along that were NOT gamers and they didn’t let me down. You can have ‘em, and all their awards as well.
uglycassinova - Jun 16, 2011 at 11:57 PM

Stay classy Vancouver.
I am so glad that we are considered a non traditional hockey market

Signed: Nashville
flyinhighwithvick - Jun 17, 2011 at 8:23 AM

I thought behavior like this was OK as long as it wasn’t in Philadelphia? Lighten up people, they may be burning buildings and over-turning cars, but at least they aren’t booing Santa Claus.
1historian - Jun 22, 2011 at 2:00 PM

The Bruins went to a casino in Connecticut to celebrate and racked up a tab of over $150,000, which included a $100,000 bottle of champagne.

Just thought you canucks fans would be interested to know that.

yuk-yuk
1historian - Jun 22, 2011 at 2:01 PM

one more thing – the bartender got a tip of $25,000

yuk yuk – again

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