Well, there was no 7th Man ceremony at last night's 4-0 win over the Nashville Predators, marking the first home game without that aspect of scripted fan involvement since the ritual was introduced (a couple games) earlier in the season.
Was it simply a night off to give the fans a couple extra days to adjust to the new "tradition"? Was it a quiet euthanizing of the ceremony, pretending that it had never happened? Was there nobody willing to step into the skates of the 7th man that night and feel as awkward as Gino Odjick seemed to the previous game?
I've been more than a little critical of the way the notion was introduced to the fans...out of left field, involving a Canucks legend like Cliff Ronning in a gimmicky "Let's Make a Deal" style ceremony. But the fact remains that fans shouldn't be all that bent out of shape if the organization wants to celebrate and involve them.
It may well be that the manner in which the 7th man was first introduced will have caused the concept to die on the vine. One thing I learned from the vast wisdom of Head and Shoulders commercials is that you never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Perhaps if they stick with it, that game show hockey stick thing will eventually become a distant memory and fans will look forward to the opportunity to lace up the proverbial skates as the 7th man for a game. Or perhaps the whole thing will become a distant memory, idea included. Let's see if Number 7 resurfaces at the next game...
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