7th Man: Rest in Peace

Well, it's unofficially official. If you whisper the words "seventh man" around the marketing brass at Canucks headquarters, you will probably hear a chorus of, "What? Never heard of it."

The rest of the team will probably take the fifth for fear of self-incrimination.

Never to be acknowledged in public again, the #7 banner will be silently brought down one night in the off-season when the doors to GM place are locked. The banner will be buried and the person who buried it will probably be shot so that its location remains forever secret.

The #7 banner will join Rasputin and Jimmy Hoffa, never to be seen again.

And I almost feel a little bad, because somewhere deep down, I think the masterminds behind the short-lived phenomenon actually meant well. Too bad Cliffy and Gino had to be briefly sullied by the whole experience, but the mud will dry and flake away in a matter of months. By the time the Olympics roll around, if you mention the words "seventh man" anywhere in Vancouver, you will probably hear a chorus of, "What? Never heard of it."

Let's hope nobody got fired over this thing. It really could have been worse. Not much, but it is theoretically possible.

7th Man: A Night Off from the Ceremony...

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...

7th Man: It Sucks But At Least It's Not This...

Could the Canucks' 7th Man be the most unpopular, laughable and despised corporate-generated sports promotion in NHL history?

Nope. It has to compete for 2nd place.



You have to at least respect the Senators players for refusing to look this couch potato "Gladiator" in the eye. You can see this "Spartan" trying to get some sort of acknowledgment by barely turning his head from side to side in their direction.

Not having none of it, pal. You're on your own with this one...

7th Man: We're Getting Laughed At by Devils Fans

Yes, it was cheesy. Yes, it was forced, contrived, awkward and maybe even a little embarrassing (except for the chant of Ronning! Ronning! which was very cool and very well-deserved).

I may have rolled my eyes and cringed a little in my seat at the whole slightly patronizing ceremony... "Retiring" jersey number 7 for the fans when the last thing they needed was a Pavlovian cue to applaud the team they have given five straight years of a sold out arena.

But I'll be damned if I'm going to let a bunch of Americans laugh at us! You can see what the New Jersey Devils fans think of the ceremony HERE.