IN 1976 Rocky won the Oscar for best picture, and the Vancouver Canucks finished the regular season with a winning record. By Laurie McGuinness Contributing Writer Since then we've seen a lot more of Rocky. but no more win- ning NHL seasons in Vancouver. The Canucks are poised to set a North American pro sporis fran- chise record for consecutive losing seasons should they fnisn the cur- rent campaign below .500, this be- ing their 18th straight year of los- ing more than winning. Chris Oddleifson. now a suc- cessful North Shore realtor with Sussex Realty, was a member of the $975.76 Canuck team. That year he enjoved inis best season as 2 pro, racking up 62 points while playing all S@ games. What did that edition ot the Canucks have that other ediuions since have lacked? You can sum up that year by saying Gary Smith,” says the well-spoken Oddleifson, referring 1o the team’s wandering goaltender. ‘‘He did the job on the ice, stopping 50 shots or so, and his personality off the ice buoved the whole team. He shared the glory when we won, pointing out Gerry O'Flaherty for his checking or John Grisdale for blocking a shot, and that brought us together as a team.”” Oddleifson. who arrived in Vancouver from Boston in a trade that saw Bobby Schmautz leave the Canucks, said another factor in the success of the °75-76 Canucks was that the team social- ized together. “We didn’t have near the talent in Vancouver that we had in Boston, so we had to work as 2 team or we would fose,”” says the 40-year-old former centre. “tn Boston there was a pro- nounced division between the stars, most of whom had been around in the old six-team league. and the third and fourth line plasers, such as myself." he said. The Bruins were so skilled that they could win on talent alone. But marquee players such as Phil Espasito, Wayne Cashman. and Gerry Cheevers rarely mixed with the supporting cast away from the tink — with one notable excep- tion. “As goed as Bobly Orr was on the ice, he was that nice a guy off the ice. He had time for everyone on the team.”” The subject of players with the calibre of Orr and Esposito brought up another point. **Vancouver needs a superstar.” says Oddleifson. While that may be stating the obvious, Oddicifson expkiins fur- ther. “Look at L.A. They were no better than Vancouver, but then they ect Wayne Greisky, and he elevated the level of play of everyone on the team. A player of thit calibre not only brings his own skills to the game, but he br- ings out the best in his teammates. Great players make vou play bet- ter" Oddleifson’s contentiun thar the Presence of G@ superstar mises the fevel of play of his teammnities is borne our bs the performance of the 988-89 Canucks in the plasoffs, Vaneouver took the eventual Stanley Cup winder Calgary Flames to sudden death in seven games. and it owes un. doutedhy the presence of Zen-like defenceman Paul Reinhart ¢ lifted the Canucks’ lesef or phas FORMER VANCOUVER Canucks star Chris Oddleifson heips daughter Lauren with her skates before the two take to the ice. Wednesday. February 13, 1991 - North Shore News - 13 NEWS photo Stuart Davis 46 Initially, changing coaches gets the players motivated, as it did for us at firsi McCammon did a good jo wasn't the problem. #9 Bur bak to that winning season. In the playofts in April of 1976 the Canucas ran into the eventual Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens in the first round, los- my the series four games to one. However, the lone victory was the CanucSs" tirse eser at the Mon- ireal Forum. and no seemed the franchise had turned a corner. The Canadiens then tore through the rest of the phivotis. go on to sweep the defending champion Philadelphia Plyers an the Cup rinal The Canuchs tried to build on their success the following year, in a scenario that back. Gary Smith was gone after committing & sacial faux pas ata teum function, Sanderson arrived at the height of his partying days. the cohesiveness had the sear previous,” “and Sanderson a terrible influence with hus off-ice Quddleifson, but he was was doing to himsell, i the vounger t think Bob v here, and motivation — Chris Oddieifson on a timeiess problem. on the ream our with him.” The Canucks then made 3 coaching chan, in) mid-season, replacing the affable Phil Malones with no-nonsense Orland Kurten- bach. “initially, changing coaches gets the players motivated. as it did tor us at first? sass Oddleit- sot. Asked about the mest recent Canucks coaching change, Od- dlensen comments: ER think Bob MeCammon did a vood job here. and motivanion wasn’t the prob- jem 77 When a plaser’s coach. which both Maloney and McCammon were, starts losing, the easy-going atmosphere around the team. is Viewed as 2 problem, and so the coach is let go. “Its the old saying. iCs easier to fire one coach than all the players,” says Oddleifson. Oddleifsan takes pains to state that he has no more knowledge ot what is going on in the Canucks organization than the average fan, but there is) one facet of the organization he is familiar with — the ownership. “The Griffiths are gold, as far as ownership goes. Except for the brief period when Arthur Griffiths was part of the team administra- tion, they don’t meddle in’ the operation of the club, and they give the team management room to work." The Harry Neale and Pat Quinn regimes are evidence enough of that. Another area where Oddleifson feels that Canucks have been burt has been media coverage. “The press forces manage- ment’s hand, demanding action when the team isnt winning, and the Neely trade is a good exam- ple,” he said, referring to the trade that saw Cam Neely and a first-round draft choice leave town for Barry Pederson, since gone to Pittsburgh. The barbs the press throws at players sting even more, he continued. “Athletes have a very brief episode, and they have to be con- fident to make the most of it. You can forget that some of them are sull Kids. If you're 22 or 23 and you read something negative in the paper. you tend to take it to heart. An example is Dan Quinn. I can assure you that he is work- ing as hard as he can. He didn’t come to Vancouver and say, all right, time to sit back and relax. {f anything, he’s probably trying too hard.” Oddleifson acknow!- edges the reality of selling news- papers, though, saving **People like reading that stuff.” And then there's The Library, as the Coliseum has come to be known. The quiet that hangs in the air can have a positive effect on visiting teams, says Oddleifson. “The crowd is taken out of the game here, and it makes it easier for visiting teams.”” he says. “But we've seen that crowds here will respond to a good performance.” Witness the 1981-82 drive to the Cup final. and the aforementioned series with Calgary. Oddleifson, a bachelor while with the Canucks. now occupies his free time with his wife Debbie and their three kids Jeffrey, seven, Lauren, five, and Erica, four months. He is a member of the Vancouver Canucks Old Timers team, who travel to rinks around B.C. raising money for charity. “We try to meke the games enter- taining, much like the Flying Fa- thers." And what of the Canucks’ first superstar? Is he here yet, waiting to step to the front and claim our broken hockey hearts? “Pat Quinn obviousiv has a plan for Peter Nedved. He's br- inging him along slowly. letting him get used to the level of com- petition.” And in the real estate market, interest rates are dropping, ven- dors ure adjusting their prices downward, and the sales are start- ing to happen again. “Things are picking up aguinw” said Oddleif- son. So, Ho sou want to buy a house with a dike hockey talk thrown oi for free, gise Chris Gddleiteon a call.