Over their 50-year history, the Vancouver Canucks have had many players come through the doors of Rogers Arena and the Pacific Coliseum. It’s hard to remember them all, especially when they were more well-known in another jersey. In this series, we are going to look back at some former NHLers that played for the Canucks but do not come to mind as such when we think of their NHL careers.
For Rick Vaive, most remember him as the first player in Toronto Maple Leafs history to surpass the 50-goal mark in a season. He is also the only player who has scored 50 or more goals in a season multiple times for the historic franchise, accomplishing the feat in three straight seasons from 1981-82 through 1983-84. While he only played a total of 47 games for the Canucks before getting traded, he had an impact on the team, recording 21 points and 111 penalty minutes over that span.
Vaive’s Pre-Canuck Career
The 1979 NHL draft produced plenty of standout players, including Mark Messier, Raymond Borque, Mike Gartner and Glenn Anderson. It was also the year Vancouver used the fifth pick to select Vaive, who was playing for the Birmingham Bulls of the World Hockey Association (WHA) at the time. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, he put up 59 points in 75 games while finishing tied for the league lead in penalty minutes with Scott Campbell at 248.
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Prior to his season in the WHA, Vaive was a star in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with the Sherbrooke Castors. He finished his 137-game career with 127 goals along with 265 points while also posting 292 penalty minutes. During his junior career, he was also part of a stacked Canadian World Junior Team in 1978 that included Wayne Gretzky, Stan Smyl, Bobby Smith and Rob Ramage that would go on to win a Bronze Medal. Overall, he had a successful career leading up to finally making the NHL, where he was able to show that not only could he produce offensively but that he wasn’t afraid to drop the gloves whenever he got the chance.
Vaive’s Career With the Canucks
After being selected fifth overall in 1979, Vaive was on Vancouver’s opening night roster to start the 1979-80 season. It didn’t take him long to score his first NHL goal, as that came versus the Detroit Red Wings in his second career game. Assisted by Don Leaver and Kevin McCarthy, it would serve as the game-winner as the Canucks walked away with a 3-1 victory.
As mentioned, Vaive’s time in Vancouver was short, as he was traded on Feb. 18, 1980; the Canucks would send him alongside Bill Derlago to the Maple Leafs in exchange for Jerry Butler and Dave “Tiger” Williams. Despite only playing 47 games, he finished top ten on the team in goals with 13, while his 111 penalty minutes would rank fifth. He also finished second on the team with four game-winning goals, just one behind Jere Gillis for the team lead. While it is clear that Vancouver gave up on him too early, it is safe to say he had a decent career with the Canucks, even if it only lasted a little over half a season.
Vaive’s NHL Career After the Canucks
After getting traded away from Vancouver, Vaive became one of the best goal scorers in the NHL. As mentioned, he surpassed the 50-goal mark in three consecutive seasons and scored 30 or more goals in nine straight campaigns. His 13-year career included stops in Toronto, where he was named captain for four seasons, as well as time spent with the Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres. Over his career, he would score 441 goals, which ranks 70th all-time in NHL history. He would also be named to the All-Star Game on three separate occasions and won a Bronze and Silver Medal with Canada at the World Championship.
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After retiring from the NHL in 1992, Vaive would jump behind the bench, coaching in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), American Hockey League (AHL) and ECHL. His most successful season came while coaching the South Carolina Stingrays during the 1996-97 campaign, where they became the first-ever team in ECHL history to win the Brabham Cup and Kelly Cup in the same season. In 2020-21, his son, Justin Vaive, would follow in his dad’s footsteps by winning the Kelly Cup as a player for the Fort Wayne Komets.
Life After Hockey
Currently, Vaive is not involved in hockey on a professional level but does appear on radio shows to comment on the current Leafs team. He has also participated in different community initiatives back home in Ontario and does attend events to sign autographs. Fans also have the opportunity to read all about his time in the NHL and as a coach, as he has released a book called Catch 22: My Battles, in Hockey and Life.
Canucks’ All-Time Ranks
Games Played: 47 GP (T360th)
Goals: 13 G (T189th)
Assists: 8 A (T313th)
Points: 21 P (T255th)
