The call came but only hours after the Vancouver Canucks' ownership shuffle yesterday: Ditch the orca.
Sports talk shows in Vancouver were abuzz at the news that the hometown Aquilini brothers had purchased John McCaw's 50-per-cent share in the team, ending the Seattle billionaire's 10-year ownership of the NHL club, but what drew the most discussion was a potential jersey and logo change for the Canucks. McCaw's corporate brand, Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment, was the impetus behind the Canucks' move to the leaping, C-shaped whale for the beginning of the 1997-98 season and with his group divesting of the team, the new group may opt for a more homegrown look.
General consensus seems to favour Vancouver readopting their 'vintage' jerseys — the blue and green rink and stick combo they entered the league wearing in 1970 — which the team has been wearing as a third jersey in recent years.
Jersey swaps are nothing new for the Canucks, who have donned some of the league's more interesting uniforms in their history — including the oh-so-gaudy bright yellow 'Flying V' configuration which somehow endured from 1978 to 1985.
