Canucks to fans: Please don’t riot

In anticipation of another deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Vancouver Canucks have launched This Is Our Home, an all-out, full-scale passive-aggressive assault to promote non-destructive fandom in British Columbia’s largest city.

With the “Please Drink Responsibly”-inspired tagline “Please Celebrate Responsibly,” the Canucks’ campaign, launched Wednesday. (Watch the TV spot below.) The plan is to flood local television, radio, and public spaces with public-service advertisements encouraging the franchises core values: courage, heart, humility, integrity and passion. At least two of which were cast aside in the regrettable aftermath of 2011’s Game 7 — the Pacific Coast elephant in the room that this campaign is trying to kill with kindness.

“Please Don’t Riot” is what can be read rather easily between the lines, and we fear that a YouTube mashup artist is already at work, juxtaposing the Nucks’ plea for peace with images of rubber bullets and broken glass and fire hoses and a couple stealing a kiss in the maelstrom.

Softened with phrases like “respecting the fellow fan,” the crisply captured campaign was filmed in 20-plus Vancouver locales and features classy alumni Trevor Linden and Stan Smyl in their throwback unis, current fan favourites — Kevin Bieksa, Ryan Kesler, Manny Malhotra, the Sedin brothers — and clusters of fans decked out in official team merchandise all claiming that Vancouver is their home.

As cool as it is to see talented imports from Alberta, Ontario, Michigan and Sweden claiming Van City as their own, we’re not too sure that the type of person who has it in their heart to set a cop car alight or throw something heavy and metal through a shopfront window is the same type to be dissuaded by a Linden ad in which he’s not pushing eyeglasses.

More take-action is the city’s recently announced crowd-management plan, as reported in Tuesday’s Globe & Mail. Neighbourhood-oriented events outside of the city’s tight downtown core will be encouraged; outdoor drinking will not. No more giant TV screens drawing 150,000-plus to the heart of the Vancouver.

The city, which drew criticism for being underprepared for the chaos of last June, is preparing in March. The goal is to crack down on the amount of liquor consumed on transit and in the streets. But what is discouraged and what is actually prevented are separate things. And will the people of Vancouver really choose to attend city-organized local block parties at community centres instead of heading downtown where the real action is?

“I don’t think we should dismiss the possibility that if, for example, there’s an event planned for the Dunbar Community Centre, people that live within a kilometre of that will want to take their children and family together to celebrate,” John Furlong, co-author of a report on the June 15 riot, said during a press conference alongside the mayor. “The biggest thing about this plan is it decentralizes the activity.”

The ads are rolling out now, and the anti-riot plan will take effect when and if the hockey posterboys, currently seeded second in the West, reach rounds 3 and 4 of the tournament.

With the strength of the teams in the Western Conference, this is no small if. And if the Canucks do outlast the Red Wings, Predators, Blackhawks and Blues — viable contenders all — there will be justification for rejoice and an adult beverage or seven.

But last year’s irresponsible celebrators (euphemism alert!) forced the city’s hand: Vancouver had to do something.

Whether block parties and feel-good TV ads are the responsible solution, though, remains to be seen.

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