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In judging the reaction to the first NHL game played in Vancouver, it’s interesting to see the Vancouver Canucks were playing second fiddle to the B.C. Lions and the CFL in the media sports landscape at the time.

Star Vancouver Sun columnist Jim Taylor wasn’t even at the game, instead on the road in Toronto watching the game with Lions owner Denny Veitch, president Ian Barclay and coach Jackie Parker on TV from his hotel room.

Here’s a portion of what Taylor wrote that day:

It is 2:05 a.m., altogether a hell of a time to finish watching a hockey game. But my seat was better than yours, Buster. We had booze and no organist.

Denny Veitch, president Ian Barclay and Jackie Parker, no longer custodians of the only crap game in town, were sprawled in front of the colour TV watching the new boys move into Vancouver. The Canucks were scrapping with the Kings and for minutes at a time, it was possible to forget the Lions are 5-6, and get the Argonauts here tonight.