The Vancouver Canucks have never won a championship in their 55-year history, and their current Stanley Cup odds suggest that won’t change this season.
With the Canucks poised to miss the playoffs for the ninth time in the past 11 campaigns, how does their current team rank in the franchise’s history?
Below, I’ll rank the five worst Canucks teams of all time.
Worst Canucks Seasons in Team History
5. 2025-26: In Progress
The Canucks were a 50-win team just two seasons ago, but they look nothing close to that team now, sitting last in the NHL standings.
Vancouver traded away Quinn Hughes, the best defenceman in franchise history, and has gone 10-21-5 since. Star centre Elias Pettersson looks nothing like himself, while goaltender Thatcher Demko is out for the rest of the year after a second straight subpar season.
The only hope for the Canucks now is a lottery pick at the 2026 NHL Draft.
4. 1977-78: 20-43-17 (57 points)
The Canucks were just starting to get their footing after joining the league in 1970-71, but the franchise took a massive step back in the late 1970s following the firing of GM Phil Maloney.
Vancouver finished 15th out of 18 teams with a .356 points percentage – the fourth-worst mark in franchise history – while both goaltenders, Cesare Maniago and Curt Ridley, posted a goals against average above 4.00.
3. 1998-99: 23-47-12 (58 points)
The 1998-99 season marked the lowest point during a very messy Mark Messier era in Vancouver.
After signing a huge contract with the Canucks as a free agent the season prior, Messier took the captaincy from fan favourite Trevor Linden, but the on-ice results never matched his paycheck.
Messier recorded just 48 points in 59 games during the 1998-99 campaign as the floundering Canucks missed the playoffs for the third straight season.
2. 1971-72: 20-50-8 (48 points)
The Canucks posted 24 wins in 1970-71, their first NHL season, but regressed to just 20 victories during their second campaign.
Vancouver’s .308 points percentage still stands as the lowest single-season mark in franchise history, and the team’s struggles proved that they were nowhere close to becoming a playoff contender.
The Canucks didn’t qualify for the playoffs until 1974-75, and they didn’t win a round until 1981-82.
1. 1984-85: 25-46-9 (59 points)
The Canucks didn’t technically go from first to worst in 1984-85, but they were close.
Vancouver advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in 1982 before being swept by the Islanders, who claimed their third straight title. Just a few seasons later, the Canucks finished 18th out of 21 teams in 1984-85 and ended a streak of six consecutive postseason appearances.
Vancouver allowed a league-worst 401 goals – just one of seven instances in NHL history of a team giving up 400-plus goals.
What’s the Worst Vancouver Canucks Team in Franchise History?
The Canucks’ worst team in franchise history was assembled during the 1984-85 season.
The team missed the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons after reaching the Stanley Cup Final just three years prior.
Vancouver’s defence that season was one of the worst in league history, surrendering 401 goals in 80 games.
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