While the Canucks clinched the Presidents' Trophy after crushing the Oilers in the team's final game before the playoffs Saturday, sports fans speculate over whether the prize brings bad luck.
The Vancouver hockey team was given the award for finishing the regular season with the most points for the second year in a row. Despite the high achievement, there's the belief that winning it can ruin a teams' chances in the playoffs -- a fate influenced by the dreaded curse of the Presidents' Trophy.
"There's some people who believe if you win the Presidents' Trophy, you probably shot all your bullets during the regular season and don't have enough left for the playoffs," TSN reporter Farhan Lalji said.
In total, the trophy has been awarded 25 times, and the winner has gone to capture the Stanley Cup seven times.
"But listen to this: the last four times teams who have won back-to-back Presidents' Trophies, three of those teams have gone on to win the Stanley Cup in the second year. So if you believe that, the Canucks have a pretty good chance," Lalji added.
Sports psychologist Dr. Saul Miller doesn't believe the curse is real.
"I don't think there's anything in it. I think the Canucks are a good team; I expect they'll do very well in the playoffs," Miller said.
The so-called curse hasn't hurt ticket sales for this week's two home playoff games. Kingsley Bailey of Vancouver Ticket and Tour says seats are selling for $175 each.
"I didn't think it would be that much, but the demand is going through the roof," Bailey said.
He agrees that winning the Presidents' Trophy won't hurt the Vancouver hockey team.
"I don't think there's a curse this year because (the Canucks) didn't go after the gold; it fell on their lap," Bailey added.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Shannon Paterson
