The Vancouver Canucks are staring down a bit of uncomfortable history right now. With nine straight losses heading into Saturday night’s matchup against the Edmonton Oilers, they’re just one defeat away from tying the franchise’s all-time record for consecutive losses-a mark that’s stood untouched since the late '90s.
That infamous 10-game skid dates back to the 1997-98 season, when the Canucks dropped every game from October 23 to November 12. That year, things didn’t get much better. Vancouver wrapped up the season with a 25-43-14 record, finishing dead last in the Pacific Division and ahead of only two other teams league-wide: the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.
This current slide is already historic in its own right. It’s the first time since the turn of the millennium that the Canucks have lost nine in a row. And while that’s a stat no team wants to be associated with, it does put this stretch in perspective-it’s been nearly two and a half decades since Vancouver’s had a run this rough.
But this isn’t the first time the Canucks have flirted with a double-digit losing streak. In fact, the team has hit the nine-loss mark five times in its history, with the first four all coming between 1974 and 1988.
Let’s rewind a bit.
The first of those came at the start of 1975. Vancouver rang in the new year with nine straight losses from January 1 to January 18.
They finally broke the slump with a 3-2 win over the Washington Capitals on January 23. And here’s the twist: despite that rough patch, the Canucks actually ended up finishing first in the Smythe Division that season, going 38-32-10 and landing ninth overall in the NHL standings.
Fast forward to the 1984-85 season, which featured not one, but two separate nine-game losing streaks for Vancouver. The first came in October, running from the 14th through Halloween.
That streak finally snapped with a 6-4 win over the Blackhawks on November 3. But just seven games later, the Canucks were right back in the same rut.
A 7-0 blowout loss to the Oilers on November 17 kicked off another nine-game slide, which only ended with-ironically-a 3-2 win over Edmonton on December 8. That season didn’t end well.
Vancouver finished last in the Smythe with 59 points and a 25-46-9 record, ranking 18th out of 21 teams.
The next long skid came in the 1987-88 season. Vancouver lost nine straight between February 23 and March 10, starting with a 6-1 loss to the Islanders.
The streak technically ended with a 3-3 tie against the Oilers, but the Canucks didn’t actually notch a win until March 18, when they beat the Kings. That season mirrored the struggles of ’84-85, with the Canucks finishing last in their division again with the exact same record: 25-46-9 and 59 points.
Now, in 2026, the Canucks are back in that territory. Their last win came on December 29 against the Kraken.
Since then, it’s been nothing but frustration. And unless they can find a way to get past the Oilers on Saturday night, they’ll be staring down a piece of franchise history no team wants to claim.
It’s a critical moment for this team-not just for the standings, but for morale. The Canucks have already matched the longest losing streak the franchise has seen since the early 2000s. Whether they tie the all-time record or avoid it by snapping the streak in Edmonton, Saturday’s game carries a weight that goes beyond two points in the standings.