Farewell to the Maroon Era: Canucks Set to Finish Seat Overhaul at Rogers Arena
Saturday night’s shootout loss to the Maple Leafs wasn’t just another notch in the standings-it marked the likely final chapter for a piece of Rogers Arena history. With Toronto edging Vancouver 3-2, the Canucks closed the door on what may be the last game played in front of the arena’s iconic maroon seats.
If you’ve been to Rogers Arena recently, you’ve probably noticed the transformation already underway. Most of the venue has been outfitted with sleek new black seats-complete with cupholders and upgraded comfort. But a stubborn patch of nostalgia has lingered: 10 rows of the original 1995-era maroon seats still remain, tucked away at one end of the rink.
That’s about to change.
The Canucks are expected to use the Olympic break to complete the long-awaited seat replacement project. It’s been a slow burn-this upgrade has been in the works for years, with fans first buzzing about it back in 2019. Progress finally picked up last offseason, but time ran out before the full installation could be wrapped up.
Now, with NHL players heading back to the Winter Olympics for the first time in over a decade, the Canucks have a rare 24-day window with no home games. That’s a golden opportunity to finish the job. Vancouver’s next home tilt isn’t until February 25, when they host the Winnipeg Jets.
Of course, it’s not a completely empty calendar at Rogers Arena. The Vancouver Warriors of the NLL have two home games scheduled during the break-February 7 and 20-and concerts by Ghost (February 14) and Cardi B (February 21) are also on the docket. So the seat crew won’t exactly have the place to themselves, but there’s still more than enough room in the schedule to get those final rows swapped out.
For longtime fans, this is a bit of a sentimental moment. The maroon seats have been part of the backdrop for some of the franchise’s most memorable highs and lows-playoff runs, heartbreaks, rebuilds, and everything in between.
But the upgrade is a welcome one. The new seats offer a more modern experience, and visually, they bring a sharper, more unified look to the arena.
So as the Canucks head into the Olympic break, it’s not just a pause in the season-it’s a turning point for the arena itself. When fans return later this month, they’ll be stepping into a fully updated Rogers Arena, where the maroon era officially becomes a thing of the past.