Each NHL team’s most famous superfan
By Cody Rivera
Vancouver Canucks: Michael Buble
If Michael Buble was as gifted at playing hockey as he is singing, he might not be a singer.
He grew up in Burnaby, British Columbia, which is right next to Vancouver. Just like any other kid who grew up in Canada, Buble has always had a strong passion for hockey. He fell in love with his hometown Vancouver Canucks, and playing in the NHL was a dream of his as a kid.
“I wanted so bad to be a hockey player,” Buble said, according to a 2010 article on NHL.com. “If I was any good at hockey, I probably wouldn’t be singing right now. (I) went to every single Canucks home game as a kid. I wanted to be Gary Lupul, I wanted to be Patrik Sundstrom and Ivan Hlinka. I used to think that being named Michael Buble was pretty cool because I was close to being called Jiri Bubla.”
Even though Buble’s biggest desire was to be a hockey player, fate had a different path in store for him…one that has worked out pretty well. He’s found a new career path as a famous singer, and he’s accumulated four Grammy awards throughout his still young career. His 2005 album It’s Time made him famous all over the world, and his 2007 album Call Me Irresponsible reached No. 1 on the music charts in several countries.
Buble’s beloved Canucks haven’t had quite the same success as him. They’ve made a few trips to the Stanley Cup Final, but they’ve never won the big one. Their most recent attempt came in 2011 when they fell in the Final to the Boston Bruins in seven games.
But hopefully, Buble will keep the faith in his team. There is always next year.