1977-1978: A PAINFUL SEASON FOR CANUCKS FANS
On May 31, 1977, the organization was once again shuffled. Out was Phil Maloney and in to replace him was Jake Milford, a veteran NHL executive who had been involved in hockey at every conceivable level for over four decades. Orland Kurtenbach remained Head Coach. Don Lever, who had not yet missed a game since being drafted by the Canucks in 1972 (a streak of 403 games, counting playoffs) succeeded Chris Oddleifson as captain. The streak lasted 41 games into the 1977-78 season, before suffering a broken cheekbone in a 3-3 tie with Colorado on January 14 and being sidelined for five games. Aside from a seven-game losing streak in late October/early November, the start of the season was not bad. The Canucks recorded a 10-12-7 record through December 17 before falling on hard times. On six different occasions during the season, the team suffered a losing streak of four games or longer and a 0-7-1 stretch in March eliminated them from playoff contention. A pleasant surprise was Mike Walton, who despite being limited to 65 games registered 66 points including 14 power-play goals, a club record. However, the 57 point total marked the third straight decline in points and the team's worst record since year three. The patience of the fans was beginning to wear thin.
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