Canucks jerseys on Vancouver's laughing men statues burned

Someone has set fire to the custom Canucks jerseys fitted onto the bronze laughing men statues at Vancouver's English Bay.

The jerseys were added to the "A-maze-ing Laughter" art installation earlier this month in celebration of the Canucks' playoff run – but passersby began noticing burn marks Wednesday morning following the team's Game 4 loss against the Edmonton Oilers.

Every one of the jerseys appears to have sustained some damage, though one was burned much more extensively than the rest.

"I was wondering how long it would take before someone damaged them," one commenter wrote on social media. "Sad, really."

The Vancouver Police Department said it opened an investigation into the vandalism after being notified about the fire Wednesday.

"This is really disappointing to see, especially at a time when everyone is coming together to cheer on the Canucks and enjoy a positive playoff run," Sgt. Steve Addison said in a statement.

So far, it's unclear who is responsible and when the jerseys were burned.

Vancouver Fire Rescue Services told CTV News firefighters were not called to the bronze statues overnight.

The department did reveal Wednesday morning that crews had attended 26 calls over the preceding 24 hours – twice the normal average – including six dumpster fires, two garage fires and one car fire.

VFRS spokesperson Capt. Matthew Trudeau could not confirm whether any incidents appeared to be linked to the Canucks' loss.

"It's hard to relate calls to the game last night," he told CTV News in an email.

The team will host Game 5 against the Oilers on Thursday.

The laughing men statues, created by artist Yue Minjun, were originally installed at English Bay for the Vancouver Biennieale. They were later donated to the city by Chip and Shannon Wilson in 2012.

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Lisa Steacy