'He was watching from up above': Canucks comeback win takes on special meaning for grieving B.C. family
Carol Morin has been a regular at Lougheed Village Pub and Grill for decades.
“We moved to this area 27 years ago. We found this place by fluke. They called it The Dungeon,” said Morin, in her white Canucks jersey. “We walked over here and would watch all the games.”
On Sunday night, Carol was joined at a table with her daughter and grandson. Missing from the picture, however, was her late husband Robin.
“He enjoyed himself so much here,” said Morin.
“He’s here always with us too, so he’s never going to leave this place,” said Zach Nelson, Robin’s grandson. “Whether he’s here or not, he’s always going to be here.”
On Saturday, the pub held a celebration of life for Robin Morin, attended by over a hundred friends, family and pub regulars.
“Everyone knew him, everyone here liked him,” said Zane Frost, Lougheed Pub and Grill general manager. “He was a man of the people so it was really good here to celebrate it and to be able to do it for his family, it was great.”
Robin watched nearly all Canucks games at the pub and was responsible for holding a remote control that triggered the pub’s red light and goal horn when the Canucks scored. The tradition was handed down to his daughter and grandson.
“When the playoffs started and having to hit this for the first time, I broke down,” said Shelley Nelson, Robin’s daughter.
Sunday's comeback win by the Vancouver Canucks took on extra meaning at the Lougheed Village Pub and Grill, which held a celebration of life this weekend for Robin Morin, a regular who watched nearly every game at the establishment.
The Canucks, playing with third-string goaltender Arturs Silovs in net, pulled off an improbable comeback.
Trailing 3-1 with just over three minutes to go in the game, the Canucks pulled Silovs to gain an extra attacker. Brock Boeser scored off an Elias Lindholm assist to make it 3-2 with two minutes, 49 seconds remaining.
Seconds later, the Canucks pulled Silovs again and Nashville nearly sealed it with a shot on the empty net that hit the post. When the Canucks gained possession, they advanced to the Predators zone where Boeser scored his 3rd goal of the night with just eight seconds remaining.
The Canucks started the overtime with all the momentum. Just over a minute into the extra frame, Conor Garland found Elias Lindholm in front who one-timed a shot past Juusi Saros, lifting the Canucks to a 4-3 overtrime win and 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
With their all-star goaltender Thatcher Demko considered week-to-week with a lower body injury, head coach Rich Tocchet revealed back-up Casey DeSmith would miss Game 4 with an undisclosed injury. DeSmith’s injury is not considered severe and Tocchet says he could be ready for Game 5 Tuesday night in Vancouver.
Rookie netminder Silovs filled in admirably stopping 27 of 30 shots.
Back at the pub, Shelley Nelson didn’t miss a beat with the red light shining and goal horn blaring, along with Carol and the entire pub celebrating the remarkable win.
“It was done for Robin,” said Morin. “It had to have been. He was watching from up above.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From AI running wild to collapsing ecosystems, government report outlines future disruptions
From collapsing ecosystems to artificial intelligence running wild, a new Canadian government report outlines 35 disruptions that could rattle the country in the coming years.
B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton hospitalized after prison attack
British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton was attacked and sustained life-threatening injuries in a Quebec prison Sunday in what officials described as a 'major assault.'
opinion Tom Mulcair: With Trudeau spiralling, Mark Carney waits in the wings
In his latest column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair argues that if there's an unofficial frontrunner in the eventual race to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader, it has to be former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.
Toronto Blue Jays fan struck by 110 m.p.h foul ball offered tickets, signed baseball by team
The Toronto Blue Jays have offered tickets and a signed baseball to a fan who says she was struck in the face by a 110 m.p.h (177 km/h) foul ball at Friday’s game.
Matthew Perry's death is being investigated over ketamine level found in actor's blood, reports say
An investigation has been opened into the death of Matthew Perry and how the “Friends” actor received the anesthetic ketamine, which was ruled a contributing factor in his death.
OPP continues to investigate boat collision north of Kingston, Ont. that left 3 people dead
Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate a long weekend fatal boat collision on Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont.
Police in Ontario say suspects charged in armed home invasion near Toronto part of 'larger criminal network'
Police in Ontario say a group of suspects charged in an armed home invasion north of Toronto last year were driving a vehicle stolen in a carjacking in Calgary just one month earlier.
Air turbulence: When can it become dangerous?
Flight turbulence like that encountered by a Singapore Airlines flight on Tuesday is extremely common, but there's one aspect of severe turbulence an aviation expert says can lead to serious injury.
Orphan orca's extended family spotted off northeast side of Vancouver Island
Members of a killer whale pod related to an orphan orca calf that escaped a remote British Columbia tidal lagoon last month have been spotted off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island.