Former forward Jannik Hansen disputes 2011 Canucks claim by Chara

Former Vancouver Canucks forward Jannik Hansen isn’t calling Zdeno Chara a liar.

But he’s certainly not backing up the former Boston Bruins captain in his claim the Vancouver Canucks practiced Stanley Cup celebrations after winning the first two games of the 2011 Final.

“It’s not something I recall seeing or hearing about in any way,” Hansen told Canucks Central on Sportsnet 650 on Friday. “We didn’t practice lifting the Cup in Boston after two games. He’s putting it out there that they saw, they found out. It’s hard to really gauge what happened in their opinion. Is it somebody telling them in the room that this happened? I’ve had very limited dealing with Zdeno. I played with him for three weeks at the World Cup (of Hockey in 2016).

“He doesn’t strike me as one who’s lying, just creating something.

“So maybe someone told him that this happened to fuel them a little bit. They needed a spark. They just lost two.”

Earlier this week, Chara claimed on the Games with Names podcast with hosts Julian Edelman and Sam Morril that Canucks players began practising how they would celebrate winning the Stanley Cup, after winning the first two games in Vancouver.

The Canucks were blown out of the next two games, losing by a combined score of 12-1.

Vancouver went on to win Game 5 in Vancouver 1-0, before losing Game 6 in Boston 5-2, and Game 7 at home by a score of 4-0.

“After losing two games in Vancouver, we saw players from Vancouver coming on the ice in the Garden, and they were actually practising how they would be lifting the Cup and handing off the Cup to each other,” Chara said on the podcast. “And we found out about these things and we were like ‘fuck this, we are not going to allow this to happen.’ It just fuelled us.”

But, Hansen claimed, it never happened.

Not to his knowledge, at least.

“I didn’t see any Canucks player doing this,” Hansen said. “I didn’t hear about it. It’s 12 years ago and this is the first time it’s ever come to the forefront or been brought up. You guys know how it was back then. I would assume if somebody had done this on the ice in Boston before Game 3 at some practice, that it would’ve come out way earlier. This is bulletin board material. This is exactly what you’re trying to avoid.

“So if something like this would’ve happened, we would’ve heard about it. I didn’t see it. I didn’t hear about it. This is the first thing I’ve ever been introduced to it.”

Kevin Bieksa, a defenceman with Vancouver at the time, is also set to repute Chara’s story.

“Never happened… 100% didn’t happen,” Bieksa said, according to his Sportsnet colleague Jeff Marek.

Chara also claimed the Vancouver club called the league to ask about how many family members could hit the ice if they were to win Game 6 in Boston.

The hulking defenceman called it a “huge, huge motivation.”

Hansen didn’t dispute those claims.

“In my opinion, you go to Game 6, it’s only natural that Vancouver approached the league and say ‘hey, what are the situations here if we win tonight’ so you’re prepared,” he said. “You fly your wives and girlfriends and families out as well. That’s not because saying ‘oh, we’re going to win Game 6.’ No, you hope for it and prepare for it and then they’re there.

“Again, it’s one of those things that adds to that series, but in no way is that in a way to disrespect Boston or whoever you’re playing against that you’re bringing your families to a Game 6 and you know there might be a Game 7. Every team does that.

“Whatever management does in contact with the league we don’t know, but something like that is not out of the realm of questions of something that happened and I would assume everybody else does that as well.”