Vancouver police are expecting larger crowds downtown than usual when the Canucks begin their playoff run next week.
“Simply, people want to relive the fun experience from the Olympics and there may be some carry-over,” VPD spokesperson Const. Jana McGuinness said.
Canucks playoffs celebrations have been known to get rowdy in the past, with the 1994 Stanley Cup riots being the obvious example. More than 50,000 people took to downtown streets after that Game 7 loss and caused more than a million dollars in damage.
“Our number 1 priority is public safety,” said McGuinness. “We want to be sure people come down, have a great time and do it safely.”
In February, more than 150,000 people jammed the downtown core following Canada’s gold-medal win and police had little to do other than pour out liquor and high-five celebrating fans.
McGuinness also said that there’s no plan in place to close liquor stores early like they did during the Olympics, since the number of people drinking on the streets isn’t expected to be anywhere near the liquor-consuming crowds seen in February.
