1970 – 71 Vancouver Canucks season The 1970 – 71 Vancouver Canucks season was the Canucks first in the NHL . They joined the league on May 22 , 1970 , along with the Buffalo Sabres . After not being awarded an expansion team in 1967 when the league added six teams , Vancouver finally joined the NHL in 1970 for a price of $ 6 million ( compared to $ 2 million in 1967 ) . The Vancouver Canucks of the Western Hockey League were promoted to the NHL , though the ownership group of the WHL Canucks , not willing to pay the $ 6 million to join the NHL , sold the team to Medicor , a group controlled by Thomas Scallen . The Canucks logo was a stylized C designed as a hockey stick inside a rink incorporating the colours of blue , green and white to represent the water , forests and snow surrounding Vancouver . It was designed by a local creative designer , Joe Borovich , and bought for $ 500 . During the Amateur draft , held on June 11 in Montreal , there was debate over what expansion team would draft first . In order to reach a compromise , a numbered spinning wheel was brought in to determine the draft : the Sabres were odd numbers , the Canucks even . When the wheel landed on 11 , the Canucks and NHL President Clarence Campbell thought it was II ( two ) in Roman numerals . However it turned out to be 11 ( eleven ) in Arabic numerals , leading the Sabres to select first overall future superstar Gilbert Perreault . On October 9 , 1970 , the Canucks played their first game in the NHL , a 3 - 1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings . There was a grand opening ceremony attended by British Columbia Premier W . A . C . Bennett , Mayor of Vancouver Tom Campbell ( who was booed by fans ) , Chief Dan George and former Vancouver Millionaires player Cyclone Taylor , who received a standing ovation upon being introduced . Barry Wilkins scored the first goal for the Canucks in the third period . Throughout the first three months of the season , the Canucks managed to stay within contention of a playoff spot , despite playing in the much stronger NHL East Division , composed of five of the Original Six teams ( Chicago was transferred to the West Division at the start of the season ) . This changed when captain Orland Kurtenbach injured his knee in late December . The Canucks would finish their inaugural season with six 20 goal scorers , and Tallon would break Bobby Orr ' s rookie record for defenceman assists , but still only one point out of last in the East Division . Player stats . Skaters . " Note : GP = Games played ; G = Goals ; A = Assists ; Pts = Points ; PIM = Penalty Minutes " Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Vancouver . Stats reflect time with the Canucks only . < nowiki > * < / nowiki > Denotes player traded by Vancouver midway through the season . Stats reflect time with Canucks only . Goaltenders . " Note : GP = Games Played ; Min = Minutes ; W = Wins ; L = Losses ; T = Ties ; GA = Goals Against ; SO = Shutouts ; GAA = Goals Against Average " Awards and records . Records achieved in the season . " Note : Only records that stand as of 2007 – 08 are listed " Transactions . The Canucks were involved in the following transactions during the 1970 - 71 season . Draft picks . Expansion draft . Vancouver ' s picks at the 1970 NHL Expansion Draft . In order to fill out the rosters of both the Canucks and Buffalo Sabres , they were given the opportunity to select eighteen skaters and two goaltenders from the unprotected lists of existing NHL team ' s rosters . Teams were allowed to protect several players from being drafted , and as such kept many of their star players , leaving the Canucks and Sabres with lesser quality players to choose from . The draft was held on June 9 , 1970 , at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal , Quebec , Canada . Using a spinning wheel to determine the order of the expansion draft , Buffalo had the first choice . Amateur draft . Vancouver ' s picks at the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft . The draft was held on June 11 , 1970 , at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal , Quebec , Canada .