For the first time in eight years, the Green Men, big Vancouver Canucks fans, returned to Rogers Arena on Saturday to dance, toss waffles and get the crowd going.
The two appeared during the game against the Boston Bruins, and the Canucks won 3-2, ending their losing streak at four.
Adam Forsythe, one of the two green men, said their return was inevitable given the team is back in playoff contention and the many requests from the Canucks.
“We’ve lost four in a row, Pettersson is struggling a little bit, but contract negotiations aren’t going well. I want to bring back the two players in green spandex,” Forsyth said with a laugh in an interview with Sportsnet 650.
According to him, the duo’s performances stopped many years ago because, frankly, they stopped growing.
“We’ve been moving forward with our lives little by little,” Forsyth said.
Sally, also a green man, has since moved to Saskatoon, married and has two children, Forsyth said.
Forsyth added that she is also married and is expecting her first child in June.
But with some persuasion from the team and him agreeing to pay for Surrey’s flights and lodging, Forsyth said the pair agreed the return would be fun for the whole family.
“We were both in our early 20s and single when we started Green Men, so this is kind of the culmination of ‘Let’s show our families another epic good time,'” he said. .
And the response has been overwhelming, Forsyth said.
“I was very nervous,” he said.
“They pulled the curtain and I ran over there and my mouth was so dry and the crowd at Rogers Arena was erupting, so it was perfect.”
When Bruins forward James van Riemsdyk was in the penalty area in the first period, he says their appearance felt almost scripted.
“You can’t see much from the suit, but I watched all the TV reruns, and you could see (James van Riemsdyk) smiling. If you have a photo in your hand… If we can get him in, that’s a positive effort from the guy in green.” Let’s smile at the player in the box because we know it’s going to be tough if he goes back to the bench,” he said.
Overall, Forsyth said the game could have included a few more penalties and goals. Instead, the two were forced to cram a lot of props and antics into overtime.
Whether Canucks fans will see more players wearing spandex in the future is still up for debate.
“That’s 100 percent true. I haven’t decided yet,” Forsyth told Sportsnet 650.
He said they went into the show as if it were a one-time show, just like they did when they first performed all those years ago.
“But the reception we’ve gotten from our fans over the last 48 hours and the overwhelming feedback on social media kind of tempted us,” Forsyth said.
Ideally, the team would like to get back to the Stanley Cup Final, but life may have other plans, Forsyth says.
“My wife is due to give birth to our first child in June, and it’s a difficult decision whether she’ll give birth or I’ll wear the green suit.”
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