Vancouver Canucks forward Dakota Joshua Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

Obituary goes viral for shot at Vancouver Canucks

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Jan 27, 2023 6:40 PM ET

It appears the Vancouver Canucks aren't just a laughingstock among the living during yet another disappointing NHL season.

Per the Campbell River Mirror website, Russell George Atkins lived from Feb. 2, 1943, through Jan. 13 of this year but has since had his obituary go viral thanks to a last parting shot at his favorite pro hockey club.

"Russell would’ve liked to have had 6 of the Vancouver Canucks to be his pallbearers so they could have let him down one more time," reads the final line of the memorial.

The obituary had more than 5,000 views as of Wednesday before the Campbell River Mirror story went public and before outlets such as The Comeback picked up a quick hit that hopefully will put smiles on the faces of grieving family members and friends who presumably knew of Atkins' love for the Canucks.

I wouldn't normally share a link to an obituary, but every @Canucks fan needs to read the last line of this gentleman's obit. Please read it. I promise you will laugh out loud.https://t.co/4ER5heIhTW
— Paul J. Henderson (@PeeJayAitch) January 25, 2023

Vancouver began Friday at 19-26-3 ahead of Friday's home game against the Columbus Blue Jackets and is likely to miss the postseason tournament for the seventh time in eight years. The Canucks recently made headlines when they parted ways with fan-favorite head coach Bruce Boudreau and replaced him with Rick Tocchet.

After the buzzer sounds, the Vancouver crowd and players salute an emotional Bruce Boudreau pic.twitter.com/TtvT8pAkO2
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 22, 2023

Sources such as ESPN and Fox News show that others previously used "let him down one more time" lines in obituaries. Back in September 2021, Pittsburgh Penguins fan James "Jim" Mannella trolled a rival club with help from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette when his obituary mentioned that "he was happy that he could celebrate for the last 17,272 days that the Philadelphia Flyers had not lifted the (Stanley Cup)."

Others elect against waiting to let teams know they'll be taking sports pain into their afterlives:

It has definitely been the best time to order this t-shirt by our fans across the country considering the managerial roller-coaster ride we are currently experiencing

Hopefully it ends with a proper gaffer in the dugouts. Until then..

Tottenham Till They Kill Me indeed!!!#COYS pic.twitter.com/nupbWzaioO
— Bangalore Spurs (@bangalorespurs) June 21, 2021

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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