Pearl Jam leaves Vancouver with special Canucks message

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Pearl Jam’s world-tour opening stand affected the Vancouver Canucks in more ways that one.

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There were some obvious scheduling challenges for their first-round series versus the Nashville Predators. The famed Seattle-born band played Rogers Arena on May 4 and 6, which meant a potential Game 7 of the first-round series would have been played on May 5, creating a huge logistical challenge for moving the band’s stage and other equipment off-site.

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In the end the Canucks won the series in six games, meaning a full teardown of Pearl Jam’s setup wasn’t necessary, and the ice was still made available for the players to skate on Sunday morning.

Pearl Jam’s shows were raucous, well-reviewed affairs and a final message left by lead singer Eddie Vedder was directed to the band’s hosts and their fans.

During Monday’s concert, Vedder, despite being a well-known Chicago Blackhawks fan, scrawled an uplifting message for Canucks fans on an overhead projector.

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He noted that the band had seen the Stanley Cup in Seattle.

Then in a second slide, he drew an image of the Canucks’ classic stick-in-rink C logo and directed a note to Vancouver.

“May it arrive here NEXT,” he wrote. “Go Coach Tocchet and the Canucks!”

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The message drew a roar of approval.

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Fans also chanted Go Canucks Go! during an encore break.

Vedder is close friends with former Blackhawk Chris Chelios, who is also good friends with Tocchet.

pjohnston@postmedia.com

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