Canucks reporter banned from arena and accuses team of blackmail

PUBLICATION

Liam McCormick
December 27, 2023 (4:05 PM)

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In previous years, there's been notable off-ice problems with the management of the Vancouver Canucks, and it typically has begun with owner Francesco Aquilini. Now under new management with President Jim Rutherford and GM Patrik Allvin, management issues have been less of a distraction - with the exception of one reporter's claims.

Writer Rob Simpson has been covering the Canucks for years, all while being banned from Rogers Centre for the last 452 days. When asked for reasoning behind the ban, Simpson claims he received no answer, and then was threatened with blackmail by a team employee.

The ban is now 452 days old. Of course, when I asked why, I was originally told �we don't have to tell you' An entertaining full update on this story is coming shortly. It'll include actual audio of the club's PR guy threatening to blackmail me. There's also a new lie.

Simpson even goes onto say that Jim Rutherford is supporting the team's media relations decision, despite Simpson knowing Rutherford well from previously work. If these claims of a wrongful ban and blackmail are even remotely true, it will be a tough look on Canucks ownership and management.

In his article, Simpson does say that he plans to make more of this information public, including evidence for his claims. For now, we'll just have to wait and see how this bizarre situation unfolds.