Green Men make triumphant return to Rogers Arena, after 8 year absence

For the first time in eight years, Vancouver Canucks superfans the Green Men returned to Rogers Arena on Saturday to dance, throw waffles and hype up the crowd.

The duo appeared during the team’s matchup against the Boston Bruins, which the Canucks won 3-2, ending a four-game losing streak.

Adam Forsythe, one of two Green Men, says with the team in playoff contention again and numerous requests from the Canucks, their return was inevitable.

“Four losses in a row, Pettersson struggling a little bit, contract talks not going well, bring back two dudes wearing green spandex,” Forsythe said with a laugh in an interview with Sportsnet 650.

He says the duo’s performances stopped years ago because, frankly, they grew out of it.

“We’ve moved on a little bit with our lives,” Forsythe said.

Fellow Green Man Sully has since moved to Saskatoon, Forsythe says, where he’s married with two kids.

Forsythe adds he, too, has gotten married and is expecting his first child in June.

But with some persuasion from the team, and an agreement to cover Sully’s flight and accommodations, Forsythe says the duo agreed their return could be fun for the whole family.

“When we started the Green Men we were both in our early twenties and single, so this is kind of a culmination of ‘Let’s show our families one more epic good time,'” he said.

And the response was overwhelming, Forsythe says.

“I was so nervous,” he said.

“They pulled back the curtains and I just ran up there and my mouth was so dry and the eruption of the Rogers Arena crowd, it was perfect.”

He says with Bruins forward James van Riemsdyk in the penalty box in the first period, their appearance almost felt scripted.

“I can’t see much out of the suit, but I’ve seen all the TV replays, and to see that (James van Riemsdyk) was cracking a smile, that’s an A plus effort from the green man if you can get the player in the box to smile, because you know he’s in trouble when he gets back to the bench,” he said.

Overall, Forsythe says the game could have included some more penalties and goals. Instead, the duo was forced to squeeze a lot of their props and antics into overtime.

Whether Canucks fans will see more of the men in spandex in the future is still up for debate.

“This is one hundred per cent the truth, we haven’t decided,” Forsythe told Sportsnet 650.

He says they went into the gig with the intention of it being a one time feature — just like they did after their very first appearance years ago.

“But the reception we got from the fans and the overwhelming feedback on social media in the last 48 hours has kind of tempted us,” Forsythe said.

Ideally, Forsythe says the team would want them back for the Stanley Cup final, but life may have other plans.

“My wife is due with our first baby in June, and her going into labour versus me wearing a green suit is a tricky proposition to broach.”

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