The triumphant return of the two most famous Canucks fans was so perfectly timed, itsa国际传媒檚 like they planned it down to the whistle of a penalty call.
Those bodysuit-wearing Green Men went missing from Rogers Arena eight years ago, after terrorizing opposing players who sat in the penalty box during the Vancouver teamsa国际传媒檚 best years, a decade ago.
Adam sa国际传媒淔orcesa国际传媒� Forsythe, the larger guy in the lighter green, and Ryan sa国际传媒淪ullysa国际传媒� Sullivan are pals who became folk heroes among hockey fans for their sign-waving arena antics, then quietly tucked away those skintight outfits and got on with their lives.
Staff in the Canuckssa国际传媒� game-presentation department had pitched the idea of the Green Men returning for a game, for the nostalgia trip, and it finally happened Saturday, Feb. 24, during an overtime win over old foes from Boston.
sa国际传媒淎t the start of the season we saw the Bruins game on the calendar, and that was tempting,sa国际传媒� Forsythe recalled. sa国际传媒淪o we said to them, sa国际传媒榃e donsa国际传媒檛 want to be paid, wesa国际传媒檝e never been about that, but would you fly Sully out?sa国际传媒� So they (the Canucks) covered the flight and hotel, and it all fell into place.sa国际传媒�
The Green Men are SO back! 馃煝
sa国际传媒� Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks)
Welcome home, !
Sullivan now lives with his young family in Saskatoon, while Forsythe and wife have their own busy lives in Surrey, where he was born and raised.
sa国际传媒淲hen we started this, we were both single and had lots of time to do whatever we wanted,sa国际传媒� Forsythe noted. sa国际传媒淣ow people are saying, sa国际传媒極h, yousa国际传媒檙e just bandwagoners,sa国际传媒� because of how good the Canucks are again. No, I go to games a lot, just not in the green suit. I just want to get that out there sa国际传媒� Isa国际传媒檓 a hardcore Canucks fan and donsa国际传媒檛 miss games.sa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒� RELATED: .
That was an epic night! A HUGE thank you to every single fan that welcomed us back. We cansa国际传媒檛 even begin to describe the feeling.
sa国际传媒� Green Men (@TheGreenMen)
What a win! Canucks fanssa国际传媒� you were the difference makers! Letsa国际传媒檚 keep it rocking in to the playoffs!
Their Green Men reunion was so hush-hush, they only told family members about it.
sa国际传媒淲e wanted to come back the right way, in grand fashion like we did, with the lights and the Stone Cold wrestling music,sa国际传媒� Forsythe beamed. sa国际传媒淲e had the Al Murdoch intro, the voice of God (announcing). We werensa国际传媒檛 sure it would all work, but then it worked perfectly, with the Bruins taking a penalty just when we were about to enter (the lower bowl of the arena).
sa国际传媒淚 never get nervous in the green suit, but my mouth went dry, the curtain opened and adrenaline took over,sa国际传媒� he added. sa国际传媒淭he person holding the curtain says, sa国际传媒極h, I think the Bruins just took a penalty!sa国际传媒� You see in the video, I sprinted down the stairs to the penalty box and Sullysa国际传媒檚 high-fiving people. I cansa国际传媒檛 really see out of the suit but apparently JVR (Bruins forward James van Riemsdyk) was laughing. It was awesome.sa国际传媒�
Then the waffles started flying.
Wait, waffles?
sa国际传媒淔ull credit to Sully, our most famous bit was the waffles back before the 2011 run (of the Canucks to the Stanley Cup Final),sa国际传媒� Forsythe explained. sa国际传媒淚 told him it wouldnsa国际传媒檛 work, but it did, and now itsa国际传媒檚 the GIF that comes up if you search sa国际传媒楪reen Mensa国际传媒� (on the internet). The Maple Leafs were horrible in that era, and a fan in Toronto threw a waffle on the ice. To this day, nobody knows what that meant sa国际传媒� maybe a form of protest because theysa国际传媒檙e losing.
sa国际传媒淎nd then a week later we went to the game against the Leafs, and we decided to buy a box of waffles at Costco and throw them, and it went off,sa国际传媒� Forsythe continued. sa国际传媒淲e didnsa国际传媒檛 really even know what it meant. So then because it was our most famous bit, we had to do it again (during the Bruins game Saturday). We had all our props lined up but then 20 minutes before, we needed waffles and ran across the street to Costco and got them. Wesa国际传媒檙e still waiting for that sponsorship angle, for them to hook us up with waffles.sa国际传媒�
Forsythe met Sullivan at broadcasting school, and the Fleetwood-raised South Surrey resident now works in media relations. On Tuesday nights he can be found hosting Green Man Trivia at Clayton Pub on 188 Street.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 straight-up pencils and paper, always general questions that I come up with,sa国际传媒� he noted. sa国际传媒淚 donsa国际传媒檛 do theme nights, and a lot of people show up here every week, which is great.
sa国际传媒淚t wasnsa国际传媒檛 my idea to call it Green Man Trivia, and I donsa国际传媒檛 wear the green suit, no,sa国际传媒� Forsythe added. sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 fun, and the casuals who come in ask about it, and yeah, thatsa国际传媒檚 me, the guy who wears the green outfit to Canucks games.sa国际传媒�
Not surprisingly, that green bodysuit fits a little more snug eight years later.
sa国际传媒淲e started this when we were 21, and wesa国际传媒檙e both fairly fit,sa国际传媒� Forsythe said. sa国际传媒淪ully is around five-five, 140 pounds, born with a six-pack. He eats a diet consisting of fast food and doesnsa国际传媒檛 gain a pound. Meanwhile, Isa国际传媒檒l have a sip of this water and gain five pounds. Itsa国际传媒檚 just the way itsa国际传媒檚 always been, so standing next to him, itsa国际传媒檚 a bad look from the jump.
sa国际传媒淟ast week I was in Mexico, and the whole time Isa国际传媒檓 thinking, sa国际传媒極K, I want to enjoy myself but I know I have to fit in this freaking suit.sa国际传媒檚a国际传媒�
Sadly, the Bruins game will probably be a one-off reunion for the Green Men, given their locations and busy lives.
sa国际传媒淚t was so fun, and totally just a nostalgia thing, yeah,sa国际传媒� Forsythe said with a smile. sa国际传媒淢y wife was a collegiate softball player in the States from, like, 2011 to 2015, and she never really experienced Green Men, so that was also motivation of wanting her to see it live, not just all the videos on the internet.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 funny because we go to parties and meet people and then the host would introduce me, sa国际传媒極h, this is one of the Green Men,sa国际传媒� and Isa国际传媒檇 have to explain it, and she didnsa国际传媒檛 really get it. Well, now she gets it.sa国际传媒�
