Two Canucks fans who "wear full neon green bodysuits" are "being asked to tone down their act at games after a complaint was filed" with the NHL, according to the CP. The fans, dubbed "the Green Men," have been asked to "stop touching the glass and doing handstands." The "popular paying fans usually sit close to the Canucks' opponents." There is "no confirmation on who filed the complaint" (CP, 5/1). The GLOBE & MAIL's Bruce Dowbiggin notes the Predators, who are facing the Canucks in a Western Conference Semifinal series, "denied they complained" about the fans. But sources said that Predators GM David Poile "was indeed involved." The CBC's Glenn Healy reported the NHL is "trying to come up with a protocol" to deal with the situation (GLOBE & MAIL, 5/2). One of the two fans, who go by the names Force and Sully, said, "Someone through the NHL told us that we were no longer allowed to touch the glass. This is the first complain we've ever heard of. The Canucks love us. We haven't done anything wrong" (CALGARY SUN, 5/2). Sully added, "It's absolutely ridiculous. We didn't do anything wrong or illegal. We're on the cover of NHL.com and they're using video of us on their website, but we have to tone down what we do. It's very confusing" (VANCOUVER SUN, 5/2).
CEASE & DESIST: In Vancouver, Brad Ziemer reported local auto dealer Kingsway Honda has received a letter from NHL Associate Counsel for Business & Legal Affairs Kelley Lynch "demanding that it remove the words 'Go Canucks Go' from the window of the dealership." Lynch in the letter suggests the phrase "Go Canucks Go" and use of the Canucks logo "infringes the trademark rights of the Vancouver Canucks because consumers are likely to be misled that the Vancouver Canucks have an official relationship with the dealership." However, Doug Lum, GM of dealership parent company Destination Auto Group, "disputes the NHL's claim that he is trying to promote his business through the Canucks." Lum said that his business "may have been targeted because of a relationship it has formed with the Green Men." A logo of the Green Men that "bears a similarity to the Canucks logo is prominently displayed on the Kingsway Honda website" (VANCOUVER SUN, 4/30).
