The triumphant return of the two most famous Canucks fans was so perfectly timed, it乌鸦传媒檚 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 team乌鸦传媒檚 best years, a decade ago.
Adam 乌鸦传媒淔orce乌鸦传媒� Forsythe, the larger guy in the lighter green, and Ryan 乌鸦传媒淪ully乌鸦传媒� 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 Canucks乌鸦传媒� 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.
乌鸦传媒淎t the start of the season we saw the Bruins game on the calendar, and that was tempting,乌鸦传媒� Forsythe recalled. 乌鸦传媒淪o we said to them, 乌鸦传媒榃e don乌鸦传媒檛 want to be paid, we乌鸦传媒檝e never been about that, but would you fly Sully out?乌鸦传媒� So they (the Canucks) covered the flight and hotel, and it all fell into place.乌鸦传媒�
The Green Men are SO back! 馃煝
乌鸦传媒� 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.
乌鸦传媒淲hen we started this, we were both single and had lots of time to do whatever we wanted,乌鸦传媒� Forsythe noted. 乌鸦传媒淣ow people are saying, 乌鸦传媒極h, you乌鸦传媒檙e just bandwagoners,乌鸦传媒� 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 乌鸦传媒� I乌鸦传媒檓 a hardcore Canucks fan and don乌鸦传媒檛 miss games.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒� RELATED: .
That was an epic night! A HUGE thank you to every single fan that welcomed us back. We can乌鸦传媒檛 even begin to describe the feeling.
乌鸦传媒� Green Men (@TheGreenMen)
What a win! Canucks fans乌鸦传媒� you were the difference makers! Let乌鸦传媒檚 keep it rocking in to the playoffs!
Their Green Men reunion was so hush-hush, they only told family members about it.
乌鸦传媒淲e wanted to come back the right way, in grand fashion like we did, with the lights and the Stone Cold wrestling music,乌鸦传媒� Forsythe beamed. 乌鸦传媒淲e had the Al Murdoch intro, the voice of God (announcing). We weren乌鸦传媒檛 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).
乌鸦传媒淚 never get nervous in the green suit, but my mouth went dry, the curtain opened and adrenaline took over,乌鸦传媒� he added. 乌鸦传媒淭he person holding the curtain says, 乌鸦传媒極h, I think the Bruins just took a penalty!乌鸦传媒� You see in the video, I sprinted down the stairs to the penalty box and Sully乌鸦传媒檚 high-fiving people. I can乌鸦传媒檛 really see out of the suit but apparently JVR (Bruins forward James van Riemsdyk) was laughing. It was awesome.乌鸦传媒�
Then the waffles started flying.
Wait, waffles?
乌鸦传媒淔ull credit to Sully, our most famous bit was the waffles back before the 2011 run (of the Canucks to the Stanley Cup Final),乌鸦传媒� Forsythe explained. 乌鸦传媒淚 told him it wouldn乌鸦传媒檛 work, but it did, and now it乌鸦传媒檚 the GIF that comes up if you search 乌鸦传媒楪reen Men乌鸦传媒� (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 乌鸦传媒� maybe a form of protest because they乌鸦传媒檙e losing.
乌鸦传媒淎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,乌鸦传媒� Forsythe continued. 乌鸦传媒淲e didn乌鸦传媒檛 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. We乌鸦传媒檙e still waiting for that sponsorship angle, for them to hook us up with waffles.乌鸦传媒�
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.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 straight-up pencils and paper, always general questions that I come up with,乌鸦传媒� he noted. 乌鸦传媒淚 don乌鸦传媒檛 do theme nights, and a lot of people show up here every week, which is great.
乌鸦传媒淚t wasn乌鸦传媒檛 my idea to call it Green Man Trivia, and I don乌鸦传媒檛 wear the green suit, no,乌鸦传媒� Forsythe added. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 fun, and the casuals who come in ask about it, and yeah, that乌鸦传媒檚 me, the guy who wears the green outfit to Canucks games.乌鸦传媒�
Not surprisingly, that green bodysuit fits a little more snug eight years later.
乌鸦传媒淲e started this when we were 21, and we乌鸦传媒檙e both fairly fit,乌鸦传媒� Forsythe said. 乌鸦传媒淪ully is around five-five, 140 pounds, born with a six-pack. He eats a diet consisting of fast food and doesn乌鸦传媒檛 gain a pound. Meanwhile, I乌鸦传媒檒l have a sip of this water and gain five pounds. It乌鸦传媒檚 just the way it乌鸦传媒檚 always been, so standing next to him, it乌鸦传媒檚 a bad look from the jump.
乌鸦传媒淟ast week I was in Mexico, and the whole time I乌鸦传媒檓 thinking, 乌鸦传媒極K, I want to enjoy myself but I know I have to fit in this freaking suit.乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綕
Sadly, the Bruins game will probably be a one-off reunion for the Green Men, given their locations and busy lives.
乌鸦传媒淚t was so fun, and totally just a nostalgia thing, yeah,乌鸦传媒� Forsythe said with a smile. 乌鸦传媒淢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.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 funny because we go to parties and meet people and then the host would introduce me, 乌鸦传媒極h, this is one of the Green Men,乌鸦传媒� and I乌鸦传媒檇 have to explain it, and she didn乌鸦传媒檛 really get it. Well, now she gets it.乌鸦传媒�
