It's not easy being Green

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With Vancouver's Canucks unable to close out their series with the Predators at home on Saturday night, another road trip for the Green men will be on the travel itinerary.

Sully and Force, the men in green, have become one of the sideshow stories of this playoff year, their costume attire and antics alongside the penalty box at Vancouver's Rogers arena gaining them notoriety far beyond BC's borders.

Complete with the ever ready website, the pair have been developing a cult like status of followers in the last two series, the Green men have also started to see a few detractors who believe that their display of over the top fandom is something that takes away from the game.

At one point it seemed that the NHL was seeking to rein in the Green Men, limiting them a quiet observance of the game, perhaps at the behest of a concern or two from the Nashville Predators. The caution flag went so far as having the management staff at Rogers Arena issuing a cease and desist advisory to the Greeners.

However, over the last few weeks they seem to have won a few converts to their cause of slightly strange celebration, Nashville in particular seems to have taken to the Green Men in the spirit intended, with Preds fans seeking them out for photo opportunities and Music City celebrities sharing laughs with the pair as they make the rounds of the Bridgestone Centre.

And with that sudden surge of interest in their antics, the league seems to have backed off on any further desire to bring the pair to heel.

And while they have become a hit of sorts in the home of country music, it is of course  not without notice that we mention they didn't to our knowledge at any rate, take their show to the United Centre in Round One, perhaps aware that Southern Hospitality in Tennessee is a little bit more generous (and perhaps genteel) than that of the hard streets of the Windy City.

We're not sure exactly how a pair of twenty something guys can scrabble together the kind of green to make pilgrimages with their favourite hockey team, but if their time in the media spotlight is to continue they'll have to find a way we imagine.

Of course, the Canucks will also have to find a way to move forward as well, something that they seem inclined to take the longest possible route to in each series they're involved in.

If they should stumble along the way to the Stanley Cup Final, then Sully and Force will have to put their suits away, and wait for another season.

Judging by some of the media entries over the last month or so, there seems to be the hope for this side story to have a long run and for their legend to continue on.

Vancouver Sun-- Canucks' Green Men latest in a heralded line of superfan
Vancouver Sun-- Green Men become media darlings
Vancouver Sun-- NHL suddenly sees red over Canucks' Green Men... then goes silent
Vancouver Sun-- Canucks' Green Men Drawing ire of NHL
Vancouver Sun-- Sport boasts a proud tradition of quirky fans
Vancouver Sun-- NHL has fan seeing red
Vancouver Province-- So the Green men have Copycats Now?
Vancouver Province-- Nashville or bust: Here come the Green Men
Vancouver Province-- Why is Glen Healy so angry?
News 1130-- Green Men fans take to the streets
New York Times-- Canucks' Green Men Playfully Invade Playoffs
Globe and Mail-- Southern hospitality extended to Green Men
Globe and Mail-- Healy heated over Vancouver's Green Guys
Globe and Mail-- NHL should embrace Vancouver's Green Men
National Post-- Green Men take their act to Nashville
Montreal Gazette-- Canucks Green Men taking U. S. by storm
The Tennessean-- Who is Green Lady?