Norm Williams Sculpture

Abbotsford sculptor immortalizes Canucks history with sculpture of late Roger Neilson

"They say I got it just right and they loved it," says Norm Williams.

Norm Williams of Abbotsford will never forget April 7, 2011 - the night the Vancouver Canucks immortalized one of the team's most historic moments started by late head coach Roger Neilson in 1982.

Williams was on hand at Rogers Arena Thursday night before the Canucks took on the Minnesota Wild when the bronze statue he created in homage of the legendary coach was unveiled to the public.

Williams was chosen by the Canucks to build the masterpiece, and he constructed it in his shop in west Abbotsford.

It features Neilson holding up the stick of Jim Nill with a white towel on the end of it to signify the Canucks mock surrender of the officiating during Game 2 of the 1982 conference final against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Neilson was ejected from the game for his protest, but when the Canucks returned home for Game 3 of that series, Towel Power had taken off.

Now it's a tradition with teams in almost all sports leagues around the world.

To capture arguably the most profound moment in Canucks history was a both a challenge and a dream come true, said the 67-year-old Williams.

"It was just a terrific experience and I'm so proud and happy that I got to be a part of it," said Williams.

"The Canucks artistic director is just a young fellow and he was told that this statue has to be as a good as the one's at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

"It had to be that good . . . They went with it and I think they're all pretty happy now, but what a night.

"The only thing I couldn't remember was what kind of shoes he wore."

Williams decided - knowing Neilson didn't have the keenest eye for fashion - that he was probably more into Hush Puppies than Gucci.

The sculptor decided to go with that, trying to depict the coach in every little detail.

"It's funny because someone actually remarked on that. He said 'Oh man you got him right down to his shoes.'"

Williams was also given the chance to meet many of the Canucks who were part of that '82 team, which ended up defeating Chicago before bowing out in four games to the New York Islanders in the Stanley Cup final.

He shook hands with Tiger Williams, Darcy Rota and legendary play-by-play man Jim Robson, among many others.

"It was just a super night," said Williams.

"After the first period an attendant took me upstairs . . . If I just went to meet those guys with no statue, I would've been really excited."

And those who Williams got to meet were quite amazed with his creation.

"From the people that knew him, they said I got it just right and they loved it," he said.

"I knew I would get a reaction, one way or the other, from Tiger and I was looking forward to that.

"If he didn't like it, there was no way he wasn't going to tell me he didn't like. But he said that it was cool and his wife came up and said 'You got him really well.'

"That was really touching."

Ever a Canucks fan - Williams has been since before they entered the NHL in the fall of 1970 - he's hoping his team can find a way to win its first Stanley Cup.

"It would be great, but this is the first year you'd really have to say they are the favourites," he said.

"Everything has to fall in place. But if Vancouver plays their best game and every other team plays their best game against Vancouver, the Canucks will win.

"But even if they don't . . . this has been a special year and this is a special team."