Canucks drop a bad news surprise on fans over the weekend.

The Vancouver Canucks have dropped some disappointing news on their fans, news that comes as a surprise to most of them it would seem.

On Friday, the Canucks played an exhibition prospects game against the Calgary Flames and emerged victorious with a dominant 7-1 victory over the Flames. Spirits were high among the fan base after a strong showing from the team's young players but that bubble was burst almost instantly when they headed to the online forums to discuss the win.

Waiting for fans on the forums was an announcement that on October 1st, just 10 days before the Canucks will begin their season, the team will be shutting down the popular online forum on the team's official website. The Canucks released the following statement:

Dear Canucks fans and forum users,

We want to thank you for your passion, your millions of posts and your interest in our team and this site. It has been an incredible journey and an entertaining experience. Unfortunately, the time has come to shut down this forum and turn the page on what has been an incredible novel to read. It will remain active until the end of the month and be closed October 1st.

Be sure to follow us on social media and download our mobile app for breaking news and content on your Vancouver Canucks. We also look forward to seeing you at Rogers Arena this season.

Go Canucks Go!

No official reason has been given for the closure but many suspect that the recent turmoil that has surrounded the team over the last few seasons may have played a role. Fans on the forums were often critical of the team's direction or decisions, and it would surprise no one to learn that this may have rubbed some in the Canucks front office, or even ownership, the wrong way.

Fans are unsurprisingly very unhappy with the announcement and a 41 page discussion thread has already popped up in response to that announcement, but the change is still expected to go through.

If you were hoping to talk Canucks with your fellow fans on the team's official website this season, you should probably start looking for an alternative.