JNN 18 June 2011 Vancouver , British Colombia : Almost 150 people have been injured and nearly 100 arrested after Canadian riot police battled a crowd in downtown Vancouver following Canucks defeat against Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final.

Vancouver Coastal Health spokeswoman Anna Marie D’Angelo said Thursday that three stabbing victims were admitted and a man was in critical condition with head injuries after a fall from a viaduct, The Associated Press reported on Friday.

On Wednesday night, cars were overturned and set on fire, post boxes and trash cans were destroyed and store windows and doors were smashed after the Bruins thrashed Canucks 4-0 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final.

Dozens of people were arrested after drunken fans went on the rampage through the city streets, looting shops and department stores, breaking windows, throwing beer bottles and setting fire to cars, including police vehicles.

In a desperate bid to quell the violence, authorities called in reinforcements and the city was placed into lockdown as riot police fired tear gas on the crowd, estimated to have topped 70,000.

The police reported 15 vehicles, among them two police cars, burned in the rioting. Nine police officers also sustained injuries, one with a broken nose and another with a concussion.

Speaking at a press conference in the morning after the chaos, Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu said that some of those who caused the damage were known to police.

“The City was still vulnerable to a number of young men and women, disguised as Vancouver Canucks fans, but who were anarchists and criminals,” the police chief said.

It was similar to the scene that erupted in 1994 following the Canucks’ Game 7 loss to the New York Rangers, but the latest violence shocked Canadians unaccustomed to such riots.

Police Chief Jim Chu said nine officers were injured, including one who required 14 stitches after being hit with a brick and some who had bite marks. He said 15 cars were burned, including two police cars. A local business leader estimated more than 50 businesses were damaged

“We recognize some of those same criminals among them, as those who took part during the violence during the Vancouver Olympics,” he added. “The rioters came prepared. They had a plan, they had objectives. You don’t burn a car unless you come out with an incendiary device.”