VANCOUVER - Vancouver police came under sharp scrutiny Thursday for their handling of a massive crowd that turned riotous after the Vancouver Canucks lost the Stanley Cup.

The mayhem caused millions of dollars in damage and looting to downtown businesses, at least 150 injuries, including nine police officers, and an international black eye in a city that became a glittering star when it hosted a near-flawless Winter Olympics last year.

Police Chief Jim Chu was asked at a news conference whether his force was adequately prepared for a potential riot.

Chu vigorously defended his team's response, saying the riot was under control within three hours, half the time it took to bring a similar riot under control in 1994, the last time the Canucks were in the Stanley Cup final.

As well, he said there were triple the number of people in downtown Vancouver.

"There's many places in the world where they'll deploy way more police officers and they have a much more authoritative state and riots still occur," Chu said.

He painted a starkly contrasting picture of rioters intent attacking police officers, including one who was hit with a brick and required 14 stitches. Another suffered a concussion and several were bitten by rioters.

But he also said when one person fell to the ground and was surrounded by an increasingly dangerous crowd, other spectators encircled the injured to allow police to get to the person to safety.

Chu referred to the rioters as "criminals, anarchists and thugs."

"We are fully committed to tracking down these criminals."

As hospitals tended to almost 150 injured in Vancouver's hockey riots, dawn broke with dozens of volunteers patrolling the city's entertainment strip, picking up debris and garbage.

Al Cyrenne carried his broom downtown as he made his way downtown on the Canada Line.

"I'm all choked up," he said, as he surveyed broken windows and debris on a downtown street.

"I can't believe the scene. Just talking about it brings me to tears. I can't believe the people of Vancouver would do this. It's just a few idiots."

While police said the rioters were mostly in their early 20s, an equally young crew turned up in jeans and rubber gloves the morning after, some with Canucks jerseys, all carrying plastic garbage bags.

They were there to start the cleanup of glass, garbage and debris.

Dozens of remorseful and dismayed commuters crowded around the smashed and plywood-covered display windows at the flagship Bay store, a historical building that was the first focus of rampaging looters the night before.

Someone tacked a rough, hand-painted sign that read: "On behalf of my team and my city, I am sorry." People waited in line to sign it.

Mayor Gregor Robertson said there has been an outpouring of support from citizens.

"People coming downtown to try and help cleanup, trying to get our city back," he said as he toured the damage.

"What we saw last night was atrocious behaviour."

But others appeared to glorify in what they did.

"Tonight, the social peace was exploded," wrote a user by the name of D on the Vancouver Media Co-op webpage, in a posting triumphant about the mayhem.

"Single acts of defiance become the more heroic as one window gave way to another."

The posting went on to describe the trashing of downtown stores, mayhem that began with The Bay, where windows were smashed and high-end purses and cosmetics were looted by rioters who poured into the store.

Across the street at London Drugs, the windows were also smashed.

Wynn Powell, the president and CEO of London Drugs, estimated the damage there at $1 million alone.

Powell, sounding angry, said in an interview the looting wasn't the random consequence of a mob mentality

"The rioters attacked us for two hours before they got into the store. They were down attacking the stores of Vancouver to try to steal product."

He said high-end cosmetics in particular were targeted.

A sign in front of the store Thursday morning declared, "We are open for business," as crews repaired windows behind it.

Hospital officials reported two stabbing victims had been admitted and an unidentified man was in critical condition with head injuries.

It's believed that person may have fallen 12 metres after trying to jump from the concourse of Rogers Arena to the sidewalk of a nearby elevated roadway after Thursday night's game.

Vancouver Coastal Health said most of the rioting victims were treated at St. Paul's Hospital in downtown Vancouver, while about 40, including the stabbing cases and the head injury patient, are being treated at Vancouver General Hospital.

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