Canucks & Beyond
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Canucks Legend: #16 Trevor Linden
by Alanah McGinley on 01/16/07 at 12:42 PM ET
Comments (4)
*Part of a series on the 7 Greatest Canucks of all-time.
*Previous post, Harold Snepsts.
“He was something Vancouver fans had never seen before: a draft pick who paid immediate dividends.”
*narration from the video included below
How true that is. Trevor Linden was picked 2nd overall in the 1988 draft and in his first season with the Canucks, picked up 30 goals and 29 assists. He led the team in power play points, was the first rookie in Canucks’ history to be named team MVP, and was the runner up for the Calder Trophy that year.
Only a couple of years later, Linden donned the ‘C’ on his uniform and his play and leadership were an irreplaceable component to the Canucks’ playoff success shortly after, in 1994.
If a person were to know only one thing about Linden’s early career, it should probably be the days of the 1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs. In particular, his two-goal performance in game #7 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the NYR—a game that was lost to the Rangers 3-2—could be remembered as a quintessential demonstration of the kind of heart Linden has always played with.
Courtesy of Mad Mike Keenan, Linden took a brief detour onto three other NHL teams in the late 1990s, but no one is likely to remember those years on the day he eventually retires.
He’s certain to always be known as Captain Canuck.
__________________________
*more biographical information on Trevor Linden can be read at Legends of Hockey
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Comments
I said this on your old VCOE. Unlikely it may be…but if Trevor were ever to lift the cup, I will be a blubbering, balling, crying mess.
And I STILL say…he should be the coach of the ‘nucks this year.
Posted by GZ Expat on 01/16/07 at 08:31 PM ET
Oh you know what *I* think of him 
People see Linden play now and just don’t ‘get’ it. But he’ll always be Vancouver’s Captain. There’s even speculation that he could/would/should enter local politics.
Posted by Rebecca from Vancouver on 01/17/07 at 02:40 PM ET
He’s a class act, for sure, and there’s no comparison to Messier. Not to trash Messier here (though I’ll be happy to do that when I have more time!) but I’ve always preferred Linden’s style of leadership. And certainly, his character in this community has always shone through.
There’s probably some extensive arguments to be made later about whether or not he’ll be known as THE greatest Canuck of all-time. But we’ll save that fight for another day…
Posted by Alanah McGinley from British Columbia on 01/17/07 at 02:51 PM ET
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About Canucks & Beyond
Alanah McGinley has been blogging hockey since 2003 (with a notable gap in time through 2010, kicking it with new baby Lucy while living knee-deep in chaos while reading “parenting for complete idiots” during every spare minute) sharing opinions, rants and not-so-deep thoughts with anyone who will listen.
In addition to writing Canucks & Beyond and helping manage Kukla’s Korner, Alanah was one of the founders and co-hosts of The Crazy Canucks Podcast. She has contributed pieces to FoxSports.com and the New York Times Slapshot blog, as well as other stray destinations in cyberspace.
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Ramen! The reason why Linden has so much leeway in this city is because he was so good and so hard-working in his first tenure with the team. People claimed Messier was the king of all leaders, but Linden was as good, if not better, in that department when these two matched up in this series.
Posted by Jes Golbez from Just outside of Hell on 01/16/07 at 03:21 PM ET