Linden hangs up his blades after 19-year career

[mr.x]

January 23, 1989, Vancouver BC. Trevor Linden posing in the parking lot of the Pacific Coliseum in front of his red 1965 Mustang.
http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/media.canada.com/gallery/trevorlindenrecap/19890123mustangn.jpg




Linden hangs up his blades after 19-year career

Peter James, Canwest News Service
Published: Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Vancouver Canucks forward Trevor Linden has retired from hockey, ending a 19-year National Hockey League career.

The 38-year-old made a formal announcement at GM Place in Vancouver on Wednesday afternoon, but the move was expected after Linden was given a standing ovation during a farewell lap after the Canucks final regular-season game this season.

"As I step away from the game today and move into the next chapter of my life, I definitely have mixed emotions," Linden said. "I know the time is right, but there is sadness. Where did 20 years go?

"I will miss the game, all of the people involved in the game and definitely the buzz of game day."

Linden's announcement came 20 years to the day he was selected second overall in the 1988 NHL entry draft by the Canucks.

Linden played in 1,382 NHL games with the Canucks, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals. He scored 375 goals and added 492 assists.

Linden had instant success in the NHL, scoring 30 goals and 29 assists as an 18-year-old rookie with the Canucks in 1988-89. He quickly became the face of the franchise and was named the team's captain when we was 21 years old.

He was a fan favourite in Vancouver, with some hockey fans naming their children in his honour.

"I've met some of these kids named Linden. They're getting a little old now, some of them are in high school," Linden said. "That's possibly a hint it's time to move on."

After spending the first 10 years of his career with the Canucks, Linden was traded midway through the 1997-98 season to the New York Islanders for forward Todd Bertuzzi, defenceman Bryan McCabe and a third-round draft pick.

After stops in Montreal and Washington, he returned to Vancouver midway through the 2001-02 season in a trade with the Washington Capitals.

"When I left Vancouver in February of '98, it was a very sad day for me. Even though I knew it had to be that way, it was still very difficult," Linden said. "When I received the call from (then Canucks general manager) Brian Burke in '01, telling me I was coming home, I did not know what to think.

"My 10 years had been so special, I was concerned it wouldn't be the same. Well, it wasn't the same; it was better."

Including both stints, Linden played 1,142 regular season games in Vancouver and helped the team reach the Stanley Cup final in 1994, losing to the New York Rangers.

"It's not something I dwell on. Certainly I would have loved to be part of a championship team here in Vancouver," Linden said. "I can say I performed as well as I could and tried to do what was right.

"It's a tough game, it's a tough sport. It takes a lot of things to go right."

He won a pair of Memorial Cup championships with the Western Hockey League's Medicine Hat Tigers in 1987 and 1988.

In 1997, he won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for leadership on the ice and contribution to the community.

He was also known for his involvement with the National Hockey League Players' Association and was elected president of the organization in 1998. He led the organization through the 10-month lockout in 2004-05 and resigned from the top post in January 2006.

Linden's best offensive season was in 1995-96 with Vancouver when he scored 33 goals and 47 assists for 80 points in 82 games.

He saw a reduced role this season under head coach Alain Vigneault. He was a healthy scratch 23 times. He scored seven goals and five assists in 59 games.

Linden said he's spoken with the Canucks about continuing to work with the organization after his retirement, but described the talks as "very general."

"Time will kind of sort things out. Where my heart lies and what direction I see my future going," he said.







Vancouver, B.C. April 05, 2008. Trevor Linden shows his appreciation to the Canucks fans at the last game of the season GM Place. The Canucks lost to the Calgary Flames 7-1.
http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/media.canada.com/gallery/trevorlindenrecap/20080405wave.jpg

[Distill3d]

VANCOUVER -- Trevor Linden will be the last member of the Vancouver Canucks ever to wear No. 16.

The NHL team announced Thursday that it will hold a Trevor Linden Night on Dec. 17, where it will retire Linden's number before playing the Edmonton Oilers.

"Retiring a player's sweater is one of the highest honours a club can pay to its most elite players and ambassadors," said Chris Zimmerman, the Canucks President and CEO. "Trevor embodies the qualities we strive for as an organization."

Linden's No. 16 will hang beside Stan Smyl's No. 12 at General Motors Place.

The 38-year-old retired earlier this summer on the 20th anniversary of his draft day. He recorded 867 points (375-492) in 1,382 regular season games with the Canucks, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders and Washington Capitals.

He became the Canucks captain at just 21 years of age and held the role for seven seasons. He retired as the franchise leader in games played with 1,140 and is second all-time in goals (318) and points (733).

"This is a tremendous honour and I am very grateful to the club," said Linden.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2008/09/04/canucks_linden_honour/

[Hong Kongese]

Linden scores with the Coquitlam Cobras


By Yvonne Zacharias, Vancouver Sun

March 23, 2009 11:01 PM


VANCOUVER — Deep in a forest of industrial plants in a rink lost in suburbia, a group of eight- and nine-year-old hockey players sat shuffling and jostling. They were waiting in the dressing room for a surprise guest to arrive.

A loud cheer went up when the Coquitlam Cobras learned the guest was Captain Canuck himself, Trevor Linden.

The 38-year-old came to talk to the kids and lead them through a series of on-ice drills — and some fun, too — as part of the Scotiabank NHL alumni skills contest. Ten teams won on-ice training with a former NHL star, and the Cobras were one of them.

Linden, his curly hair now flecked with hints of grey, seemed a natural in the dressing room as he shared with the rapt youngsters stories of his childhood in Medicine Hat, Alta., and his life on the ice. He wore his love of children like a heart on his white and red jersey. The kids were drawn like magnets.

He answered some questions, too. His favourite player in the NHL today? Calgary Flames captain Jarome Iginla. He likes Iginla’s leadership, his sense of fair play and his playing skills. His favourite coach during his 20-year career as an NHL player? Pat Quinn. “He got a lot of respect because he gave a lot of respect. He was hard on the guys but never demeaning. When I was a player around the age of 21, he taught me the game.” Later in his career, that accolade goes to Marc Crawford.

He shared with the children his lingering disappointment over never being able to skate around the ice with the Stanley Cup, although he came close in 1994 when Vancouver took the New York Rangers to seven games in the Cup final.

He also had some advice for the kids: “Whatever you do, whether it’s playing hockey or in the classroom or doing chores at home, give it your best effort.”

All suited up and waiting to go on the ice with Linden, three eight-year-old Cobras described how excited they were.

Max Mackinnon said he planned to work really hard in the practice and that he learned a lot about his hockey hero in the dressing-room talk.

Mark Cherkasov said Linden’s visit was a total surprise. He had no idea who the special guest was going to be. He was hoping to learn some new tricks and new shots from the pro.

Daniel Miller said he learned a lot about the various players in the NHL from Linden and a lot more about the teams Linden had played for.

Before entering the dressing room, Linden, who retired last June, said he’s still going through a transitional period, learning to live without the strict structure that is imposed on professional hockey players.

“I don’t know what I want to do with my life yet,” he said. “It has been an interesting year. There are definitely days when you feel lost.”

But Linden said he appreciates having the time to do the things he missed when he was an NHL player — like going on a cross-country ski race, a heli-skiing trip and several cycling trips — and the transitional phase started to get a little easier around Christmas.

“I am 100-per-cent confident in where I am at this life stage,” he said.

As for the future — and whether that will include coaching an NHL team — he didn’t rule it out.

“I certainly understand what a commitment that is,” he said. “Never say never.”


yzacharias@vancouversun.com

The Vancouver Sun