This series I begun in one of my yahoo groups. This series is based on Journal entries from Linden and his wife, Cristina reflect their lives together through journal entries
Journal Entry # 1(Recalling her true love for Trevor Linden)
Cristina Linden's POV
Finding true love is hard enough to find in one heart but to find true love in two people is even harder because you many never know that the person you are going to be spending the rest of your life with is right in front of your own two eyes. If you can accept that one person in your life then stop living in a fantasy and start living in the real world by believing in true love and let yourself open up with them with your heart and compassion that you have for them. Trust them with your own heart and make sure you can accept them for who they are. I kept wondering whether there is someone for everyone but then I remember a quote my husband, Vancouver Canucks Center Trevor Linden, "LOVE IS NOT A MAYBE THING…YOU KNOW WHEN YOU LOVE SOMEONE." It had stuck with me ever since we got married because now I know that finding True Love is not a maybe thing. People do make mistakes and they said I made a mistake by marrying Trevor but I do not feel like it was a mistake. Why did everyone thought I made a mistake with marrying Trevor? Trevor became the best man I’ve ever encountered. I’ve dealt with my father’s alcoholic, abusive ways since I was five years old and growing up in Burnaby, British Columbia. I remember when Trevor first encountered my father and I was afraid that my father would disapprove of him, like he did with many people. I knew that Trevor always wanted to make sure I was safe and protected from my father. To make sure that I was never abused again and making sure that I was always safe. I remember that my father’s drinking habits and abusive ways started after my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. My father had never been that sweet and caring man that I used to know and he used to be. It seemed as though his loving and caring ways was taken away from him when my mom passed away. It was as though the soul was shred away from and an evil man came inside and took my father’s place. Now he is not the same person and he figures out that I will never get away from him and neither will Trevor. Now my biggest fear is that my father will try to threaten our lives and cause us to wonder if my father will ever change or not. But I believe that my father will change including Trevor will be able to convince him that he can live his life and finding out that threatening our lives might land him in jail. I just hope that my father will trust Trevor enough. But I believe that the love I have for Trevor is strong enough to last and that Love does preside over Evil. We will stick together and no matter what anyone says to us, we do not listen to them. I am saying that a powerful love last longer than a weaker love. Love and trust is what me and Trevor need to make it and go through our relationship. Finding True love is what I found when I married Trevor Linden.
Journal Entry # 1- (Recalling his True Love for Cristina Linden and the 2006-07 Season)
Trevor Linden’s POV
Many people have told me that finding true love is hard but I don’t believe in that. I found my true love in my wife, Cristina Linden, who has been there for me when I needed her the most. She became someone that I could confined into whenever I need her the most . She became my heart and soul whom I can confined into whenever I had trouble at work or with anything else that seemed to trouble my mind. She knew when I was either angry and sad to where I would not want to discussing anything. She was there when I had on ice troubles with Mike Keenan & off ice troubles with the NHL lockout and the aftermath of it. She was there for me when I dealt with my mom’s breast cancer for six months and then I was there for her when she lost her mom to a 2 month battle with the same cancer. Our true love is one of the best things that has happened in my life and I appreciate everything she has done for me. She has been my rock since high school and still is when I have to make the decision for my career. I hope I can find out more in my life and be that player and man that everyone is looking for. Let’s pray I can find what I am looking for and find it fast because right now I am worried that I may never find out what it is. Let me find the courage, strength and everything to do what I’ve been wanting to do: Winning the Stanley Cup!
Journal Entry # 2- (thinking of his past relationships)
Trevor Linden’s POV
I entered the Vancouver Canucks home locker room, wondering if I’ll ever be that same person I was before the lockout. I entered this room and season, wanting to prove I can be a difference maker but now I find myself getting into this room, not knowing if this will be last season, playing in the NHL. It seemed that my heart had already, for the most part, in a different direction that I thought it would never head into: a past I could not enter and a future with my wife, Cristina. She means everything to me and my family doesn’t think so, but I believe the opposite. She has been there for me the easy and rough parts of my career. She knew about parts of my past and knew how to treat everyone right. I used to be in a relationship with a woman in high school who was not only verbally abusive but when she wasn’t screaming at me, she was either physically abusing me or ignoring me. Some of those wounds are not bloody, but they cut a hell of a lot deeper and heal very slowly. All the fights I’ve ever had with my ex have always been screaming or yelling how I didn’t do something right for our relationship. That was one of the worst relationships I’ve ever been with. But here I am now with someone who cares and doesn’t hit or even abuse me. I am at my stall thinking of everything in my relationship and everything in my career. All the disappointments and achievements that I accomplished as a Vancouver Canucks. The hard years with Mike Keenan and loosing the Stanley Cup to the New York Rangers. It all seems as though it flashes right through my eyes in an instant. Like I can go back through them and see what I did right and wrong. But I am now thinking of that sitting in this locker room, like it was going to be the last day I would be a Vancouver Canuck and play in the NHL. But then I begin to wonder if I can play another season. I do have the whole season to thinking about if I want to retire or not.
Journal Entry # 2- (recalling her trust issues)
Cristina Linden's POV
I know what it takes now to be with a man who plays professional hockey and how you become a part of their lives and find out what makes them mad or happy. What types of foods they eat and how they prepare for their games? What types of moods they are in when they loose a game or win one? You get used to it and makes you wonder whether you are ready for everything in life. But I know I was made for it and I would never leave my husband over anything stupid. I would never hurt him because we’ve been through the tough and good times of every ways in possible. It feels amazing that when you are able to help out people and able to make sure they are safe. It makes everyone feel safe when you can trust that person enough. I wonder whether feeling safe is the right way for me to go right now. I feel like my love and trust was taken away after everything that my father did to me and Trevor. I am alone and Trevor is away at his hockey games which is sometimes scary for me because I do not know if he is going to make it safely or not. Now I know if my father ever came back, that Trevor will protect me and make sure that my father will never attack me again.
Journal Entry # 3- (Recalling the NHL lockout-PART 1)
TREVOR LINDEN’S POV
Hey, welcome to the 2006-07 season with the Vancouver Canucks and I can’t believe it is another season has come around and I feel as though I am not ready to play. I want to play but am already second guessing on if I can play a better season than I did last year. Can I do it or is this some big joke to everyone? Last year, I am not even going to mentioned what happened and that is one season I would like to forget. A season where almost everyone had doubt in me and never realize what I could bring to our team but Cristina stuck with me. She knew that I could make a difference in anyone’s lives and had that courage for me to go on and prove to everyone.
Everyone, you know what it is, the NHL lockout that I was involved with as the NHLPA president.. I felt as though the whole weight of the NHL were on my shoulders and I wish that I could find a solution for these problems. But I did not and it made me wonder if I could ever end this damn lockout or not. What would my future look like? Would I still be that man to count on? Or not? I am praying that I am! This means so much to me that if I can beat this challenge then I can help out everyone. Can some one help me out? Is there anyone who can help me out? Or am I on my own?
I feel so fucking tired that I wish that this was all over and I am growing distant from Cristina. I am praying that she does not figure that out. I have to make a move to end this lockout and I am going to find out, you’ll see. I’ve spend so much time studying these documents, analyzing this data that Bob Goodenow keeps sending me as we try to negotiate with Gary Bettman and the National Hockey League so that these players can play hockey again.
This lockout has taken the life out of me and I am stressed out with these problems. I wish that there was one day were I could just sleep and then try to find out a solution. Or maybe not. Who knows? If Goodenow would get it through his thick skull that we need to end this, then we would not have to go through this stupid lockout. I am saying this guy has not think straight when we talked to Bettman. We have these union meetings and nothing can get through because Goodenow says no the salary cap and that ends the meetings immediately. I am taking time to studying these issues facing the union and hardly a figurehead as NHLPA president. I have been providing the same kind of leadership I exhibit on and off the ice since my career began. I used to speak out against a salary cap, I used to do with passion and a real belief in my principles. Believe me, I come by my determination honestly. But I am now not speaking against the salary cap because I believe this will help end the lockout.
Now here I am sitting at my desk, wondering why Goodenow said no to the salary cap. I feel as though when I spearhead these meetings between the NHLPA and NHL these past few months, finding that these processes of negotiating to be revealing. I believe now that these player want desperately to find a solution and are willing to examine new ways of getting there. But to my mind, it always seemed to lead to a salary cap. I accepted this fourth term to be the NHLPA president because I felt as though I could make a difference in the NHL and now here I am finding myself in the middle of contentious collective negotiations, flying hither and yon to the meetings in airport lounges and secret locations while fighting a losing public relations battle. All I know is that if the CBA is reached in time to save a portion of the 2004-05 season, I will be deserved much of this credit. If this season is canceled, then I will be lauded for taking the process further than imagined.
I am trying to avoid that as much as I can but I face may other problems. Because this is the first work stoppage for most NHLers, I spend most of my time answering questions from frustrated players, now scattered across the globe. I also saddled with the burden of being a Canadian player being on a Canadian team entrusted with the future of Canada’s game. As I accept this term as president of the NHLPA, I’ve been described as thoughtful and able to maintain my composure in stressful and emotional situations as people say the perfect personality for this position. But I seemed to be loosing my patients and becoming more stressful as the lockout continues without any process. Who knows what isgoing to happen to this NHLPA lockout?
Journal Entry -ENDING THE LOCKOUT
TREVOR LINDEN’S POV
Who knows what is going to happen to this NHLPA lockout? Well, all I know is that if someone like me or Bettman don't end this lockout pretty soon, we are going to have more angry fans on our backs than we wanted in the first place. I just hope that one of us has the guts to tell Bettman and Goodneow it's time to end this argument about a cap or not and get on playing with hockey. Well, I've decided to that it's time to make sure that this lockout is going to end and I am going to make sure of it. Because right now, I wish this god damn lockout were all over and I want to play hockey. Please can someone find some answers for me? This lockout is wearing me down and I do not know how in the world I am going to survive from it. I reached out to the owners and invited Hotchkiss to talk. That was one of the biggest move I made all during the lockout was asking the chairman, board of governors from the NHL, Harley Hotchkiss to have a meeting in Chicago without Gary Bettman or Bob Goodenow to see if we can come to agreement to end this long lockout. Did I tell you how much I hate Bob Goodenow? Well I do because that guy was the main reason we didn't get the lockout done earlier. He made decisions that I would never considered making. The session lasted about five hours, including several breaks so each three-man negotiating group could huddle. I believe that the fate the NHL season rests on the ability of us negotiating peace during a labor war, we are the right people for the job, according to those who know us including our close family members. We did have good results after the meetings and the lockout ended the following summer on July 22, 2005, but the fallout of the labor war caught up wtih me. On July 12, 2006, I choosed not to run again for the president of the NHLPA and on October 2, 2006, I was named along with Ted Saskin by a small dissident group of players who weren't happy with the way Saskin had been installed as executive director. The attacks I received from people like Chris Chelios, not to mention a former friend in Trent Klatt, had shook me to the core. Why would someone turn their back on me? Someone I used to play with and be friends with. I am never going to talk to hose men ever again. Now that the lockout is over, let's pray that I don't have any other bad memories that come up besides what I had talk about. I am now ending my discussion about the lockout and moving on to different things in the future, like making sure my relationship with Cristina stays strong and never goes away. Let's pray for that.
Journal Entry # 3 (recalling her mom's battle with breast cancer)
CRISTINA'S POV
Remembering when my own mom was battling breast cancer is the hardest memory I keep with me and it scared me to a point where I was going to loose someone I consider so damn close to me. Then, I found out that my mom's cancer is terminal and she only had a few months to live. I wish I could figure out a cure so my mom could live until she was old. But now I realize she is now going to fight it and may not live through this tough battle. Loosing my mom will be the hardest I've ever dealt with in my life. I am now a few weeks into my mom's cancer treatments and I can barely recognize her. She looks so weak and thin that she doesn't resemble the woman I used to know. And then the most amazing thing happened to me as I met Trevor Linden, the man who was going to be the one I will spend the rest of my life with, at high school and we hit it off like we've known eachother since we were five years old, helped me through so many struggles that I would probably not make it. He has been my soulmate ever since we met and now here we are , going against a struggle I thought we've never go against. But now we are amd ot scares me to a point where I do not want to loose the one person I love and trust the most. My mom is the one person I can trust besides Trevor and that's going to hurt. I have really decided that I am going to spend my days with my mom and remember everything about her, so that I can keep a visual on what my mother really looked like and remmeber her goals for me. But what if some of her goals are not what I want and she wants. Here I am, loosing my mind and my mom is lying not even 50 meters away, in a starch white hospital bed, dying. A few months later, my mother died of breast cancer after a four month battle and it put me to the breaking point. I was never going to see her again and she was always able to help me out in situations. What am I going to do? Who do I go to? Where can I find it! Someone help me find answers! END ENTRY
Journal Entry # 5 (recalling his mom's diagnosed with breast cancer)TREVOR'S POV
Hey, it's me, Trevor Linden, the man who is worried more about his career than his family. Why is that people care more about careers more than their families? Why is that? My mom, Edna, always told me, "Never give up on your family and everytrhing else is if your career is done." And did I listen to her advice: no, I didn't and here I am stuck with a decision that may or may not change my life. I either retire next season or play for two more seasons. I didn't know the answer to these questions anymore. Now, I am reflecting on what my mom said to me and know that her words meant more to me than I'll ever admit to. I always wanted my mom to know I care about her and know that I support everything she does for me. My mom is my biggest supporter and always will be. She made sure everything went well with me at school and practice. She helped me through the struggles than put together what my dad and siblings did for me. But when I found out she was diagnosed with breast cancer, two years ago, I was devasted and conused on why a healthy woman could get breast cancer but then I learn that anyone can get cancer. So her treatments and recovery became more important to me than my career and everything that was troubling my mind at the time. Cristina had lost her mom to breast cancer a few years ago and I hope she will be there for me. I know this is hard on her but I need her help. Will she be there for me or will she abandoned me like it was not worth working at?
Journal Entry # 5 (recalling his mom's lengthly battle with breast cancer)
TREVOR'S POV
Imagine trying to do your best at your job if your mom was in the hospital screaming from the pain of the chemotherapy burning inside her body to destroy the cancerous cells. Imagine your mom double over in pain, unable to eat or do much because you have a job to do. This is what happens in reality to those who suffer from the devasting effects of breast cancer. That was the condition of my mom, Edna Linden, was dealing last year while I was trying to find myself after a year long lockout. It was a touch and go for a while, which was hard on me and my wife, Cristina, as she was having a much harder time with her mom's own battle with cancer but her mom died. I'll never use it as an excuse, but the fact is it did make it hard to go to the rink every night. I never made an excuse to why I was playing horrible or to why I was not on top of my game during times where they needed me the most. I just found a way to perserve through most of the pain that many people thought I could never go through. No one knows what it feels like to have a parent go through what I've been through. My mom was the main reason why I love playing hockey. She became an inspiration to me and she was a fighter. A few months later, my mom's battle with cancer was over and she made it. I am so lucky that she survived and made it through these rough times. Now I can start thinking about happy thoughts and making my life better by trying to reconnect with my wife Cristina. If I can or not, it's hard to tell right now but I am praying that I can.
END ENTRY
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
bio on Linden
Trevor Linden, OBC (born April 11, 1970, in Medicine Hat, Alberta) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre and right wing for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Since joining the league in 1988, he has played with four different teams: the Canucks (in two stints), New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals. Before joining the NHL, Linden captained the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League (WHL) to consecutive Memorial Cup championships.[1] In addition to appearing in two NHL All-Star games, Linden was a member of the 1998 Canadian Olympic team and participated in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.
Throughout his career, Linden has been recognized as a respected leader on and off the ice.[2][3] He was named captain of the Canucks at the age of 21, making him one of the youngest captains in league history. While captaining the Canucks, Linden led the team to within a game of winning the Stanley Cup in 1994. In 1998 he was elected President of the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), a position he held for eight years.[4] As President, he played an instrumental role in the 2004–05 NHL lockout, including taking a direct role in negotiations with league owners.[5] Off the ice, Linden has taken an active role in charities, and was awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for leadership on the ice and humanitarian contributions off the ice in 1997,[6] as well as the NHL Foundation Player Award in 2008. After 19 seasons in the NHL, Linden will announce his retirement at a news conference in Vancouver on June 11, 2008.[7]
Early life
Trevor Linden's grandfather, Nick van der Linden, immigrated to Canada from the Netherlands in 1929.[8] He ran a construction company until his son Lane, Trevor's father, replaced him in 1979.[9] Trevor was born in Medicine Hat to Lane and Edna Linden. Linden was a skilled athlete; despite hockey being his top priority, he also participated in baseball, golf, volleyball, basketball, and speed skating.[10] An excellent student in school, he was offered a scholarship to Princeton University to play for their hockey team; instead, Linden chose to stay in Medicine Hat and play with the local major junior team, the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL.[11] Linden grew up watching the Tigers and idolized Lanny McDonald, who played in Medicine Hat before he joined the NHL.[12]
After one season playing with the Medicine Hat Midget Tigers of the Alberta Midget Hockey League (AMHL), Linden joined the WHL Tigers for the final five games of the 1985–86 regular season, where he scored two goals; he also appeared in six playoff games, scoring one goal. The next season, at the age of 16, he made the team full-time. In his first full season in the WHL, Linden had 36 points in 72 games, and then had nine points in 20 playoff games, including two goals in the championship game, helping Medicine Hat win their first Memorial Cup as Canadian junior champions.[13] The next year, Linden had 110 points in 67 games, and captained the Tigers to their second consecutive Memorial Cup title.[14] During the 1988 WHL playoffs, Linden set a WHL playoff record by scoring the fastest goal from the start of a game, scoring seven seconds into a 6-5 Tigers win over the Saskatoon Blades on April 15, 1988.[15] At the 1988 NHL Entry Draft, the Vancouver Canucks selected Linden second overall, after the Minnesota North Stars selected Mike Modano.[16]
NHL career
Vancouver Canucks (1988–1998)
Linden made his NHL debut in the 1988–89 season, aged 18.[3] He scored his first goal on October 18, 1988, against Kelly Hrudey of the New York Islanders and later, on November 17, he scored his first hat trick against the Minnesota North Stars.[17][18] Linden finished the season tied for the team lead in goals (30) and second for points (59). He was the first Canucks rookie to score 30 goals.[13][19] Linden also became the first rookie to win the Cyclone Taylor Award, given to the Canucks most valuable player.[19] He was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team, and finished second to Brian Leetch, of the New York Rangers, in voting for the Calder Trophy, given to the rookie of the year.[20] The Canucks made the playoffs in the 1988–89 season, for the first time in three years, and Linden scored seven points in the Canucks' seven-game series loss to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Calgary Flames.[16]
In his sophomore NHL season, Linden finished second on the team in goals, with 21, and points, 51, and finished third in assists with 30. The following year, he was one of three Canucks to share a rotating captaincy (the others being Doug Lidster and Dan Quinn).[1] Linden led the team with 37 assists and 70 points, and made his first appearance in an NHL All-Star Game. At the age of 21, he was made sole captain of the team,[21] becoming the youngest Canucks captain.[22] That season, Linden led the Canucks in scoring for a second straight year with 75 points (31 goals and 44 assists), leading the Canucks to their first division title since the 1974–75 season.[19] They repeated as Smythe Division champions the following year, setting franchise records for wins and points. For the third straight season, Linden surpassed 30 goals and 70 points, finishing with totals of 33 goals and 72 points.[16]
In the 1993–94 season, Linden scored 32 goals, the fifth time in six seasons he had scored at least 30, but his points total fell to 61 as the Canucks finished 10 points behind the division leader. Although they were the seventh seed in the playoffs, the Canucks reached the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 12 years and second time in team history. Playing the New York Rangers, Linden went up against Rangers captain Mark Messier and led the Canucks to a seventh and deciding game. Despite two goals by Linden, the Canucks lost, 3–2.[23] Linden finished second on the team in playoff scoring, with 12 goals and 25 points.[19]
In the 1995–96 season, Linden had 33 goals, 47 assists and 80 points, the most he has ever collected in all three statistical categories.[24] The following season marked the end of Linden's ironman streak; between October 4, 1990 and December 3, 1996, he appeared in 482 consecutive games, the longest in the league at the time.[25] The streak established a Canucks record (broken in 2007 by Brendan Morrison).[26] In his 49 games that season, he scored nine goals and 31 assists. At the conclusion of the season, the NHL recognized Linden's contributions to the Vancouver community and awarded him the King Clancy Memorial Trophy.[25]
At the start of the 1997–98 season, the Canucks added free agent Mark Messier, a six-time Stanley Cup winner, and coach Mike Keenan, who were, respectively, captain and coach, of the New York Rangers when they defeated Vancouver in the Stanley Cup finals. Friction developed between Linden and Keenan early in the season.[27] As the relationship worsened, Keenan claimed that it was evident that Linden would be traded.[4] After a 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues, Keenan openly blamed Linden for the loss, a moment Linden refers to as his "darkest time".[28] Playing in 42 games with the Canucks before the February Olympic break, Linden had seven goals and 21 points.
New York, Montreal and Washington (1998–2001)
Linden was traded to the New York Islanders on February 6, 1998 for Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan McCabe, and the Islanders' third round choice (used to select Jarkko Ruutu) in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. After the conclusion of the Olympics, in which he participated, Linden joined the Islanders and played 25 games with the team. He scored 10 goals and seven assists for 17 points to finish the season, with a combined 17 goals and 21 assists for 38 points in 67 games. The following year, his first full season in three years, Linden was second on the team with 47 points, and third with 18 goals; however, on May 29, 1999, the Islanders traded Linden to the Montreal Canadiens for a first round draft pick in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft (Branislav Mezei), for mostly financial reasons.[29] The thrill of playing in Montreal, the "centre of hockey," was an exciting prospect to Linden after his time spent with the Islanders, where the arena was usually half-filled when he played there.[30]
With Montreal, Linden was often injured, and only appeared in 50 games during his first season with the Canadiens, scoring 30 points, while the next year he appeared in 57 games, scoring 33 points. While with the Canadiens, he signed a four-year contract worth $15 million;[1] however, he was traded for the third time in his career, this time to the Washington Capitals, going with Dainius Zubrus, and New Jersey's 2nd round choice in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for Richard Zednik, Jan Bulis, and Washington's 1st round choice in the 2001 Draft (Alexander Perezhogin). With Washington, Linden reached the playoffs for the first time in four years, in the 2000–01 season.[31]
Return to Vancouver (2001–present)
After 28 games, over two seasons, with the Capitals, Linden scored only three goals and four assists. On November 10, 2001, the Capitals traded Linden with a second round draft pick in either 2002 or 2003 to the Canucks for their first round pick in 2002 (Boyd Gordon) and a third round pick in 2003. He scored 34 points with Vancouver in 64 games, which included his 1,000th regular season game on March 26, 2002 against the Los Angeles Kings.[32] In his first playoff series with Vancouver in six years, he scored a goal and four assists in six games.
The 2002–03 season was Linden's first full season with the Canucks since 1996–97, though Linden sprained his knee in the season opener and had to miss two weeks.[33] He returned in time to be honoured for his 1,000th career game, which he achieved the season before. As he did not want to distract the team from the playoff race, Linden asked for the ceremony to be delayed.[34] On November 25, 2002, against the Minnesota Wild, Linden scored his 263rd goal with the Canucks, breaking former captain Stan Smyl's team record for most goals.[35] He finished the year with 19 goals and 22 assists for 41 points, his highest goal total in seven seasons, and his highest points total since 1998–99.
The following season, Linden broke several more Canucks records. In a February 16, 2004, game against the Colorado Avalanche, he played in his 897th game as a Canuck, passing Smyl.[36] On March 8, once again playing the Avalanche, Linden had two points, including his team-record 674th point with the Canucks, a mark also previously held by Smyl.[1] For the first time in five years, he played in all 82 games, recording 36 points. After a year-long break from hockey during the 2004-05 NHL lockout, in which he actively participated in new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations, Linden again appeared in all 82 games during the 2005–06 season, scoring seven goals and 16 points. Linden became the first player to play 1,000 games with the Canucks on April 13, 2006 when they faced the San Jose Sharks.[19]
"The career he's had, a lot of us watched him when we were younger, and the runs he's had when he first broke in. He's played for so long, and also playing against him, he's a guy that plays hard all the time. He’s a leader. He's a guy that's a good, honest, hard player to play against. He’s not cheap. We have a lot of respect also for what he's done for us off the ice as a group of players. I'm not sure if it's his last for sure, but if it is, it definitely was an honor to play with him."Jarome Iginla talking about Linden after an April 5, 2008 game, the Canucks regular season finale, and considered to be Linden's final game[37]
In the 2006–07 season opener, on October 5, 2006, Linden scored the game winner against the Detroit Red Wings to become the first Canuck to score 300 goals with the team.[38] After notching 25 points in 80 games, he helped the Canucks reach the second round of the playoffs. He scored two game-winning goals in the first round, including the series winning goal against the Dallas Stars in game seven of their first-round matchup, which was Linden's sixth game-seven goal of his playoff career.[39] He finished the playoffs with a team-leading seven points in 12 games. This made Linden the Canucks' all-time leader in playoff goals (34), assists (61) and points (95).[40]
After taking the summer to decide if he would return for another season, Linden signed a one-year contract with the Canucks in August 2007.[40] The season was not ideal for Linden, who was a healthy scratch 23 times.[41] In the 59 games he played, he scored seven goals and five assists, by far the lowest totals in his career. Against the Calgary Flames on November 8, 2007, he earned his 412th assist with the Canucks, surpassing Smyl, once again.[42] In the last game of the regular season, a home game against Calgary, Linden was named the first star, skated a lap around GM Place to a standing ovation and received handshakes from the Calgary players, leading many to believe that he had played his last game.[41]
Off the ice
Personal
In 1995, Linden married Cristina Giusti,[27] who is presently the owner of Basquiat, a Vancouver boutique.[43] Linden's younger brother, Jamie Linden, also played ice hockey. After a lengthy junior career in the Western Hockey League (WHL), Jamie played four games with the Florida Panthers in the 1994–95 season, before finishing his hockey career in the minor leagues. Together with Trevor, Jamie is now a property developer, something they developed an interest in while growing up Medicine Hat.[9] Trevor has indicated that after his playing career is finished, he would like to become more involved in real estate.[9][44] Linden is also an avid and competitive cyclist, frequenting the local Squamish and Whistler area to mountain bike, in addition to participating in various races.[45] Most significantly, in the summer of 2007, Linden competed in the TransAlp bikerace, a 600km race across the European Alps. Linden and racing teammate John Ramsden finished 48th out of the 122 competing two-man teams over the eight-day competition.[46]
NHLPA President
As a player representative to the NHL Players Association since 1990,[47] Linden was responsible for being the contact between his teammates and the NHLPA.[3] He saw the experience as a chance to be involved in the business side of the sport.[47] In light of this service, Linden was elected President of the NHLPA in June 1998. Consequentially, Linden was actively involved in negotiations with Gary Bettman and the NHL on a new CBA that ended the 2004–05 lockout.[5] This included a final meeting in January 2005 between Linden and Harley Hotchkiss, the chairman of the NHL Board of Governors, in an attempt to avoid losing the NHL season.[3] Despite this meeting, a result was not found in time to keep the NHL from cancelling the 2004–05 season.
Attachment to Vancouver
If somebody asked me to come up with a mental image of my hockey career, there is absolutely no doubt I would be wearing the uniform of the Vancouver Canucks in it.Trevor Linden[1]
Linden's long tenure with the Canucks, deep attachment to the city of Vancouver and history of charitable community service and involvement have made him one of the most beloved and respected players among fans in franchise history.[48] His 2001 return to the Canucks was an emotional event for fans and player alike, with Linden admitting that he was too excited to sleep the night before his first game back.[1] He is still often referred to affectionately as 'Captain Canuck', despite not having captained the team since 1997.[49] On April 5, 2008, the Canucks' final game of the 2007–08 season, the Vancouver crowd gave Linden a standing ovation before the start of the third period. Once the game ended, the crowd again rose to their feet in recognition of Linden.[50]
In addition to hockey, Linden has also undertaken a considerable amount of charitable work. Working primarily with children, he has made frequent appearances at the BC Children's Hospital and Canuck Place, a hospital for terminally ill children.[51] In 1995, he inaugurated the Trevor Linden Foundation to raise money for local charities and also hosts an annual golfing event as a fundraiser for BC Children's Hospital.[52] When he was awarded the Order of British Columbia in 2003, the citation referred to him as a "hockey player and humanitarian".[48]
A testament to his efforts off the ice in Vancouver, Linden has been a recipient of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy (1997) and the NHL Foundation Player Award (2008), honours awarded by the NHL to players for significant contributions in his community.
International play
Throughout his hockey career, Linden has appeared in five international tournaments for Team Canada. He first appeared on the world stage at the 1988 World Junior Championships, a tournament Canada won, where he scored one goal. His first senior international tournament was the 1991 World Championship, in which he contributed one goal and four assists in ten games as Canada won the silver medal. Linden was also invited to training camp for the 1991 Canada Cup roster, but was released early.[53] In the 1996 World Cup, the successor to the Canada Cup, Linden helped Canada to a second place finish with a goal and an assist over eight games.
Two years later, Linden was selected as a member of Team Canada in the 1998 Nagano Olympics.[54] Though he injured his knee only weeks before,[55] he played in all six games, scoring one goal, a game-tying marker with 67 seconds left against the Czech Republic that sent the semi-final game to overtime.[56] Canada finished fourth in the tournament.[57] Later that summer, he participated in the 1998 World Championships. He scored one goal and four assists as Canada finished fifth.[58]
Throughout his career, Linden has been recognized as a respected leader on and off the ice.[2][3] He was named captain of the Canucks at the age of 21, making him one of the youngest captains in league history. While captaining the Canucks, Linden led the team to within a game of winning the Stanley Cup in 1994. In 1998 he was elected President of the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), a position he held for eight years.[4] As President, he played an instrumental role in the 2004–05 NHL lockout, including taking a direct role in negotiations with league owners.[5] Off the ice, Linden has taken an active role in charities, and was awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for leadership on the ice and humanitarian contributions off the ice in 1997,[6] as well as the NHL Foundation Player Award in 2008. After 19 seasons in the NHL, Linden will announce his retirement at a news conference in Vancouver on June 11, 2008.[7]
Early life
Trevor Linden's grandfather, Nick van der Linden, immigrated to Canada from the Netherlands in 1929.[8] He ran a construction company until his son Lane, Trevor's father, replaced him in 1979.[9] Trevor was born in Medicine Hat to Lane and Edna Linden. Linden was a skilled athlete; despite hockey being his top priority, he also participated in baseball, golf, volleyball, basketball, and speed skating.[10] An excellent student in school, he was offered a scholarship to Princeton University to play for their hockey team; instead, Linden chose to stay in Medicine Hat and play with the local major junior team, the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL.[11] Linden grew up watching the Tigers and idolized Lanny McDonald, who played in Medicine Hat before he joined the NHL.[12]
After one season playing with the Medicine Hat Midget Tigers of the Alberta Midget Hockey League (AMHL), Linden joined the WHL Tigers for the final five games of the 1985–86 regular season, where he scored two goals; he also appeared in six playoff games, scoring one goal. The next season, at the age of 16, he made the team full-time. In his first full season in the WHL, Linden had 36 points in 72 games, and then had nine points in 20 playoff games, including two goals in the championship game, helping Medicine Hat win their first Memorial Cup as Canadian junior champions.[13] The next year, Linden had 110 points in 67 games, and captained the Tigers to their second consecutive Memorial Cup title.[14] During the 1988 WHL playoffs, Linden set a WHL playoff record by scoring the fastest goal from the start of a game, scoring seven seconds into a 6-5 Tigers win over the Saskatoon Blades on April 15, 1988.[15] At the 1988 NHL Entry Draft, the Vancouver Canucks selected Linden second overall, after the Minnesota North Stars selected Mike Modano.[16]
NHL career
Vancouver Canucks (1988–1998)
Linden made his NHL debut in the 1988–89 season, aged 18.[3] He scored his first goal on October 18, 1988, against Kelly Hrudey of the New York Islanders and later, on November 17, he scored his first hat trick against the Minnesota North Stars.[17][18] Linden finished the season tied for the team lead in goals (30) and second for points (59). He was the first Canucks rookie to score 30 goals.[13][19] Linden also became the first rookie to win the Cyclone Taylor Award, given to the Canucks most valuable player.[19] He was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team, and finished second to Brian Leetch, of the New York Rangers, in voting for the Calder Trophy, given to the rookie of the year.[20] The Canucks made the playoffs in the 1988–89 season, for the first time in three years, and Linden scored seven points in the Canucks' seven-game series loss to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Calgary Flames.[16]
In his sophomore NHL season, Linden finished second on the team in goals, with 21, and points, 51, and finished third in assists with 30. The following year, he was one of three Canucks to share a rotating captaincy (the others being Doug Lidster and Dan Quinn).[1] Linden led the team with 37 assists and 70 points, and made his first appearance in an NHL All-Star Game. At the age of 21, he was made sole captain of the team,[21] becoming the youngest Canucks captain.[22] That season, Linden led the Canucks in scoring for a second straight year with 75 points (31 goals and 44 assists), leading the Canucks to their first division title since the 1974–75 season.[19] They repeated as Smythe Division champions the following year, setting franchise records for wins and points. For the third straight season, Linden surpassed 30 goals and 70 points, finishing with totals of 33 goals and 72 points.[16]
In the 1993–94 season, Linden scored 32 goals, the fifth time in six seasons he had scored at least 30, but his points total fell to 61 as the Canucks finished 10 points behind the division leader. Although they were the seventh seed in the playoffs, the Canucks reached the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 12 years and second time in team history. Playing the New York Rangers, Linden went up against Rangers captain Mark Messier and led the Canucks to a seventh and deciding game. Despite two goals by Linden, the Canucks lost, 3–2.[23] Linden finished second on the team in playoff scoring, with 12 goals and 25 points.[19]
In the 1995–96 season, Linden had 33 goals, 47 assists and 80 points, the most he has ever collected in all three statistical categories.[24] The following season marked the end of Linden's ironman streak; between October 4, 1990 and December 3, 1996, he appeared in 482 consecutive games, the longest in the league at the time.[25] The streak established a Canucks record (broken in 2007 by Brendan Morrison).[26] In his 49 games that season, he scored nine goals and 31 assists. At the conclusion of the season, the NHL recognized Linden's contributions to the Vancouver community and awarded him the King Clancy Memorial Trophy.[25]
At the start of the 1997–98 season, the Canucks added free agent Mark Messier, a six-time Stanley Cup winner, and coach Mike Keenan, who were, respectively, captain and coach, of the New York Rangers when they defeated Vancouver in the Stanley Cup finals. Friction developed between Linden and Keenan early in the season.[27] As the relationship worsened, Keenan claimed that it was evident that Linden would be traded.[4] After a 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues, Keenan openly blamed Linden for the loss, a moment Linden refers to as his "darkest time".[28] Playing in 42 games with the Canucks before the February Olympic break, Linden had seven goals and 21 points.
New York, Montreal and Washington (1998–2001)
Linden was traded to the New York Islanders on February 6, 1998 for Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan McCabe, and the Islanders' third round choice (used to select Jarkko Ruutu) in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. After the conclusion of the Olympics, in which he participated, Linden joined the Islanders and played 25 games with the team. He scored 10 goals and seven assists for 17 points to finish the season, with a combined 17 goals and 21 assists for 38 points in 67 games. The following year, his first full season in three years, Linden was second on the team with 47 points, and third with 18 goals; however, on May 29, 1999, the Islanders traded Linden to the Montreal Canadiens for a first round draft pick in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft (Branislav Mezei), for mostly financial reasons.[29] The thrill of playing in Montreal, the "centre of hockey," was an exciting prospect to Linden after his time spent with the Islanders, where the arena was usually half-filled when he played there.[30]
With Montreal, Linden was often injured, and only appeared in 50 games during his first season with the Canadiens, scoring 30 points, while the next year he appeared in 57 games, scoring 33 points. While with the Canadiens, he signed a four-year contract worth $15 million;[1] however, he was traded for the third time in his career, this time to the Washington Capitals, going with Dainius Zubrus, and New Jersey's 2nd round choice in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for Richard Zednik, Jan Bulis, and Washington's 1st round choice in the 2001 Draft (Alexander Perezhogin). With Washington, Linden reached the playoffs for the first time in four years, in the 2000–01 season.[31]
Return to Vancouver (2001–present)
After 28 games, over two seasons, with the Capitals, Linden scored only three goals and four assists. On November 10, 2001, the Capitals traded Linden with a second round draft pick in either 2002 or 2003 to the Canucks for their first round pick in 2002 (Boyd Gordon) and a third round pick in 2003. He scored 34 points with Vancouver in 64 games, which included his 1,000th regular season game on March 26, 2002 against the Los Angeles Kings.[32] In his first playoff series with Vancouver in six years, he scored a goal and four assists in six games.
The 2002–03 season was Linden's first full season with the Canucks since 1996–97, though Linden sprained his knee in the season opener and had to miss two weeks.[33] He returned in time to be honoured for his 1,000th career game, which he achieved the season before. As he did not want to distract the team from the playoff race, Linden asked for the ceremony to be delayed.[34] On November 25, 2002, against the Minnesota Wild, Linden scored his 263rd goal with the Canucks, breaking former captain Stan Smyl's team record for most goals.[35] He finished the year with 19 goals and 22 assists for 41 points, his highest goal total in seven seasons, and his highest points total since 1998–99.
The following season, Linden broke several more Canucks records. In a February 16, 2004, game against the Colorado Avalanche, he played in his 897th game as a Canuck, passing Smyl.[36] On March 8, once again playing the Avalanche, Linden had two points, including his team-record 674th point with the Canucks, a mark also previously held by Smyl.[1] For the first time in five years, he played in all 82 games, recording 36 points. After a year-long break from hockey during the 2004-05 NHL lockout, in which he actively participated in new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations, Linden again appeared in all 82 games during the 2005–06 season, scoring seven goals and 16 points. Linden became the first player to play 1,000 games with the Canucks on April 13, 2006 when they faced the San Jose Sharks.[19]
"The career he's had, a lot of us watched him when we were younger, and the runs he's had when he first broke in. He's played for so long, and also playing against him, he's a guy that plays hard all the time. He’s a leader. He's a guy that's a good, honest, hard player to play against. He’s not cheap. We have a lot of respect also for what he's done for us off the ice as a group of players. I'm not sure if it's his last for sure, but if it is, it definitely was an honor to play with him."Jarome Iginla talking about Linden after an April 5, 2008 game, the Canucks regular season finale, and considered to be Linden's final game[37]
In the 2006–07 season opener, on October 5, 2006, Linden scored the game winner against the Detroit Red Wings to become the first Canuck to score 300 goals with the team.[38] After notching 25 points in 80 games, he helped the Canucks reach the second round of the playoffs. He scored two game-winning goals in the first round, including the series winning goal against the Dallas Stars in game seven of their first-round matchup, which was Linden's sixth game-seven goal of his playoff career.[39] He finished the playoffs with a team-leading seven points in 12 games. This made Linden the Canucks' all-time leader in playoff goals (34), assists (61) and points (95).[40]
After taking the summer to decide if he would return for another season, Linden signed a one-year contract with the Canucks in August 2007.[40] The season was not ideal for Linden, who was a healthy scratch 23 times.[41] In the 59 games he played, he scored seven goals and five assists, by far the lowest totals in his career. Against the Calgary Flames on November 8, 2007, he earned his 412th assist with the Canucks, surpassing Smyl, once again.[42] In the last game of the regular season, a home game against Calgary, Linden was named the first star, skated a lap around GM Place to a standing ovation and received handshakes from the Calgary players, leading many to believe that he had played his last game.[41]
Off the ice
Personal
In 1995, Linden married Cristina Giusti,[27] who is presently the owner of Basquiat, a Vancouver boutique.[43] Linden's younger brother, Jamie Linden, also played ice hockey. After a lengthy junior career in the Western Hockey League (WHL), Jamie played four games with the Florida Panthers in the 1994–95 season, before finishing his hockey career in the minor leagues. Together with Trevor, Jamie is now a property developer, something they developed an interest in while growing up Medicine Hat.[9] Trevor has indicated that after his playing career is finished, he would like to become more involved in real estate.[9][44] Linden is also an avid and competitive cyclist, frequenting the local Squamish and Whistler area to mountain bike, in addition to participating in various races.[45] Most significantly, in the summer of 2007, Linden competed in the TransAlp bikerace, a 600km race across the European Alps. Linden and racing teammate John Ramsden finished 48th out of the 122 competing two-man teams over the eight-day competition.[46]
NHLPA President
As a player representative to the NHL Players Association since 1990,[47] Linden was responsible for being the contact between his teammates and the NHLPA.[3] He saw the experience as a chance to be involved in the business side of the sport.[47] In light of this service, Linden was elected President of the NHLPA in June 1998. Consequentially, Linden was actively involved in negotiations with Gary Bettman and the NHL on a new CBA that ended the 2004–05 lockout.[5] This included a final meeting in January 2005 between Linden and Harley Hotchkiss, the chairman of the NHL Board of Governors, in an attempt to avoid losing the NHL season.[3] Despite this meeting, a result was not found in time to keep the NHL from cancelling the 2004–05 season.
Attachment to Vancouver
If somebody asked me to come up with a mental image of my hockey career, there is absolutely no doubt I would be wearing the uniform of the Vancouver Canucks in it.Trevor Linden[1]
Linden's long tenure with the Canucks, deep attachment to the city of Vancouver and history of charitable community service and involvement have made him one of the most beloved and respected players among fans in franchise history.[48] His 2001 return to the Canucks was an emotional event for fans and player alike, with Linden admitting that he was too excited to sleep the night before his first game back.[1] He is still often referred to affectionately as 'Captain Canuck', despite not having captained the team since 1997.[49] On April 5, 2008, the Canucks' final game of the 2007–08 season, the Vancouver crowd gave Linden a standing ovation before the start of the third period. Once the game ended, the crowd again rose to their feet in recognition of Linden.[50]
In addition to hockey, Linden has also undertaken a considerable amount of charitable work. Working primarily with children, he has made frequent appearances at the BC Children's Hospital and Canuck Place, a hospital for terminally ill children.[51] In 1995, he inaugurated the Trevor Linden Foundation to raise money for local charities and also hosts an annual golfing event as a fundraiser for BC Children's Hospital.[52] When he was awarded the Order of British Columbia in 2003, the citation referred to him as a "hockey player and humanitarian".[48]
A testament to his efforts off the ice in Vancouver, Linden has been a recipient of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy (1997) and the NHL Foundation Player Award (2008), honours awarded by the NHL to players for significant contributions in his community.
International play
Throughout his hockey career, Linden has appeared in five international tournaments for Team Canada. He first appeared on the world stage at the 1988 World Junior Championships, a tournament Canada won, where he scored one goal. His first senior international tournament was the 1991 World Championship, in which he contributed one goal and four assists in ten games as Canada won the silver medal. Linden was also invited to training camp for the 1991 Canada Cup roster, but was released early.[53] In the 1996 World Cup, the successor to the Canada Cup, Linden helped Canada to a second place finish with a goal and an assist over eight games.
Two years later, Linden was selected as a member of Team Canada in the 1998 Nagano Olympics.[54] Though he injured his knee only weeks before,[55] he played in all six games, scoring one goal, a game-tying marker with 67 seconds left against the Czech Republic that sent the semi-final game to overtime.[56] Canada finished fourth in the tournament.[57] Later that summer, he participated in the 1998 World Championships. He scored one goal and four assists as Canada finished fifth.[58]
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
'Last time around' for Linden
This is Trevor Linden's final season in the NHL, even if he won't say so, which makes this week's fathers-sons road trip a poignant one for the proud man who raised himIain MacIntyre
Vancouver Sun
Thursday, February 21, 2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The lump in his throat is gone, but Lane Linden admits it was there the other day, and that tells you something about this trip.
Lane Linden, father of Trevor, is a no-nonsense kind of man from a no-nonsense kind of place. You get the sense the only manure he has ever spread was on the farm in Medicine Hat in southeastern Alberta, which he and Edna and their boys looked after while also operating the family trucking business started by Lane's father, Nick Vanderlinden, who emigrated from Holland in 1929 because the Canadian Prairies abounded in opportunity for those willing to work hard.
And, my goodness, how the Lindens could work. Lane has spent his life at it, raising crops, raising the business, raising the kids.
He continued to work so hard at it after the boys were grown that he says now he wishes Trevor could start his National Hockey League career over so Lane could pay more attention to it this time.
But time offers no mulligans. Trevor Linden, the 37-year-old Vancouver Canuck, can't start over. Maybe he wouldn't want to. Too many people met, too many experiences, too many games to blithely erase everything and start over.
No, this season is it for Trevor, even if he won't say so. Which is why his dad was moved close to tears the other day as he thought about his son and this opportunity, arriving just in time, to travel with him and finally share this part of Trevor's life before it vanishes.
"I got a little choked up," Lane Linden says. "It puts a lump in your throat because I know how hard Trev worked for this all these years, what this has meant to him. And it's probably the last time around for him.
"Sitting around the table [at dinner], looking at all these young players -- peach-fuzz on their cheeks and they shave once a week whether they need it or not -- it seemed it was just yesterday that it was Trev who was there. I just wish we could do it all over again so I could pay more attention this time. It has just spun by so quickly."
For the first time, the Canuck organization has invited fathers of players on to the road to glimpse the NHL life -- charter planes and morning skates, nice hotels and big dinners. But the rarest perk is the chance for fathers and sons to reconnect and relive, for two games at least, their shared hockey experience.
The Canucks won 3-2 in overtime Tuesday in Minnesota and play tonight against the Nashville Predators.
Most of the dads, of course, have already devoted a good chunk of their lives to watching their sons play hockey, stood in freezing rinks with bad coffee and bad team jackets.
"Here we all are at practice again, watching our kids," Willie Mitchell's dad, Reid, said Tuesday morning, when the Canucks' optional skate was suspiciously well-attended by players.
"I feel very fortunate to be here," Lane Linden, 65, says. "I don't know about the rest of the fathers, but for me ... it should be my wife who's here. She was the gal who made sure the kids were at the rink and had the equipment and all the rest of it. She's the one who really made it all happen. She made the opportunities available and she covered for me when I was busy trying to earn the money it takes to have three kids in rep hockey."
Some teams believe the moms should be there, and have organized mother-and-son road trips.
"My mom was the athletic one and the real sports-minded person," Trevor says. "She was a real good fastball player. Our coach quit our baseball team one year and she coached our te
am."I do have a great appreciation for both my parents, how hard they worked in the '70s during tough times. We didn't have a lot, but we never needed anything more, either. My mom bought my first pair of skates from a second-hand store, and it was the best present I ever got. My equipment was from garage sales; I didn't care. I appreciate the sacrifices they made."
Lane doesn't need to be much prodded to tell stories about Trevor.
Like how the family work ethic was instilled by Nick, who would collect his grandson at age seven or eight and the two would spend an entire day on the granddad's little garden tractor, tilling earth at a neighbour's house.
"Trev would love every minute of it," Lane says. "My dad, that's all he knew, was work. Our kids were blessed with that ability. They were never bored, not once. They always found something to do."
And Lane will tell you how Trevor applied that ethic to hockey.
"I remember one Christmas, colder than hell, and Trev wanted to go to the [outdoor] rink," he says. "I didn't want him to, but he wanted to go in the worst way. So I took him over there and put his skates on him. It was so cold, I went and sat in the pickup for a bit. And I thought: God, that kid must be freezing to death. So I walk out and look over the boards, and here he is, probably five years old, going around the rink shooting the puck against the boards and picking it up again. There wasn't another soul around."
Lane tells other kinds of stories, too. Like how Trevor, well known for visiting and befriending sick kids, maintains relationships with families who have lost the children that brought him to them. How Trevor has attended funerals for the children, has spoken on their behalf, grieved with the families.
"You try to do the right thing," Trevor Linden says when asked to explain himself. "I think our parents are proud of all three of us for trying to live our lives with integrity."
Lane speaks so plainly about Trevor that his son, only half-jokingly, says he instructed Canuck media relations staff T.C. Carling and Ben Brown to chaperone his dad and make sure he doesn't say the wrong thing to the wrong person. And, for godsakes, keep Lane away from Canuck coach Alain Vigneault, who has made Trevor a healthy scratch 15 times this season.
"You know, last year, my mom mentioned to me: 'Would it be possible for Dad to come on one of your road trips?' " Linden says. "I said, 'It wouldn't feel right, flying on the charter and everything.' But I knew it was something he wanted to do. So when this opportunity came up ... I don't get home as much as I should and we probably don't see each other as much as we should. So this has been fun."
"I just wanted to know something about it," Lane says. "It's just something I wanted to experience. My wife and I know this super ride is coming to an end for Trev. We've looked at each other like, 'What are we going to do when we don't have him to watch anymore?' I have no idea what the next chapter will be. And I'm not sure he does. But whatever he does, he'll do it with passion and flair and class and integrity.
"You ask me what I'm most proud of about Trevor? I'm proud of everything. I'm proud of how he has conducted himself as a player, and I'm proud of him as a person. I'm proud of all of it."
Lane doesn't need to be much prodded to tell stories about Trevor.
Like how the family work ethic was instilled by Nick, who would collect his grandson at age seven or eight and the two would spend an entire day on the granddad's little garden tractor, tilling earth at a neighbour's house.
"Trev would love every minute of it," Lane says. "My dad, that's all he knew, was work. Our kids were blessed with that ability. They were never bored, not once. They always found something to do."
And Lane will tell you how Trevor applied that ethic to hockey.
"I remember one Christmas, colder than hell, and Trev wanted to go to the [outdoor] rink," he says. "I didn't want him to, but he wanted to go in the worst way. So I took him over there and put his skates on him. It was so cold, I went and sat in the pickup for a bit. And I thought: God, that kid must be freezing to death. So I walk out and look over the boards, and here he is, probably five years old, going around the rink shooting the puck against the boards and picking it up again. There wasn't another soul around."
Lane tells other kinds of stories, too. Like how Trevor, well known for visiting and befriending sick kids, maintains relationships with families who have lost the children that brought him to them. How Trevor has attended funerals for the children, has spoken on their behalf, grieved with the families.
"You try to do the right thing," Trevor Linden says when asked to explain himself. "I think our parents are proud of all three of us for trying to live our lives with integrity."
Lane speaks so plainly about Trevor that his son, only half-jokingly, says he instructed Canuck media relations staff T.C. Carling and Ben Brown to chaperone his dad and make sure he doesn't say the wrong thing to the wrong person. And, for godsakes, keep Lane away from Canuck coach Alain Vigneault, who has made Trevor a healthy scratch 15 times this season.
"You know, last year, my mom mentioned to me: 'Would it be possible for Dad to come on one of your road trips?' " Linden says. "I said, 'It wouldn't feel right, flying on the charter and everything.' But I knew it was something he wanted to do. So when this opportunity came up ... I don't get home as much as I should and we probably don't see each other as much as we should. So this has been fun."
"I just wanted to know something about it," Lane says. "It's just something I wanted to experience. My wife and I know this super ride is coming to an end for Trev. We've looked at each other like, 'What are we going to do when we don't have him to watch anymore?' I have no idea what the next chapter will be. And I'm not sure he does. But whatever he does, he'll do it with passion and flair and class and integrity.
"You ask me what I'm most proud of about Trevor? I'm proud of everything. I'm proud of how he has conducted himself as a player, and I'm proud of him as a person. I'm proud of all of it."
My Trevor Linden Article
Everyone knows that Linden as a two way, power forward but many don't know as how much he meant to the organization to the Vancouver Canucks. He never won a cup with the Vancouver Canucks but he won the hearts of many canucks fans with his amazing community work outside of hockey. As many of us hockey fans do know is that many players don't have a formal education beyond their high school years like Linden but he is one of the most articulate and thoughtful players in the NHL. He has demonstrated on his amazing leadership skills for these amazing 19 years.Linden has been recognized as a respected leader on and off the ice. At 21 years of age, he was named captain of the Canucks at the age of 21, making him one of the youngest captains in league history. In 1998 he was elected President of the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), a position he held for eight years. As President, he played an instrumental role in the 2004-05 NHL lockout, including taking a direct role in negotiations with league owners. But now his amazing leadership skills will be used somewhere else. I don't know particularly where he'll use them but someone will see Linden the way we did during the 19 years of his career.
Linden was the face of the franchise - and its heart and conscience - for most of the last two decades. There will be better players, but possibly not a better person. And no athlete here will be able to match the enduring strength and personal nature of Linden's bond to this city and its fans, which is why his retirement announcement today will be as poignant as it is expected. Twenty years to the day after he was drafted second over-all, Linden is leaving the National Hockey League at age 38. There will not be another like him, at least for the Canucks.
And yet, it's his contributions off the ice that may be of greater significance: his devotion to Canuck Place - the children's hospice that is former owner Arthur Griffiths' greatest legacy - and other charities and his genuine embrace of his adopted hometown. Linden hardly fits the greedy athlete profile. In 2003 he received the Order of British Columbia for his humanitarian work in Vancouver. He's a frequent visitor to the Vancouver's Ronald McDonald House, B.C.'s Children's hospital and Canuck Place, a hospice for terminally ill children. Off the ice, Linden has taken an active role in charities, and was awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for leadership on the ice and humanitarian contributions off the ice in1997 s well as the NHL Foundation Player Award in 2008.Now on after 19 seasons in the NHL, Linden will announce his retirement at a news conference in Vancouver on June 11, 2008. After he retires, Linden is expected to take a break from the game that has dominated his life. As savvy in business as he was on the ice, Linden helped develop a real-estate project last year in West Point Grey and is working on another one now in Victoria. Regardless of what he does for a living, it's hard to imagine Linden quitting his community.
16 - Years as a Canuck
19-Years in the NHL
861 - Career Points
19-Years in the NHL
861 - Career Points
TREVOR LINDEN'S RETIREMENT
Wow I can't believe it. Trevor Linden of the Vancouver Canucks is retiring after 19 years in the National Hockey League. What will he do? No one knows but right now this is a shock to me and everyone who watched Linden play hockey. But what really sucks is the fact that he never won the Stanley Cup. I am praying to god that fans remember what type of player he was and what he did for the Canucks when he played for them. He was one amazing player and I am never going to compare him to any other great players in the NHL. He will always be remember as an amazing leader and champion in my heart and in the heart of many Linden fans in the NHL. My time is to right an article on Linden and I am going to write it right now. I want fans to remember Linden the way I did. Good luck to you, Linden. I hope you find something else in hockey that you love: either coaching or doing something in the architectural business with your brother, Jamie.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Dare You To Move, Chapter 1
Chapter 1
There are moments in our lives when we find ourselves at a cross roads. The choices we make in those moments can define the rest of our days. Of course, when faced with the unknown, most of us prefer to turn around and go back to our safety net. For example, take my own brother, Trevor, who wanted to run back into his hole once he found out that he was traded to the Islanders. Now personally, I do not blame him but I told him to show who got the better of the trade and he did.
On November 10, 2001 he was traded back to the Vancouver Canucks from the Capitals and the fans of our team, the Canucks, were happy that the son of Vancouver was finally coming home. But my brother on that day taught me and the city of Vancouver that you can comeback and live out the dreams that you always wanted to do in your life. He showed me not to back down on my life when it got harder. Because if you do run away, you'll miss out on all the fun in your life.
I have been doing that since I was 14 and now at 23, I was living my dreams at doing what I love the most...designing clothes for the Canucks, writing articles, doing the websites and being a moral support if any of the Canucks needed it. It was hard on me as it was hard on many of the players. But I learned to deal with the hardest things in my life and so did the Canucks.
You know when players were not in the mood to talk and when they were. If they were in this self blaming mood to where they didn't even want to talk to anyone they cared about or friends they have been close to. Or they are just not theirselves from an injury or illness. You just did in my world because I've lived with three hockey playing brothers and learned their life styles.
But I am now dealing with every type of player and their personality traits. But now, I feel as though as I am now at that cross that my brother was when he was traded to the New York Islanders.
There are moments in our lives when we find ourselves at a crossroads. Afraid. Confused. Without a roadmap. The choices we make in those moments can define the rest of our days. Of course, when faced with the unknown, most of us prefer to turn around and go back. But once in a while people push on to something better. Something found just beyond the pain of going it alone. And just beyond the bravery and courage it takes to let someone in. Or to give someone a second chance. Something beyond the quiet persistence of a dream. Because it's only when you're tested, that you truly discover who you are. And it's only when you're tested, that you discover who you can be. The person you want to be does exist. Somewhere on the otherside of hard work and faith and belief... and beyond the heartache and fear of what lies ahead.
There are moments in our lives when we find ourselves at a cross roads. The choices we make in those moments can define the rest of our days. Of course, when faced with the unknown, most of us prefer to turn around and go back to our safety net. For example, take my own brother, Trevor, who wanted to run back into his hole once he found out that he was traded to the Islanders. Now personally, I do not blame him but I told him to show who got the better of the trade and he did.
On November 10, 2001 he was traded back to the Vancouver Canucks from the Capitals and the fans of our team, the Canucks, were happy that the son of Vancouver was finally coming home. But my brother on that day taught me and the city of Vancouver that you can comeback and live out the dreams that you always wanted to do in your life. He showed me not to back down on my life when it got harder. Because if you do run away, you'll miss out on all the fun in your life.
I have been doing that since I was 14 and now at 23, I was living my dreams at doing what I love the most...designing clothes for the Canucks, writing articles, doing the websites and being a moral support if any of the Canucks needed it. It was hard on me as it was hard on many of the players. But I learned to deal with the hardest things in my life and so did the Canucks.
You know when players were not in the mood to talk and when they were. If they were in this self blaming mood to where they didn't even want to talk to anyone they cared about or friends they have been close to. Or they are just not theirselves from an injury or illness. You just did in my world because I've lived with three hockey playing brothers and learned their life styles.
But I am now dealing with every type of player and their personality traits. But now, I feel as though as I am now at that cross that my brother was when he was traded to the New York Islanders.
There are moments in our lives when we find ourselves at a crossroads. Afraid. Confused. Without a roadmap. The choices we make in those moments can define the rest of our days. Of course, when faced with the unknown, most of us prefer to turn around and go back. But once in a while people push on to something better. Something found just beyond the pain of going it alone. And just beyond the bravery and courage it takes to let someone in. Or to give someone a second chance. Something beyond the quiet persistence of a dream. Because it's only when you're tested, that you truly discover who you are. And it's only when you're tested, that you discover who you can be. The person you want to be does exist. Somewhere on the otherside of hard work and faith and belief... and beyond the heartache and fear of what lies ahead.
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