Captain Canuck

Sometimes, when I really think about how much work goes into being a professional athlete, I wonder if it would be worth it. Sure, the money’s great and you get a chance to use your gifts, but so do accountants. On top of that, pro sports is the ultimate ‘what have you done for me lately?’ job. 95% of careers are chewed up and spit out.

Sure, there’s the love of the game. I know what that’s about. I trained for four years during my time on my school hockey team. I worked my you-know-what-off every time I was on the ice. We played for free, in front of thousands (okay hundreds. Okay sometimes less than hundreds. Mostly less than hundreds), because we love the game. But even still, we only had to play once a week, 25 games a season. These guys have training, practice, travel and games to boot. Why put yourself through that?

And then, on April 5th 2008, I experienced the answer to my question in person. And unquestionably, I understood.

This is the story of Trevor Linden.

Up here in Canada we have this amazing little tradition of about 60 or so years called Hockey Night in Canada. Every Saturday the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation picks two games, always involving two or more of our six Canadian teams, and plays them as a double-header. We even have our own version of Charles Barkley!

I grew up in Ontario which means that on Saturday night everybody in the known universe watched the Leafs play at 7 pm, and then went out and got wasted or played Parcheesi, or did whatever it is people do on Saturday night. Me, I always watched the second game of the double-header. This game always featured the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, or the Vancouver Canucks.

The Canucks were an entertaining team a number of years ago, featuring Markus Naslund and pre-punch Todd Bertuzzi (if you don’t know what I’m referencing, youtube Todd Bertuzzi and Steve Moore) in their prime terrorizing opposing goaltenders. The Canucks had no goaltending and cared little for defense, generally choosing to play firewagon hockey and let it all hang out there, as they say. It didn’t produce a Stanley Cup, but it was a fun team to watch.

Then I moved out to the Vancouver area for University and discovered that Canucks fans have a deep and passionate (and unwarranted) hatred for all things Toronto. The city, the people, and especially the Leafs. This prompted me to leave my vintage Canucks jersey at home, and develop a retalitory hatred for the team I once loved to watch.

Nontheless, NHL hockey is NHL hockey, and when my buddy Myles asked me if I wanted to go to the final regular season game I said yes without hesitation. The Canucks were playing the Calgary Flames after all, and Calgary has Canadian legend Jarome Iginla and powerhouse blue liner Dion Phaneuf. Plus it was a Hockey Night in Canada game.

What I didn’t realize at the time is that it was also possibly the last game Trevor Linden would play in the NHL. What? You don’t know who Trevor Linden is? Most people outside of Canada probably don’t. But here in Vancouver he is a hero.

He’s quiet. Stoic. You couldn’t even describe his play as outstanding. People use words like reliable. Hard-working. Relentless. In fact, Linden never once scored more than 80 points in a season. He never scored more than 33 goals. He was far from a superstar.

Selected 2nd overall in 1988 (Mike Modano was 1st) Linden became an instant crowd favorite in Vancouver. What he is most revered for is his role in taking the Vancouver Canucks to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1994. Linden was a force in the playoffs, when the games mean the most, scoring 25 points in 24 games.

This video gives you a sense of what Linden meant to this city.

The Canucks were down 3-2 in the series to the New York Rangers and had to win at home to force Game 7 in New York. The game is winding down, and all the guy can talk about is how Linden got chopped down. He’s barely able to get to the bench, and the guy in the booth calling the game knows Linden is going to play in Game 7. That’s just the type of guy he is. He would have gone through a brick wall for this city and that’s why they love him.

The picture at the end of the clip says everthing. Linden has been cut, there’s blood all over his jersey, and the look on his face as he hugs goalie Kirk McLean tells you he has left his entire heart on the ice. The Canucks went on to lose Game 7 to the Rangers 3-2, with Linden scoring both Vancouver goals.

Myles summed up what Linden meant to Vancouver when he said to me, “it’s weird that this could be his last game. It’s like watching my entire childhood skating around out there.”

In 1998 Linden was shuttled out to the New York Islanders, with Mark Messier taking his place as captain. From there he was moved to Montreal, and then Washington and it was becoming clear his best days were behind him.

But after several injury-plagued seasons with those teams Linden was traded back to Vancouver and he gladly adapted a new role. He was no longer captain, that distinction was given to Markus Naslund, but he was a mentor to a young team, a leader on the ice and a reliable player who played his best when the stakes were the highest.

That brings us to this year. Linden was a healthy scratch 23 times this season, an indication that he was slowing down. But he never complained, worked his hardest, swallowed his pride and did what was asked of him. Never once did he complain about practice (practice? Are we talking ‘bout practice?). With two weeks left in the season the Canucks were facing a must win game against Calgary. If they lost they would have been virtually eliminated from the playoffs. Linden was inserted into the line-up and scored two goals. The Canucks won and kept hope alive. He showed he could still find a way.

By the time the last game of the regular season rolled around the Canucks had been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. The game itself meant nothing, other than a chance to witness Linden’s swan song. There was speculation before the game that it would be Linden’s last, fueled by Canucks coach Alain Vigneault playing Linden on the top line with the heralded (though I’m not sure why) Sedin twins.

For a meaningless game there was still an undeniable buzz. I must have seen a thousand people wearing Linden jerseys. He looked nervous early, set-up a few times by the Sedin’s but fanning on several attempts. He failed to score in his final game, but in the end, it wouldn’t matter.

Linden’s line was getting ready to start the third period. Both teams were lined up at centre ice waiting for the tv commerical on CBC to end. Unbeknownst to him he was put up on the big screen and everyone began cheering. I was eating a hot dog. After 30 seconds everyone was giving him a standing ovation and the other players realized what was going on. By now I had finished the hot dog and stood to pay my respects. All 9 other players and the 4 officials moved off to the side, and Linden finally acknowledged the crowd for what was a few minutes.

The game ended 7-1, and here’s a little clip of what I experienced. The footage is grainy, but I think it’s a good idea of how powerful the moment is. WARNING: About 3:15, the girl filming mentions that the final score was 7-1, and the gentlemen utters a profanity. Stop watching around 3:00 if you are one who is offended by such things.

The whole thing was indescribably powerful. The way Jarome Iginla and some other Flames stayed to shake his hand. Iginla actually called some other teammates out of the tunnel to pay their respects. The way the other Canuck players stood off to the side and simply soaked it all in. The way the crowd, who had been cheering for about 3 minutes before this clip started, goes up another octave a few minutes in.

This was only one of what was eventually FOUR standing ovations. Here’s a brief clip of the longest and loudest one, when Linden was named the game’s first star.

I don’t know how he didn’t cry, but he held it together. I was getting chills and I wasn’t even a fan of his. I respected all he had done, but felt no personal attachment to him. All I could think about, over and over, is how he must have felt that it was all worth it. All the years where he was giving everything he had and being criticized. When he was disrespected and traded, floundering around with other teams, battling injuries, returning to a lessened role and finally being a healthy scratch 23 times this season. All the hours training, practicing—doubting whether or not he still had it—it was worth it on April 5th, 2008.

In an era where sports gets more attention for all the negative things that happen, I know I was able to witness something truly special: Trevor Linden, in all his glory. The fans poured their appreciation on to him, and through the magnitude of their voices the message was clear. Thank you, Trevor.

It was so powerful I wanted to watch the late night replay of the game on CBC to see how it looked on television. And as Jarome Iginla, one of the NHL’s best players, came out to shake Linden’s hand CBC play-by-play man Jim Hughson summed up the game I love in the light its meant to be understood in.

“It’s about intensity; but it’s also about respect.”