Trevor Linden's commitment to bettering himself on and off the ice made him one of the 1990s’ best NHL leaders, especially with the Vancouver Canucks.
If you were to boil Trevor Linden’s 19-year NHL career down to one iconic night, it would have to be Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup final.
Thirty years later, Linden reflected on his mindset going into the contest as captain of an underdog Vancouver Canucks team that battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the mighty New York Rangers.
“You’ve got 60 minutes,” Linden said. “You’ve got one game, and you could be carrying the Stanley Cup around Madison Square Garden.”
Linden scored his team’s only two goals in the Cup-deciding game, but it wasn’t enough. The Rangers prevailed 3-2.
“I love the playoffs,” Linden said. “It was always when I performed my best, and, certainly, when the games got bigger, I loved those opportunities. I wasn’t thinking about it. I was just doing it. But it was tough. That was a tough way to lose.”
To this day, Linden remains Vancouver’s franchise leader in post-season games (118) and playoff points (95). He’s also tied with Pavel Bure for the most playoff goals (34).
When Linden was drafted second overall by the Canucks in 1988, he wasn’t just a 6-foot-4 right-shot center with roots in Western Canada. He had a winning pedigree, coming off back-to-back Memorial Cup titles with his hometown Medicine Hat Tigers and a gold medal as the youngest player on Team Canada at the 1988 world juniors in Moscow.
As part of his adjustment to city life in Vancouver as an 18-year-old, Linden initially boarded with a billet family. On the ice, his transition was seamless. He was the youngest of the three NHL rookies who scored 30 goals in 1988-89. That also tied him with Petri Skriko for the lead on the Canucks, earning him runner-up status behind Brian Leetch for the Calder Trophy.
Vancouver also improved by 15 points in the standings, returning to the playoffs after having missed the dance the two previous seasons – drawing the league-leading Calgary Flames in the first round.
Linden put up seven points in seven games, and the Canucks pushed the eventual Stanley Cup champs to the brink. But Joel Otto’s infamous sudden-death goal with 39 seconds left in the first overtime period ended Vancouver’s season.
“I saw Joel Otto last summer at the Calgary Stampede, and I reminded him that he kicked that puck in,” said Linden with a laugh. “That year was all just a big bonus. We had no business going to Game 7 against Calgary.”
Five years later, Vancouver got its revenge when Bure’s Game 7 game-winner in double overtime against the Flames erased a 3-1 first-round deficit, kicking off the run that ended at Madison Square Garden.
But between the 1994-95 lockout and changes at the ownership and management levels, the Canucks weren’t able to sustain their success. Linden was traded to the New York Islanders just as he was preparing to head to Nagano to suit up for Canada at the 1998 Olympics.
After a five-year odyssey that also included stops in Montreal and Washington, Linden returned to Vancouver in November 2001, finishing his career where he started it and putting down roots that have endured.
“It’s been such an amazing journey,” he said. “If I wasn’t drafted by Vancouver that day, I wouldn’t be in this house. I wouldn’t have this wife. I wouldn’t have this kid.”
After hanging up his skates in 2008, Linden leaned into outdoor sports, especially bike racing. These days, the adventures have taken on a family feel as he and his wife, Cristina, share their passions for spending time in the mountains with their six-year-old son. Roman isn’t into hockey, so that leaves time for plenty of skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer. “We’re doing a trip this June to the Dolomites with Roman,” Linden said. “A hiking trip in Italy. Exploring with him and seeing the world through his eyes is a whole new thing.”
After spending decades inside concrete hockey rinks, the outdoors has become Linden’s foundation for healthy living – something he also prioritizes in his business and philanthropic endeavors.
This is an excerpt from Carol Schram's feature on NHL legend Trevor Linden, who easily made it the player ranking in The Hockey News' Top 90 of the ’90s issue. It includes a conversation with Linden regarding his on-ice focus and his many charitable endeavors.
Adam Proteau talks here about just how important Linden is as a former Vancouver Canuck.
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