NHL
Trevor Linden can go back to being a Canucks hero. He and the Vancouver Canucks parted ways last week. A report by Steve Simmons said he was fired. Whether this is entirely true or not, Linden can go back to being a Canucks hero.
Linden’s time
Linden stepped in as Canucks president at a rough time. It was close to the end of the 2013-14 season and the Canucks had missed the playoffs for the first time in six years. Gone were the days of contending for a Stanley Cup. Owner Francesco Aquilini fired GM and President Mike Gillis and then Linden stepped in as President. The first move he made was fire coach John Tortorella. Then he hired, Gm Jim Benning and coach Willie Desjardins.
Fans and media were calling for a full rebuild but Benning wanted to compete the following season. He acquired veterans Ryan Miller and Radim Vrbata. He traded Ryan Kesler for Nick Bonino and Luca Sbisa. The Canucks did compete the following season and made the playoffs with 101 points. However, they were ousted by the Calgary Flames in six games.
In the previous off-season, the Canucks held a Summer Summit where management can take questions from season ticket members. Linden has given a huge round of applause when he stepped on the stage. The following summer there was no applause and Jim Benning even got some boos. The 2015 offseason was rough for Canucks fans. Benning traded Zack Kassian and Eddie Lack for low returns.
Seen as a villain
Linden was seen as a villain in Vancouver for the first time in his career and the Canucks missed the playoffs for three straight seasons. Linden preached patience by saying a rebuild takes time. Fans were calling for his head. People were saying he and Benning lacked direction. Rogers Arena looked like Glendale and fans were ripping Linden on Social Media and the radio.
Back to Being a Canucks Hero
Now Linden has left the Canucks organization, he can go back to being a Canucks hero. He will forever be seen as the captain of the 1994 team that went to the final; as well as the youngest captain in the franchise’s history. He played hurt and scored goals in game 7. He was a leader, the heart, and soul of the Canucks organization. In the locker room, he was a mentor; someone everyone looked up to. Off the ice, he was a big part in the community participating in Charity Events and helping out at BC Children’s hospital. Now he is out as president, his legacy will now forever be as a Canucks hero.
