The Trevor Lindens of history

[Pear Juice]

All great answers, but going back a bit farther, to the original six era and beyond. There have to been these kinds of players back then aswell, all we hear of are the bonafide superstars.

 

[Pear Juice]

a somewhat similar thread: http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=584706

Thanks, to be honest I didn't do much gravedigging to find something similar.

 

[MXD]

Why doesn't it make sense? He fits the criteria perfectly.

Because of this very sentence :

Trevor Linden is almost certainly the most liked palyer to ever suit up for the Canucks, this is not for his exceptional talent.

I mean, yeah, Smyl is pretty much all that. But that makes lost of Canucks that are "almost certainly the most liked player to ever suit up for Canucks" and it sounds somewhat like the famous Def Leppart farewell tour joke all over again.

 

[CanadianDevil*]

Stevens, Neidermayer, Daneyko, Broduer and Elias. you cant be a devils fan and not respect eac and every single one of these guys.

 

[DOOMGUY*]

I mean, yeah, Smyl is pretty much all that. But that makes lost of Canucks that are "almost certainly the most liked player to ever suit up for Canucks" and it sounds somewhat like the famous Def Leppart farewell tour joke all over again.

Linden is the most popular example, Smyl is the runner up, what is so complicated about that? Also, 'lost of Canucks' do not fit the OP's description with the inclusion of Smyl, there isn't a third player who comes close.

Stevens, Neidermayer, Daneyko, Broduer and Elias. you cant be a devils fan and not respect eac and every single one of these guys.

The OP asked for players who were very popular but not elite, hall of fame members need not apply.

 

[Alain Racette]

Gary freakin' Roberts!

He can captain my team anyday!

 

[Hasbro]

Outside of that one season, I guess I never really thought of him as a star outside of Calgary... just an extremely likeable good player and leader.

He was by far the best player ever fo the Rockies...which in no way required being a star.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Stevens, Neidermayer, Daneyko, Broduer and Elias. you cant be a devils fan and not respect eac and every single one of these guys.

I'm a Devils fan and I don't respect Niedermayer, at least not in the way called for in this thread.

 

[Stephen]

Stevens, Neidermayer, Daneyko, Broduer and Elias. you cant be a devils fan and not respect eac and every single one of these guys.

I guess you can't leave out Lemieux Gretzky, Orr, Howe, Roy and Hasek either.

But seriously, Wendel Clark fits this description more perfectly than anyone else. He's the original Trevor Linden.

 

[VanIslander]

..Trevor Linden is almost certainly the most liked palyer to ever suit up for the Canucks, this is not for his exceptional talent. He has always been a good player, and a very good playoff player, but not even the most blue-eyed Canuckfan would put him anywhere near the games true greats in terms of production or skills.

Yet he is so highly revered by the people of Vancouver, this is not strange at all given the time, effort and dedication he showed to the team and the city.

Well anyhow, this got me wondering, what are som good examples of earlier 'Trevor Lindens'? Players who stayed long, maybe served as captains for their teams, yet never reaching that real stardom, but still have a special spot in the history of the team?

Trevor Linden was NOT an average talent in Vancouver.

He was touted as one of the greatest Canucks ever after his first four or five seasons; we fell in love with the STAR of the team.

Drafted 2nd overall he scored 30 goals his rookie season to tie the team lead; led the team in points his 3rd and 4th seasons; there was a moment before Bure exploded onto the scene that Canucks fans said only Smyl had been a greater Canuck, certainly Linden was breaking team records and on his way to at least top-3 all-time in Canucks scoring. The city loved goalie King Brodeur for backstopping the team to the finals in '82. I did too. Linden was loved for being a STAR!!!!!!!! for being a great young player who was one of the few greats the Canucks ever had in its sadsack history to that date. He was the hope and the future and THAT was why he really appealed. He was a TOP LINE PLAYER right up to and including the 1994 stanley cup finals. In fact, after scoring two goals in game 7 of the finals he was on the cusp of leaguewide recognition of what Canucks fans knew: Linden was a star!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Modano went 1st overall when Linden went 2nd and after their first few seasons in the league it was an open question, argued, as to whom was better... of course between 94-98 it became no contest in terms of the comparison, but to that point...)

the sad fact is his career went down from there and canucks fans didn't abandon him - but let's get facts straight: fans did not fall in love with him as an average joe, but as a very young captain and star rising in his career and bringing the franchise up with him, optimism galore all around

so...........................

Linden is to Vancouver what Perreault was to Buffalo: the young star of a relatively young franchise whom everyone pegged their hopes on taking them to the promised land someday, and almost did. (the fact that Linden's career went down after '94 is BESIDE THE POINT)

Kariya in Anaheim isn't a bad comparison either.

I'd say Marleau in San Jose but I dunno if Sharks fans loved Patty so much, though Linden and he were 2nd overall picks who had similar career starts.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

I don't know what his standing is in Florida, or if they even "revere" hockey players there, but perhaps Tom Fitzgerald would fit that bill.

 

[NOTENOUGHJTCGOALS]

Trevor Linden was NOT an average talent in Vancouver.

He was touted as one of the greatest Canucks ever after his first four or five seasons; we fell in love with the STAR of the team.

Drafted 2nd overall he scored 30 goals his rookie season to tie the team lead; led the team in points his 3rd and 4th seasons; there was a moment before Bure exploded onto the scene that Canucks fans said only Smyl had been a greater Canuck, certainly Linden was breaking team records and on his way to at least top-3 all-time in Canucks scoring. The city loved goalie King Brodeur for backstopping the team to the finals in '82. I did too. Linden was loved for being a STAR!!!!!!!! for being a great young player who was one of the few greats the Canucks ever had in its sadsack history to that date. He was the hope and the future and THAT was why he really appealed. He was a TOP LINE PLAYER right up to and including the 1994 stanley cup finals. In fact, after scoring two goals in game 7 of the finals he was on the cusp of leaguewide recognition of what Canucks fans knew: Linden was a star!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Modano went 1st overall when Linden went 2nd and after their first few seasons in the league it was an open question, argued, as to whom was better... of course between 94-98 it became no contest in terms of the comparison, but to that point...)

the sad fact is his career went down from there and canucks fans didn't abandon him - but let's get facts straight: fans did not fall in love with him as an average joe, but as a very young captain and star rising in his career and bringing the franchise up with him, optimism galore all around

so...........................

Linden is to Vancouver what Perreault was to Buffalo: the young star of a relatively young franchise whom everyone pegged their hopes on taking them to the promised land someday, and almost did. (the fact that Linden's career went down after '94 is BESIDE THE POINT)

Kariya in Anaheim isn't a bad comparison either.

I'd say Marleau in San Jose but I dunno if Sharks fans loved Patty so much, though Linden and he were 2nd overall picks who had similar career starts.

Linden was always regarded as a big gritty two way centre who could put up some good numbers and a good leader. But he wasnt really regarded as a star outside of Vancouver.

Kariya and Perrault definately were.

 

[lextune]

Terry O'Reilly.

 

[Bill McCreary]

I don't know what his standing is in Florida, or if they even "revere" hockey players there, but perhaps Tom Fitzgerald would fit that bill.

Not disputing your point, just the mere mention of Tim Fitzgerald to a Penguins fan induces vomit.

 

[19Yzerman19]

Because of this very sentence :



I mean, yeah, Smyl is pretty much all that. But that makes lost of Canucks that are "almost certainly the most liked player to ever suit up for Canucks" and it sounds somewhat like the famous Def Leppart farewell tour joke all over again.

Or you could say Stan Smyl was Trevor Linden before Trevor Linden became Trevor Linden if you get my drift.

 

[NWAvs]

Milan Hejduk?

 

[David Bruce Banner]

Kirk Muller?

I always kind of found him and Linden to be pretty similar. How's he rate in NJ or Montreal?

 

[sunb]

Trevor Linden was NOT an average talent in Vancouver.

He was touted as one of the greatest Canucks ever after his first four or five seasons; we fell in love with the STAR of the team.

Drafted 2nd overall he scored 30 goals his rookie season to tie the team lead; led the team in points his 3rd and 4th seasons; there was a moment before Bure exploded onto the scene that Canucks fans said only Smyl had been a greater Canuck, certainly Linden was breaking team records and on his way to at least top-3 all-time in Canucks scoring. The city loved goalie King Brodeur for backstopping the team to the finals in '82. I did too. Linden was loved for being a STAR!!!!!!!! for being a great young player who was one of the few greats the Canucks ever had in its sadsack history to that date. He was the hope and the future and THAT was why he really appealed. He was a TOP LINE PLAYER right up to and including the 1994 stanley cup finals. In fact, after scoring two goals in game 7 of the finals he was on the cusp of leaguewide recognition of what Canucks fans knew: Linden was a star!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Modano went 1st overall when Linden went 2nd and after their first few seasons in the league it was an open question, argued, as to whom was better... of course between 94-98 it became no contest in terms of the comparison, but to that point...)

the sad fact is his career went down from there and canucks fans didn't abandon him - but let's get facts straight: fans did not fall in love with him as an average joe, but as a very young captain and star rising in his career and bringing the franchise up with him, optimism galore all around

so...........................

Linden is to Vancouver what Perreault was to Buffalo: the young star of a relatively young franchise whom everyone pegged their hopes on taking them to the promised land someday, and almost did. (the fact that Linden's career went down after '94 is BESIDE THE POINT)

Kariya in Anaheim isn't a bad comparison either.

I'd say Marleau in San Jose but I dunno if Sharks fans loved Patty so much, though Linden and he were 2nd overall picks who had similar career starts.

Outstanding post!

 

[Ogopogo*]

Trevor Linden was NOT an average talent in Vancouver.

He was touted as one of the greatest Canucks ever after his first four or five seasons; we fell in love with the STAR of the team.

.

Says a lot about the team when their "STAR" never even has an 80 point season in his career.

Linden was an elite-level hospital visitor, not hockey player.

Comparing Linden to Perreault or Kariya is an embarrasing stretch. He was nowhere near the calibre of those players. He is more along the lines of Ryan Smyth.

 

[Fish on The Sand]

Saku Koivu would if he was French, but instead he is despised by a great many in Montreal. I would say Henri Richard fits the bill best for the Habs though.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Kirk Muller?

I always kind of found him and Linden to be pretty similar. How's he rate in NJ or Montreal?

NJ fans loved "Captain Kirk." But he really wasn't with the team long enough to be as much of a team icon as Ken Danyeko (or Trevor Linden in Vancouver).

 

[sunb]

Says a lot about the team when their "STAR" never even has an 80 point season in his career.

Linden was an elite-level hospital visitor, not hockey player.

You are wrong. Off the top of my head, Linden's 1995 season was at least 80 points.

 

[Ogopogo*]

You are wrong. Off the top of my head, Linden's 1995 season was at least 80 points.

Well, look at that - he was elite. He sneaked in an 80 point season along with 3 70 point seasons.

As I said, if that is a star player, you have a very unsuccessful franchise.

 

[Fish on The Sand]

You are wrong. Off the top of my head, Linden's 1995 season was at least 80 points.

that was the lockout year, he didn't have anywhere close to 80 points. In the 1996 season, he did have exactly 80 points, and that was his only season of 80+.

 

[VanIslander]

a 30 goal scorer three of his first four seasons, tied team lead in goals his rookie season, led team in points his 3rd and 4th seasons.... he was getting better and better and the sky was the limit as far as Canucks fans were concerned: he was drafted 2nd overall and LIVED UP ENTIRELY to that his first six seasons in the league, as far as Canucks fans were concerned. this thread is about a fanbase falling in love with a guy, well we fell in love with the star Linden, not the injury-prone, downward career spiralling Linden we still respected later on

Linden was an elite-level hospital visitor, not hockey player.

FALSE... he was the NHL's Ironman... that's right... to begin his career he had gone longer than any other NHLer at that time without injury, a remarkable run of seasons to start his career

then after several complete seasons he suddenly begun to get injured. his linemate, Martin Gelinas, put it best, "He went from the Ironman to the Tin Man"