BlueSinceBirth
Registered User
- Jul 4, 2006
- 621
- 15
The Trevor Lindens of history
- Thread starter Pear Juice
- Start date
Everyone is in love with Linden in Vancouver for one reason.
1994... he wore the C in that playoff run, he wasn't the Canucks best player.. in fact he wasn't even the second best player but he wore the C so yeah..
Had it not been for 94 Linden wouldn't half as popular as he is, I don't think his number would be retired.. in fact I think people would realize the mistake the Canucks did in drafting him second overall.(though the Canucks draft record has never, ever been good.)
1994... he wore the C in that playoff run, he wasn't the Canucks best player.. in fact he wasn't even the second best player but he wore the C so yeah..
Had it not been for 94 Linden wouldn't half as popular as he is, I don't think his number would be retired.. in fact I think people would realize the mistake the Canucks did in drafting him second overall.(though the Canucks draft record has never, ever been good.)
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
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"
He lived up entirely to expectations simply because after 20 years of a brutal team without a single star player, expectations were very low.
You completely missed my point on the hospital comment. He visited kids in hospitals - it had nothing to do with injuries.
* pavel bure was definitely the best player on that team and its playoff run in 94, but a good point can be made that trevor linden was the second best player on the team that playoff run, he scored 12+13 25 in 24 games and had a over time goal vs calgary, his only 'combatant' for that spot is kirk mclean ... then jyrki lumme, geoff courtnall, jeff brown, greg adams, cliff ronning ...
* no, probably not ... but what has that to do with anything? ... hadn't messier played with gretzky he hadn't won all of his cups ... hadn't the sun collided with the milky way ...
pavel bure
is the greatest star in team history, but he's perhaps not the most loved player by the fans, in general ... that's not a god given comboAgreed. About as embarrassing as your claims that a guy who played in multiple All-Star games, was twice selected for Team Canada in major international tourneys, and was a point-per-game playoff performer through his first 90 postseason contests, was an 'average' player.
*
pavel bure
Bure didn't play in the franchise's first 20 years.
I disagree. Had Trevor Linden played for any other NHL team and impacted that team as meaningfully as he did the Vancouver Canucks, he would still be as beloved as the way Vancouver fans see him. An undying desire to win coupled with his passion would've made him a fan favorite anywhere. This combination of determination, grit, heart and skills took his team to literally an inch from winning Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. Watching a young Linden play, he was also electrifying to watch with no holes in his game. Could score, led with inspiration, hit like the best of them, played a responsible two-way game... What more can you ask? One of the youngest captains ever in the NHL who began writing his legacy at age 18, Linden would've been a favorite everywhere. Despite Linden's story as a Vancouver Canuck, a player of his integrity would've been a star anywhere.
I was thinking of this topic a little while ago. Does anyone else think Adam Graves on the Rangers fits the bill? He had the one 50 goal season and the three 30 goal season. Played with hustle and contributed to the community. He even got his jersey retired.
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He was as much a star in Vancouver as Ryan Smyth was here in Edmonton - meaning he wasn't a star. Popular? Yes. Hard Working? Yes. Passionate? Yes. Chip in 30 goals or 70 points? Yes. Star? Absolutely not.
People overrate players like Linden and Smyth because they like them. Fact is, they are not stars. Good players but if either of them is your best player your team will struggle.
Linden was great for the Canucks in the '94 playoffs. I'm guessing you didn't see too many games.
Pear Juice
Registered User
Yes indeed, Adam Graves is a great example of a player with that "Linden-aura" round himself. Never great in any sense, but a hero in the eyes of most ranger fans. In the eyes of neutral fans his number retirement is outrageous compared to Bathgates, but he is beloved in NYC, and that does count for alot. Hence I do believe retiring Lindens number was the right choice.
seventieslord
Student Of The Game
Pear Juice
Registered User
I'm surprised there are really no examples at all dating back to the original six era and beyond. Was the every team too laden with stars to praise anyone but the stars back then? Not that the stars were not team players, but there must've been other icons aswell, despite not showing up in the lists of all-time greats.?
Canadiens1958
Registered User
Canadiens
The Canadiens of the O6 era were part of the community and popular running businesses.
Here in Montreal they owned taverns, Dairy Queen's, gas stations, sporting goods stores, gyms etc.They were hands on. Many were involved with minor hockey or sports associations because of their youngsters or because they cared.
During the winter some would take their youngsters to the local outdoor rink to skate and would wind up teaching a host of other kids as well.
Late summer before training camp they would go to the various arenas that had ice and skate scrimmage with the older kids. Similar to NFL quarterback Brett Favre working out with his local high school team.
The players from the small out of town communities were involved in a similar fashion.
Interestingly enough certain fringe or average players who came from various parts of Quebec had arenas or rinks in sports centers named after them.
Short and not all inclusive list of non HHOFers with rinks or arenas named after them in Quebec now or previously. Connie Dion, Dollard St.Laurent, Georges Mantha, Bucky Buchanan, Jean-Guy Talbot, Marcel Bonin, Walter Buswell.
The Canadiens of the O6 era were part of the community and popular running businesses.
Here in Montreal they owned taverns, Dairy Queen's, gas stations, sporting goods stores, gyms etc.They were hands on. Many were involved with minor hockey or sports associations because of their youngsters or because they cared.
During the winter some would take their youngsters to the local outdoor rink to skate and would wind up teaching a host of other kids as well.
Late summer before training camp they would go to the various arenas that had ice and skate scrimmage with the older kids. Similar to NFL quarterback Brett Favre working out with his local high school team.
The players from the small out of town communities were involved in a similar fashion.
Interestingly enough certain fringe or average players who came from various parts of Quebec had arenas or rinks in sports centers named after them.
Short and not all inclusive list of non HHOFers with rinks or arenas named after them in Quebec now or previously. Connie Dion, Dollard St.Laurent, Georges Mantha, Bucky Buchanan, Jean-Guy Talbot, Marcel Bonin, Walter Buswell.
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saskganesh
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