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Mattias Ohlund 29 Mar 2019 3:30 PM (6 years ago)

Mattias Ohlund's last played in 2011, but he was finally will be able to retire in 2016.

Ohlund, once a robust, physical defenseman who quietly dominated in the NHL and top international stages, was on the injured reserve for five years. His left knee was so badly damaged that no amount of surgery would ever give him doctor clearance to return to the ice. With his long term contract running through to the summer of 2016, Ohlund and the Tampa Bay Lightning found themselves in limbo.

While he ended his career in Tampa Bay medical clinics after two goalless seasons with the Lightning, Mattias Ohlund will forever be best remembered as a Vancouver Canuck.

Ohlund was an excellent first round pick by the Canucks in 1994. He spent 11 of his 13 NHL seasons and played 770 of his 909 NHL games in a Canucks uniform. By the time he left he was the highest-scoring blueliner in Canucks history with 93 goals and 325 points.

Ohlund was not an elite offensive producer. He was an excellent top-pairing blueliner who really excelled as a steady and sturdy shutodown defender. His battles with Calgary's Jarome Iginla and Colorado's Milan Hejduk were always great games-within-the-games. He was assertive and powerful and impossible to intimidate. He handled a lot of minutes in every aspect of the game.

While Ohlund was an imposing man with great reach and an excellent ability to read the oncoming play, it was his skating that really made him effective. He was a fluid if not fast skater with wonderful agility for such a big man. The NHL's top attackers had all sorts of trouble getting by Ohlund, whether they tried by using speed or bullish power.

Ohlund overcame a scary eye injury early in his career and became a remarkably important player in Canucks history. Beyond his measurable contributions on the ice, Ohlund was long lauded for his leadership role in welcoming and transitioning fellow Swedes Alex Edler and Daniel and Henrik Sedin to Vancouver.

Though his career quickly whimpered to an end in Tampa, his influence on a young Victor Hedman should not be overlooked.

Ohlund was also a regular with Team Sweden on the international stage. He was part of Sweden's Olympic gold medal winning team in 2006, one of three Olympics he participated in.

Sami Salo 29 Mar 2019 2:14 PM (6 years ago)

Sami Salo figures he suffered over forty injuries in his 15 year NHL career. Even he has lost count in a career that lasted nearly 900 games - despite the fact injuries only allowed him to play close to a full schedule in four seasons.

The worst injury had to be a ruptured testicle when he was hit by cannonading shot from the blue line.

Yes, Salo was wearing protective equipment but it did not matter this time.

And, yes, Salo did play the next game.

Aside from a snakebite - yes, you read that correctly - many of the other injuries were fairly routine by hockey standards - shoulder, foot, knee, back, finger, groin, Achilles tendon (which Sami claimed was the most painful), concussions, broken teeth - he checked them all off the list. The puck to the face that required metal plating to rebuild his nose must have hurt, too.

In the end it was a wrist injury that officially forced Salo off the ice. He missed the entire 2014-15 season and announced his retirement in the summer of 2015.

Salo was always an underrated defenseman.

The 6’3″, 215-pounder was all but an afterthought in the 1996 draft, as Ottawa selected him in the ninth round with the 239th overall pick - third from last overall. 

He proved to be a steal. Though Salo appeared in only 195 of his 878 contests with the Senators, he would go on to become an important member of the Vancouver Canucks for many seasons. 

Over nine seasons with the Canucks Salo was known for his over-powering slap shot that quarterbacked the Canucks vaunted power play. When healthy he was the straw that stirred the drink on the Vancouver blue line. When he was injured the team noticeably missed his presence. He became a very solid player despite average skating. He compensated for that nicely with smart positioning and superb anticipation, especially when pinching off the blue line. He was a wise puck mover out of his own zone and grew into a confident all around defender, utilizing his great size and strength.

Salo reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first and only time in his career in 2011, though the Canucks lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games. He set the franchise record for the fastest back-to-back goals by one player that postseason, scoring a pair of memorable power-play tallies 16 seconds apart in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final against the San Jose Sharks.

An unrestricted free agent after the 2011-12 season, Salo jumped at a two year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Prior to the wrist surgery, he was relatively healthy for two full seasons, including the lockout shortened 2012-13 season.

Salo also had the opportunity to represent his native Finland in three Winter Olympics. He helped his country win the silver medal in 2006 and the bronze in both 2010 and 2014. 

Not bad for a player that was never expected to make it in the first place.

Todd Bertuzzi 29 Mar 2019 11:26 AM (6 years ago)

This is Todd Bertuzzi. I never liked Todd Bertuzzi. There are not a lot of hockey players I can honestly say I dislike, and none as much as Bertuzzi. And no, my dislike of Big Bert has nothing to do with the whole Steve Moore incident.

For too many years Bertuzzi was, for me anyways, the epitome of a dumb hockey player.

Oh, he had the potential to be the best player in the game. He had all the tools to make him the most unstoppable player of his generation. He had the size and strength to bull right through any defender. Making him far more dangerous was his unbelievable skating - he was blessed with speed and agility. Even more amazing was his ability to handle the puck while going through or speeding by the opposition. In his prime, he was one of the rarest packages hockey has ever seen. He was that good.

But he lacked the hockey sense and the discipline to ever really fulfill his potential. Dumb decisions with the puck. Dumb penalties at the dumbest time, all too often nullifying a power play. He was undisciplined in that he took shifts too long. He would not stick with the team's game plan. He would play too individually. Nothing annoys me more than selfish hockey players.

This all happened long before the Steve Moore incident. This dates back to his junior days. My brief research on him as a prospect at that time told me that I knew I would not want anything to do with him on my team. Thank goodness the New York Islanders drafted him. I would not have to see much of him.

That all changed in 1998. Bertuzzi would be traded to my Canucks. Worse yet - he was traded for Trevor Linden, my hero and the epitome, in my mind, of everything a hockey player should be. And of a person. Yeah, Bertuzzi never had a chance with me.

The rest is history. Bertuzzi would form an inseparable alliance with Markus Naslund and led the Canucks to a new era of prosperity, though never in the playoffs. Their rivalry with Colorado overheated when Bertuzzi attacked Steve Moore. We all know what happened there.

Fast forward to today and my hatred has subsided. In fact, I feel sorry for him and even respect him.

I feel sorry for him because he has paid a significant price for his misdeeds in the Moore incident. It has cost him at least a million dollars, and he has had an 18 million dollar lawsuit hanging over his head for years. He faced charges where he could have spent more than a year in jail. In a country where we allow child pedophiles like Graham James get away with molesting our children and serve as little as 6 months in prison, Bertuzzi has paid far too big a price.

What he did was wrong and he brought all on himself. But I have come to respect him in the sense that he has gone through all this hell and has emerged as a pretty nice player in Detroit later in his career, albeit in a lesser role with lesser expectations. Credit Mike Babcock and his staff for helping to turn around Bertuzzi's career. Bertuzzi, perhaps the grumpiest player you will ever meet, seemed to find some peace with the game late in his career.

I'm happy for him.

Thomas Gradin 29 Mar 2019 11:10 AM (6 years ago)

The Vancouver Canucks have a history of talented Swedish stars leading the team offensively. That all started with a smooth skating, offensively gifted centre named Thomas Gradin

"For the longest time, I said he was the best player the Canucks ever had."

Those were the words of the long time Vancouver Canucks broadcaster Jim Robson. When he says something like that, you take the words to heart. He's seen every player who ever played for the team.

"A wonderful, effortless skater with great hands. He didn't shoot enough, that was a knock. He'd always try and deke a goalie and slide it between his skates. For every five breakaways he'd score a goal, maybe. He didn't shoot the puck much. He tried to set somebody else up, and also he didn't seem to capitalize on as many scoring chances as he had. But he certainly terrific skills and he was competitive, too. He was an excellent player, one of the best the Canucks have ever had," continued Robson.

Gradin came to Vancouver in 1978 and immediately found a home on a line with fellow rookies Curt Fraser and Stan Smyl. The trio would be Vancouver's top line for years to come.

Fraser and Smyl were gritty customers. Gradin was hardly imposing, but he had that typical Swedish toughness to him.

"Thomas Gradin's best games were against the toughest teams," said coach Harry Neale. "He was able to do his thing in arenas and against teams where it wasn't easy. In that regard, I think Thomas was one of the toughest players I ever coached. But not tough was we think of it in normal terms. He was a smart player and a hard worker and was very competitive in his own way and I remember lots of games against Philadelphia and Boston - the two most physical teams in the league at that time - Gradin was often our best player against those teams.

Like so many of the Canucks' players of that era, Gradin's best year came in 1981-82. He scored a career high 37 goals and 86 points. He also scored 9 goals and 19 points as the Canucks made an unexpected appearance in the Stanley Cup final against the New York Islanders.

Gradin continued to lead the team offensively, but they never returned any where near the Stanley Cup again.

The summer of 1986 was a maddening time in Vancouver. The 1985-86 season was another typically frustrating season. Coach Tom Watt didn't seem to be able to tap the potential of a young kid named Cam Neely, so the team traded Neely to Boston. Little more needs to be said about the worst trade in franchise history. But to make matters worse, after Watt refused to pair Gradin and Neely together, the Canucks let Gradin go as a free agent also landing in Boston. Neely flourished alongside Gradin.

That would be Gradin's last NHL season as he opted to go home to Sweden to play with his brother until 1990. But he returned to the Canucks organization shortly thereafter and has been a long time scout for the organization.

The Sedins 29 Mar 2019 8:58 AM (6 years ago)

I have watched a lot of hockey over the years. I have seen all the greats from 1980 to now. While I've tried to appreciate every player for what they are or were, very few of those players would I consider saying that I had the privilege of watching.

The Sedins were something truly unique. They weren't powered by physical gifts such as skating or strength, but by their advanced hockey IQ. But they were more than hockey geniuses. Their creativity and their insistence on playing a beautiful game made them magical.

Not enough can be said about them off the ice, either. The word classy has been used a million times to describe them, but this is not a case of overkill. They are the definition of class.

In the end we will miss the creative magic, but their humble elegance will forever grace this franchise. It is a franchise that historically has not been very good, and as they continue to stumble now leaves a long time fan like me wondering at times if it's even worth it at times.

But with people like the Sedins defining the franchise, the answer is most definitely yes. On a day like today, we could not be more proud to call ourselves Canucks fans.

We are all Canucks. We should all try to be like the Sedins.

The Sedins were the most unique superstars in the history of the game. They had a magic chemistry together that left onlookers in awe and could only be described as "Sedinery." They were chess players playing three moves ahead of their opponent. At the same time they were creative artists who took great pride in the results of their craft. They believed hockey was to be played beautifully, and every shift, every scoring chance and every goal was treated as a masterpiece.

Two sure-fire Hall of Famers, Henrik has a franchise best 1,070 points (240 goals, 830 assists) in 1,330 regular-season games, while Daniel has 1,041 points (393 goals, 648 assists) in his 1,306 outings. Henrik added 23 goals and 55 assists in 105 playoff games, and Daniel put up 25 goals and 46 assists in 102 post-season contests.

Brendan Morrison 29 Mar 2019 8:24 AM (6 years ago)

Brendan Morrison was one of a number of BC boys who got to live out their childhood dream of growing up to play for the Vancouver Canucks.

The Pitt Meadows native was treated to many live Canucks games as a youth, travelling into the city to watch the team play at the old Pacific Colosseum. 

But as he became a youth hockey star his own games became front and centre. He would leave home at age 17 to play for Penticton of the BCHL before accepting a full scholarship to the University of Michigan. The New Jersey Devils had already drafted him 39th overall in 1993 but he opted to go to school, earning a degree in economics while become one of the top players in the NCAA under coach Red Berenson. He helped the Wolverines win a national championship in 1996. A year later he was named as the Hobey Baker Award winner as top hockey player in the NCAA.

Despite his tremendous amateur success, Morrison was brought along slowly by the Devils. Frustrated, by his third pro season he held out. That led to a blockbuster trade, returning Morrison to BC's Lower Mainland, along with Denis Pederson, in exchange for Alexander Mogilny.

It was a welcome return home for Morrison, though oddly his parents would very rarely get to games as they had relocated to Hungary due to work. 

Morrison was one of the more underrated Canucks players of his day. He was overshadowed by his more famous linemates on Vancouver's West Coast Express line, which was arguably the best line in hockey for a couple of seasons. "Mo" was the man in the middle of a three-pronged attack that features 2003 Lester B. Pearson Award winner Markus Naslund and power forward Todd Bertuzzi. While Naslund brought the flash and Bertuzzi brought the brash, Morrison brought a dash of hockey sense, patience and defensive conscience.

"I think my speed on that line maybe pushes the defence back a little bit and at times maybe gives them a little more time with the puck," he said. "A lot of times, when I'm with those guys, I just want to make sure they get the puck and they can do their thing."

Markus Naslund 29 Mar 2019 7:57 AM (6 years ago)

Proud and classy Markus Naslund was truly one of the more under-appreciated players around the league. He will always be remembered fondly in Vancouver where he enjoyed his best years.

A junior sensation alongside childhood friend Peter Forsberg, both players dominated the Swedish leagues and the World Juniors. Pittsburgh made him the 16th overall pick in 1991.

Despite the opportunity to play on the same line as Mario Lemieux, Naslund was considered a bust in Pittsburgh and dismissed in just three seasons.

He joined the team in one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history. Pittsburgh gave up on him and traded him for Alek Stojanov. Stojanov went nowhere fast. 

Naslund went on to become the Canucks all time leader in goals and points. Naslund also was named to three NHL all star teams, and won the 2003 Lester Pearson award as best player in the league as voted by the players. The same season he was nominated for the Hart Trophy as league MVP, the first Canuck ever to accomplish that feat.

Naslund would become the quiet face of the franchise, and will forever be remembered as one of the classiest and exciting players in team history. He represented the West Coast in perfect grace.

Yet even in Vancouver I believe he was under-appreciated. Naslund was in an unenviable position in this regard. He essentially replaced Pavel Bure, one of the league's most exciting players ever, as the Canucks key offensive player. And he replaced Mr. Canuck Trevor Linden not only the leader but as the face of the franchise.

For all his efforts, he never really could emerge from those legendary shadows. This likely has to do his lack of success in the Stanley Cup playoffs. In twelve seasons the Canucks only made the playoffs six times and only twice advanced to the second round. He, like his teams, were not able to raise his game in the most important time of year.

Naslund will forever be remembered as part of the arguably the most exciting line in franchise history. The West Coast Express Line featured the sharpshooter Naslund and the bull-in-a-china-shop Todd Bertuzzi centered by puck mover Brendan Morrison. For two or three years they were the dominant line in all of hockey.

When Naslund's good friend Bertuzzi attacked Colorado's Steve Moore, it became the blackest mark on the franchise in history. It weighed heavily on captain Naslund. He openly talked about how draining it all was. The team's decline and mounting injuries did not help Naslund either.

Naslund left for the New York Rangers in 2008-09 and a year later was retired from the game.

Despite his brief status as one of the top wingers in hockey, there has been little support for his inclusion in the Hockey Hall of Fame. 

“I don’t think I played at a high level long enough and didn’t win a Stanley Cup and didn’t reach the plateaus you need to be considered,” he said. “I’m happy with my carer but I don’t look at myself in that category.” 

Pavel Bure 28 Mar 2019 12:30 PM (6 years ago)

Trevor Linden 28 Mar 2019 12:29 PM (6 years ago)

Before you read this, I must confess: Trevor Linden may be my favorite player of all time.

I grew up watching hockey on the west coast in the 1980s. The Edmonton Oilers reigned supreme back then, and Wayne Gretzky was everybody's favorite. I also had a serious infatuation with Soviet hockey players long before they were allowed to play in the NHL.

I quickly became a pretty sophisticated fan of the entire league. And I've always had the history bug, allowing me to respect the legends that preceded my time.

But I was always a Vancouver Canucks fan, which was anything but easy for most of the 1980s. It was not until Trevor Linden's arrival that I finally had someone to truly admire. No disrespect to Tony Tanti, my other favorite Canuck of the 80s, but in so many ways Trevor Linden became the player I admired most.

In comparison to Gretzky and the Soviets, Linden may seem an odd choice. Linden was not flashy or high skilled, not a great scorer or a flawless skater. He was essentially a hard worker, the personification of selflessness, an unquantifiable hockeyist who excelled in intangibles, effort and class.

He was also a great person - the kind of person we all want to be. Perhaps that drew me to him as much as his hockey. His charity efforts, his tireless effort on the ice, and his genuine likability off of it.

I had first heard of Trevor Linden back when he was still in junior. Not being located anywhere near a WHL team at the time, Linden may have been the first junior superstar I had really learned of. So when Linden came to Vancouver, so too did a lot hope, at least in my heart.

I was not disappointed. And, by no small coincidence, probably for the first time in my adolescence of hockey, I truly realized just how much I loved this game.

Eye of the Tigers

Trevor Linden was drafted 2nd overall in the 1988 entry draft after leading his hometown Medicine Hat Tigers to 2 consecutive Memorial Cup Championships. He also played a major part as an international member of Canada's gold medal-winning team at 1988 World Junior Championships.

The following season Trevor not only made the NHL, but was an instant success. As the youngest player in the entire league, Linden would play a dogged physical game while setting a then-team rookie record of 30 goals, including a couple of hat tricks. His trophy case quickly filled as he won the Cyclone Taylor award (Canucks MVP- first rookie to win) and Molson Cup (most three star selections). He was also named as The Hockey News' rookie of the year, however he finished as runner-up to Brian Leetch for the NHL's Calder Trophy.

The 1989-90 saw Trevor slip slightly into the dreaded "sophomore jinx." The season was ended with a separated shoulder injury. Trevor recorded 20 goals and 31 assists.

The 1990-91 season saw him rebound as he was named as one of the 'tri-captains' with Dan Quinn and Stan Smyl, whom Linden credited, along with Harold Snepsts, as his mentor. One of his best nights of his career occurred on Dec 20 vs. Edmonton when he scored 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists) in one game. Linden was also the youngest player at the NHL all star game. Although the Canucks missed the playoffs, Trevor was asked to represent Canada at World Championships in Finland and was also invited to Team Canada tryouts at Canada Cup '91.

Captain Canuck

Before the beginning of the 1991-92 season, Linden was named as the new team captain, making him the youngest captain in the National Hockey League. The 21 year old Linden would go on to lead the team in scoring for the 2nd straight year. It also was the first season of Canuck dominance. Captain Canuck guided the team to a 42-26-12 record. The 96 points gave the Canucks their first Smythe Division title since 1975. The following season Linden would lead the team to another 1st place finish based on a 46-29-9 record for the team's first 100+ point season.

The 1994 Stanley Cup

Linden led the Canucks to the team's greatest moment in 1994 - game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. After a relatively disappointing 85 point, 2nd place finish, the Canucks caught fire in the playoffs. After falling behind 3-1 in the opening round against Calgary, the Canucks stormed back to win 4 games to 3 and then would blow by Dallas and Toronto to face Mark Messier, Mike Keenan and the New York Rangers. Lead by Linden's leadership and physical play, Pavel Bure's goal scoring and Kirk McLean's incredible goaltending, the Canucks took the Rangers to 7 games. The final game was as close as could possibly be. Had Nathan Lafeyette's third period shot hit the inside of the goalpost instead of the outside, perhaps the Canucks could have forced overtime. Unfortunately, the Canucks would lose game 7 by a score of 3 goals to 2, both scored by Trevor Linden.

The iconic photograph of an exhausted and bloodied Trevor Linden congratulating Kirk McLean after a victory in Game 6 remains the quintessential image of the franchise. Linden was literally beat up in that Finals, playing with bruised badly damaged ribs that made it hard to get up and down, let alone battle for the Stanley Cup. Mark Messier inflicted more pain when he attacked Linden late in Game 6, drawing blood with a high stick before turning back to drive his stick into Linden's ribs. Somehow all of that went unnoticed by the refs and league, while Linden crawled in agonizing pain back to the bench.

But there was never any doubting Linden would lead the Canucks into battle in game 7.

"He'll play! You know he'll play," exclaimed the Canucks beloved radio announcer Jim Robson. It may be the most famous audio clip in Canucks history.

Play he did. He set the tone physically and scoring both Vancouver goals that night. He played so well he was even named as the first star of that game seven. Trevor Linden had undoubtedly earned the respect of everyone in hockey. Unfortunately the New York Rangers would win that game. The pain of the loss that night was far worse than cracked ribs and broken noses.

Mr. Nice Guy

1995-96 would prove to be Trevor's best season statistically as he would set career highs in goals (33) assists (47) and points (80). But as anyone who knows Trevor, his value is not determined by statistical output, but rather by intangibles.

At the conclusion of the season, Linden was named the winner of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy as "the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made noteworthy humanitarian contributions to his community." Linden started "Captain's Crew," which gave children who would not otherwise have the chance the opportunity to attend Canuck games. He also is a big supporter of Canuck Place hospice, the Ronald McDonald House, Youth Against Violence and Children's Hospital. Linden would also win the Gillette World Champion Award, given to the Canadian athlete demonstrating athletic excellence, sportsmanship and humanitarian contributions.

1996-97 was a tough season for Linden, and marked the downward trend in his career. The season started out great as he was part of the World Cup version of Team Canada. The disappointing loss to the Americans was just the first of several disappointments for Linden. His league leading ironman streak came to a finish, at 482 games as Trevor was seriously injured (knee) for first time in his career. The injury meant he would produce career lows in goals (9), points (40) and penalty minutes (27).

Goodbye, Trevor

1997-98 saw the arrival of Mark Messier, considered by many to be the greatest captain in North American sports, although Canucks fan would come to doubt that. As a sign of true leadership, Trevor handed the team captaincy over to Mark Messier prior to start of season. To hand over something so important and so honored as the captaincy of a NHL team shows that Linden was more concerned with the good of the team than his own ego.

Trevor would wind up with a nagging groin injury that Mike Keenan would conveniently use that to place Linden in his famous doghouse, and soon traded Linden, once thought to be the most untouchable Canuck, to the New York Islanders in exchange for Brian McCabe, Todd Bertuzzi and a draft pick.

One day after being traded, Linden headed to Nagano as a member of the first ever Olympic Team Canada that included the top 25 Canadian born NHL players. Linden would score the only goal in Canada's disappointing loss to Dominik Hasek and the Czech Republic.

Linden was named captain of the New York Islanders after only 4 games on Long Island. Just weeks later Linden would become president of the National Hockey League Players Association.

Trevor would get into some hot water soon after becoming president of the NHLPA as he signed what many considered to be an undervalued contract of $2.5 million US a season, the same money he made on his previous contract. Linden's unconventional decision was looked upon with pleasant surprise by hockey fans everywhere. In an era when more and more hockey players hold out demanding millions and millions of dollars, Linden was comfortable with what he had and just wanted to play hockey. However because he was president of the NHLPA, it created unrest among union breakers.

Trevor's stay on Long Island was ultimately short, which was a good thing for Trevor. With a joke for ownership, the Islanders were simply dumping salary after salary and it was clear they had no intention of icing a competitive hockey team. Linden was traded to the fabled Montreal Canadiens in exchange for the Habs 1st round pick in 1999, 10th overall.

While Linden endured tumultuous times as a member of the Islanders, having to cope with several off-ice disruptions, including disputes over ownership and problems with the team’s home arena, the forward still has some regrets in leaving the club.

At one time Linden was the NHL's active consecutive games played leader, but injuries continue to haunt Linden in Montreal. A severe ankle injury hindered his play for much of the season. As a result, he had another poor offensive season with another weak team.

Linden, a natural right winger, was shifted to center ice later in his career in Vancouver and has played there ever since. He excelled on face-offs and was usually in sound defensive position, but the move changed his game immensely. He was much more physical on right wing. Moving up and down the wall, Linden excelled by hitting and banging. He was always at his best when he was playing physically. However at center ice, Linden did not get the chance to play the same physical game, as he remained disciplined and rarely strayed from the middle of the ice, so that he was not caught out of position should the other team get the puck. This defensive discipline also hurt Trevor's offensive output. He no longer drove to the net as hard as he would if he were on the wing, again sacrificing his offensive output so that someone remains high to help out the defensemen.

Return of the hero

Linden was moved from Montreal to Washington before Brian Burke brought the Canucks' prodigal son back to Vancouver in November 2001. The one-time poster boy returned to Vancouver a hero, but accepted his diminishing status as a role player. Goals and ice time became harder to come by, but fan loyalty only grew.

Even through the tumultuous times as president of the NHLPA, Trevor Linden was always well respected around the NHL. Though his legacy with the NHLPA is somewhat stained by the Ted Saskin hiring, it was Linden who was a driving force to get the two sides to the negotiating table several times during the lost season of 2004-05. History has already overlooked the contributions of Linden during this terrible chapter in the story of hockey.

A Hockey Player's Hockey Player

On the ice he was the kind of player who's true value can never really be measured by any statistic. Rest assured those on the ice, friend and foe, had great respect for Linden's intricate abilities. He was never a great scorer but always did the small things so extremely well - a big reason for his playoff success. Linden was a big game player. In the big games it is those intangible things - faceoffs, defensive excellence, physical but disciplined play, always making the safe if unspectacular play - that make the difference between winning and losing. He was a hockey player's hockey player.

Mike Brophy wrote in The Hockey News a spectacularly wonderful article on Trevor. I'd like to share a small portion of it here:

Linden believes it is attention to detail that has helped him excel.

"People always tell me I'm a great playoff performer," Linden says, "and the only reason I can think that is, is because in the playoffs doing the little things right counts the most."

Watch Linden closely and you won't be blown away by any particular skill; his conviction and determination are his strengths. He doesn't have the hardest shot in the league, yet the puck doesn't flutter when he snaps it towards the gal. He is a deceptively fast skater. In a race for the puck, an opponent might look like he's skating quicker, but Linden often gets there first using a long, fluent stride."

You have to watch his game closely to truly appreciate his excellence. Trevor Linden was a leader. Trevor Linden was a winner. He was a winner even though he never did get to lift the Stanley Cup over his head. For many of us, the pain of 1994 endures to this day. Yet somehow, for me anyways, it is still the greatest moment in Canucks history. I would not change a thing, not even the ending. The Vancouver Canucks did not win the Stanley Cup that year. But they forever won our respect, and here in Canuckland they are immortalized for it.

Kirk McLean 28 Mar 2019 12:27 PM (6 years ago)

In less than one season Roberto Luongo pretty much everyone agreeing he is the greatest Canucks goaltender of all time. There is little doubt that "Bobby Lou" is truly something special, but my favorite Canucks goaltender of all time remains, for a little bit longer anyways, Kirk McLean.

Utilizing his big size, Captain Kirk was one of the last classic stand up goalies to succeed in the National Hockey League. Canucks radio colour commentator Tom Larscheid described him best: "He's like one of those bubble hockey goalies, always standing perfectly straight and just letting the puck hit him."

His stand up style was ideal for his big frame, although in some ways his style made him unappreciated. While other goalies were acrobatically turning away pucks, "Mac" made all saves look routine by just getting in the way of it and making sure the rebound was under control. To the novice fan it looked routine, even boring, but to the hardcore fan it was a pleasure to watch one of the last great stand up goalies.

One of the coolest customers you'll ever meet, McLean seemed unflappable, even in the early years with Vancouver when the team was extremely weak. He had a tremendous glove hand, which made up for vulnerabilities to the low posts. He also loved to handle the puck, usually in the far corner of the rink in what is now part of the restricted zone. He would almost without fail deke out an oncoming forechecker by faking a puck dump behind the net and around to the other corner, but then pull back with a backhanded flip the other way, usually to a waiting Canucks defenseman.

Growing up in Toronto, McLean grew up idolizing Bernie Parent and Jacques Plante, as well as Dave Keon. He began playing in net at age 7, and before you know it he was the number one goalie with the OHL's Oshawa Generals. The New Jersey Devils were impressed, and drafted him 107th overall in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft.

McLean would turn pro and apprentice in the minor leagues in 1986-87. He'd appear in 4 games with the Devils, who were loaded with good young goaltenders at the time. The Devils had always lacked great goaltending and had stockpiled on goaltending prospects. With Sean Burke, Craig Billington, Alain Chevrier and Chris Terreri all emerging as NHLers at relatively the same time, the Devils decided to move McLean in exchange for help up front.

The deal was good for both teams, but especially for Vancouver over the long haul. The Canucks moved creative center Patrik Sundstrom to the Devils in exchange for McLean, and B.C. boy Greg Adams. It was one of the first moves the new Pat Quinn-Brian Burke regime would make, and proved to be a turning point in Canucks history.

McLean quickly proved he was ready for the NHL. After battling in training camp with veterans Steve Weeks, Frank Caprice and most notably long time fan favorite "King Richard" Brodeur, "Mac" emerged as the number one goalie. Adding to the pressure of being counted on game in and game out was the fact that the Canucks ended up trading Brodeur away to make room for McLean. The unproven goaltender replaced the local legend and had to prove his worth before a very watchful fan base and media.

McLean played in 41 games that first year, winning just 11 with a very weak Canucks team. His numbers improved to 20 wins in 42 contests the following year. He extended he is season by representing Canada at the World Hockey Championships. While locals knew McLean was something special, soon the rest of the league would find out for themselves.

In 1989-90, the Canucks were still struggling, but with McLean and a young Trevor Linden leading the way, the future looked bright. McLean played in 63 games that season, winning just 21. But his value to the team was recognized throughout the league when he was named a finalist in league voting for goaltender of the year. He was also invited to his first NHL all star game and was named NHL player of the week in March.

As the Canucks got better, McLean emerged as one of the league's best. In 1991-92 he won a a league high 38 games in 65 contests. His GAA was an impressive 2.74 and he posted 5 shutouts, another league high. He was named to the NHL's second all star team. He would finish second behind Patrick Roy in voting for the Vezina Trophy as the league's top netminder.

Kirk McLean, like most of the Canucks of that era, will always be remembered for his play in the 1994 playoffs. The team struggled through an underachieving regular season, but backed by the brilliance of McLean's puckstopping went all the way to game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals before finally bowing to the New York Rangers.

McLean's signature moment came in round one against Calgary. With the team clawing it's way back from a 3 games to 1 deficit, the Canucks forced overtime in game 7. In the extra frame McLean robbed Flames' sniper Robert Reichal with a sliding, pad-stacked toe save that to this day is considered the single most important save of the Canucks history.

But McLean was never better than in game one of the Stanley Cup finals in New York. The Rangers heavily outplayed the underdog Canucks, but McLean, in his classic stand-up style, committed one of the grandest larcenies in the history of Manhattan. His 52 save performance, including 17 in overtime, remains one of the most impressive games I've ever seen a goaltender play. In a game where the Rangers could have blown out the Canucks, McLean kept the score 2-2 into over time where Greg Adams, McLean's trade accompaniant from New Jersey 7 years prior, scored the game winning goal at 19:26 of the first over time.

As magical as that spring was, the entire Canucks team could not recapture it and would soon fall apart. McLean struggled to adjust to the butterfly goaltending stance that was now seemingly the only acceptable strategy. He was doubly distracted by his divorce.

Despite his all star status and tremendous resume, perhaps history will always remember Kirk McLean as the goalie who gave up Wayne Gretzky's record breaking 802nd NHL goal. On March 23rd, 1994, Gretzky broke Gordie Howe's all time NHL scoring record with a power play marker in a 6-3 loss to the Canucks. McLean had no chance on the play, but will undoubtedly be forever immortalized in hockey trivia games.

Like all members of that Canucks team, McLean was soon moved out in a dismantling process by the new Canucks regime. McLean was moved to Carolina in exchange for, somewhat ironically, Sean Burke, the goalie who ended winning the Devils net job back in the late 1980s. McLean left as the Canucks all time leader in wins, shutouts and games played by a goaltender.

Sadly McLean bounced around the league, landing later in Florida and then the Rangers before retiring in 2001. By the end he may have been a shadow of his old self, his stand up style now a NHL antique. But to Vancouver fans of the early 1990s, Captain Kirk will always be #1.

John Garrett 28 Mar 2019 12:25 PM (6 years ago)

John Garrett has enjoyed a very successful career as a popular hockey television analyst. But today's generation might not realize that he also enjoyed a lengthy career as a professional goalie.

John was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 1971 but as a rookie he got caught in a numbers game. John recalled that 13 goalies were at the Blues camp in his rookie season. Needless to say it was quite a glut for goalies, especially since the Blues knew ahead of time that they would go with Ernie Wakely and Jacques Caron as their tandem. (Glenn Hall and Jacques Plante retired in the summer of 1971). John was sent to Kansas City to play his first season of pro hockey. He put up an impressive effort as a rookie in the CHL, including posting a league high 3 shutouts.

The following summer the Blues looked to lighten their load of goalies and shipped John to the Chicago Blackhawks organization in exchange for Christian Bordeleau. Obviously the news wasn't great for John's career as Chicago had Tony Esposito just embarking upon his incredible career and Gary "Suitcase" Smith was a more than capable back up. John was eventually sent to the Richmond Robins of the AHL where again he played solidly before his team was beaten badly in the playoffs.

With his shot at the NHL all but non-existent in the Hawks organization, Garrett signed with the WHA's Minnesota Fighting Saints. It was a great move for John. He not only got a hefty pay increase but also became a workhorse goalie in a league of higher caliber than the usual minor leagues.

"The WHA was good for me. They didn't pay much attention to defence. The good defencemen were well paid to stay in the NHL, so you had the John Arbors and Rick Smiths, guys who would the 5th or 6th defencemen in the NHL, and they were first or second on WHA teams."

Despite the weak defense, Garrett gained respect as a strong goaltender who would often play the bulk of the games. In the WHA he played in 323 career games, playing almost .500 hockey with a record of 148-151-15. He had 14 shutouts (including a league high 4 in 1976-77) and a career 3.52 GAA.

Garrett played 6 strong years in the WHA - almost three full seasons with Minnesota before a stint with the Toronto Toros, 2 years with the Birmingham Bulls and one final season with the New England Whalers. The Whalers claimed Garrett as a priority selection when the team merged with the NHL in 1979.

Garrett went on to help the Whalers for 2 and 1/2 seasons in the NHL. Though his stats are less than impressive, they aren't indicative of his play. Garrett played strongly, especially in the Whalers first NHL season when they made the playoffs.

Garrett was traded to Quebec in 1982. Larry Pleau had taken over the GM's role on the team and wanted to get rid of the Whaler's "old guard" and replace them with Pleau's handpicked men.

Garrett played parts of two seasons in Quebec but was happy to leave as it was tough for his wife and kids to be living in the mostly French town. He was traded to Vancouver which was better from a personal standpoint, but not necessarily a professional one.

"When I got there (Vancouver), I was the back up to Richard Brodeur and played in 50 games in two years. That was tough."

But as John goes on to explain, not as tough as the following years.

"The next year Harry's (GM Harry Neale) contract wasn't renewed. Jack Gordon took over and Tom Watt became the coach. Brodeur was getting to the end of the line and they wanted a younger goalie to be his back up. They didn't want two 33 year olds sharing the job. They had Frank Caprice and Wendel Young coming up."

John was eventually asked to go play in the American Hockey League, which he did for 3 games before he made up his mind to retire.

John retired with 207 NHL games under his belt. 68 of those games resulted in wins, with 91 losses and 37 ties. He had a bloated 4.27 GAA and just one shutout (with Vancouver)

Wayne Gretzky Stole Garrett's Car

One of the most famous stories involving John Garrett came during the 1983 All Star Game. Garrett was acquired by the Canucks less than a week prior to the game. However Richard Brodeur, the Canucks number one goalie and all star representative, suffered a broken eardrum courtesy of a Dan Daoust wild shot. As a last minute replacement, Garrett was asked to fill in for the Campbell Conference All Stars despite playing the whole first half in the Wales Conference.

Garrett had a great game too, and was the favorite to win game MVP honors, which of course earns you a brand new car, except a guy named Gretzky put on a goal scoring clinic in the third period. Gretzky's 4 goals in one period instantly became all star legend.

"I had about 15 saves total up to about the six minute mark of the third period" recalls John in Dick Irvin's great book In The Crease. "I knew Lanny McDonald from playing with him at the World Championships one year and he kept talking to me after I'd make a save: 'Hey Cheech, you got the tires....the glove compartment.....hey, great stop. Now you've got the steering wheel.' Then about the six minute mark Gretz scores and makes 4-2. On his next shift he scores again. 5-2. Lanny comes back to me after each goal, 'Oh oh, There go the tires...Oh oh, there goes the steering wheel.' The very next shift 99 scores again. Now he's got the hat trick. And then he gets another goal on his next shift. I mean, he takes four shifts and scores four goals. Guess what. I didn't win the car."

Surrendering to Mr. Hockey

Garrett is also the answer to a great trivia question as he was the goalie that gave up Gordie Howe's 1000th professional goal.

"We played them in Birmingham and Gordie was standing in front of the net and the pass came to him, a one hopper, and he picked it off about three inches above the ice and nailed it. I got a picture of the play with the puck in the net behind me, and Gordie signed it, 'Thanks for all the help!'"

Patrik Sundstrom 28 Mar 2019 12:23 PM (6 years ago)

NHL brother combinations are rich throughout NHL history. Twins brothers are obviously pretty rare. Long before anyone had even heard of the Sedin Twins, Swedish twins Peter and Patrik Sundstrom were starring in the NHL.

Like Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Patrik and Peter Sundstrom were different players. Like Peter, Patrik was an excellent skater, combining deadly speed with excellent balance. Also like Peter, he was a tremendous puckhandler who preferred to pass than shoot, almost to a fault. Also like Peter, Patrik was a strong two way player who worked hard without the puck as well as with it.

Patrik was better than Peter in a number of areas which resulted in the general consensus that Patrik was the better of the two. Patrik was 20lbs heavier than Peter, much of it muscle. While neither player initiated much contact, Patrik's increased size made him harder to knock the puck off of. Combined with his excellent balance, this made Patrik a threat in traffic. Patrik was also more willing to sacrifice his body. A good shot blocker, Patrik regularly took a big hit to make a play, something that Peter generally shied away from. Another major difference between the two was Patrik's shot. While Peter's shot was below average at best, Patrik owned a lazer like wrist shot which he used with great accuracy. However like many Swedish stars of the 1980s, Sundstrom didn't shoot anywhere near enough despite the opportunities he got.

Patrik was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks 175th overall in 1980. It wasn't until the the 1982-83 season that Patrik came to Vancouver, as Patrik remained in Sweden where he starred in the Swedish Elit League. He was also part of two World Junior Championships squads, two World Championships squads, and the 1981 Swedish Canada Cup squad.

Patrik's elite international experience helped ease his transition to the Canucks lineup in 1982. Fresh off of the surprising Stanley Cup Finals run, the Canucks hoped Sundstrom could upgrade their talent level that was necessary to keep competing against Smythe Division rivals like Edmonton and Calgary. While Sundstrom did do just that and became arguably the Canucks best player for much of the 1980s, the Canucks failed to achieve much success in his tenure.

Sundstrom scored 23 goals and 46 points in his rookie season, and backed that up with a 38 goal, 91 point campaign in 1983-84. The 91 points set a Canucks club record for most points in a season that stood until Pavel Bure's spectacular seasons in nearly a decade later.

Sundstrom may have over achieved a bit that season, as he levelled off to the 70 point level for most of the rest of his career. He spent the next three seasons in Vancouver before the arrival of Pat Quinn in the summer of 1987. Though Quinn liked what Sundstrom brought to the table, he liked what the New Jersey Devils brought to the table even more. The Devils were very interested in the two way slick Swede and offered young goal scorer Greg Adams, who was from BC, and promising young goalie Kirk McLean in exchange. Quinn jumped at the deal.

Adams went on to score some huge goals in Canucks franchise history while McLean went on to become one of the top goalies in the NHL for a few seasons in the early 1990s. However it was a deal that benefitted both teams as the Devils were very happy with Sundstrom's effect on their organization as well. Sundstrom played 4 full seasons in New Jersey before retiring in an injury plauged 5th season.

Though he had a disappointing regular season in year one with the Devils, Sundstrom was a big part of the Devil's surprise run into the playoffs. Sundstrom paced the Devils with 20 points in 18 playoff games. Eight of those points came in one game! On April 22, 1988 "Sunny" scored 3 goals and 5 assists in a memorable game against the Washington Capitals!

Sundstrom was a consistent scoring threat, particularly in 1988-89 when he scored 28 goals and 69 points, and in 1989-90 when he scored 27 goals and 76 points. However perhaps his biggest effect was on his linemates Brendan Shanahan and John MacLean. Those two rugged wingers were blessed with a nose for the net and were expected to blossom into power forwards. However it wasn't until the arrival that the two finally achieved their status as stars. To me that is a huge testament of Patrik Sundstrom's ability and importance to the team.

Its too bad that Patrik played with weak teams in Vancouver and New Jersey. Had he had better players to play with, who knows what dizzying heights Patrik could have attained. Much like Thomas Steen in Winnipeg, Patrik helped to dispell the myth that Europeans were soft.

Glen Hanlon 28 Mar 2019 12:17 PM (6 years ago)

There is something about Brandon, Manitoba and goaltenders Bill Ranford, Ron Hextall, Turk Broda and Ken Wregget were all born there. Sugar Jim Henry Trevor Kidd, Rick Knickle, Dave McLelland, and Pokey Reddick all apprenticed there with the WHL Brandon Wheat Kings.

So what happens when a hometown kid plays for the Wheaties? He becomes one of the top goaltending prospects in the world when he is ready to turn professional! That's what happened anyways in the case of red head Glen Hanlon.

Hanlon was taken in the 3rd round by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1977 Entry Draft after a spectacular career in the WHL. For three seasons he was the Wheaties top netminder -twice leading the league in shutouts and once in GAA. He also participated in the 1976 Memorial Cup - but not with Brandon but rather the New Westminster Bruins. There used to be an old rule in junior hockey which would allow a league champion to pick up an extra player - usually a goalie - from another team before meeting other league champions in the Memorial Cup final. The Bruins and Hanlon fell just short that year. .

A season of apprenticing in the minor leagues with CHL Tulsa only confirmed his status as a top prospect as he was a first team all star and Rookie of the Year. He posted a league high 3 shutouts with the Tulsa Oilers.
Hanlon made it to Vancouver and the NHL to stay in 1978-79, but after three seasons he was unable to turn around the Canucks fortune. When the Canucks acquired "King" Richard Brodeur, Hanlon was reduced to backup and became expendable.

Late in the 1981-82 season Vancouver traded the still highly respected Hanlon to the St. Louis Blues for Rick Heinz, Tony Currie, Jim Nill and a draft pick. Many so called experts declared it a steal of a deal for the Blues, but the three players who went to Vancouver helped the Canucks in their Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup finals just weeks later.

Hanlon's stay in St. Louis was short as he was second fiddle to Mike Liut. He was traded to NY Rangers with Vaclav Nedmonasky for Andre Dore early in 1983. He spent the next two years as the number one goalie with an average Rangers team. His best season as a pro probably came in 1983-84 when he recorded 28 wins in 50 games while playing behind an injury riddled Rangers squad.

Hanlon fell out of favor in New York during the 1985-86 and actually spent some time in the minor leagues. The Rangers had a couple of hot goaltending prospects in John Vanbiesbrouck and Mike Richter coming along in their system, so the following year they ended up trading Glen to the Red Wings. For the next 5 years served as a capable keeper who at times was a backup, yet at other times served as the number one guy. He enjoyed a fine 1987-88 season when he recorded 22 wins in 47 games and shared the NHL lead for shutouts with 4.

Hanlon retired at the end of the 1991-92 season. In 1992-93 he returned to Vancouver as a goaltending coach and scout. Before long he was named as a full time assistant coach. This was the start of a long career in coaching, which includes stops on the top of the hockey world (NHL) and the unlikely (national team coach of both Belarus and Slovakia).

Hanlon is of course remembered for one thing more than any other - he is the guy who surrendered Wayne Gretzky's first NHL goal.

Dennis Ververgaert 28 Mar 2019 12:11 PM (6 years ago)

When the Vancouver Canucks drafted Dennis Ververgaert 3rd overall in the 1973 Entry Draft, much excitement was raised. The London Knights (OHA) right winger was supposed to be a combination of goal scorer and tough guy. He was feared in the junior leagues because of his shot (he had 58 goals in 63 games in his final year of junior) and his rugged play. In addition, he was drafted after the two most talked about juniors - Denis Potvin and Tom Lysiak - and ahead of future Hall of Famers Lanny McDonald and Bob Gainey.

When the Canucks introduced Ververgaert to the local media at a press confidence, Canucks president Coley Hall, a fitness buff, suggested Ververgaert take off his shirt. The two men would show off their physique for the photographers. However Hall made an ass out of himself, as he sucked in his gut, causing his pants to drop to his knees. That was the picture the Vancouver papers used!

Ververgaert's career in Vancouver was disappointing. Although to be fair, it was near impossible for him to achieve the high expectations placed on him. He came in, and put up some decent numbers, though it was never enough for the Canucks or the fans. He was a constant 20 goal man in his 5 full years in Vancouver.

One year, 1975-76, he came close to realizing his potential as he scored 37 times and had 71 points. 11 of his goals were on the power play. However the following year Ververgaert, like his lacklustre Canucks, took a step or two backwards towards mediocrity.

While Ververgaert wasn't achieving expectations on the scoreboard, he was definitely underachieving in the physical game as well. Perhaps the expectations that he'd be a John Ferguson type power forward were unreasonable to begin with. Ververgaert seemed to tame down some in the NHL, and averaged less than 1 PIM per game.

Aside from a couple of legendary battles with the Philadelphia Flyers feared goons Dave Schultz and Bob Kelly, most of Ververgaert's fighting seemed to be coming off of the ice. At least on two occasions he was involved in off ice scandals.

The Canucks traded Ververgaert to Philly in 1978-79 in exchange for minor leaguer Drew Callander and defenseman Kevin McCarty. It was a good trade for Vancouver as McCarthy became one of best defensemen in team history, and was named captain shortly after. Ververgaert had two unnoticeable seasons in the Philadelphia before signing as a free agent with Washington for the 1980-81 season. That proved to be his final year in pro hockey.

In the end Dennis played in 583 NHL games. He scored 176 goals and 216 assists for 392 points. 22 of his goals were game winners, while 42 came on the power play.

Dale Tallon 28 Mar 2019 12:09 PM (6 years ago)

Dale Tallon was a very talented junior player, heralded as a future superstar when he was drafted 2nd overall in the 1970 Amateur draft, only behind Hall of Famer Gilbert Perreault. Although he felt most comfortable as a defenseman he played center as well.

The expectations on him were tremendous. Vancouver thought that they had their franchise player in Tallon, but he never became that franchise player for them.

Dale's dad Stan pushed him when he was 15 to become a top hockey prospect. Dale became the MVP on his home team Noranda Copper Kings, and then under the direction of Gilles Laperriere played for the sister city Rouyn Citadels. Already at that early age Dale starred as both a defenseman and center. His dad recognized the potential in his son and contacted Alan Eagleson to ask him to advise and guide Dale.

Dale went to Oshawa to play for the Generals, but immediately had the pressure on him to follow in the footsteps of the illustrious Bobby Orr, another Eagleson client. A trade was made shortly thereafter, and he went to the Toronto Marlboros, also of the OHA. He enjoyed two good years with the Marlboros before being drafted by the Canucks.

The 6'1" and 200lbs Dale enjoyed a very fine rookie season in the NHL, scoring 56 pts (14 goals, 42 assists). He followed that up with another solid season (44 points - 17 goals and 27 assists), but somehow that never seemed to be enough.

He was added to the Canadian squad in the famous 1972 Summit Series. He never played against the Russians and only appeared in two "friendly" games against Sweden and Czechoslovakia.

When his 1972-73 season saw another drop in his production, the Canucks lost their patience with him and traded him to Chicago for Jerry Korab and goalie Gary Smith on May 14, 1973. Tallon welcomed the trade, and made it known to the Canucks that he wanted out. He did not get along at all with Canucks vocal coach Vic Stasiuk, and threatened to sign with the WHA if he was not granted a trade.

Dale had received a couple of WHA offers but decided to stay in Chicago where he signed a three year deal worth approximately $125,000 per season. Dale was happy to get out from Vancouver and start over again. As soon as he got to the windy city there was some controversy though. The Chicago management planned to give Dale sweater number 9 --- Bobby Hull's old number. At first he accepted, since it was his jersey number at Vancouver, but there was a large public outcry against the move, Bobby Hull was an icon, and you don't give away his number just like that. So in training camp, Dale asked not to have the number, and was promptly given number 19 instead.

Dale began working on a line as the center for Chico Maki and Lynn Powis, they were primarily a checking line. He eventually enjoyed his most productive season in Chicago when he had 62 points (15 goals and 47 assists) in 1975-76.

His production fell considerably the following two seasons and he was traded to Pittsburgh for a future draft choice on October 9,1980. Dale then played two more seasons in Pittsburgh. By that time he hadn't been considered a franchise player for a long time, he was just another NHL player.

After the 1979-80 season he retired, only 29 years old. He finished his career with 642 regular season NHL games (336 points) and 33 playoff games (12 points).

Tallon went on to become a long time Chicago broadcaster and then a successful manager in retirement, not to mention a top amateur golfer.

Phil Maloney 28 Mar 2019 12:06 PM (6 years ago)

While many associate the heart of the Vancouver Canucks with either Stan Smyl or Trevor Linden, another generation will remember another such player. Phil Maloney was the original heart of the Canucks, long before they joined the NHL.

From 1954 through 1970, except for a two year hiatus with the Buffalo Bisons, Maloney starred with the Canucks of the old professional Western Hockey League. In total he skated for a dozen Canucks teams, some of them good, some of them mediocre and some of them down right forgetable. Some things never change in Vancouver.

Yet like Smyl and Linden after him, Phil Maloney's performance never wavered: consistent, conscientious and classy.

The dedicated, self-effacing star was far from a big man on skates. But he was built like a tree trunk, with thick shoulders and incredibly strong legs. It was a difficult task to knock Phil Maloney off of the puck.

The task was made nearly impossible when you added his natural hockey savvy to the mixture. He instinctually could draw defenses towards him as he weaved his way across the ice, the puck sure on his stick. Then at just the right time he would lay out a radar-true pass to a streaking winger for good scoring chance.

It was said Phil Maloney made more wings than aircraft manufacturer Boeing. When asked who were his favorite targets he carefully thought of Buddy Boone on right wing and Jimmy Baird on left wing, but held out special mention for one other player.

"The greatest winger i ever played with, bar none, was Jackie Mcleod. He had an uncanny instinct for positional play, he was smart and all you had to do was lay the puck out when he was trailing on his wing. He'd turn on a burst of speed and he was gone."

McLeod and Maloney clicked together nearly right away upon Maloney's arrival in Vancouver in 1956. Maloney challenged the century mark for points, while McLeod challenged the magical 50 goal plateau.

While he was a great minor league player in Vancouver and Buffalo (AHL), also playing with Pittsburgh (AHL) and hometown Ottawa (QHL), Phil Maloney never really stuck in the NHL. He did get into a total of 158 NHL games, an impressive number in those days of just six major league teams. He only played in one full season, 1949-50 as a 22 year old in Boston, even finishing as runner up to teammate Jack Gelineau as rookie of the year. The following season he would be traded to Toronto and was buried almost immediateley in their system. He would only get a handful of games a couple of seasons later. He would get another chance in the NHL late in the decade with Chicago.

Why did he not make it in the NHL. The dry, to-the-point Maloney once said "We aren't in the minor leagues because we skate too fast or shoot too straight."

Maloney would have no regrets, carving out a great career especially in Vancouver. His 923 points in 818 games is third best in WHL history. He also holds the record for most points in a WHL game - an amazing 8 thanks to 2 goals and 6 helpers. He was twice named as the WHL's most valuable player and in 1958 he led the Canucks to the WHL Championship and the Lester Patrick Trophy. He was also part of the 1969 championship, as well.

The Fox, as he was known to teammates, was a peaceful player, detesting bad penalties as a betrayal of team goals. Three times he was named as the WHL's most gentlemanly player. The opposition tried to physically intimidate Maloney, who once went an entire 70 game season without taking a penalty. Yet he would not shy away from the corners or high traffic areas, and was incredibly durable, only missing time with three injuries, two of them shoulder dislocations.

The third injury was far more serious, one that potentially could have ended his career that night. Maloney needed emergency eye surgery after a vicious assault by Larry Zeidel, a big minor league tough guy/crazy man. Zeidel blindsided Maloney with a cowardly suckerpunch from behind, shattering his cheek bone. With their star player crumpled on the ice, not a single Canucks player stood up to Zeidel.

The incident definitely made an impression on one member of the Canucks team. The team's young stick boy was horrified by this spectacle. A pretty good youth hockey player himself, he vowed that if anyone ever attacked his teammates he'd beat the holy crap out of them. That young stick boy did go onto play in the NHL. His name - John Ferguson, one of the most legendary NHL tough guys ever.

Maloney was forced into retirement earlier than he wanted to. Vancouver had just built the palacial Pacific Coliseum and were about to join the National Hockey League. Maloney would likely have made the inaugural team, but his tired legs told him it was time to retire in 1969.

Maloney would remain very prominent on the hockey scene in Vancouver, serving first as a scout and for parts of four seasons as a NHL coach. He would guid the Canucks to a 95-105-32 record from 1974 through 1977, making the Stanley Cup playoffs in both of Maloney's two full seasons as coach.

He also served as the team's general manager for three seasons.

Gary Smith 28 Mar 2019 12:03 PM (6 years ago)

In 1973, the Vancouver Canucks traded their original franchise player to get a lanky goalie with a reputation of being a bit on the flakey side. The goalie nicknamed "The Suitcase" not only became a fan favorite, but turned out to be one of the best players ever to wear Vancouver Canucks uniform.

"Suitcase's" 6 shutouts in 1974-75 remains a Canuck record.

In 1973 the Canucks traded the original Canuck, talented defensman Dale Tallon to the Chicago Blackhawks for Gary Smith, who in 1972 shared the Vezina Trophy with teammate Tony Esposito. Right from the inaugural press conference introducing Smith to Vancouver it was quickly evident he was an outgoing charismatic star Canuck fans would love.

"Everything you heard about me is true, I am a great goaltender" Smith announced as his first words to Canuck faithful. While it was obviously tongue in cheek, it was just a sign of things to come.

Smith was known for his stickhandling adventures in an attempt to become the first goaltender to score a goal. He would often stickhandle past his own blueline, yet his efforts were never rewarded. Another unrealized ambition of Smith's was to punt the puck over the scoreboard in Maple Leaf Gardens. While he never actually kicked it that high, it was an odd site in deed to see the goalie kicking the puck out of his own zone. He is also legendary for his famous late nights and partying.

Smith might of had a blast playing in the NHL, but no one survives 14 NHL seasons and 532 games without delivering. That's what Smith did best in the Canucks old green, blue and white uniform.

His first season in Vancouver he played 65 contests, winning 20 of the Canucks 24 wins that season. The following season was easily Smith's best, as he and the Canucks had their first winning season and were for the first time a legitimate NHL team.

The team had 38 wins to capture their first Smythe Division championship, and Smith was the key. He played in 72 of the 80 games, with a record of 32-24-9. His 6 shutouts that season is still a team record. He finished 5th in Hart Trophy balloting that season.

Hall of Fame broadcaster Jim Robson still thinks Smith perhaps should have won the Hart that year. The Canucks played above their heads that season and the next both they and their star goalie became victims of their own success.

Unable to live up to their incredible run in 1974-74, the team still managed to finish above .500 but Smith's GAA ballooned from a team record 3.09 to a personal high of 3.50. He went 20-24-6 that season, which would prove to be his final in Vancouver.

That summer GM Phil Maloney traded Smith for Trail B.C. native Cesare Maniago. There is a story out there that one of the main reasons for his dismissal was his antics at a Christmas part. Smith got very drunk at a Canucks Christmas party. He was introduced to owner Frank Griffiths Sr.'s wife and was informed that her father was Dr. Ballard of the dog food company fame. Smith replied that he "could see the family resemblance from the can!"

Smith, who also played with (hence the nickname "Suitcase Smith" Toronto, Oakland, California, Minnesota, Washington, Winnipeg (as well as a two-team, one year stint in the WHA) would retire in 1980. He was a great goalie who never had a chance to play for a good team. But one thing is for sure: few players enjoyed life in the NHL like Gary Smith.

Wayne Maki 28 Mar 2019 11:51 AM (6 years ago)

Wayne Maki will always be known for an ugly incident on the ice.

Born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Wayne joined older brother Ron "Chico" Maki with the Chicago Black Hawks in the 1967–1968 season.

In 1969 he was claimed by the St. Louis Blues. In a preseason game on September 21, 1969, Maki and Boston Bruins defenceman "Terrible" Ted Green engaged in a violent stick-swinging fight. Broadcasting legend Dan Kelly described the incident as “one of the most horrifying, most violent exchanges I’ve ever seen in hockey.”

After narrowly avoiding an angry strike by Green, Maki retaliated with his own stick and hit Green in the head. Green suffered a fractured skull and a brain injury.

“I could see right away that Green was badly hurt,” Kelly told Brian McFarlane. “When he tried to get up, his face was contorted and his legs began to buckle under him. It was dreadful. I almost became physically ill watching him struggle because I knew this was very, very serious. I remember it like it happened yesterday.”

Assault charges were laid against Green and Maki. The NHL suspended and fined both players. Maki was suspended for 30 days and Green for 13 games “if and when he returns to hockey." Green missed the entire 1969-70 season, but did return to action and played for nearly another decade.

Perhaps disturbed by the incident Maki never stuck with the Blues that season. The Vancouver Canucks claimed Maki in the 1970 NHL Expansion Draft. The wingman was an early hit in Vancouver, being among the team's scoring leaders in each of the club's first two seasons.

Maki's career came to a sudden halt in December 1972 when he was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumour. He died later that season, on May 12, 1974. He was only 29 years old.

The Canucks took Maki's #11 jersey out of circulation ever since, though Mark Messier wore the number when he joined the team in 1997. No player has worn #11 since Messier's departure in 2000

In 246 games played Wayne Maki scored 57 goals, 79 assists, 136 points, and 184 penalty minutes in regular season play. In 2 post-season games played, he added 1 goal and 2 penalty minutes.

Pit Martin 28 Mar 2019 11:50 AM (6 years ago)

Tragic news about a former Vancouver Canucks player. Pit Martin passed away in a snowmobile accident.

From The Canadian Press:

Quebec provincial police say Hubert (Pit) Martin, a four-time NHL all-star in the 1960s and '70s, has died after his snowmobile plunged into an icy lake.A small but speedy NHLer for parts of 17 seasons, Pit Martin was a fine player who was overshadowed by the player he was traded for.

On May 15, 1967 Pit, Jack Norris and Gilles Marotte left Boston for Chicago in exchange for Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield in one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history. The Bruins went on to become a two-time Stanley Cup championships while the Hawks had quiet glimpses of success. Moreover, the trade was broken down more into Martin for Esposito - one promising center for another. Espo went on to a Hall of Fame career including 4 Art Ross scoring championships. Martin, while an effective player for Chicago for over 10 years, had a quiet career in comparison.

Hubert Martin, nicknamed Pit after a popular French comic strip character, broke into the NHL in 1961 after leading his junior team, the Hamilton Red Wings, to the Memorial Cup championship. He split his first five professional campaigns between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Hornets of the American Hockey League. For a period of time in 1963-64, he found a home on a line with Larry Jeffrey and Bruce MacGregor, replacing Newfoundland's Alex Faulkner.

The powerful and agile skater was traded from the Red Wings to the Boston Bruins midway through the 1965-66 season, where he spent a season and a half. Pit then moved to the Chicago Blackhawks in 1967 where he played another 11 years. He eventually won over Chicago fans with is speedy attack and insistent digging for loose pucks in the corners.

Martin welcomed the trade to Chicago. The Bruins were wallowing in the NHL basement, whereas Chicago had been an underrated league power in the 1960s. History would show that roles would be reversed soon after the trade. Esposito's huge success put a lot of pressure on Martin. Martin didn't make relations with Chicago fans any easier when he held out for the first 17 days of his first Chicago training camp. After missing the playoffs in 1968-69, Martin was quoted in The Hockey News criticizing Hawks players and management.

Martin was able to overcome his rocky reception and become a Hawks fan favorite. He found particular success on the MPH Line with Jim Pappin and Dennis Hull for the better part of six seasons.

"We, as a trio, worked very well together. We all got along. I think the biggest thing was that none of us were selfish. We had the same type of philosophy about the game. We were serious about it and we wanted to be recognized as good hockey players. We didn't care who scored the goals as long as our line produced," said Martin.

Martin enjoyed several good seasons in Chicago. Eight times in his career he scored at least 20 goals, and three times at least 30. His best season came in 1972-73 when he scored 29 goals and 61 assists for a career high 90 points. Later in the playoffs he scored 10 goals and 16 points to help the Chicago Blackhawks advance to the Stanley Cup finals.

The Quebec native finished off his pro career with two seasons in Vancouver. Pit retired from the NHL with 324 goals, 485 assists and 809 points in 1,101 regular season games while adding 27 goals and 58 points in 100 playoff contests.

While his career was not nearly as decorated as the man he was traded for, Martin was fiercely proud of his 1970 Masterton trophy award for dedication to the game of hockey. Martin called it "the most important trophy I'll ever receive."

After retiring, Martin initially did some broadcasting for Hockey Night In Canada before settling in Windsor, Ontario. The avid recreational pilot ventured into several business opportunities, including a restaurant and a swimming pool servicing outfit.

Gus Adams 28 Mar 2019 11:46 AM (6 years ago)

Greg "Gus" Adams certainly knew how to make a great first impression.

Martin Gelinas 28 Mar 2019 11:45 AM (6 years ago)

Jack McIlhargey 28 Mar 2019 11:42 AM (6 years ago)

Bushy-haired Jack McIlhargey will forever be remembered as one of hockey's toughest players in the 1970s. He will always be associated with one of two teams, too - the Philadelphia Flyers, where he was one of the pack known as the Broad Street Bullies, and the Vancouver Canucks, where he was a bit more of a lone wolf but a true fan favorite. He was actually raised in the nearby suburb of Burnaby.

Ray Scapinello was a long time NHL linesman, and he had to break up a lot of fights over his 33 years in the league. More than a few of those fights undoubtedly involved McIlhargey.

Scapinello wrote in his book Between The Lines that he had a great deal of respect for NHL tough guys, making a point to single out McIlhargey.

"One guy I really admire is Jack McIlhargey," wrote Scampy. "He was with the Flyers around their heyday, he mugged people, beat up people when he was in Philly, and then he got traded to the Canucks."

Scapinello officiated McIlhargey's first game against the Flyers.

"Now we'll see how tough this guy is," tought Scapinello. "He's got nobody to back him up."

"He ran Bob Clarke all night long, and nobody came near him. From that day on, I had a lot of respect for Jack. He was on his own out there, and he was fearless. They either had a lot of respect for him or they were paranoid of him."

Jack McIlhargey played in 393 NHL games, scored 11 goals and 36 assists for 47 points. He spent 1102 minutes sitting in the penalty box. He also appeared in 27 games scoring only 3 assists. During his 8 seasons as an NHL defenseman, Jack McIlhargey's trademark was that of a tough competitor who never backed down from anyone and a player who wore his heart on his sleeve. He was always a vocal leader both on the ice and in the dressing room. The popular McIlhargey had a way to get his teammates to perform at their best every night.

"I wasn't a great skater or a great player," McIlhargey once said. "But I worked hard. I knew, when I came to practice or a game, that I wouldn't be outworked."

With such leadership abilities, its not surprising that Jack became heavily involved in the coaching fraternity following his playing days, accepting several positions within both the Flyers and Canucks organizations.

Ron Delorme 28 Mar 2019 11:41 AM (6 years ago)

Ron Delorme was a honest, unrelenting mucker and grinder with the Colorado Rockies and the Vancouver Canucks.

A popular player with his teammates and the fans, Delorme was a hero to Native Canadians. A proud Cree Indian from North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Delorme became a role model for aspiring native hockey players and athletes. "Chief," his obvious nickname, spent a lot of his spare time visiting reservations and native banquets encouraging Native youths to aspire for great things like he did.

Delorme was drafted by the Kansas City Scouts 56th overall in the 1975 Entry Draft. He split the next season playing with his junior club in Lethbridge, the WHA in Denver and the CHL in Tucson. The following season he made his NHL debut in 1976 with the relocated Scouts, now known as the the Colorado Rockies.

Delorme would play 4 full seasons with the Rockies, becoming one of Don Cherry's favorite players. The 6'2" 185lb right winger scored a career high 20 goals in 1978-79 and a career high 43 points the year later.

Delorme was left exposed in the pre-season waiver draft in 1981 and the Canucks quickly picked up the big winger. Delorme was a tireless worker but failed to produce offensively like he did in Colorado. His best statistical season was his first on the West Coast as he scored 17 points and accumulated a career high 177 penalty minutes. He also was a regular player in the Canucks Cinderella Stanley Cup playoff run of 1982.

Delorme's career came to an end 31 games into the 1984-85 season. Delorme sustained extensive damage to his left knee following a collision with Calgary defenseman Jamie Macoun. Delorme missed the rest of the season and when he still wasn't fully recovered by the time the 1985-86 season started, Delorme decided he obviously couldn't play anymore.

Delorme went on to become a scout for the Vancouver Canucks. Among the players he discovered was another Native Canadian who would achieve even bigger cult-status in Vancouver - Gino Odjick.

Petr Nedved 28 Mar 2019 11:37 AM (6 years ago)

Looking back at the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, one has to wonder how Jaromir Jagr was not drafted first overall.

The answer, of course, lied in the uncertainty of Jagr's availability as political reforms were still unfolding. As of the draft Jagr was still behind the Iron Curtain in Czechoslovakia, with no guarantee of playing in the NHL any time soon.

So NHL teams focused on the likes of Mike Ricci, Keith Primeau and Owen Nolan, who ultimately went first overall.

Another player who greatly intrigued was Petr Nedved, who went second overall

Though Nedved was a Czech player there were no worries about Nedved's immediate availability. As a 17 year old junior player with Litvinov, he made a daring decision that most of us can not even comprehend. While playing in Calgary at the Mac's Major Midget tournament, Nedved slipped into the night carrying nothing but his hockey bag. He had defected, with dreams of playing in the National Hockey League.

"The defection, that night, is something I'll remember the rest of my life. It was the biggest decision I ever had to make. I thought about staying even before I left for the tournament but I wasn't sure and I didn't know really what to expect. There were a lot of questions I was asking myself. Am I able to go back home? Will my parents be okay with my brother? I was almost more scared for my family than me. But I knew I wanted to play in the National Hockey League and, other than that, I didn't know much ... there were a lot of unknowns. Looking back now I'm surprised I was able to make that decision," Nedved told the Calgary Herald years later.

The center of an international dispute, Nedved hid out in Calgary for 5 months while he waited for his landed immigrant status.

All eyes were on the spindly Czech kid who did nothing to hide his fascination with Wayne Gretzky. He emulated him in every way. He tucked in his shirt the same, wore the same Jofa helmet, and copied his hunched over skating style. He'd fly down the win, curl at the blue line looking for an amazing pass, although he really should have been more greedy and use his laser of a shot more often.

Nedved tore up the Western Hockey League with 65 goals and 145 points in 71 games. His offense was undeniable. He had the creativity and vision of #99. He was a game breaker through and through. He had already showed more courage than any other player possibly could.

Many west coast fans desperately wanted Vancouver to take Nedved, although Philadelphia was supposedly offering Ron Sutter and Scott Mellanby if Vancouver flipped picks and slipped down to #4. They wanted Nedved, too.

The Canucks did take Nedved, but did not really not what to do with him. He made the NHL team immediately, but he was too slight to make an impact. But sending him back to junior was not an option either, as he was too good for that league, and he had no other place to play. So the Canucks coddled him on the 4th line. To this day I believe Nedved's development was stagnated by this decision. He probably should have been returned to junior, even if the WHL offered no competition.

Nedved, despite glimpses of brilliance, never really found his way in the NHL until his third season, when he scored 38 goals and 71 points, despite getting next to no prime power play time. You see, by now the Canucks had secured Pavel Bure. With his 60 goals and explosive skating, the Russian Rocket became the offensive dynamo Vancouver was looking for. Nedved was second fiddle. The Canucks were trying to change his game to more of a two way game, as his Gretzky-mirroring did not mesh well with the puck-hogging Bure.

The Canucks were knocked out of the 1993 playoffs by Gretzky's L.A. Kings. At the conclusion of the final game Nedved sheepishly asked The Great One for his stick. That would prove to be Nedved's final act in Vancouver.

Showing the same resolve that he used to defect to Canada as a teenager, the principled Nedved held out in a contract dispute. The two sides were far apart in terms of money, but rumors had Nedved unhappy in Vancouver and demanding to be traded.

Interestingly, Nedved would stay in the news that season. He had gained his Canadian citizenship, and since he never play for the Czech national team, he was allowed to play with the Canadian national team that season. Wearing number 93 for the year he gained citizenship, he and Paul Kariya would lead Canada to a silver medal in the Olympics in the days before full NHL participation.

Following the Olympics his NHL future was finally solved. The St. Louis Blues signed him, which led to a compensation trade that saw Jeff Brown, Bret Hedican and Nathan Lafayette come to Vancouver. The move worked well for Vancouver, as the defensive depth and mobility allowed them to challenge the New York Rangers for the Stanley Cup that spring.


Nedved's tenure in St. Louis lasted only a few months as he was moved to the New York Rangers. Because Mark Messier did not take a liking to him, Nedved was then moved on to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Playing with Ron Francis and countryman Jaromir Jagr (not to mention the great Mario Lemieux in power play situations), Nedved posted his best season in 1995-96. Still, his 45 goals and 99 points were a far cry from the promise of Gretzky.

Another principled contract dispute saw Nedved return to New York, this time getting the chance to play with Gretzky. He called it his career highlight, but somehow it always felt Nedved lost his drive to be the next Gretzky. Perhaps all the money and the playboy lifestyle of a NHL star made him complacent to be Petr Nedved instead of being "the next one," which was fully his intention when he defected as a 17 year old.

Nedved would toil with Edmonton, Phoenix and Philadelphia before his NHL career quietly came to an end in 2007. Upon his return to the Czech Republic, he had scored 310 goals, 407 assists and 717 points in 982 games.

Dave Babych 28 Mar 2019 11:35 AM (6 years ago)

There were two stages to Dave Babych's career.

There was early Dave Babych, the junior superstar, the 2nd overall draft pick and the offensive defenseman. And then there was the later Dave Babych, a really solid defensive rearguard who quietly but effectively remained an solid defender.

Babych, whose jersey #44 was every bit his trademark as his bushy moustache, was the top rated defenseman in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft. He was also the consensus #2 overall prospect, trailing only Canadian Major Junior Hockey League player of the year, Doug Wickenheiser.

History might suggest that Denis Savard should have been the first overall pick, or that Larry Murphy and Paul Coffey were the better defensemen. After all, all three made it to the Hockey Hall of Fame. But the Winnipeg Jets were convinced that the 6'3" 215 complete package was the best player in the draft.

Babych grew up in Edmonton, dreaming of playing in the NHL alongside his brother Wayne. Dave would dominate with Portland of the WHL, combining size and skating and puck movement. He was a gifted offensive blueliner, but also a very good positional defender.

Babych joined the Jets in 1980. It was not easy for the 19 year old rookie, as the Jets were the league's worst team and too much pressure was placed upon the young Babych. Still, he was Winnipeg's best player, posting 44 points and representing the Jets in the NHL all star game. He would post 4 consecutive successive seasons of at least 57 points, including a career high 74 (13 goals and 61 assists) in 1982-83.

Despite his personal successes in Winnipeg, he remained a league secret. The Jets improved, but were never serious contenders in the old Smythe Division. Babych's scoring exploits were also dwarfed by the likes of Ray Bourque, Mark Howe, Murphy and especially Paul Coffey. The Jets grew impatient, and traded their defensive kingpin to Hartford in November, 1985, receiving rugged winger Ray Neufeld in return.

Babych played 5 and 1/2 seasons in Hartford, suffering from the same anonymity and lack of team success. His scoring prowess also went down in the lower scoring Adams Division, but he was probably the best defenseman the NHL Whalers ever had.

In 1990 it looked as though his career may have been over. Having been able to escape the injury troubles that plague his brother, the 10 year veteran had his wrist fused. It was doubtful if he'd ever be able to shoot a hockey puck again.

The Whalers dropped him, but Pat Quinn and the Vancouver Canucks gave Babych a chance to reclaim his NHL career. He was able to bounce back very nicely, playing 7 seasons in Vancouver. Babych supplied veteran leadership and a steadying influence in the back end, though he never scored more than 32 points.

The 32 points came in the 1993-94 season, which also hosted Babych's career highlight. Forming a reliable pairing with Gerald Diduck, Babych helped the Canucks reach his only Stanley Cup finals. The Canucks came within a goal post in game 7 of winning the Stanley Cup, but the chalice would escape Babych's grasp.

Babych is eternally grateful to Pat Quinn for giving him a chance to get his career back on track and to play for 10 more years during the big money era.

"Luckily Pat Quinn took a chance on me," Babych told Jeff Rud in the book Canucks Legends.

"(After the wrist surgery) you couldn't stickhandle the same way, you couldn't move the puck the same way, you couldn't shoot the same way. So you knew if you didn't change your game you were kind of hooped.

"Pat basically told me: 'Babs, I don't care if you get a point or score a goal. I really don't car. I just want you to play solid hockey."

Babych lasted seven years in Vancouver before he was exiled, like Quinn and so many members of that 1994 team before him, by new owners John McCaw and coach Mike Keenan.

Babych would play parts of two more seasons in Philadelphia, but a broken foot proved to be mighty cumbersome to Babych. As it turned out, the Flyers medical staff misdiagnosed the injury and rushed him back to service. Arguing successfully that the misdiagnoses prematurely ended his career, Babych was awarded $1.37 million in a civil lawsuit against the Flyers.

Dave Babych will likely go down in hockey history as a forgotten man. That is unfortunate as Babych was an upper echelon defender in the 1980s and very solid NHL citizen. It total he played 1195 NHL games, scoring 142 goals and 723 points.