Trevor Linden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Trevor Linden |
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Linden with the Vancouver Canucks in 2008
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| Born | April 11, 1970 Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada |
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| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||
| Weight | 220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre/Right wing | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | Vancouver Canucks New York Islanders Montreal Canadiens Washington Capitals |
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| National team | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
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| NHL Draft | 2nd overall, 1988 Vancouver Canucks |
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| Playing career | 1988–2008 | ||
Trevor John Linden CM OBC (born April 11, 1970) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He also used to be the president of hockey operations for the Vancouver Canucks.
Linden played for 19 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was a centre and right wing for four teams: the Vancouver Canucks (twice), New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals. Before joining the NHL in 1988, Linden helped the Medicine Hat Tigers win two Memorial Cup championships. He played in two NHL All-Star Games and was part of the 1998 Canadian Olympic team. He also played in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.
Trevor Linden was known as a great leader both on and off the ice. He became captain of the Canucks at just 21 years old, one of the youngest captains ever. Fans called him "Captain Canuck". He led the team to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1994, where they lost in a close seven-game series. In 1998, he was chosen as president of the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) for eight years. He helped with important talks during the 2004–05 NHL lockout.
Off the ice, Linden has done a lot of charity work. He won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 1997 for his leadership and charity work. He also received the NHL Foundation Player Award in 2008. Linden retired from playing hockey on June 11, 2008. His jersey number 16 was retired by the Canucks on December 17, 2008, a special honor for his contributions to the team.
On April 9, 2014, Linden became the president of hockey operations for the Vancouver Canucks. He held this important role until July 2018.
Early Life and Junior Hockey Career
Trevor Linden was born on April 11, 1970, in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. His grandfather came to Canada from the Netherlands in 1929. Trevor was a very talented athlete. While hockey was his main sport, he also played baseball, golf, volleyball, basketball, and even speed skating.
Linden was a good student and was even asked to play hockey for Princeton University. However, he decided to stay in Medicine Hat and play for his local junior team, the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Western Hockey League (WHL). He had grown up watching the Tigers and looked up to hockey star Lanny McDonald.
Playing for the Medicine Hat Tigers
After playing one season with a midget hockey team, Linden joined the WHL Tigers for five games in the 1985–86 season. He scored two goals in those games. The next season, at just 16 years old, he became a full-time player for the Tigers.
In his first full WHL season, Linden scored 36 points in 72 games. He then helped the Medicine Hat Tigers win their first Memorial Cup as Canadian junior champions. The following year, Linden had an amazing 110 points in 67 games. He led the Tigers to their second Memorial Cup title in a row.
During the 1988 WHL playoffs, Linden set a record by scoring the fastest goal from the start of a game. He scored just seven seconds into a game against the Saskatoon Blades. At the 1988 NHL Entry Draft, the Vancouver Canucks picked Linden second overall.
NHL Career Highlights
Starting with the Vancouver Canucks (1988–1998)
Linden played his first NHL game on October 6, 1988, when he was 18. He scored his first goal on October 18, 1988, against the New York Islanders. Later, he scored his first hat-trick (three goals in one game) on November 17. Linden finished his first season tied for the team lead in goals with 30. He was the first Canucks rookie to score 30 goals.
He also became the first rookie to win the Cyclone Taylor Award, given to the Canucks' most valuable player. He was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team. The Canucks made the playoffs that year for the first time in three seasons.
In his second NHL season, Linden was second on the team in goals and points. The next year, he was one of three Canucks players who shared the captaincy. Linden led the team with 70 points and played in his first NHL All-Star Game. He was the youngest player there. At age 21, he became the sole captain of the team, the youngest Canucks captain ever. He led the Canucks to their first division title since the 1974–75 season.
Linden started his career as a winger. In October 1992, he began learning to play as a centre. The Canucks won their division again that year, setting team records for wins and points. Linden scored over 30 goals and 70 points for the third season in a row.
Leading the Canucks to the Stanley Cup Finals
In the 1993–94 season, Linden scored 32 goals. The Canucks made it to the Stanley Cup Finals for only the second time in team history. They were considered underdogs against the New York Rangers. The Canucks fell behind 3-1 in the series but fought back to force a Game 7. In that final game, Linden scored two goals, but the Canucks lost 3-2. It was later revealed that Linden played through the finals with broken ribs and torn rib cartilage. He showed incredible toughness!
In the 1995–96 season, Linden had his best year for points, with 80 (33 goals and 47 assists). He also broke the team record for most consecutive games played, with 437. His "ironman streak" ended the next season after 482 consecutive games. At the end of that season, the NHL gave Linden the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for his good work in the Vancouver community.
At the start of the 1997–98 season, the Canucks brought in Mark Messier and coach Mike Keenan. There were some disagreements between Linden and Keenan. Linden was traded to the New York Islanders in February 1998.
Playing for Other Teams (1998–2001)
Linden joined the New York Islanders after the 1998 Olympics. He played 25 games for them, scoring 10 goals. The next year, he was second on the team in points. In May 1999, the Islanders traded Linden to the Montreal Canadiens. He was excited to play in Montreal, which is known as the "centre of hockey."
With Montreal, Linden was often injured. He played 50 games in his first season and 57 in his second. He was then traded for the third time in his career, this time to the Washington Capitals. With Washington, Linden reached the playoffs for the first time in four years.
Returning to Vancouver (2001–2008)
After playing 28 games with the Capitals, Linden was traded back to the Vancouver Canucks on November 10, 2001. He scored 34 points in 64 games with Vancouver. On March 26, 2002, he played his 1,000th regular season game. In his first playoff series back with Vancouver, he scored a goal and four assists.
The 2002–03 season was Linden's first full season back with the Canucks. On November 25, 2002, Linden scored his 263rd goal with the Canucks, breaking former captain Stan Smyl's team record for most goals. He finished the year with 41 points, his highest total in several seasons.
The next season, Linden broke more Canucks records. On February 16, 2004, he played his 897th game as a Canuck, passing Smyl again. On March 8, he set a new team record with his 674th point as a Canuck, also passing Smyl. He played in all 82 games that season.
After a year off during the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Linden played in all 82 games again during the 2005–06 season. On April 13, 2006, Linden became the first player to play 1,000 games with the Canucks.
In the 2006–07 season, Linden scored the game-winning goal on October 5, 2006. This made him the first Canuck to score 300 goals with the team. He helped the Canucks reach the second round of the playoffs. He scored two game-winning goals in the first round, including the series-winning goal in Game 7 against the Dallas Stars. This was Linden's sixth Game 7 goal in his playoff career. He finished the playoffs leading the team in points. This made Linden the Canucks' all-time leader in playoff goals, assists, and points.
After thinking about it over the summer, Linden signed a one-year contract with the Canucks in August 2007. He played in 59 games that season, scoring seven goals and five assists. On November 8, 2007, he earned his 412th assist with the Canucks, passing Smyl once more. He finished his career with 415 assists as a Canuck, a record later broken by Henrik Sedin.
Linden played his final NHL game on April 5, 2008, against the Calgary Flames. Even though Vancouver lost, Linden was named the game's first star. He skated a lap around GM Place to a standing ovation from the fans and received handshakes from the Calgary players.
On June 11, 2008, exactly 20 years after he was drafted, Linden announced his retirement. He left as the Canucks' leader in games played (1140) and assists (415). He was also second in goals to Markus Näslund. The Vancouver City Council declared the day his jersey was retired to be "Trevor Linden Day."
The Canucks retired Linden's jersey number, 16, in a special ceremony on December 17, 2008. He was only the second Canuck to have his jersey retired, after Stan Smyl.
Off the Ice and Community Work
Personal Life and Interests
In 1995, Linden married Cristina Giusti. In 2017, they had their first child, a son named Roman Matthias Linden. In 2004, Linden became a Roman Catholic. Trevor's younger brother, Jamie Linden, also played ice hockey.
Trevor and Jamie are now property developers. Trevor has always been interested in real estate. Linden is also a very active and competitive cyclist. He enjoys mountain biking in the Squamish and Whistler areas. In 2007, Linden competed in the Trans Alp bike race, a 600 km race across the European Alps.
Linden helped create and launch "Club 16 – Trevor Linden Fitness." He has also worked with a Vancouver developer on residential and commercial projects.
NHLPA President Role
Since 1990, Linden was a player representative for the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA). This allowed him to learn about the business side of hockey. Because of his experience, Linden was elected president of the NHLPA in June 1998.
As president, Linden was very involved in talks with the NHL about a new agreement. These talks ended the 2004–05 lockout. He even had a final meeting in January 2005 to try and save the NHL season, but it was eventually canceled.
Strong Connection to Vancouver
Linden played for the Canucks for a long time and has a deep connection to the city of Vancouver. He is known for his charity work and is one of the most loved and respected players by fans. His return to the Canucks in 2001 was a very emotional moment for fans and players. He is still often called "Captain Canuck," even though he hasn't been captain since 1997.
In his final game on April 5, 2008, the Vancouver crowd gave Linden a standing ovation. After the game, the crowd stood again to show their appreciation for him.
Helping the Community
Besides hockey, Linden has done a lot of charity work, especially with children. He often visited the BC Children's Hospital and Canuck Place, a hospice for children who are very sick. In 1995, he started the Trevor Linden Foundation to raise money for local charities. He also hosts an annual golf event to raise money for BC Children's Hospital.
When he received the Order of British Columbia in 2003, he was called a "hockey player and humanitarian." Linden said his brother, Dean, inspired him to do charity work.
The NHL has recognized Linden's efforts off the ice. He received the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 1997 and the NHL Foundation Player Award in 2008. Linden also took part in the 2010 Winter Olympics torch relay in Vancouver. On December 30, 2010, he was named a Member of the Order of Canada for his "sportsmanship and community engagement."
Management Role with the Canucks
On April 9, 2014, Linden was named the president of hockey operations for the Canucks. He was hired the day after the previous general manager was fired. On May 1, 2014, Linden fired the head coach. He then hired Jim Benning, a former Canuck and teammate, as the new general manager. On June 23, 2014, Benning hired Willie Desjardins as the new head coach. Linden left the Canucks organization on July 25, 2018.
International Hockey Play
| Medal record | ||
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Representing  Canada |
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| Men's ice hockey | ||
| World Junior Championships | ||
| Gold | 1988 Soviet Union | Ice hockey |
| World Championships | ||
| Silver | 1991 Finland | Ice hockey |
| World Cup | ||
| Silver | 1996 World Cup of Hockey | Ice hockey |
Trevor Linden played in five international tournaments for Team Canada. His first time on the world stage was at the 1988 World Junior Championships, which Canada won.
His first senior international tournament was the 1991 World Championship. Canada won the silver medal there. Linden also helped Canada finish second in the 1996 World Cup.
Two years later, Linden was chosen to be on Team Canada for the 1998 Nagano Olympics. Even though he injured his knee just weeks before, he played in all six games. He scored one goal, which tied the semi-final game against the Czech Republic with only 67 seconds left. Canada finished fourth in the tournament.
Awards and Honors
Canadian Honors
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| Order of British Columbia | 2003 |
| Order of Canada | 2010 |
NHL Awards
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| NHL All-Rookie Team | 1989 |
| King Clancy Memorial Trophy | 1997 |
| NHL Foundation Player Award | 2008 |
WHL and CHL Awards
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| WHL East Second All-Star team | 1988 |
| Memorial Cup Tournament All-Star team | 1988 |
| Alumni Achievement Awards – Professional Hockey Achievement | 2009 |
Vancouver Canucks Team Awards
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| Molson Cup | 1989, 1991 |
| Cyclone Taylor Award | 1989, 1991, 1995, 1996 |
| Most Exciting Player | 1989, 1991 |
| Cyrus H. McLean Trophy | 1991, 1992 |
