**Trevor Linden speaks just before his sweater, number 16 is retired. It is only the second number to be retired in the history of the Canucks. The first was number 12, belonging to Stan "the Steamer" Smyl **
Could you imagine waking up next to Mattias Ohlund for six or seven years? If you’d like to take a moment to think about that, go right ahead...
Anyway, that’s what Trevor Linden did, being Ohlund’s roommate on the road with the Vancouver Canucks. After last Wednesday’s Trevor Linden warm and fuzzy retirement ceremony, waking up next to Ohlund is 100% definitely not going to happen again. Unless the two go on a camping trip or something.
But, Linden has memories of his good friend, his teammates, the Canucks, the game and us fans. During the ceremony he shared plenty of stories, as did a parade of special people who all had something to say about what the man did on and off the ice. And the fans in GM Place, they had plenty to say with cheers, standing O’s, and camera flashes.
I was very fortunate to attend the ceremony and the following tilt with the Edmonton Oilers. Yes, it was a long night, but it was such a feel good night, that it was totally worth travelling through snow and spending five hours inside GM Place.
The warm feelings of friendship filled the air. I’ve never met Trevor Linden before, but I feel like he's my friend. He made everyone feel like his friend that night. It was just like attending a special night for any friend or family, and that’s what I liked the best about the event. Beating the Edmonton Oilers afterwards was a close second.
Trevor's last game as a Canuck, April 2008
I haven’t had many brushes with Trevor Linden. He once was sitting next to me in a Yaletown pub after a six nothing win over the Washington Capitals. I didn’t ask for an autograph even though my friends were egging me on to do so. Trevor was having a nice time with his friends. Why butt in on that, I thought.
Another time he was driving beside me as he was heading to the airport for a road trip. Mattias Ohlund was in the passenger seat, sort of slumped down. Ohlund played a horrible game the night before, so maybe he wasn’t feeling so good on that drive. It was nice to see Trevor taking on the driving duties that day, and giving Ohlund a break.
Several seasons ago I won an autographed Canucks jersey at an event. I could pick any Canuck player I wanted to sign the jersey, and I picked Trevor Linden. It was in the summer, so I had to wait about a month for the jersey to be signed. It was a thrill to pick it up at GM Place. It’s the biggest article of clothing I own!
That’s it. Those are my brushes with Trevor Linden, the hockey hero of Vancouver.
Trevor loves the city of Vancouver, and he’s our beloved adopted son.
He has fit in rather nicely, and may he continue to enrich and hug the community for years to come.
Go Trevor GO!!!
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