I don't even watch basketball, and the Lakers being in the finals has been nothing but a pain in the ass. When I found out they lost, I started laughing, much to the detriment of the customers leaving the restaurant, who just got finished watching their team get worked. I mean really, how in the fuck do you have a 2o+ point lead in the first quarter, and then lose the game???
I had other things on my mind anyway. More important things than Kobe and the Lakers.
Canuck great Linden retires
IAIN MacINTYRE and PETER JAMES, Vancouver Sun and Canwest News Service
Published: Wednesday, June 11, 2008
VANCOUVER - Surrounded by friends and family and it seemed nearly every media member in Vancouver, Canuck icon Trevor Linden confirmed his retirement Wednesday during a packed, televised press conference.
"I know the time is right," the 38-year-old said, reading initially from a prepared text at General Motors Place. "But at the same time, there is sadness. Where did 20 years go? I will miss the game. I'm grateful for many things."
He said he is awed by the support and love he has received from fans -- a level of devotion not likely to be repeated for another athlete in Vancouver, and one that Linden said he still does not fully understand.
Trevor Linden
"I've met some of these kids named Linden," he said smiling. "They're getting older. Some of them are in high school. So that's a good sign it's time to move on. It's not every day you get to go from being an old player to a young man. That's a good thing."
Linden said his immediate plan is to step away from hockey and try to decide what he wants to do for the rest of his life. He said he and his wife, Cristina, have a European vacation planned.
The announcement was expected after Linden was given a standing ovation during a farewell lap after the Canucks final regular-season game this season.
Drafted second-overall by the Canucks 20 years to day before Wednesday's press conference, Linden spent all but 3 1/2 of his 19 National Hockey League seasons in Vancouver and finishes with 375 goals and 867 points in 1,382 games.
Linden had instant success in the NHL, scoring 30 goals and 29 assists as an 18-year-old rookie with the Canucks in 1988-89. He quickly became the face of the franchise and was named the team's captain when we was 21 years old.
He was a fan favourite in Vancouver, with some hockey fans naming their children in his honour.
After spending the first 10 years of his career with the Canucks, Linden was traded midway through the 1997-98 season to the New York Islanders for forward Todd Bertuzzi, defenceman Bryan McCabe and a third-round draft pick.
After stops in Montreal and Washington, he returned to Vancouver midway through the 2001-02 season in a trade with the Washington Capitals.
"When I left Vancouver in February of '98, it was a very sad day for me. Even though I knew it had to be that way, it was still very difficult," Linden said. "When I received the call from (then Canucks general manager) Brian Burke in '01, telling me I was coming home, I did not know what to think.
"My 10 years had been so special, I was concerned it wouldn't be the same. Well, it wasn't the same; it was better."
Linden helped the team reach the Stanley Cup final in 1994, losing to the New York Rangers.
"It's not something I dwell on. Certainly I would have loved to be part of a championship team here in Vancouver," Linden said. "I can say I performed as well as I could and tried to do what was right.
"It's a tough game, it's a tough sport. It takes a lot of things to go right."
He won a pair of Memorial Cup championships with the Western Hockey League's Medicine Hat Tigers in 1987 and 1988.
In 1997, he won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for leadership on the ice and contribution to the community.
He was also known for his involvement with the National Hockey League Players' Association and was elected president of the organization in 1998. He led the organization through the 10-month lockout in 2004-05 and resigned from the top post in January 2006.
Linden's best offensive season was in 1995-96 with Vancouver when he scored 33 goals and 47 assists for 80 points in 82 games.
He saw a reduced role this season under head coach Alain Vigneault. He was a healthy scratch 23 times. He scored seven goals and five assists in 59 games.
Linden said he's spoken with the Canucks about continuing to work with the organization after his retirement, but described the talks as "very general."
"Time will kind of sort things out. Where my heart lies and what direction I see my future going," he said.
Todd Bertuzzi is my favorite NHL player...right above Trevor Linden. I had a cat who was a bruiser.
His name was Trevor. :)
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