2008/09 NHL Thread

On NHL Live, they said that the Winter Classic will now be known as the Bridgestone Winter Classic. I tire of such corporate sponsors.

 

OK, JC & EF, I'll defer to you.

That said, interesting note in Damien Cox's blog about Linden and Wendel Clark

Great move by the Canucks but how dare the Leafs honour someone like Clark when they haven't won a Cup in 41 years. It's because people hate Toronto.

http://thestar.blogs.com/thespin/2008/12/hating-toronto-just-because.html

Both were captains. Both were traded away and came back. Neither was one of the best players in the game at any point, or even the best at their position.

And neither brought a Stanley Cup back to their city. But they were both still heroes to many.

So why is it okay for Vancouver to fete Linden, but not for the Leafs to do the same with Clark?

Personally, I think both organizations did well to honour these players. But it rankles that the Leafs, despite all their flaws, were the butt of jokes for celebrating the career of a popular captain, while the very same writers and broadcasters are praising the Canucks for doing precisely the same thing.

 

Very good comparison, the only think I can say is maybe because the Leafs have had some truly great players and the Canucks haven't. I don't know how Clark was in the community but like I said before the biggest reason IMO they raised Lindens number had to do with what he did and still does off the ice.

The Toronto hating gets tiresome and that is coming from a west coaster

 

It might have something to do with Toronto hating, but I feel that what Clark meant to the Leafs was never really evident outside of Leafs Nation. Should it have been?

Everyone with an interest in the NHL knew (or should know) that Linden was, from Day 1, the heart and soul of the Canucks. My perception is that the franchise never had a more unselfish player. You look at the job he did in taking the Canucks to Game 7 against the Rangers in '94, where he scored both goals in a 3-2 loss. He was just as much a leader as was the more heralded Mark Messier on the other side of the ice, and yet he graciously stepped aside and handed over the C when Messier joined the Canucks. His reward for that was public humiliation at the hands of Mike Keenan while Messier, the so-called "leader" of the team, said and did nothing in Linden's defence.

Linden deserves every accolade he gets, from the Canucks, the city of Vancouver and elsewhere. He's the type of guy that should someday be in the HHOF, although the unceasing fascination with goal and point totals means he likely won't ever get there unless he buys a ticket.

 

I hate Toronto and Vancouver equally. Is that OK, JC?

 

Clark is the prototypical player that a lot of Leafs Nation loves. Above average skill but not afraid to get his nose dirty. Darcy Tucker was a very low rent version of Clark who is still probably the most popular player of the last 25 years. He meant as much to Toronto as Linden meant to the Canucks.

And Trevor Linden doesn't belong in the Hall any more than Wendel does

 

The Rangers will honor Andy Bathgate and Harry Howell prior to the February 22 home game against some team from The Center/Centre Of The Hockey Universe.

http://rangers.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=379928

 

perfectly fine.

 

Don't forget to mention that when you're applying for a job in the COTUS.

 

I agree with Cox. The organizations have a right to fete their best players for their accomplishments while wearing the sweater or jersey. If we accept the argument that only the truly great (legends, Hall of Famers, etc...) can be honored, then there are plenty of banners and numbers that need to come down from the rafters of every college and professional sports team.

 

Honestly JR, we could argue all day as to who meant more, I think Linden did but I haven't lived in Toronto to appreciate what Clark meant. I would say when healthy Clark was a better player but Linden did take the Canucks to within one goal of a Stanley cup.

As much as I love Linden, no way he goes to the hall.

Linden did not give up his C, it was taken from him, you'll never get him to admit it on the record but Gino Odjick talked about it last night.

 

Odjick, in Jeff Klein's bio of Mark Messier, basically said that Keenan forced Linden to relinquish the captaincy to Messier. Odjick also said that when Keenan began blasting Linden and Messier did nothing, Okjick and Messier had a heated discussion.