Top 10 Canucks of all time (part 2)
By Josh Martin, Sports Editor
Leaving off from last week, I’ve come up with a list of the top 10 Canucks players of all time. Todd Bertuzzi, Mattias Öhlund, Kirk McLean, Stan Smyl, and Roberto Luongo rounded out the top players from 10 to six. Here’s a list of the top five.
#5 – Markus Näslund – The Swedish sensation captained the Canucks for eight seasons from 2000 to 2008, recording 346 goals, 410 assists, and 756 points in 884 games. He still holds the all-time records for goals and points, and power play goals with 114. One of the last players to play with a wooden stick, Näslund was best known for his wicked wrist shot—which he would so often score with on top of the left circle in the offensive zone. Näslund, whose number 19 was the most recent of the three jerseys to be retired into the rafters of Rogers Arena, is the most talented Canucks Captain in franchise history.
#4 – Daniel Sedin – It’s hard to separate the Sedin twins since they’re pretty much identical players on and off the ice. Henrik and Daniel are both still on the Canucks and they’ve already solidified their positions as some of the all-time best Canucks players. Now that’s saying something. Daniel has put up 279 goals, 439 assists, and 718 points in 859 career games as a Vancouver Canuck and doesn’t look like he’s slowing down. Daniel took home his first NHL award in the 2010–11 season, capturing the Art Ross trophy as the league’s leading scorer.
#3 – Henrik Sedin – The current captain of the Canucks showed exactly how much this team can rely on him when brother Daniel went down with an injury in the 2009–2010 season. Henrik carried the team on his shoulders, going on to capturing the Art Ross trophy that year with 112 points along with the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s Most Valuable Player. He is currently first in all-time assists with 576 and second in all-time scoring with 747 points—nine points under leading scorer Näslund. The dynamic duo of both Sedin brothers has proven deadly to opposing teams, especially on the cycle in the offensive zone.
#2 – Pavel Bure – The Russian Rocket is by far the flashiest and most talented player to ever wear a Canucks sweater. His rocket-like presence was instantly felt in Vancouver as he had back-to-back 60 goal seasons in his second and third years in the NHL. He scored 254 goals, 224 assists, and 478 points in 428 games as a Canuck and helped the team to the Stanley Cup Finals in the 1994 playoffs. And because of his successful career Bure was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame this year. However, the fact that Bure demanded a trade out of Vancouver has left—years later—a sour betrayed feeling in Canucks fans towards the Russian Rocket. Despite all of this, number 96 remains to be the second-best all-time Canucks player.
#1- Trevor Linden – Captain Canuck; the Canadian Captain playing for a Canadian team—it just sounds good. Linden is and will go down as the all-time greatest Canuck player in franchise history. His leadership on and off the ice proved vital throughout his entire career, from leading his team to the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals, to mentoring the younger players in his later years, his presence was undeniable. Linden is third in scoring with 733 points, second in goals with 318, third in assists with 415, and first in games played with 1138. Number 16’s jersey was retired into the rafters, and now sits in Rogers Arena beside numbers 12—Smyl, and 19—Näslund. He will forever be a Vancouver Canuck.
