Article content

Of the 576 men who have played for the Vancouver Canucks, only 30 have been to a National Hockey League All-Star Game. And of these, only John Garrett did so after starting just once for the team he represented.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Iain MacIntyre: One-game Canuck ’Cheech' Garrett’s all-star game nod nearly an MVP turn Back to video

That Garrett, a journeyman goalie whose 13-year career ended with the Canucks, also stared down a pile of future Hall of Famers in the 1983 showcase and came within a Wayne Gretzky of driving home in a supercool Pontiac Firebird as the All-Star Game MVP made his appearance even more remarkable.

“I walked into the dressing room and it was like: ‘How did you get here? Air Canada, I guess,’ ” Garrett recalled this week. “I had jokingly said to the Canuck guys that if I won the car, we’d split it up. And for a while it looked like I might. It was one of those muscle-car Firebirds with the eagle on the hood. Black with the gold.

“I enjoyed the moment. I knew I was on the back nine (in my career) and here I was playing with all these stars. And now they’re all in the Hockey Hall of Fame. It’s crazy.”

This weekend in Los Angeles, Bo Horvat becomes Vancouver Canuck all-star No. 31.

Garrett was the incredibly improbable 11th to represent the Canucks in the NHL mid-winter exhibition.

Former Vancouver general manager Harry Neale traded Anders Eldebrink to acquire Garrett from the Quebec Nordiques on Friday, Feb. 4, 1983.