Three months after his shock departure from the Vancouver Canucks due to a clash with ownership, former president Trevor Linden said Monday he’s proud that he left the National Hockey League team better than he found it.

In his first public comments since his abrupt exit in July caused uncertainty about the Canucks’ rebuild and questions about owner Francesco Aquilini’s involvement, Linden told Sportsnet 650 radio in Vancouver that he was grateful to represent the team but is looking forward to the future.

“I’m not going to get into the nuts and bolts of my relationship with the Aquilini family,” Linden said. “I will say this, I loved being part of the team. I loved representing the Vancouver Canucks as president. I wish them well. There’s lots of things I miss about being part of it, and there’s some things I don’t miss. At the end of the day, I’ve got lots to look forward to in the next journey of my life.

“I think I left (the team) in a better place than I found it. At the end of the day, I recognized exactly the spot we were coming into this thing and the whole continuum of how teams are built … and how they need to get to where they need to be.”

Linden, whose 20-minute radio appearance included a promotion for his expanding fitness business, hinted that it was not just one event or issue that caused his fracture with the Aquilinis.

Sportsnet’s Starting Lineup Trevor Linden: I felt I was representing the Canucks fans of BC October 15 2018 Your browser does not support the audio element.



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The Canucks announced on July 25 that the team and its president had “amicably” agreed to part ways, but it was obvious that there had been a bitter ideological clash between Linden and Francesco Aquilini, who tweeted that day: “A rebuild is a long, slow, gradual process. Everybody needs to be united behind the same vision and pulling in the same direction.”

Aquilini, who appeared on Sportsnet 650 last Thursday, wished Linden well but refused to provide any reasons for the breakup, which he compared to a marriage ending.

“Sometimes you look forward and you can kind of see the writing the wall,” Linden said Monday. “I think there was a bit of that. It always works out for the best at the end, and I think this was a situation that did.”

Earlier, he said: “I told my wife many years ago that I’d never go into politics because that would be too intense. I think being president of the Canucks might be worse. There’s more scrutiny in being president, manager, coach of the Vancouver Canucks than there is in any political forum.

Everything you do is scrutinized left, right and centre, right? That’s one of the things I definitely won’t miss.”

Linden cited young Canucks Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson, as well as prospects like Adam Gaudette, Kole Lind, and Jonathan Dahlen as proof that the hockey team is moving in the right direction.

Pettersson, of course, suffered a head injury Saturday against the Florida Panthers when he was thrown to the ice by Panther Michael Matheson. The NHL is conducting a phone hearing with Matheson over the incident and the defenceman may be suspended.

Sportsnet’s Starting Lineup Francesco Aquilini on the state of the Vancouver Canucks October 11 2018 Your browser does not support the audio element.



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The Canucks’ lack of a physical response against Matheson in the final 15 minutes of the third period sparked outrage on the West Coast and ignited debate about retribution and whether winning a hockey game, which Vancouver did, 3-2, should be a priority above avenging the loss of an emerging star.

“The days of the enforcer are gone,” Linden said. “I don’t even think that works any more. It worked in the 80s, when games meant less, and the early 90s. But now, guys are paid too well and need to do their jobs. They’re not going to answer the bell or fight or whatever. It’s a changing dynamic.

“As a player, your instinct is to think about winning. The opportunity (to go after Matheson) may not present itself in the last 10 minutes of a game. Guys want to win. Many may not have seen what happened. There’s a time and place and obviously at that juncture of the game, guys are focused on winning.”

Told that Cliff Ronning, Linden’s Canucks teammate in the 1990s, tweeted things would have been different had Gino Odjick been on the Vancouver bench, Linden said: “That was 25 years ago.”

The Canucks are expected to update Pettersson’s condition when they practice Monday afternoon in Pittsburgh. They play the Penguins on Tuesday.