Part I: The Hat and the Canucks Along the banks of the South Saskatchewan River, you'll find a landmark, in a small Alberta town that houses a national past time. Ash Avenue is home to the Medicine Hat Arena, which will play host to the Saskatoon Blades on March 21 in what will be the final regular season game in the historic venue. TSN 1040 Canucks play-by-play man Jon Abbott has more.

Along the banks of the South Saskatchewan River, you'll find a landmark, in a small Alberta town, that houses a national past time. Ash Avenue is home to the Medicine Hat Arena, which will play host to the Saskatoon Blades on March 21 in what will be the final regular season game in the historic venue.

Ahead of its closing, we invite you to enjoy a three part series tracking some great stories of the people that have found their way to Vancouver who have beginnings in "Tiger Town." While the rink opened in 1970, some of the more dominant WHL seasons arrived in the '80's and with them, a hometown hero.

Trevor Linden was born April 11, 1970 – the first year of existence for the legendary arena. Linden had taken a liking to many sports, but a love for hockey broke through, thanks to the hometown team.

“Growing up in Medicine Hat at that time, in Alberta, the Flames weren't there, the Oilers weren't there, so the NHL was really a TV show on Saturday nights for us....it wasn't ‘real’,” Linden said. “That's why I identified so closely with the Medicine Hat Tigers; that was real to me.”

Linden would get to a few games as a seven or eight-year-old and followed the team thanks to legendary radio play-by-play man Bob Ridley. He singled out Tom Bast as one of his favourite players. It might have something to do with the fact Linden's grandmother, (a huge Tigers supporter) landed an autograph from the captain, which quickly became a prized possession for young Trevor. His goal to play for the Tigers would be realized a few years later.

Laying the stepping stones for Trevor to play for his hometown team was then GM, Russ Farwell. Linden would be “listed” at age 12 and would graduate from the 'AAA' Medicine Hat Tigers midget team to the WHL Medicine Hat Tigers junior team to finish their season. He would score two goals in five games before sticking with the team for the playoffs.

“It was like a dream come true,” Linden said. “It was overwhelming and a bit intimidating, being on the very ice I dreamed of playing on. I remember back when I was that age a lot of people saying, ‘you don't want to play in your hometown because that's too much pressure, everyone knows you, you don't want to do that.’ I loved it! I was fortunate. I lived at home, and my parents weren't hockey people. They were really supportive and that was it.”

After completing the 1985-86 campaign as WHL regular season champions, the Tigers would progress all the way to the league final, losing to Kamloops. Linden would be a mainstay to start the ‘86-87 season, but felt he didn't hit his stride until the second half of the year, aligning perfectly with the stretch drive to the playoffs and a long post-season run that would culminate in a Memorial Cup berth. Although the ‘73 team also reached the tournament, the '87 club made history, with the franchise’s first Memorial Cup, beating the OHL's Oshawa Generals in the final.

“To actually get there was surreal and then to win was special, for sure,” an almost speechless Linden said.

The following year proved to be even more special. In 1987-88 Linden blossomed, recording 110 points, second on the team to Mark Pederson's 111. Linden would take charge in the playoffs, recording 25 points to help position the Tigers for a chance to win their second straight Memorial Cup.

Once in the tournament, Linden posted seven points in five games and brought home his second straight championship. The Tigers remain one of only three teams in the modern era of the Memorial Cup to capture back-to-back titles.

Reminiscing about his two titles, Linden looked back on what makes his hometown so special.

“Medicine Hat is a perfect size city for junior hockey. That is what junior hockey is about. It creates a close bond with the players, and I think at the end of the day, that's what the players remember -- the bond with their teammates and how special that is. These kids come from all over Canada/USA to little Medicine Hat -- 60,000 people and in the middle of nowhere and they all walk away having a great experience. For me, that was my everyday life.”

Linden would have many more great hockey feats to follow.

After being drafted second overall by the Canucks, he would eventually finish his playing career in Vancouver on the 20th anniversary of his draft day, no less.

While he was part of a legendary group that provided the Canucks a thrilling Stanley Cup Final run in 1994, he now has his sights set on the promised land in a different role: Canucks President. Competitiveness and a fire for winning rest deep in his bones and many of the traits that made him a great NHLer and he hopes, a successful executive, can be tracked back his beginnings in Medicine Hat.

But he's not alone. Other members of the Canucks franchise, now under Linden's watch, have ties to the Alberta town and that's where we will take you next in part two of our three part series.