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Why Mark Messier is Often Regarded the Worst/Most Hated Vancouver Canuck of All Time. *Disclaimer: this is a purely informative piece meant to enlighten hockey fans on the influence of Mark Messier on the Vancouver Canucks. This is not meant to be offensive or controversial, and is only designed to allow readers to understand his relationship with the team and the fanbase.



With all due to respect to Mark Messier and the incredible career he had, there was a period in his career in which he was nothing short of a cancer to his team. Canucks fans who experienced this era are well aware of Messier's effect on the franchise and why he is the most hated player in franchise history. This thread is designed to share with readers the story of Mark Messier's relationship with the Vancouver Canucks throughout the 1990s. Undoubtedly, this story was not as well-documented outside of Vancouver, but those who had witnessed and experienced it over a period of those three years will be able to recall a tale of disappointment, division, and bitterness.



The story begins in the 1996 off-season when the Canucks were in search of a top-line center. Pat Quinn, the Canucks' general manager at the time, had targeted Wayne Gretzky as his free agent of choice. Unfortunately, Quinn's own impatience resulted in him presenting Gretzky with an ultimatum in the middle of one summer's evening, calling him in the middle of the night to make a decision about where he would sign. Gretzky took offense and ultimately chose not to sign with Vancouver. Having missed this opportunity, another high-profile free agent centerman, Mark Messier, was available the following off-season, and served as a consolation for Quinn's failure.



Messier signed with the team in the summer of 1997, and fans generally viewed the acquisition positively. They were well aware of how Messier had led the Rangers to the Stanley Cup victory in the 1994 playoffs and how he had decimated the hopes and dreams of Canucks fans that year. Fans were still bitter, but were generally prepared to forgive him; he was a Canadian player, a renowned leader returning to the Canadian west. When he joined the team, he was expected to contribute as one of the team's top players. He was the highest-paid player on the team, earning $6 million per year, and fans had certain hopes for him.



Instead, his signing marked the beginning of a period of disaster for the franchise. As soon as he joined the team, he demanded to wear the unofficially-retired #11, which had been retired to acknowledge and respect the passing of an original Canuck, Wayne Maki, in 1974. The organization gave him the number without the consent of Maki's family, which sparked outrage from the family. At this point, the team had a new owner, having bought the team from the Canucks' previous long-time owners, the Griffiths family, after the latter had overspent to build GM Place. The McCaws were supposed to only own a share of the team, but took advantage of this opportunity to buy the remaining shares. The mysterious and very private McCaw brothers now owned the team, and business became very secretive and sketchy. Giving the #11 to Messier was one of these slimy decisions.



More on the Griffiths-McCaw story:

Quote: Here in Vancouver, the McCaw family remains shrouded in mystery. The brothers are notoriously media-shy and do not grant interviews. There has been little public indication of their plans for Orca Bay or their teams. Local sports fans take solace in the knowledge that the family also owns the arena, so they would gain nothing by moving their two prime tenants out of Vancouver. There's also some reassurance in the success that the McCaws had in building, then selling, their cellular phone business. But that's about all that anybody knows so far. When Orca Bay held the press conference to announce the change in Arthur's ownership status, John McCaw agreed to talk to the media afterwards only on the condition that no cameras or tape recorders be present in the room. Even then, he offered little in the way of a vision of the future of Orca Bay.



Mark Messier looked like only a shell of his former self. He was a totally different player, despite wearing the captain's "C" and being paid $6 million. Mickey Redmond mentioned in an early game between the Canucks and Red Wings during the 1997-98 season that Messier did not look like himself. He showed no heart, no grit, no passion. He played a lazy game and was often a liability.



The team struggled early in the season, and so GM Pat Quinn fired coach Tom Renney and introduced Mike Keenan to the team -- another mistake. Keenan immediately changed the dressing room philosophy and made the team feel even more uncomfortable; soon afterwards, the McCaws fired Quinn and promoted Keenan to GM as well as coach.



Keenan played favorites, often allowing Messier to roam in whatever role he was comfortable with. Messier, meanwhile, was often seen socializing with Keenan at Vancouver Grizzlies games. The two had a clear connection that the rest of the team did not share. As the Canucks continued to sink with Messier and Keenan at the helm, the organization did the unthinkable and traded away all of the fan favorite players, including the beloved long-time captain, Trevor Linden. Keenan traded away Linden, Gino Odjick, Kirk McLean, Martin Gelinas, and Dave Babych that season, leaving the Canucks with barely any of its previous personality. They were soulless, cycling through goaltenders, swapping parts, and remaining a bottom-dweller for three seasons. Keenan and Messier were in full control until Keenan was replaced by Brian Burke the following year.



Linden's camp later made clear that Messier's presence felt hostile, and that Keenan was a huge issue as well. Several players were outspoken about Messier, including Gino Odjick:



http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hoc...intso_canucks/

Quote: In the offseason, the Canucks signed Mark Messier, and Linden graciously gave up his captaincy to him. But the team continued to struggle with Renney, and he was fired on Nov. 12.



Keenan replaced Renney and was given the authority to make personnel changes. He did just that. From his arrival, Keenan feuded with Linden, and the coach got rid of his problem, angering the Vancouver fans.

Quote: Linden, asked to deal with Mark Messier's hostile takeover of the dressing room, responded by surrendering the captaincy.

Quote: Messier: Did the Canucks miss the Mark?: It has not been a vintage season for the Canucks and their newest captain.: [Final Edition]

Mason, Gary. The Vancouver Sun [Vancouver, B.C] 17 Apr 1998: E1 / FRONT.



...



Expectations. Oh, yea, there were certainly those. About $37 million US worth of them. And Messier was a big chunk of that... I've studied Messier up close this season and don't know him one ounce better than I did before he arrived. Well, maybe I do. I know how important his image is to him and how closely he guards and protects it. And monitors it too... Messier doesn't indulge in the easy banter of his teammates. After the game, after he's showered and dressed, he steps before his dressing room stall, stiff-backed, chin up, to offer his pronouncements on the game. Then he's gone... He's often moved through this season alone. On the plane and team bus, he's sat by himself, deep in private thoughts. Most players couldn't summon the nerve to sit and chat with him. Which surprised me. I thought the art of team building, as Messier so expertly knows it, happened differently.



...



Messier's contribution this season will mostly be measured by his performance on the ice... His play away from the puck has been the biggest concern. But let's be clear here: this was not one of Messier's strong suits in New York either. He still thinks offence first... But Messier's defensive lapses have given other teams goals. And cost the Canucks games. Personally, this has been the most annoying aspect of Messier's conduct this season: Never once did I hear him single out his own poor play after a bad game... I never heard Messier say that this year: `that was my guy who scored. I have to pick him up. It cost us the game.'



What I have heard from Messier has surprised me. A great deal of talk about injuries that have plagued him. There were also the over- blown comments about the arena's bad ice. Regardless, it's often sounded like excuses and I've never known Mark Messier to rely on an excuse in his life.



...



Messier was always the teacher's pet. In Keenan's eyes, he could do no wrong. While the coach didn't hesitate to rip into anyone else for lackadaisical play, he would never finger his captain. If I was a player on that bench, watching the way Messier played some nights, I'd have problems with that. Because it smacks of preferential treatment. Which is okay if someone is playing like a superstar, but not if his wide circles are costing you goals.



While this might have cost Messier some respect in the dressing room this season, a bigger problem has been the role he's played in personnel decisions. Former Canuck Gino Odjick's outspoken comments about Messier's thirst for power and the influence he has on all trades, speak best to the problem the Canuck captain has... there's no question he's had input on moves. Shortly after arriving he talked to Tom Renney about a few players he thought weren't of any use to the team. And I can see how this might create problems for teammates... At times Messier has wanted to distance himself from this role and at other times he hasn't.



He's been a skating contradiction. When I talked to him in January he told me the team needed to be completely restructured.



... Quote: I blame Messier: With the Canucks captain in his sights, Gino Odjick hits his Mark: [Final Edition]

Gallagher, Tony. The Province [Vancouver, B.C] 02 Apr 1998: A64.



Gino Odjick has been thinking about speaking his mind for quite some time since leaving Vancouver. On Wednesday, perhaps the most popular player in the history of the Canucks pulled the trigger. The target was Mark Messier, the man Odjick says consults regularly with coach and acting GM Mike Keenan on trades and management moves and is largely responsible for the shambles this season has become. While declining to say what put him over the top and made him finally decide to speak out, Odjick started at the beginning.



"Messier was brought here to help lead us... and everybody was on board waiting to go along with him," said Odjick, who was in his eighth season with the Canucks when traded to the New York Islanders March 23..."... We were all looking forward to the season positively. It was going to be great. But right from the start it was clear he wanted to have all the power and wanted his own people around him.



"He didn't break a sweat for the first 10 games and just waited for Tom Renney and Pat Quinn to get fired.



"He talks to ownership all the time and he's responsible for Keenan being here and he's part of most of the trades... He's responsible for a lot of the changes.



"Look what happened with Trevor (Linden) in St. Louis when Keenan gave him (hell). Did he come over to him and say, 'Look Trev, we're with you?' He didn't say a word. How can you be captain like that? How can the team be together that way? He's not with the players. He's the one who controls everything."



...



"They signed him to help us but all he wanted was most of us out of there so he could bring in his own people. The organization has always been great, but he just wanted to tear it apart and do it his way. But you'll never see Keenan bench Messier, no matter how bad he plays."



Odjick did not pretend he was crucial to the success of the Canucks or any other team.



"I'm nobody. I'm not the kind of player who can carry a team or make a big difference. I haven't won six Stanley Cups, but I've always been able to look everyone I've ever played with in the eye. I've been honest and I've got to be honest. He (Messier) just wants to destroy everything so he gets the power. Everyone is brought in to play for Mark."



... Quote: Messier calls for team unity: Canucks' captain angry with loose- lipped teammates airing beefs through the media, calling it `completely unacceptable.': [Final Edition]

Mason, Gary. The Vancouver Sun [Vancouver, B.C] 10 Jan 1998: D1 / FRONT.



...



"Ninety per cent of the players don't want to do it because it's so hard and maybe they don't see themselves in the role that they're playing or maybe they don't see themselves being played in the right situations or themselves being successful individually. Maybe they're under contract, maybe they're playing out their option. There's a million reasons why they don't."



...



"Everybody wants a player who's played on a championship team at some point." You look at this Canuck team and you see a $37 million US lemon. Messier looks at this team and says the payroll doesn't mean anything. "If anything, it's masqueraded some of the real problems here that are hampering the team. I think you have to take money out of the equation. This team needs to be completely restructured. Talent is only one element of many elements that it takes to be a competitive team, let alone a championship team."



...



"In my mind there's definitely a formula to winning. And I know, from all the championship teams I've played on, it's always the same kinds of things that were in place..." Messier has thought a lot about winning, about the richness of the team experience when it all comes together. "I can't teach my students; I can only help them explore themselves," Messier says, quoting a well-known Buddhist verse.



...



Some people feel Messier's own play hasn't exactly been stellar. That Keenan is asking everyone else to go out and punish the opposition except Messier. He says his game has changed over the years. He isn't as physically dominating a player as he once was because the players in the league have changed. They're bigger and faster. And they don't allow Messier to do the things he once did.



"And let's face it, I'm not 25 years old anymore. But I feel great physically and mentally. I'm as motivated as ever to do what it takes to win." He's also playing 25 to 30 minutes a game and when you're playing that much, at his age, you have to use your brains a bit more, not run at everything that moves. In an interview filled with important messages, Messier delivers a final one. His allegiance is completely to his teammates. He is not, as some have suggested, a GM disguised as a captain... Messier makes no apologies for sitting courtside with Keenan and owner John McCaw at a recent basketball game. A scene that cemented the impression in some people's minds that he was aligned more with management than the players. He says McCaw's a friend who invited him to attend the game.



"I don't think there's anything wrong with that because there was nothing more than that. That's the way I want it and that's the way it should be."



...



One wouldn't think of Messier as a good leader during his time in Vancouver; he was a tyrant.



Also, in reference to some of his complaints:

Quote: Sore elbow behind Messier's frustrating season Vancouver Canucks' fans boo team captain who is averaging less than a point a game

Kerr, Grant. The Globe and Mail [Toronto, Ont] 26 Mar 1998: S.3.



VANCOUVER -- Mark Messier has been fumbling with the puck for several weeks because of a sore arm. Now the proud captain of the Vancouver Canucks must fight back the disappointment of being jeered by fickle fans at GM Place.



Messier heard the boo birds this week and admitted he's having a hard time playing up to even his own standards, let alone the expectations of fans after signing a three-year, $20-million (U.S.) contract.



Vancouver fans shocked long-time observers Tuesday when they suddenly turned on Messier, 37, and booed him in the second period after the centre took the puck away from unsuspecting teammate Brian Noonan in the offensive zone against the New York Islanders. The play was innocent enough and the two players seemed to joke about it later on the bench.



But fans were in no mood for frivolity as they've come to expect much more from the veteran of 19 seasons in the National Hockey League.



...



"It's been a frustrating month for myself, playing with my [sore] elbow," Messier said later. "I don't have any qualms about [the booing]. I expect a lot of myself and it's been a tough month.



"There's been no time to sit out and rest. When you play injured and you're not 100 per cent, you open yourself to some criticism and that's part of the game. You have to be big enough and strong enough to stand up to the criticism that comes your way when you're not playing up to your ability."



...



Messier had problems controlling the puck against the Islanders, once forcing an offside when the disc seemed to almost stick to the ice. Messier agreed with the observation that ice conditions in Vancouver have been terrible all season.



"We have the worst ice in the league," Messier said. "We've got guys that would excel on great ice. I don't think there's any excuse for it and it has to be addressed."



... Quote: Works Cited



Gallagher, Tony. "I Blame Messier: With the Canucks Captain in His Sights, Gino Odjick Hits His Mark." The Province: 0. Apr 02 1998. ProQuest. Web. 18 Oct. 2014 .



Kerr, Grant. "Sore Elbow Behind Messier's Frustrating Season Vancouver Canucks' Fans Boo Team Captain Who is Averaging Less than a Point a Game." The Globe and Mail: 0. Mar 26 1998. ProQuest. Web. 18 Oct. 2014 .



Mason, Gary. "Messier: Did the Canucks Miss the Mark?: It has Not been a Vintage Season for the Canucks and their Newest Captain." The Vancouver Sun: 0. Apr 17 1998. ProQuest. Web. 18 Oct. 2014 .





Mason, Gary. "Messier Calls for Team Unity: Canucks' Captain Angry with Loose- Lipped Teammates Airing Beefs through the Media, Calling it `completely Unacceptable.'." The Vancouver Sun: 0. Jan 10 1998. ProQuest. Web. 18 Oct. 2014 .

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/S...425/story.html

Quote: Linden claimed the decision to hand over the 'C' was his and his alone. "I didn't know what I was going to do and I didn't want to make a quick decision," Linden explained. "I wanted to see how it played out. You know, the day I was driving from Whistler to go to the [Messier signing] announcement I turned on the radio in my car and the first thing I heard was 'would Messier be captain?' "I was monitoring the situation and was waiting to see what felt right. And it just felt right. Now I'll be apprenticing under one of the best leaders in professional sport." Long-time Canuck GM Pat Quinn nodded his approval. "Let's face it, we acquired a player who has an aura of leadership about him," Quinn said of Messier. "Trevor felt it would be better to defer the captaincy to a person of Mark's presence and accomplishments." A month later, Quinn was fired. Four months later, Linden was traded to the New York Islanders.

Quote: He was an outstanding prospect as a teenager and won two Memorial Cups with the Medicine Hat Tigers. He was drafted second overall by the Canucks in 1988, had a wonderful 30-goal rookie season, was named captain at age 20 and nearly led his team to the Stanley Cup in 1994. So he was unprepared  would anybody be?  for the vicious verbal assault from new head coach Mike Keenan on Dec. 8, 1997. Keenan had replaced Tom Renney a month earlier and obviously wasn't enamoured with Linden or anything about him. Linden injured his groin just one week into Keenan's reign and returned to the lineup that fateful night in St. Louis. It was also Keenan's first time back in St. Louis after being fired by the Blues the previous season. With the Canucks down 4-1 heading into the third period, Keenan decided to unload on Linden. According to former Sun columnist Gary Mason, Iron Mike was incensed that Linden was commending some of his teammates for their effort to that point. "Shut the bleep up, just shut the bleep up!" Keenan screamed. "Who the bleep are you?" Keenan questioned Linden's pride in a tirade that continued for three or four minutes. Mason wrote that Keenan later apologized, but the damage was done. The relationship between coach and player was beyond repair. It was only a matter of time until Linden was gone. Two of his pals, Kirk McLean and Martin Gelinas, were traded on Jan. 2. The house cleaning in Vancouver was under way. Linden would be next. Quote: Iron Mike's got a friend in Messier

Star - Phoenix [Saskatoon, Sask] 08 Jan 1998: B3.



VANCOUVER (CP) -- Vancouver Canuck captain Mark Messier has come to the defence of head coach Mike Keenan, indicating the only controversy about the team should be its last-place standing.



Keenan has been in the eye of a media hurricane since Sunday when he publicly accused popular Canuck veteran Trevor Linden of playing at "50 per cent."



Details of his harsh treatment of Linden during a December game in St. Louis and apparently petty incidents involving traded winger Martin Gelinas were also reported in the Vancouver Sun.



"It depends what you think is controversy," Messier said Tuesday when asked about the turmoil that has engulfed the team in recent days.



...



Keenan smiled when he was told about Messier's comments.



"When you're in last place there's a tremendous amount of controversy," Keenan said.



...



Messier also played under Keenan in New York, where the two helped the Rangers to the Stanley Cup.



Keenan said Monday that he had some regrets about criticizing Linden through the media, rather than dealing with the player privately.



"I knew I was at risk by going public," he said Tuesday. "It was a high-risk move. I knew it would be controversial and I knew I'd be criticized. I took that risk because I care a great deal about Trevor. I want him to be part of this.



"Those people who find it most difficult to change, if in the end they can accept it, they're the strongest rooted. I'm very emotional. I care a great deal. Sometimes if I make errors I'm erring on the side of risk because I do care passionately about what I'm doing."



... Quote: Trevor Linden knew the trade was coming, he just didn't know where or when. He finally found out on Feb. 6, 1998. The first to tell him was equipment manager Pat O'Neill. He then heard it from head coach Mike Keenan moments later. He was off to the New York Islanders for young defenceman Bryan McCabe, promising but moody power forward Todd Bertuzzi and a third-round pick that became Jarkko Ruutu. After 10 years, Trevor Linden was finished as a Canuck. "It's a difficult day," said Linden, 27, at his farewell news conference. "I can't say enough about the time I spent here. The people have been tremendous. On the other hand, I knew something was going to happen. It's a chance for me to start again and move forward. "I have to say things weren't going really well here, the team was struggling and I was as well." At the heart of the trade was the poisonous relationship between Keenan, who became coach in mid-November, and Linden, the former franchise golden boy who had surrendered his captaincy to Keenan favourite Mark Messier. Everyone considered the moving of Linden as inevitable. "I don't know if the word 'inevitable' is correct," responded Keenan. "There was certainly a little bit of controversy that was expounded upon to make it a great deal of controversy by the media. "However, I think it should be noted that Trevor has unfortunately had some injuries this year and didn't quite get on track even before I arrived here." Linden was suffering from a knee injury when he was traded.



http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=453227

Quote: "You don't know this, but Trevor Linden had cracked ribs and torn rib cartilage for the last four games of the 1994 Stanley Cup Final," Cliff Ronning said. "You can't imagine what it's like to hear your captain, in a room down the hall, screaming at the top of his lungs as they injected the needle into his rib cage. Knowing him, he probably thought we couldn't hear. He would then walk into our dressing room like nothing had happened. That was inspirational." Quote: At one point in Game 6 in Vancouver, Linden crawled on the ice to get to his bench, he was in so much pain. Quote: "Quinn slowly groomed our team as he went along and he needed a captain who shared his philosophy of hard work," Ronning said. "Trevor never took a shift off. He sacrificed his body to block shots and did a lot of little things that some scorers won't do. That's what made him an excellent captain." Quote: Odd visits the Garage: Linden cheered, Messier jeered in homecoming: [Final C Edition]

Jamieson, Jim. The Province [Vancouver, B.C] 25 Mar 1998: A50.



In the strangest Canucks season in recent memory there were even more oddities Tuesday night at the Garage.



The visiting team's captain got a standing ovation from the sellout crowd, while the Canucks skipper received his first Bronx cheers of the season.



...



Linden was the subject of a moving video tribute in the pre-game ceremonies that ended with the scoreboard flashing Thanks Trevor to a roar from the crowd. But the Canucks scored the first goal of the game, 2:29 in, and never trailed.



"It was an odd day all around, with the trading deadline (at noon) and then Trevor and Gino (Odjick) playing for the other team," said Canucks defenceman Bret Hedican, now one of the longest- surviving members of the team. "We knew there would be a lot of emotion at the start of the game, so we tried to keep it simple."



...



The counterpoint to the love-in with Linden came in the second period when Canucks captain Mark Messier stole the puck from teammate Brian Noonan as he was teeing it up to shoot and then on the ensuing rush put himself offside.



The boos rained down on Messier, who was caught flat-footed by Claude Lapointe to create a two-on-one leading to the Isles' first goal near the end of the first period.



"It's been a frustrating month for me," said Messier, in reference to the tendinitis in his left elbow that's plagued him. "So I have no qualms about (the booing). I've had no time to sit out and when you play injured you open yourself up to criticism."



Messier lambasted the bad ice at GM Place, which has been a hot potato all season, blaming it for putting him offside.



... Quote: Works Cited



"Iron Mike's Got a Friend in Messier." Star - Phoenix: 0. Jan 08 1998. ProQuest. Web. 18 Oct. 2014 .



Jamieson, Jim. "Odd Visits the Garage: Linden Cheered, Messier Jeered in Homecoming." The Province: 0. Mar 25 1998. ProQuest. Web. 18 Oct. 2014 .



At the start of the following season, this is what Messier had to say:

Quote: Mess, Mike keeping faith: [Final Edition]

Gallagher, Tony. The Province [Vancouver, B.C] 17 Sep 1998: A60.



...



"I came into this with my eyes open," said Messier, fairly convincingly. "I knew from the players around the league last year this was going to be tough and a lot of changes to the structure and organization had to be made. I knew the players weren't here. And I didn't want an accelerated or rushed plan in because of my age. I know it doesn't work like that.



"I have no trouble with being in a position similar to Slava Fetisov. He won Cups the past two seasons at ages 39 and 40 while playing a lesser role and that's the situation I may be in when we win here. It might be sooner if a lot of these young guys can play. But I don't have to be in the prominent role to win again. I know I probably won't, I'll have to contribute in other ways and my role will change. I have no problem with that."



... Quote: Works Cited



Gallagher, Tony. "Mess, Mike Keeping Faith." The Province: 0. Sep 17 1998. ProQuest. Web. 18 Oct. 2014 .



Here is a fight involving Messier from the 1998-99 season. Aside from the fight itself, the more glaring detail is the comment Jim Robson, the Canucks' legendary play-by-play announcer, makes in the following video clip:



"We haven't seen that from Messier for two seasons."







Messier's poor influence was reduced to his on-ice effort level. Off ice, Messier became less of a distraction; that said, with no other veterans really left on the team Messier could say what he wanted to the kids.



After the 1997-98 debacle, Messier was simply an old, ineffective, lazy player on a bottom-dwelling team that he and Keenan were responsible for creating.



Some players such as Markus Naslund valued Messier's time with the team. By 2000 he had been "tamed" so that he was not barking at the GM or the coach about what he should do. If he would have done the same things that he did under Keenan (and Renney/Quinn), Burke would have sent him packing. Messier was simply a veteran voice by that time, and familiarity with him was something Burke likely valued in terms of maintaining consistency within the leadership group. Clearly the rest of Vancouver was calling for Messier to leave. In that sense, he finally gave Canucks fans what they wanted; at the same time, within the dressing room he had started something and decided not to see it through all the way.



It was also McCaw who specifically instructed Burke to try to keep Messier.

Quote: Burke now in full control: New general manager of the Vancouver Canucks leaves no doubt he is in total control of the hockey operations of the franchise. He's also pleased his head coach is Mike Keenan.: [Final Edition]

MacIntyre, Iain. The Vancouver Sun [Vancouver, B.C] 23 June 1998: F3 / FRONT.



...



Resolute, charismatic and passionate, Burke delivered Monday a manifesto about the new Vancouver Canucks, of whom he was officially named general manager during a downtown press conference.



Mike Keenan will stay with the organization but is strictly the coach. Period.



Captain Mark Messier will play better, and won't be making any trades. Period.



...



Many are expecting titanic clashes between Keenan and the equally strong-minded Burke, although the new general manager made it clear he believes they will co-exist and flourish.



But it is also clear who will go if someone must.



"Much has been written about Mike Keenan," Burke said, voluntarily raising the coach-manager issue. "I want to be crystal clear; I have been given complete authority over the hockey operations. That said, I'm thrilled Mike Keenan is coaching.



"I have no problem with Mike personally or professionally. There will be no buyout of Mike Keenan. He is the coach and will coach the hockey team. It's not something I've been saddled with; it's something I've been blessed with."



Told that Keenan spoke often last season about the merits of the Detroit Red Wings' management structure, which allowed coach Scotty Bowman to control player personnel, Burke said: "That's not our model. I'll accept input from Mike and value it, but I have authority to make decisions.



"I think it's important for Mike and I to make sure everyone knows what the boundaries are. They will be clear."



Those boundaries will be clear in the dressing room, as well, as Burke emphasized that players shall concern themselves only with what happens on the ice.



Last season, Messier was criticized by ex-teammate Gino Odjick for overstepping his role as captain and using his friendship with Keenan to orchestrate the trade of teammates.



...



"I will simplify his life," Burke said of Messier. "All he has to do is play. All Mark Messier is going to be for me is a player, and he is a great player. We need Mark to play better than he did last year. I think he can and will. I don't see any change in his ability as a leader. Maybe his minutes get reduced, but that's up to Mike Keenan. We need Mark to bounce back and have a better year."



...



"Inmates don't run the asylum..."



...

Quote: It's time to end Canucks circus: Keenan, Burke had uneasy trust from the outset: [National Edition]

National Post [Don Mills, Ont] 26 Jan 1999: B17.



The circus must end now. The firing of Canucks coach Mike Keenan and the hiring of Marc Crawford draws to a close one of the sorriest and ugliest chapters in the history of the franchise. It's been a 15-month soap opera that began with the firing of then-GM Pat Quinn in November 1997, and ended this weekend when the relationship between Keenan and current GM Brian Burke was mercifully, terminated. That's enough. Now Burke has the mountainous task of regaining the trust of fans alienated during this period, rebuilding a hockey team that has many flaws and re-establishing respect for a team and organization that has become somewhat of a joke.



...



Most troubling is how the situation got to this point. It was clear from the outset there was an uneasy trust between the two. Burke did not like or respect Keenan before he took over as GM. Questions will also remain about how effective Keenan was in Vancouver.



...



In the end, his firing didn't have as much to do with the job he was doing behind the bench as the tangible mistrust between him and Burke, who was not going to make progress with this organization until he had a coach he felt comfortable with. It's too bad that three-quarters of a season was essentially wasted before this inevitable conclusion was reached.



When you add this latest controversy to what the Canuck fan has had to endure the last two years it is mind-boggling. And Orca Bay owner John McCaw must assume full responsibility.



...



More bizarre was the notion of a coach changing a hockey team while a search for a general manager was under way. You had the prospect of a coach handing over a team to someone else after radically changing it in his likeness. What if the new GM had a different vision? Which, to an extent, is what happened.



Keenan's goals were more short term, win now, while Burke clearly was in favour of building a Cup contender for the future.



The search for a GM was another sideshow, as Orca Bay courted the likes of Glen Sather and others. Eventually, the job was given to Burke, who arrived with a refreshing, no-nonsense attitude and a promise that he would bring stability to an organization in shambles.



...



Which led, ultimately, to the next spectacle: Burke's much- maligned travelling roadshow to try and drum up interest in his precious, if slightly flawed, commodity. Meantime, the season began with more empty seats than people had seen in ages.



... Quote: Keenan speaks out after firing, defends record with Canucks

The Globe and Mail [Toronto, Ont] 03 Feb 1999: S.2.



Vancouver -- Mike Keenan "just can't understand" why he was fired as the Vancouver Canucks' coach just two games after Pavel Bure was traded and wishes his ousting "had been handled better" by the National Hockey League club.



Keenan, writing in his weekly column in The Sporting News, defended his record with the struggling team and said he had no problems working with Canucks general manager Brian Burke.



"But in many ways, it appears Burke had his mind made up right from the beginning," Keenan said in his first public comments about his Jan. 24 firing.



Keenan was replaced by Marc Crawford in a messy departure that dragged through the weekend. Rumours began to swirl on radio talk shows Friday night, and a local newspaper said the coach was gone Saturday. But Burke didn't officially tell Keenan he was fired until Sunday afternoon.



"It's unfortunate how this all came down. I wish this had been handled better," Keenan said.



In announcing his decision, Burke voiced harsh criticism of Keenan, calling the season "an unmitigated disaster" since Christmas and saying he had "issues with the way our hockey club has been coached."



... short term. By all accounts, reports are that the practices under Keenan were pathetic. The team lacked defensive structure. It's quite possible that all of the moves Keenan was doing (with Messier's advice) were not for the sake of a rebuild and that he really had no idea what he was doing.



Here are all of the transactions pre-Burke:



http://www.nucksmisconduct.com/2011/...s-1970-present

Quote: January 1998: To Vancouver: Sean Burke, Geoff Sanderson and Enrico Ciccone

To Carolina: Martin Gelinas and Kirk McLean.



February 1998: To Buffalo: Geoff Sanderson

To Vancouver: Brad May and a 3rd round pick in 1999 (Rene Vydareny).



To Philadelphia: Mike Sillinger

To Vancouver: 5th round pick in 1998 Draft (Garret Prosofsky)



To Vancouver: Peter Zezel

To New Jersey: 2nd round pick in 1998 (Anton But)



To Islanders: Trevor Linden

To Vancouver: Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan McCabe, and a 3rd round pick in 1998 (Jarko Ruutu)



March 1998: To Boston: Grant Ledyard

To Vancouver: 8th round pick in 1998 (Curtis Valentine)



To Philadelphia: Sean Burke

To Vancouver: Garth Snow



To Toronto: Lonny Bohonos

To Vancouver: Brandon Convery



To Islanders: Gino Odjick

To Canucks: Jason Strudwick



To Philly: Dave Babych

To Vancouver: 5th round pick in 1998 (Justin Morrison) not a rebuilding move.



Then there's Messier complaining that the "bad ice" is the reason for the poor play of the Canucks...

Quote: Memo to Messier: Just shut up: [Final Edition]

Taylor, Don. The Province [Vancouver, B.C] 31 Mar 1998: A33.



I've compiled a list of five things I'm getting sick and tired of hearing from pro athletes. I call it the "Just-shut-your-mouth-go-out-and-play-your-little- game-and-collect- your-big-paycheck-and-while-you're-at-it-learn- the-meaning-of-the-wo rd-`considerate'-list". The "Shut-your-mouth- list" for short. Before I go further, let me say I admire pro athletes. Heck, I'm almost 40 years old and I still dream of being one. Pro athletes get to be rich and famous. They're real-life heroes. Kids love them. So do members of the opposite sex -- which, probably more than anything else, explains why I still dream of being a pro athlete.



But, all too often lately, something will come out of an athlete's mouth that makes me think only people with the intelligence of a sofa get paid in sports.



They come up with comments that make me want to go up to some multi-millionaire superstar and say "Just shut your mouth, go out and play your little game and collect your big paycheck. And while you're at it, learn the meaning of the word `considerate.' See how easy it is to come up with a name for a list?



I put together the "Shut-your-mouth" list after hearing what Mark Messier had to say last Tuesday after Vancouver Canucks' game against the New York Islanders. That's when Messier, who played horribly that night, complained about the ice at GM Place. "We have the worst ice in the league," Messier said. "We've got guys who excel on great ice. There isn't any excuse for it and it's got to be fixed. Yeah, we've gone to management about it."



So that's what's wrong with the Canucks! Bad ice. Their nightmare season can be blamed on the GM Place maintenance crew. Not John McCaw, Mike Keenan or Pat Quinn. And certainly not Messier. No, the problem has to do with some guy making eight bucks an hour holding a rubber hose.



Memo to Mark: Sure the ice at GM Place is bad. But guess what? The Canucks aren't the only team that has to play on it.



Messier's weak comment falls into the No. 1 category on the "Shut- your-mouth" list: Athletes who complain about playing conditions after a poor performance. Here are the others:



1. Players who use the word "insulted" in response to a contract offer that would make the Sultan of Brunei jealous. Do you know what I'm insulted by? Spoiled brats.



3. Players who say, "I'm tired of losing. I want to be traded to a contender." My response: "If you're tired of losing, why don't you stay positive, work harder and turn the team you're with into a contender. Or would that take too much patience and class?"



4. An NBA favorite: Players who say the tax situation in Canada sucks. I'll tell you what sucks. Not knowing what it's like to be taxed on a seven-figure income.



5. Players who thank God for helping their team win. So, what did God do for the team you beat?



Well, that's it. I hope you enjoyed the "shut-your-mouth" list. If you didn't, please keep in mind I wrote it down while skating at GM Place. Damn crappy ice. Quote: Ice leaves Mess cold: Now captain's blaming the rink for Canucks play: [Final Edition]

Chapman, Paul. The Province [Vancouver, B.C] 26 Mar 1998: A80 / FRONT.



The worst in the league. ...



Harsh words from Mark Messier.



But make no mistake, the Vancouver captain isn't stating the obvious about the standings-challenged Canucks.



He's pointing the finger at the GM Place ice. Messier slammed the ice, saying their million-dollar talent is suffering on a dime- store surface. But the man in charge of the ice says Messier is offside.



"I didn't like his comments," said Mark Wohl, Supervisor of Plant Operations. "The ice is not the worst in the league. We've had our problems, but it's no worse than the ice in Philly or Chicago, New York or any of the other places where they have multiple events.



...



"When Messier says things like that it brings down the whole crew. We're trying to get the best sheet of ice for them, too."



Messier lambasted the GM Place ice as the NHL's shoddiest after Tuesday's game against the New York Islanders, warning the problem "has to be addressed."



What drew Messier's wrath was that the ice for Tuesday's game had been covered by tons of wood, chairs and a mammoth stage for two weeks due to Sunday's Juno Awards.



"We have 250 events in here a year," he said. "When the floor is covered and you have forklifts going in and out it takes its toll.



... Burke orchestrated between July 1998 and June 2000.

Quote: July 1998: Canucks sign UFA Murray Baron.



October 1998: To Vancouver: Trent Klatt

To Philadelphia: 6th round pick in 2000 (Roman Cechmanek?).



December 1998: Vancouver claimed Harry York off waivers from Pittsburgh.



January 1999: Vancouver traded Pavel Bure, Bret Hedican, Brad Ference and Canucks' 3rd round pick in 1999 or 2000 (2000, Robert Fried) to Florida for Ed Jovanovski, Dave Gagner, Mike Brown, Kevin Weekes, and Florida's 1st round pick in the 1999 or 2000 Draft (2000, Nathan Smith).



February 1999: Vancouver traded Chris McAllister to Toronto for Darby Hendrickson.



Vancouver claimed Steve Washburn off waivers from Florida.



March 1999: Vancouver traded Jamie Hushcroft to Phoenix for future considerations.



June 1999: Vancouver signed Alfie Michaud as a FA.



Vancouver traded Bryan McCabe and a 1st round pick in either 2000 or 2001 (2000, Pavel Vorobiev) to Chicago for a 1st round pick in 1999.



July 1999: Canucks sign UFA Andrew Cassels.



August 1999: Canucks sign free agents Doug Bodger and Martin Gendron.



September 1999: Vancouver claimed Chris Joseph off waivers from Ottawa.



October 1999: (Detroit claimed Manny Legace off waivers from Vancouver.)



Atlanta traded Corey Schwab to Vancouver for a cond. pick in 2000 (Round 2, Libor Ustrnal).



December 1999: Islanders traded Felix Potvin and 2nd and 3rd round (Thatcher Bell) picks in 2000 to Vancouver for Bill Muckalt, Kevin Weekes and Dave Scatchard.



January 2000: New Jersey traded Vadim Sharifjanov to Vancouver for conditional draft picks.



(Phoenix claimed Chris Joseph off waivers from Vancouver.)



March 2000: Vancouver traded Alexander Mogilny to New Jersey for Denis Pederson and Brendan Morrison. Quote: Works Cited



Chapman, Paul. "Ice Leaves Mess Cold: Now Captain's Blaming the Rink for Canucks Play." The Province: A80 / FRONT. Mar 26 1998. ProQuest. Web. 7 July 2015 .



Gare, Joyce. "Turning Over Leafs with Quintessential Coach FEATURING: Pat Quinn / Toronto Boss Ken Dryden was always Preaching Newness, then He Turned to the Stogie-Smoking, Meat-Eating Embodiment of Old-Time Hockey." The Globe and Mail: 0. Jul 04 1998. ProQuest. Web. 7 Nov. 2014 .



"It's Time to End Canucks Circus: Keenan, Burke had Uneasy Trust from the Outset." National Post: B17. Jan 26 1999. ProQuest. Web. 7 July 2015 .



"Keenan Speaks Out After Firing, Defends Record with Canucks." The Globe and MailFeb 03 1999. ProQuest. Web. 7 July 2015 .



MacIntyre, Iain. "Burke Now in Full Control: New General Manager of the Vancouver Canucks Leaves no Doubt He is in Total Control of the Hockey Operations of the Franchise. He's also Pleased His Head Coach is Mike Keenan." The Vancouver Sun: F3 / FRONT. Jun 23 1998. ProQuest. Web. 7 July 2015 .



Taylor, Don. "Memo to Messier: Just Shut Up." The Province: A33. Mar 31 1998. ProQuest. Web. 7 July 2015 .

Quote: Shawked Originally Posted by Not his fault about the money, Linden or the captaincy.



They paid him based on his name and prime years, which I'm guessing caused them to shed Linden's salary and to open up a top 6 spot. Plus Im sure Linden would've (or did? Cant remember) asked for a trade after being stripped of the captaincy and have it given to a newcomer.



I'm sure in hindsight he would've spent those 3 years in Manhattan (giving him a solid 13/14 years with NYR) and said **** the money.



The Canucks' plan was to buy out his contract, spending $2 million to do so, and then re-signing him at a lower price so that the team could save some money in the midst of their financial crisis.

Quote: Messier, Burke schedule meeting: [Final Edition]

Prince George Citizen [Prince George, B.C] 08 Feb 2000: 9.



VANCOUVER (CP) -- Vancouver Canuck general manager Brian Burke plans to meet with Mark Messier Thursday to discuss comments the veteran captain made during the all-star break that he expects to be traded before the NHL season ends.



"I have made this clear," Burke said Monday. "Mark has a no trade (clause) and I'm not going to ask him to waive it. What other thoughts Mark or I have, I'll sit down with him on Thursday."



Burke refused to say if Messier has asked to be traded.



"If Mark had made a request like that I certainly wouldn't share that with you," he said.



This weekend in Toronto Messier was asked if he'd be surprised by a trade before the NHL's March deadline.



"No, that wouldn't surprise me," Messier told the Vancouver Province.



"I don't know how this will play out. But whatever happens, I want it handled in a professional manner. This franchise has been through a lot in the last two years and it doesn't need another black eye. I don't want this turning into a sideshow."



Asked if he was surprised by Messier's comments, Burke said: "I wouldn't say that."



Messier, 39, is in the final season of a three-year, $18-million US contract. Vancouver owns a two-year option on Messier at $6 million US a year. A buyout would cost Vancouver $1 million US for each year.



... Quote: Messier warming to idea of staying with Canucks: [Final Edition]

Nanaimo Daily News [Nanaimo, B.C] 20 Mar 2000: B3.



VANCOUVER (CP) -- The Vancouver Canucks are in the middle of a youth movement, and 39-year-old captain Mark Messier apparently wants to stay here to lead it.



Messier's future with the Canucks is still far from certain. But conversations with Messier over the weekend indicate he'd like nothing more than to sign a new deal during the summer and finish his career here.



"I could see that happening," said Messier. "I don't know what will happen but I'm enjoying myself here. It's a good place to play. The city, the facilities are good and the club is definitely moving in the right direction. I feel comfortable with the surroundings. I like the management, the coaching staff, the young players."



Messier signed a three-year, $18-million US contract in July 1997. The contract included a clause that gave the Canucks the option on two more years or the right to buy Messier out for $2 million US and let him walk as an unrestricted free agent.



Recently, Canucks president and general manager Brian Burke told Messier the club would opt for the latter, because they're trying to reduce their payroll.



But they'll try to sign Messier for less money when he's a free agent this summer, and Messier's talk now is music to Burke's ears.



"I'm very pleased with the way this has worked out," said Burke. "We've been honest with Mark and accorded him the respect he deserves. Now there's a chance he'll come back. I'm excited about that.



"There's money left in the budget to sign Mark but it's way too early to handicap our chances."



There is a possibility that another NHL team will make an offer for both dollars and length of contract that Messier can't refuse. But Messier wouldn't say this weekend what kind of money he'd be looking for.



"I haven't thought about that yet," said Messier when asked what it would take to retain his services. "I'd prefer to sit down in the summer and discuss it. Obviously, I'm not going to rule out anything. I'll talk to Vancouver. I'll be a free agent and I'll definitely look at offers."



Messier says he's aware of the financial constraints Canadian teams face. He understands Burke's decision last Tuesday to trade veteran Alexander Mogilny and his $5.2-million US contract (for 2000- 2001) to New Jersey for a pair of 24-year-old forwards, Denis Pederson and Brendan Morrison.



...



"Something is starting to develop. We're stockpiling some young talent and it's kind of exciting." Quote: Burke likes Messier's plan: The Canucks' captain said he would like to play here another season, after three poor years, to be part of the team's turnaround.: [Final Edition]

MacIntyre, Iain. The Vancouver Sun [Vancouver, B.C] 18 Mar 2000: C2.



"I probably could have gone out and talked to some other teams and solidified myself [financially] for the next year or two," Messier said of his refusal to demand a trade at Tuesday's deadline. "But that's really not that important to me. I'll play the year here and I'll talk to Vancouver in the summertime. Putting money completely aside, I'll see whether they want me back just as a hockey player. But I think it's more important to know they want me back as a player contributor and then try and work out something with the salary."



The Canucks, who lost $91.9 million Cdn over the last four seasons, are under pressure to trim their payroll and shed Alex Mogilny and his $5.2-million US 2000-01 salary on Tuesday.



But Burke retained Messier, who is making $6 million US this season and has two option years at that amount, hoping the Canucks will be able to re-sign him for less this summer after paying a $2- million US buyout.



Messier, 39, would be an unrestricted free agent and could go anywhere he wants, but is willing to consider dropping his salary into the $2-3 million US range to stay with the Canucks.



...



Messier told The Sun he is having fun playing for the Canucks and, having been part of three losing seasons, wants to be around for the club's turnaround.



...



Owner John McCaw has instructed him to try keeping Messier, and money has been budgeted for a renegotiation of the 39- year-old's contract.



"We've always left room in there to try to keep Mark," assistant general manager and chief negotiator Dave Nonis said.



... Quote: Canucks would use Messier $$$ to build roster: Vancouver general manager Brian Burke is still not convinced his captain won't return.: [Final Edition]

Pap, Elliott. The Vancouver Sun [Vancouver, B.C] 06 July 2000: F3.



Despite the fact his team has reported massive financial losses, Vancouver Canuck general manager Brian Burke said Wednesday he will not sit on the money saved if captain Mark Messier leaves the organization as a free agent.



The Canucks have offered Messier a new deal, believed to be for one year and somewhere between $2.5-$3 million US. Vancouver has already paid Messier a $2 million US buyout to escape the heavy $6 million US price tag on his option years. Messier is expected to land with the New York Rangers.



Ranger GM Glen Sather told a conference call in New York that he spoke twice to Doug Messier, Mark's father-agent, on Wednesday. They likely weren't talking about the weather.



"If Mess doesn't come back, we don't intend to put that money in the bank," Burke said at a gathering to showcase prize recruits Daniel and Henrik Sedin. "It will free up some money, not just for free agents but to trade for a more experienced player. But I don't think Mark Messier's departure is as imminent as some of you guys do. However, I wouldn't be surprised if he moves on. It's his call."



Burke, whose team lost $25 million Cdn last season, admitted that the free agent crop doesn't excite him and that he has not tendered an offer to anyone other than Messier.



"I look at the age of some of the players who are signing and I look at my team and I say `well, who would they take minutes away from?' " Burke explained. "If we sign Igor Larionov [39], who loses the minutes? I always come back to Harold Druken loses the minutes or Artem Chubarov loses the minutes or Josh Holden loses the minutes and it doesn't make sense to me. It really doesn't.



"So when I saw the list, I wasn't excited and I'm still not."



... Quote: Messier leaves Canucks waiting: [Final Edition]

Pap, Elliott. The Vancouver Sun [Vancouver, B.C] 05 July 2000: F1 / FRONT.



After four days of NHL free agency, the Vancouver Canucks do not know where they stand in their attempts to re-sign captain Mark Messier.



Canuck general manager Brian Burke, back Tuesday from a fishing trip, admitted he has not heard a word from the Messier camp.



"No, I haven't heard from them but I don't expect a call until they're ready to go," Burke said. "Mark knows our level of interest. I won't be offended if they don't call with daily updates and I won't be offended if the next call I get is from them saying Mark is going to New York or Phoenix or where ever."



... Quote: Rangers sign Messier, expected to make it official today: Two-year deal will give the veteran centre more money over that term than he has ever made.: [Final Edition]

MacIntyre, Iain. The Vancouver Sun [Vancouver, B.C] 13 July 2000: F1 / FRONT.



He has returned.



After weeks of speculation, the New York Rangers have re-signed Mark Messier, the Manhattan folk-hero who led his team to the 1994 Stanley Cup but bolted three years ago to the Vancouver Canucks for three lucrative, losing seasons. The Rangers are expected to make it official today.



And at age 39, with his most robust, productive years long passed, Messier will collect more money than in any of his previous 21 National Hockey League seasons.



Messier, who made $6 million (US) in each of his three seasons in Vancouver, will earn a minimum of $11 million to play for the Rangers the next two seasons.



Including the $2 million Messier pocketed last month when the Canucks bought out the final two years of a five-year contract, and an attainable bonus-clause of $1 million with the Rangers, the future Hall-of-Fame centre likely will gross $14 million for what are expected to be his final two seasons in the NHL.



The Canucks, who as a courtesy to Messier left a $3 million, one- year offer on the table even when it became apparent he was returning to the Rangers, now have to fill holes at first-line centre and in leadership.



... Quote: Messier makes a promise: [Final Edition]

MacIntyre, Iain. Prince George Citizen [Prince George, B.C] 14 July 2000: 11.



NEW YORK -- On the day he wore a New York Ranger jersey for the first time in more than three years, Mark Messier promised what he was unable to deliver as a Vancouver Canuck during his exile from Manhattan: A playoff berth.



"I'll guarantee you we'll make the playoffs," Messier, 39, said Thursday during an emotion-packed New York press conference. "I don't think anybody will be disappointed in the next two years."



Later, in a conference call with Vancouver reporters, Messier conceded his biggest regret was failing to make the playoffs with the Canucks and leaving the National Hockey League club before having another chance to do so.



Messier, bought out of the remaining two years of his contract in Vancouver by general manager Brian Burke, rejected the Canucks' compromise offer of $3 million US for one season to sign a two-year deal with the Rangers worth a minimum of $11 million.



"I had a lot of time to think about it," Messier said. "If I didn't sign in New York, I would have been coming back to Vancouver. I'm very disappointed we weren't able to see it through.



...



"When I went to Vancouver, I felt it was the right thing to do in my heart," he said. "And it feels the same way leaving there." Quote: Works Cited



MacIntyre, Iain. "Burke Likes Messier's Plan: The Canucks' Captain Said He would Like to Play here another Season, After Three Poor Years, to be Part of the Team's Turnaround." The Vancouver Sun: C2. Mar 18 2000. ProQuest. Web. 7 July 2015 .



MacIntyre, Iain. "Messier Makes a Promise." Prince George Citizen: 11. Jul 14 2000. ProQuest. Web. 7 July 2015 .



MacIntyre, Iain. "Rangers Sign Messier, Expected to make it Official Today: Two-Year Deal Will Give the Veteran Centre More Money Over that Term than He has Ever made." The Vancouver Sun: F1 / FRONT. Jul 13 2000. ProQuest. Web. 7 July 2015 .



"Messier, Burke Schedule Meeting." Prince George Citizen: 9. Feb 08 2000. ProQuest. Web. 7 July 2015 .



"Messier Warming to Idea of Staying with Canucks." Nanaimo Daily News: B3. Mar 20 2000. ProQuest. Web. 7 July 2015 .



Pap, Elliott. "Canucks would use Messier $$$ to Build Roster: Vancouver General Manager Brian Burke is Still Not Convinced His Captain Won't Return." The Vancouver Sun: F3. Jul 06 2000. ProQuest. Web. 7 July 2015 .



Pap, Elliott. "Messier Leaves Canucks Waiting." The Vancouver Sun: F1 / FRONT. Jul 05 2000. ProQuest. Web. 7 July 2015 .



A dozen years later, however, the story still had not ended. Though Messier had by this time been long retired, news surfaced in 2012 that echoed the shady business practices of the McCaws and Messier's sense of entitlement from that era. The latter had included a clause in his contract that would allow him to profit from any increase in the franchise's value from 1997 to 2002. Of course, since the McCaws had, in 2004, sold their share of the team to the current owners, the Aquilinis, Messier went after the latter:



http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/M...843/story.html

Quote: Mark Messier wins $6-million arbitration case against Vancouver Canucks

Hall of Fame centre awarded multimillion-dollar settlement

By Brad Ziemer, Vancouver Sun August 3, 2012



VANCOUVER - Mark Messier has been awarded a $6-million settlement in the Hall of Famers long-standing grievance over money he claimed he was owed by the Vancouver Canucks.



George Nicolau, an 87-year-old New York-based arbitrator with a long history of handling high-profile sports arbitration cases, rendered his decision recently after meeting with both sides earlier this year.



The Canucks made only a brief comment on the decision.



Canucks Sports & Entertainment is aware of the arbitrators decision and will have no further comment on the matter, the team said in a statement to The Vancouver Sun Thursday.



Messier did not return a message left for him with the New York Rangers, for whom he serves as special assistant to the president.



Messier signed a five-year, free-agent contract with the Canucks in 1997 for $6 million a season. The dispute between Messier and the team is believed to centre on deferred money the hockey player felt was owed to him.



It has been reported that Messier had a clause in his contract that would compensate him if the value of the Canuck franchise increased over the life of his contract, which expired in 2002.



http://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendan...h.php?tmi=8756



Quote: Average Yearly Attendance (GM Place, 1995-96 to 2001-02):



1995-96: 17,796

1996-97: 17,320

1997-98: 16,957

1998-99: 15,802

1999-00: 14,641

2000-01: 17,026

2001-02: 17,712



Quote: Low Canadian dollar blamed for more losses: [Final Edition]

David Baines, Sun Business Reporter. The Vancouver Sun [Vancouver, B.C] 12 Nov 1998: F1 / FRONT.



The Vancouver Canucks lost $36.6 million during the year ending June 30, raising the teams cumulative losses to $56.4 million, team owner Northwest Sports Enterprises Ltd. announced Tuesday.



...



Financial statements show the team's losses were once again financed by John McCaw, sole shareholder of Orca Bay Sports & Entertainment, which owns 86 per cent of Northwest Sports and 100 per cent of GM Place and the Grizzlies.



Last year, McCaw contributed $35 million to Northwest Sports in exchange for preferred shares, raising his total financial aid to the company over the past three years to $68 million.



... Quote: Canucks' owner has to find more cash: Escalation in salaries: Year- end losses balloon to $33.6-million: [National Edition]

Schreiner, John. National Post [Don Mills, Ont] 12 Nov 1999: C5.



VANCOUVER - John McCaw, the Seattle billionaire who has poured $91.9-million into the Vancouver Canucks since buying the team five years ago, is going to have to come up with more cash to keep it afloat this season.



Northwest Sports Enterprises Ltd., the McCaw-controlled company that owns the team, yesterday reported a $33.6-million loss on revenue of $54.4-million for the year ended June 30, and warned "the company will incur another significant loss in fiscal 2000 due to the challenges of operating a National Hockey League franchise in Canada."



In its annual information form, the company said: "The losses arose primarily because of the continued escalation in players' salaries and unfavourable Canada/U.S. dollar exchange rates."



The losses at Northwest Sports have ballooned since 1995 when, on revenue of $40-million, the company lost $2.5-million. The Vancouver Canucks has become one of the most vociferous of the Canadian NHL teams that are asking for tax breaks or other government help to keep the Canadian teams viable.



...



The hockey franchise has contributed to its problems by missing the playoffs in each of the past three seasons and by not having a significant playoff run since 1994.



The ticket revenues in the year ended June 30 were $27.1- million, down from $32.6-million the year before.



The team has had some contribution from the rest of the league, including $4.6-million as its share of expansion proceeds -- new teams each pay $80-million (US) and that is divided among existing franchises.



Two new U.S. franchises will join the league next season.



The team also received $3.1-million from an NHL-operated program called the Canadian Currency Assistance Program. The NHL had a total of $8.4-million available under the program last season and four Canadian teams shared it.



1993: $61 million

Quote: FUZZY FINANCIAL PICTURE; NHL revenues grow despite recession; Part 1: [Final Edition]

MacGregor, Roy. Edmonton Journal [Edmonton, Alta] 18 Dec 1993: H3.



...



Using similar criteria, the magazine determined that the Vancouver Canucks are rising in value more quickly than any other hockey franchise - 35.4 per cent in the past year. The Canucks are now worth $61 million. The new arena they are building will increase their value even more.



...

Quote: Most valuable franchise: NFL Cowboys; Expos are lowest- ranked baseball franchise, worth $75 million: [FINAL Edition]

The Gazette [Montreal, Que] 20 Apr 1994: D5.



...



The remaining Canadian-based NHL clubs were valued at: Toronto Maple Leafs, $77 million; Vancouver Canucks, $69 million; Calgary Flames and Ottawa Senators, $50 million; Edmonton Oilers, $46 million; Quebec Nordiques, $43 million; Winnipeg Jets, $35 million.



...

Quote: Sports franchise values skyrocketing Survey lists Toronto Blue Jays as leading Canadian club; Montreal Expos decline in value

Milner, Brian. The Globe and Mail [Toronto, Ont] 02 May 1996: C.13.



Among other Canadian-based teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs ranked 80th among all franchises - and seventh among hockey teams - with a value pegged at $96-million. The Vancouver Canucks came in 84th at $91-million and the Montreal Canadiens were 88th at $86-million. At the bottom end, Ottawa Senators ranked 103rd at $56-million, Calgary 104th at $54-million, and Edmonton Oilers at 109th at $42-million.



...

1999: $96 million

2002: $110 million

Quote: Cowboys' worth rated most in pro sports

The Globe and Mail [Toronto, Ont] 30 Nov 1998: S.8.



...



The Montreal Canadiens are seventh in the 27-team NHL at $167-million, Toronto Maple Leafs 11th ($119-million), Vancouver Canucks 19th ($100-million), Ottawa Senators 20th ($94-million), Calgary Flames 25th ($78-million) and Edmonton Oilers 26th ($67-million). The expansion Nashville Predators were not included in the list.



... Quote: Senators rank low on Forbes' value list: Financial survey of NHL franchises shows Ottawa team overtaxed, Bryden says: [Final Edition 1]

Warren, Ken. The Ottawa Citizen [Ottawa, Ont] 30 Nov 1999: C1 / FRONT.



...



The Canadiens are considered the most valuable Canadian franchise, sixth overall, at $175 million U.S.



The Toronto Maple Leafs are rated ninth ($151 million), the Vancouver Canucks 21st ($96 million), the Calgary Flames 25th ($78 million) and the Edmonton Oilers 26th ($72 million).



... Quote: Canucks etc.: [Final Edition]

Kuzma, Ben. The Province [Vancouver, B.C] 09 Dec 2002: A31.



According to Forbes magazine, the Canucks are worth more than Edmonton, Buffalo, Calgary and Ottawa.



The Canucks estimated worth is $110 million US while the Senators are worth $95 million, the Flames $94 million, the Sabres $92 million and the Oilers $86 million.



Toronto is the most profitable NHL franchise with an operating profit of $24.2 million US on revenue of $112 million. Washington had the biggest operating loss, $25.4 million on revenue of $61 million. St. Louis was next with an $18-million operating loss on revenue of $70 million.



Detroit is worth $266 million, an increase of 18 per cent over last year. The Rangers, who missed the playoffs, dropped five per cent to second at $263 million.



Toronto is the most valuable Canadian franchise, ranked No. 7 with a value of $241 million. Montreal is ranked No. 10, worth $187 million.



...



Let's look at the growth of the other Canadian markets during this period. The Leafs jumped up from $96 million to $241 million between 1996 and 2002, while the Habs grew from $86 million to $187 million. The Oilers' value doubles from $42 million to $86 million. The Flames' value increased from $54 million to $94 million. The Senators increased from $56 million to $95 million. In fact, the Canucks experienced the least amount of growth out of any of the Canadian markets during this period.



As of 2014, the Canucks are valued at $800 million. The team was purchased in 2005 at a price of $205 million.



http://www.forbes.com/teams/vancouver-canucks/



Messier was awarded $6 million because of a small growth in the franchise's value that, for the most part, happened after he left town (since he did not play in Vancouver between 2000 and 2002) and that really, in the grand scheme of things, is quite insignificant.

Quote: Works Cited



Baines, David. "Low Canadian Dollar Blamed for More Losses." The Vancouver Sun: F1 / FRONT. Nov 12 1998. ProQuest. Web. 7 July 2015 .



"Cowboys' Worth Rated most in Pro Sports." The Globe and MailNov 30 1998. ProQuest. Web. 7 July 2015 .



Kuzma, Ben. "Canucks etc." The Province: A31. Dec 09 2002. ProQuest. Web. 7 July 2015 .



MacGregor, Roy. "FUZZY FINANCIAL PICTURE; NHL Revenues Grow Despite Recession; Part 1." Edmonton Journal: H3. Dec 18 1993. ProQuest. Web. 7 July 2015 .



"Most Valuable Franchise: NFL Cowboys; Expos are Lowest- Ranked Baseball Franchise, Worth $75 Million." The Gazette: D5. Apr 20 1994. ProQuest. Web. 7 July 2015 .



Schreiner, John. "Canucks' Owner has to Find More Cash: Escalation in Salaries: Year- End Losses Balloon to $33.6-Million." National Post: C5. Nov 12 1999. ProQuest. Web. 7 July 2015 .



Warren, Ken. "Senators Rank Low on Forbes' Value List: Financial Survey of NHL Franchises shows Ottawa Team Overtaxed, Bryden Says." The Ottawa Citizen: C1 / FRONT. Nov 30 1999. ProQuest. Web. 7 July 2015 .



Perhaps the most encapsulating moment of the relationship between Canucks fans, Trevor Linden, and Mark Messier is from the dying seconds of Game 6 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals. It was Messier who was responsible for taking a cheap shot at Linden while he was already down injured, injuring him even further, away from the play in the final seconds of the game in Vancouver. You can see it all in the video below at the bottom of the screen. Linden was left broken physically, but pieced himself together for the mightiest performance of his career. The moment spawned one of the most memorable quotations in franchise history: "he will play, you know he'll play."







Despite a broken nose, broken ribs and torn rib cartilage, and now this injury, Linden rallied back with two goals in Game 7 to bring the Canucks within one goal of tying the game. Contrasted with Messier, Linden was the heart and soul of the Vancouver Canucks. The team had faced Messier in 1994 when the latter took liberties with his dirty play. By 1998, the team's leader had been displaced by a heartless, disinterested egomaniac, the same man who had robbed them of a championship and who now would impose his destructive influence on the team.



Canucks fans have every reason to despise Mark Messier. The Mark Messier years in Vancouver were an absolute disaster, and fans have every reason to despise him, Mike Keenan, and John McCaw. Messier was overpaid, created distraction after distraction, controlled the dressing room and his own fate with a sense of entitlement, disrespected long-time players, traditions, and members of the community, and played as lazily as one could imagine as the team's supposed leader, leading them only towards the bottom of the NHL standings. He destroyed the Canucks' hopes in 1994 and injured the captain, then played a role in Linden's removal and mutilated the team from within. If there was any one individual who could be identified as this franchise's greatest evil in the 1990s, it would be him.



To summarize the situation with regards to Messier and Keenan's time in Vancouver:



The moves that Keenan made, aside from the Linden trade, were not helpful; the behavior and statements of Keenan, in addition to his clash with Brian Burke, demonstrate that he wanted nothing more than to swap out players for those who he felt could bring immediate success to the team, sometimes at below value. Again, why was Jyrki Lumme allowed to become a UFA without any return in a trade? Keenan felt he could make a playoff push. This is the definition of poor management.



Keenan's sights were set on winning. Post #257 examines this:



http://hfboards.hockeysfuture.com/sh...&postcount=257



Peter Zezel, 32 years old at the time, spent the first half of the year in the AHL. The Canucks lost a second round pick for an aging player. Zezel was finished.

Quote: quoipourquoi Originally Posted by Would it have been awesome if Todd Bertuzzi and Sean Burke had performed at the level in 1998 that they would go on to become in 2002? Absolutely. did say he was impatient. You can't give credit to a GM who trades for a player and then trades him away a handful of games later. You don't just flip Sean Burke after just over a dozen games for Garth Snow. That's not rebuilding; that's trying to win right away, being upset that there are no immediate results, and then trying again to achieve immediate results. In the process he's yelling at players, smashing sticks and embarrassing individuals in front of their teammates all while Messier, who said he would protect the players, takes the coach's side; rumors are planted so that players feel more vulnerable and become more likely to listen to him. Messier is, meanwhile, immune to criticism from the coach and plays a lazy game while touting himself as the person who will bring order to the roster. He communicates with Keenan and plays a role in these trades that are meant to give Keenan more authority through the breaking up of the core; this doesn't work because at the end of the season the whole team is still angry at Keenan. It's a ridiculous way of operating the team.



Two months later, the deal had essentially become:



Martin Gelinas and Kirk McLean for Brad May, Garth Snow, Enrico Cicone and Buffalo's 3rd round pick in 1999.



That's a terrible return, especially since Gelinas was only 27 at the time and eventually rebounded. In the two seasons prior to 1997-98, he had back-to-back 30-goal campaigns and 35 goals in 1996-97.



Keenan wanted to win and when he saw that the new acquisitions weren't doing well he flipped them right away.



Besides that move, here are the others. The only deal that isn't below average is the Linden trade. Linden's trade value the previous season was quite high, as in fact there were rumors of him potentially being traded to Boston for Adam Oates in 1996-97. Keenan's Linden trade worked out but, at the time, was far less in terms of value than what Linden was worth at the time, which some articles have alluded to.

Quote: To Philadelphia: Mike Sillinger

To Vancouver: 5th round pick in 1998 Draft (Garret Prosofsky)



To Vancouver: Peter Zezel

To New Jersey: 2nd round pick in 1998 (Anton But)



To Islanders: Trevor Linden

To Vancouver: Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan McCabe, and a 3rd round pick in 1998 (Jarko Ruutu)



March 1998: To Boston: Grant Ledyard

To Vancouver: 8th round pick in 1998 (Curtis Valentine)



To Toronto: Lonny Bohonos

To Vancouver: Brandon Convery



To Islanders: Gino Odjick

To Canucks: Jason Strudwick



To Philly: Dave Babych

To Vancouver: 5th round pick in 1998 (Justin Morrison)



To Vancouver: Garth Snow, Enrico Ciccone, Brad May, 3rd round pick in 1999 (Buffalo)

To Carolina/Philadelphia: Kirk McLean, Martin Gelinas Quote: quoipourquoi Originally Posted by Everyone wants their rebuild to last one week so that the fans don't lose hope and everyone wins championships, but it doesn't always work that way. Let's not minimize how great some of those moves were for the team just because Zezel didn't pan out and Todd Bertuzzi didn't peak the day after New York was fleeced. Brian Noonan, who won the Stanley Cup with Keenan in 1994 and was a part of three of his previous teams, was sick of Keenan.



The team may have certainly declined, sure, but what Keenan and Messier did was cause a ****storm and alienate everybody, making promises and then accomplishing the exact opposite, portraying themselves as those who would fix problems when they in fact turned themselves into a bigger problem than the Canucks had previously had. Their antics and behavior were a significant part of the problem. They went in there promising to extinguish the fire but instead poured gasoline all over it and made the problem worse. The product was different but not better in 1997-98, and the whole year played out as a gong show. The team faced financial difficulty and the fans lost trust in the organization. The entire ordeal was embarrassing and disrespectful to the fans, to the players, and to the whole organization. People were actually ready to welcome Messier at the start of the season but by the end there were only boos to be heard.



Keenan was the first to go. Burke definitely did not want to keep him around.

Quote: quoipourquoi Originally Posted by And also don't pretend that the whole outside fans just don't understand argument is going to fly when there is a split in opinion on Mark Messier's performance between an emotional fan-base who loved the 1994 Canucks a little too much and the new management who wanted Messier back in 2000-01. They're not fans from New York and Edmonton; they ARE the Vancouver Canucks, and they wanted Mark Messier at $4 million. he, for the most part, assembled. This is why he wanted to re-sign Messier at a lower price (aka keep him at a reduced price). The other option, as Burke mentioned, was to bring in Igor Larionov, but that would not have made as much sense since he would have been a new voice to that group.



Whereas Mike Keenan might have traded away Markus Naslund, Burke refused to.



After a few years in other markets, Burke brought back Linden to be the team's veteran voice. Keeping Messier was about maintaining consistency within the dressing room after it had been stabilized by Crawford and Burke.



Keenan tried to create a new culture that just happened to be worse than whatever the Canucks had previously. Messier was complicit and took Keenan's side; whenever Mike had a fit, it was always the player's fault... until Keenan admitted his mistakes the following year. That admission by Keenan of his mistakes in October 1998 while still the Canucks' coach says everything that needs to be said about his reactionary decisions and lack of long-term direction with the team. It was not about rebuilding for Mike; it was about winning. Burke didn't see eye-to-eye with Keenan at all; their philosophies clashed. Burke rescued the team from what might have been the continuation of Keenan's failed attempt(s) to retool on the fly, shock players and achieve immediate results.



If Keenan had become the team's general manager in 1998, there likely would have been very little stability for the team for quite some time longer. Keenan always had issues with maintaining relationships, and his mantra was always to win. McCaw's smartest decision was to hire Burke and give the organization room to breathe and rebuild.



This is not about having "too much affection" for the 1994 squad. People were angry because of terrible management, lies and hypocrisy. The 1997-98 season is when most of the damage was done. In the second and third seasons, Messier's issues were only limited to his emotionless on-ice performances and his broken relationship with fans, which affected ticket sales and reduced the team's popularity. People are angry about the period in which Messier and Keenan embarrassed the organization -- not even for the sake of future success but for a "one week rebuild;" it's about the creation of a toxic culture and the hypocrisy of Messier who got a free pass for his lazy, uninspired play and excuses, and yet who talked about reforming the roster. The 1998-99 and 1999-00 seasons were the aftereffect of the 1997-98 season. Messier continued to play poorly, being detrimental to the on-ice product, and yet Burke built a foundation with smart free agent signings and some good drafting. Off the ice, Messier was limited to doing the only thing he was expected to do -- motivate the players under the watchful eye of Marc Crawford. Under Mike Keenan, Messier was no off-ice motivator but was instead an intrusive presence who did not try to mediate or protect players when Keenan lashed out at them irrationally; he was someone who complained about various factors that were hurting his game, and he tried to have a managerial presence, often leading to him siding against his teammates.



Burke told Messier to just play and stop voicing his opinion to management about various issues or making excuses for his own performance (ice issues, travel, etc). From that point on, he just worked with whatever Burke gave him. Burke was able to control Messier's ego. Consistency within the leadership group, as mentioned earlier (but apparently ignored), is the reason for Burke wanting to re-sign Messier, with Burke having been successful at having the player only be a player.



Of course, seeing as there were so many negatives about Messier's time with the Canucks and only one redeeming factor (which was to be a motivational speaker), he failed to be a positive contributor to the organization. Overall, he was a big failure in Vancouver, one who in Year One was an absolutely awful presence in every aspect and who in Years Two and Three was a big on-ice dud. 1997-98 was his greatest offence amidst three years of supreme disappointment.



*UPDATE* April 4th, 2013:



Here's more evidence:



Gino Odjick, one of the NHL's great enforcers and a long-time member of the Vancouver Canucks, was asked about this in interview Dan Russell of CKNW 980 this past Thursday (April 4th, 2013). Odjick had been very outspoken at the time of Messier's arrival about how vile the latter's presence was to the team. His view has not changed. The full interview is a half-hour long, part of Russell's series about the hockey journey of NHL players from youth to retirement. I've posted the segment in which Gino discusses his time with the Canucks, his fights, and his friendships.



Inevitably, the issue of Mark Messier and Mike Keenan was brought up, and Gino was clear to state he believes Messier and Keenan destroyed the dressing room. Nobody on the team was comfortable with how Keenan and Messier imposed their authority on the organization:



13:00:







*UPDATE* April 9th, 2013:



More on Mike Keenan, this time from Markus Naslund circa 2003. A Swedish article was posted with comments from Markus; many discussed it in this thread:



http://hfboards.hockeysfuture.com/sh...ad.php?t=13842



http://hfboards.hockeysfuture.com/sh...56&postcount=7

Quote: Originally Posted by Riddarn Well he basicly just says that Keenan is an @sshole.. http://hfboards.hockeysfuture.com/sh...20&postcount=9

Quote: Originally Posted by Heimy I remember reading awhile back that Keenan almost dealt Naslund for next to nothing and was only prevented by an injury. Would someone that recalls the details of that story please re-post it?



Thanks





btw, Mrs. Heimy and I spent some time in beautiful Vancouver over the summer and fell in love with the place. http://hfboards.hockeysfuture.com/sh...1&postcount=10

Quote: Originally Posted by Peter Griffin Quote: Originally Posted by Heimy I remember reading awhile back that Keenan almost dealt Naslund for next to nothing and was only prevented by an injury. Would someone that recalls the details of that story please re-post it? He was almost dealt to the Sens for a mid-round pick, but Todd Bertuzzi got injured and the Canucks had to keep Naslund because they didn't have enough forwards. http://hfboards.hockeysfuture.com/sh...9&postcount=11

Quote: Originally Posted by Mr. Canucklehead ^4th Round Draft Pick, to be precise. We would have looked as foolish as Pittsburgh. The deal was all but done when Todd Bertuzzi took an Adrian Aucoin slapshot to the leg and was done for the season. Naslund was kept around due to a shortage of NHL ready wingers on the Canucks team.



It would have been a typical Keenan thing to do.



~Canucklehead~ http://hfboards.hockeysfuture.com/sh...2&postcount=12

Quote: Originally Posted by Freudian



Quote: He is the coach that scares his players, that sends talents to the farm team just to ***** with them. And that hates swedes.

"Mike Keenan likes to scare guys and humiliate them just to elevate himself" Markus Näslund has to say about the most feared coach in the NHL.



Näslund is not known as a loud mouth who says negative things about others but there is one person he can't stand. Mike Keenan. Iron Mike. "He used to go after us younger and less established players and after a while I was sick of it" Markus says.



Mike Keenan had his breakthrough when he in less than a year turned Rangers from a loserteam to SC-champions 1994. From then he has wandered from team to team and scaring players but not won any more titles.



Keenan - now in Florida - is infamous for his rock hard work methods, that often turns into pure personal attacks on the players. Brutal coaching. Or Management by fear. "If you grew up in Sweden with the security we have here it is totally different having Keenan as coach" Näslund says.



The list of swedish players that has had problems with Keenan is long.



Keenan and Näslund immediately was on a collision course when Iron-Mike arrived in Vancouver. The 98-99 season the swedish goalgetter started in the press box. Sent there by Keenan. He just wanted tough players. "It was a very hard period. Luckily for me players got injured and I got the chance. That turned things around for me and I am glad I was able to get through it" Näslund says with a sigh.



Despite the fact that it was under Keenan Näslund got his breakthrough he is still bitter. "His ways really got to me. A person that has to degrade others is a small person" Näslund says. Rough translation:



http://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendan...h.php?tmi=8756



*UPDATE* November 7, 2014:



We have confirmation that the descriptions of Messier's conduct in this thread are factual. We have a key voice confirming that all of these things took place.



Pat Quinn confirms Mark Messier was involved with the team's management in 1997-98. Quinn was the Canucks' general manager in 1997, and he, of all people, would have witnessed Messier's conduct first-hand. He was at the very center of the situation.



http://search.proquest.com/docview/384630778

Quote: Turning over Leafs with quintessential coach FEATURING: Pat Quinn / Toronto boss Ken Dryden was always preaching newness, then he turned to the stogie-smoking, meat-eating embodiment of old-time hockey.

Gare, Joyce. The Globe and Mail [Toronto, Ont] 04 July 1998: A.15.



...



Quinn had been pushed by ownership, or, more precisely, the owner's minions, to fire coach Tom Renney. Not a few general managers would have given the coach a pink slip simply out of self-preservation -- the "better him than me" plan. Quinn didn't, because he understood that a coaching switch would provide only cosmetic changes, nothing substantial.



"I wouldn't fire the coach," Quinn said. "To have done that would have gone against my better judgment. A lot of things we did in Vancouver I'd second-guess. No problem with that. But increasingly, a lot of decisions were being made that were based on things other than that [my better judgment]."



..



No firing: This would be one time when Quinn tried to impose his better judgment on the direction of the team. The last time, as it turned out.



In a few hours, before the Canucks' next game, in Washington, Quinn would be made aware that his time with the club, not Renney's, was at an end. There was immense disappointment, Quinn would later admit, but also a sense of relief.



...



If there was any doubt about that point, it was clarified when Orca Bay only notionally replaced him for the remainder of the season with Steve Tambellini and Steve Bellringer. Tambellini was a former public-relations flack and Bellringer had but two months of experience as a John McCaw underling.



This wasn't the end of hockey's descent into hell occupied by corporate devils' apprentices. It was just the point where Quinn was pushed off.



...



"There were mixed messages . . . an unmanageable situation really," Quinn said. "In the summer of 1996, ownership was pushing me to cut the payroll. Then the push came to sign Wayne Gretzky. When we weren't able to sign Wayne that summer, [Orca Bay] thought that we needed a name. That meant the next summer the push was to sign Mark Messier."



Messier was supposed to fill a leadership void -- at least that's the way it was imagined by marketing types who had only ever ventured into the Canucks' room for autographs. Messier, in fact, created a leadership void, a space previously occupied by the general manager.



"Messier was consulted by ownership on personnel decisions," Quinn said. "When that happens, it's deadly."



It was a long way from a ticket to Tulsa. Messier's word, not Quinn's, was final. How could Renney coach or Quinn manage a team whose captain had the owner's ear? They couldn't. Soon enough, they weren't.



... Quote: Works Cited



Gare, Joyce. "Turning Over Leafs with Quintessential Coach FEATURING: Pat Quinn / Toronto Boss Ken Dryden was always Preaching Newness, then He Turned to the Stogie-Smoking, Meat-Eating Embodiment of Old-Time Hockey." The Globe and Mail: 0. Jul 04 1998. ProQuest. Web. 7 Nov. 2014 . Quote: Originally Posted by "Pavel Bure: The Riddle of the Russian Rocket," Kerry Banks, 1999, p231-232. The Canucks only won one of their next 12 games and players continued to anonymously leak details about angry confrontations between Keenan and his players. On January 30, in a long article in the Vancouver Sun, Gary Mason revealed more details of discord, describing an incident in which Donald Brashear challenged his coach to duke it out on the bench, and a heated verbal exchange between Odjick and Keenan that was sparked when Keenan sarcastically described Odjick as "one of Pat Quinn's boys."



The revelations didn't sit well with Messier, who kept tabs on what the press was saying by having clippings delivered to him daily. Messier sounded off in an interview with Mason, calling the leaks "completely gutless." He disputed that Keenan's tongue-lashing of Linden in St. Louis was extreme. "Sure, it's tough, but you have to be able to accept criticism and accept the truth." He also denied, as some believed, that he was a GM disguised as a captain. "My allegiance has always been toward the players. I have nothing to do with player personnel on this team or who's going where."



Messier's comments rang hollow. Rather than defend his teammates, he had been silent when Keenan began his verbal assaults, and contrary to his claim of noninvolvement in personnel decisions, Messier actually had considerable input on player moves. As early as training camp, he had talked to Renney about players he felt were of no value to the team. As Quinn told Toronto's Globe and Mail in 1998, "Messier was consulted by ownership on personnel decisions. When that happens it's deadly."



In fact, the entire episode was filled with duplicity, as Keenan himself, rather than his players, had actually been the source of some of the leaks. It appeared Keenan was actually attempting to foster a sense of paranoia and mistrust in order to increase his control. The tactic worked. Alarmed by the dissension, Orca Bay gave Keenan a promotion in late January that gave him the power to make trades. He had become the de facto GM. With all due to respect to Mark Messier and the incredible career he had, there was a period in his career in which he was nothing short of a cancer to his team. Canucks fans who experienced this era are well aware of Messier's effect on the franchise and why he is the most hated player in franchise history. This thread is designed to share with readers the story of Mark Messier's relationship with the Vancouver Canucks throughout the 1990s. Undoubtedly, this story was not as well-documented outside of Vancouver, but those who had witnessed and experienced it over a period of those three years will be able to recall a tale of disappointment, division, and bitterness.The story begins in the 1996 off-season when the Canucks were in search of a top-line center. Pat Quinn, the Canucks' general manager at the time, had targeted Wayne Gretzky as his free agent of choice. Unfortunately, Quinn's own impatience resulted in him presenting Gretzky with an ultimatum in the middle of one summer's evening, calling him in the middle of the night to make a decision about where he would sign. Gretzky took offense and ultimately chose not to sign with Vancouver. Having missed this opportunity, another high-profile free agent centerman, Mark Messier, was available the following off-season, and served as a consolation for Quinn's failure.Messier signed with the team in the summer of 1997, and fans generally viewed the acquisition positively. They were well aware of how Messier had led the Rangers to the Stanley Cup victory in the 1994 playoffs and how he had decimated the hopes and dreams of Canucks fans that year. Fans were still bitter, but were generally prepared to forgive him; he was a Canadian player, a renowned leader returning to the Canadian west. When he joined the team, he was expected to contribute as one of the team's top players. He was the highest-paid player on the team, earning $6 million per year, and fans had certain hopes for him.Instead, his signing marked the beginning of a period of disaster for the franchise. As soon as he joined the team, he demanded to wear the unofficially-retired #11, which had been retired to acknowledge and respect the passing of an original Canuck, Wayne Maki, in 1974. The organization gave him the number without the consent of Maki's family, which sparked outrage from the family. At this point, the team had a new owner, having bought the team from the Canucks' previous long-time owners, the Griffiths family, after the latter had overspent to build GM Place. The McCaws were supposed to only own a share of the team, but took advantage of this opportunity to buy the remaining shares. The mysterious and very private McCaw brothers now owned the team, and business became very secretive and sketchy. Giving the #11 to Messier was one of these slimy decisions.More on the Griffiths-McCaw story: http://www.lcshockey.com/issues/57/feature10.asp Before the season began, Trevor Linden gave his captaincy to Messier as a sign of respect, but later regretted giving the captaincy to him, as he felt Messier had imposed an unwelcome presence on the team. As soon as Messier stepped on the ice, fans knew he was not the same player he was even a year ago. Game footage from the 1997-98, 1998-99, and 1999-2000 seasons clearly show that Messier was not interested from the very start. Statistics affirm this as well. He was a disastrous signing, proving to be a lazy player who took short shifts, shied away from physicality, did not shoot the puck, nor carried with him his mean streak from past years. Those who witnessed those seasons know how dreadful he was.Mark Messier looked like only a shell of his former self. He was a totally different player, despite wearing the captain's "C" and being paid $6 million. Mickey Redmond mentioned in an early game between the Canucks and Red Wings during the 1997-98 season that Messier did not look like himself. He showed no heart, no grit, no passion. He played a lazy game and was often a liability.The team struggled early in the season, and so GM Pat Quinn fired coach Tom Renney and introduced Mike Keenan to the team -- another mistake. Keenan immediately changed the dressing room philosophy and made the team feel even more uncomfortable; soon afterwards, the McCaws fired Quinn and promoted Keenan to GM as well as coach.Keenan played favorites, often allowing Messier to roam in whatever role he was comfortable with. Messier, meanwhile, was often seen socializing with Keenan at Vancouver Grizzlies games. The two had a clear connection that the rest of the team did not share. As the Canucks continued to sink with Messier and Keenan at the helm, the organization did the unthinkable and traded away all of the fan favorite players, including the beloved long-time captain, Trevor Linden. Keenan traded away Linden, Gino Odjick, Kirk McLean, Martin Gelinas, and Dave Babych that season, leaving the Canucks with barely any of its previous personality. They were soulless, cycling through goaltenders, swapping parts, and remaining a bottom-dweller for three seasons. Keenan and Messier were in full control until Keenan was replaced by Brian Burke the following year.Linden's camp later made clear that Messier's presence felt hostile, and that Keenan was a huge issue as well. Several players were outspoken about Messier, including Gino Odjick:And, in the words of the New York Daily News' Frank Brown:Here are two articles from the end of the 1997-98 season detailing Messier's relationship with his teammates:Messier lost a lot of respect in the dressing room for his hypocrisy: he was lazy, offered some of the most uninspired play of anyone on the team, provided no leadership in the dressing room, and yet seemed to demand that changes be made to shape the room into something more inspired. He isolated himself from his teammates and spent no time developing any sort of relationship with the community. That's not the way to go. He wanted to play the role of manager while also being one the most overpaid players on the team and a terrible role model; to make matters worse, the team's long-time captain was present in the room while all of this unfolded. Linden and Keenan clashed; Messier was on Keenan's side. That was not a very pleasant dressing room.One wouldn't think of Messier as a good leader during his time in Vancouver; he was a tyrant.Also, in reference to some of his complaints:Another quotation from the Vancouver Sun is from Trevor Linden and Pat Quinn in retrospect:And more about his relationship with Keenan:Traded now was the team captain who had led the team through thick and thin since 1990, who had offered the most inspiring playoff performance in franchise history playing through some of the most difficult injuries any player could endure, and who was the heart of the team:With the core group of players now gone as part of Keenan and Messier's regime, the team was left mangled, hardly resembling its former self; meanwhile, the team finished in third-last place in the NHL that year with a record of 25-43-14. The team was absolute garbage, had a slimy owner, a ruinous GM/coach, and a cancerous team captain.At the start of the following season, this is what Messier had to say:McCaw replaced Keenan at the beginning of the 1998-99 season with Brian Burke and Marc Crawford, and things began to move in the proper direction again; Keenan's removal prompted Messier to change in ways, and the youth on the team began to listen to him, though Messier's continued on-ice laziness and poor performances continued.Here is a fight involving Messier from the 1998-99 season. Aside from the fight itself, the more glaring detail is the comment Jim Robson, the Canucks' legendary play-by-play announcer, makes in the following video clip:Messier's poor influence was reduced to his on-ice effort level. Off ice, Messier became less of a distraction; that said, with no other veterans really left on the team Messier could say what he wanted to the kids.After the 1997-98 debacle, Messier was simply an old, ineffective, lazy player on a bottom-dwelling team that he and Keenan were responsible for creating.Some players such as Markus Naslund valued Messier's time with the team. By 2000 he had been "tamed" so that he was not barking at the GM or the coach about what he should do. If he would have done the same things that he did under Keenan (and Renney/Quinn), Burke would have sent him packing. Messier was simply a veteran voice by that time, and familiarity with him was something Burke likely valued in terms of maintaining consistency within the leadership group. Clearly the rest of Vancouver was calling for Messier to leave. In that sense, he finally gave Canucks fans what they wanted; at the same time, within the dressing room he had started something and decided not to see it through all the way.It was also McCaw whoinstructed Burke to try to keep Messier.Keenan didn't last very long under Burke.The scary thing to think about is that the gutting of the team in 1997-98 might have been an attempt for Keenan to win. By all accounts, reports are that the practices under Keenan were pathetic. The team lacked defensive structure. It's quite possible that all of the moves Keenan was doing (wi