BIEKSA It was just such a great time in our lives. We were starting to have our kids and our families. We were together for a while before success, and [then] we’re on top of the world. I don’t think it’s something we took for granted. You spent a lot of time together and made some really close friendships for life.

BALLARD That was the most fun professional hockey experience I’ve had and, as you know, for me personally, it wasn’t an ideal situation. There’s so many good people there and you could just tell from Day 1, it was a special group.

HIGGINS That whole spring was the most fun I ever had playing hockey.

EHRHOFF The people there, we laughed for two years.

VIGNEAULT I consider myself so lucky. I spent seven terrific years with that group. Obviously, you’re in this to win the ultimate prize, but as a coach, what you want to do is get the best from your group. They always gave me their best.

GILLIS I can’t tell you how proud I am of those guys and their willingness to believe in us as a management group. They didn’t have to — they all had choices. It was a very special time to be part of the Vancouver Canucks.

CARLING I had pride for the Canucks, where I worked. But my true passion is the Kansas City Chiefs, since I was 14. I would be the first to admit I have cared way too much about this football team. They lost every important game in my history. This year, they won the Super Bowl and I was so happy. I think about it every single day. Every. Single. Day. About six days after the Super Bowl, [Canucks vice-president of communications] Chris Brumwell reaches out. He goes, “Have you come down from your high yet?” I said, “No, and I’m not sure when I’m going to.” In fact, I’d been thinking a lot about the 2010–11 team in kind of a melancholy way. Because what I realized is there are three layers where you can interact with a team.

There’s the players themselves. They’re the ones that deserve all the credit. They’re the ones that make the sacrifice. They’re the ones with the world-class talent that makes it possible. Then you’ve got your staff — coaching, management and support staff. It could be 150 people. The people that sell tickets and all that, just pour everything they’ve got into it, right? They work 70 hours a week. And you’ve got the fans. Without the fans, there’s no games, there’s no money, there’s no TV, there’s no nothing. But as emotionally invested in the Chiefs as I am, I know how much harder I worked as an employee of the Canucks for 20 years.

What I realized, having never experienced it before … it’s forever. If I live to be 100, I can say, “Well, I remember 55 years ago the Chiefs won the Super Bowl.” I was thinking in a sad way, “It’s hard to win, and when you have the opportunity, you don’t want it to pass you by because it’s forever.” I’m only experiencing it as a fan, but I’ve been a fan for 31 years and I’ve been all-in and it’s such an awesome feeling. And I remember, I was sad for a couple of days. I talked to Trevor Linden about a week or two after that and he was asking me, “Tell me about it — tell me where you were when you watched the game.” And I said, “If it’s okay, I want to tell you this story.” I said, “I just wished you’d won in 1994. I didn’t know you, I was living in Victoria. I don’t care.” And all the guys we just talked about — the brothers and Louie and Alain in 2011, I just wish you’d won. Because it’s forever. They can’t take it away. And it changes conversations.

The ’94 team is beloved here, as you know. Anybody 40-plus, they love that team. They love Cliff [Ronning], they love Pavel [Bure], they love Kirk [MacLean] and they love Trevor. The 2011 team, [it was like] nothing was ever good enough. I remember thinking for a long time, “This team will never be as beloved as the 1994 team.”

But I was at the Sedin night as well, and thinking, “It’s starting to feel different.”