Trevor Linden Retires

Trevor Linden ended his NHL playing career Wednesday as the Vancouver Canucks‘ second-leading scorer and one of the more popular players in franchise history. He is the Canucks’ all-time leader in assists (415) and games played (1,140) and is just behind Markus Naslund in goals (318) and points (733).

“It’s been fantastic for me,” Linden said at a news conference Wednesday. “I’ve been able to be a professional athlete for 20 years. It’s the right time.”

Linden totalled 375 goals and 492 assists for 867 points in 1,382 NHL games with the Washington Capitals, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders and Canucks, who drafted Linden second overall in 1988. He is expected to leave the game for a period to concentrate on a current real-estate project in Victoria.