At a Vancouver Canucks game Monday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper was spotted rubbing elbows with Trevor Linden, fueling speculation about the former hockey star's political ambitions.
Harper's communication director wasted no time tweeting a photo of the prime minister sitting with Captain Canuck, and the Twitter universe was abuzz with the implications.
Simon Fraser University marketing professor Lindsay Meredith told CTV News that the picture is likely an effort to boost Harper's image in advance of a possible spring election.
"The prime minister is really looking to get at a market he can't get at, frankly, because he's kind of a boring conservative," Meredith said.
"What's he after? That whole hockey crowd, folks who will follow Trevor Linden through hell and high water."
Retiring B.C. MP and cabinet minister Stockwell Day was also on hand at the game, drawing jokes from an announcer about whether Linden would consider replacing him in federal politics.
The Conservatives have tried the strategy before, attempting to woo former Canuck Russ Courtnall in 2006 to run for a seat in Victoria. Courtnall gave it a pass.
Harper told reporters he had no intention of recruiting Linden when they met at the game; the two know each other through mutual friends.
"I think it would be very unwise in the home of the Vancouver Canucks not to look very friendly with Trevor Linden," the prime minister said.
"One of my staff members said ‘Gee, there's a story out that you're recruiting Trevor Linden to run in politics.' I was saying ‘Geez, I wish I'd thought of this.'"
As for Linden, he says he's happy where he is, at least for now.
"I just finished a 20-year hockey career. I'm enjoying the things I'm doing," he said. "You never say never, but right now I'm enjoying what I'm doing."
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Mi-Jung Lee
Have your say: Would you vote for Conservative candidate Trevor Linden?
