After 20 years, one of Vancouver's clutch players may have skated off the ice for the last time.
Though he hasn't yet confirmed his future plans, Trevor Linden was given a standing ovation by fans at the end of Saturday's game against the Calgary Flames at GM Place.
And before he left the ice, every Flames player, including Jerome Iginla, shook Linden's hand.
"It was unfortunate the way the game went," Linden told CTV News after the game, which the Canucks lost 7-1. "At the same time, it was a special night for me.
"I need to take some time and reflect," he said.
Rumours have been swirling for months that Linden, who is days away from turning 38, will be announcing his retirement at the end of this season.
He's come a long way since he arrived twenty years ago as an 18-year-old from Medicine Hat, Alberta.
In his first season as a Canuck, he was tied for the team lead in scoring and he was voted team MVP -- the first rookie to be so honoured. The Hockey News chose him as their pick for rookie of the year, although he came in second to Brian Leetch for the Calder Trophy.
Linden was named Canucks captain at 20, one of the youngest in NHL history.
He boasts awards, including the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for his community work and leadership, and the Gillette World Champion Award as the Canadian athlete who best exemplified sports excellence and humanitarianism.
Linden has had six 30-goal seasons and been an All-Star twice. He played 1139 games, and racked up 733 points in his 20-year career.
But despite coming close in 1994, the trophy that eluded Linden was the Stanley Cup.
Still, all of those accolades earned him respect from hockey giants.
"It was an honour to play with him," the Flames' Jarome Iginla told CTV News after Saturday's game. "Who knows -- maybe he'll have us all fooled and come back next year."
