Kevin Biestra Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 (edited) The Canucks' own promotional video from 1998... It captures the essence of the Messier-led team perfectly. Low energy, point by point illustration of a somewhat directionless plan that is being woefully missed in its execution, and success being claimed in multiple areas of the plan where history bears it out as failure. A low energy Marc Crawford and Brian Burke have trouble getting excited about the upcoming season as they narrate. They mention Messier in passing, a quick reference to his experience and reputation, and off to the next point on their plan. They almost have to apologize for the team they have assembled and the lethargy of Messier's leadership as this lineup lays eggs on the ice. Step 1 of their plan that they outline: goaltending. Clips and descriptions of Garth Snow and Kevin Weekes. Okay, we've got that most important step solved, moving on to Step 2... A quick reference to the glowing tradition of the Canucks, the Smyls and the Lindens. The Linden they just traded away, an act for which they now have to apologize in their own promo materials as they show clips that last no longer than a couple seconds of a miserable looking Mark Messier gliding around the ice. Anything more than a couple seconds and you can't possibly try to sell the idea of action or motivation on his part. What an utterly miserable representation of an utterly miserable period of Canucks hockey. Edited April 2, 2020 by Kevin Biestra 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewbieCanuckFan Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 I've already experienced an enema. I care not experience that again in my lifetime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-AJ- Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 Based on an article I recent read, it's likely that the seeds of destruction had already been planted by Messier and Keenan and were taking effect. I imagine it was very hard to have any drive on those Messier/Keenan led teams. I didn't think I could hate Messier any more than I did, but that article I think made me finally truly realize how horrible he was for this franchise. When I started watching in 2001 or so, I was blissfully unaware of the period that had just finished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smashian Kassian Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 (edited) Boy them touting the goaltending as solid couldn't have been more wrong. On paper the defense looked pretty good though. Ohlund / Jovo / McCabe / Aucoin. Obviously they are trying to put as much lip stick on that pig as possible (*cough* Messier *cough). But at the end of the day this was just the infancy of Crow & Burke turning things around, so gotta give them credit for that. Edited April 2, 2020 by Smashian Kassian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeremyCuddles Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 The Linden trade did do a lot of good for the franchise going forward. Still disgusting that it happened. I wasn’t around for the Messier era but even I loathe the guy. Lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostsof1915 Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 Worst move Quinn ever made. Followed by letting go of Larionov's NHL rights. Worst of all it cost Quinn his job. Imagine if Quinn could have pried Benning from Buffalo as a scout in 1996? Quinn's trading with Benning's scouting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostsof1915 Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 3 minutes ago, N7Nucks said: The Linden trade did do a lot of good for the franchise going forward. Still disgusting that it happened. I wasn’t around for the Messier era but even I loathe the guy. Lol. Imagine JT Miller on the last year of his contract, and he consistently puts up a point a game per season. And the team trading him for Tkachuk and a really good defenceman. Yeah the return might be excellent. But the price and loss of leadership. That hurt. Long term did it help? Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-SN- Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 It still rustles my jimmie that the NHL named a leadership award after him. Such a weird video when you look at it from 2020. A 10 minute video and there's 1 minute of game footage lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YEGCanuck Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 The Messier mistake was a pathetic period in the history of the Canucks. Classic failure. Trust the team has learned a lesson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancaster Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 For those who are are bit too young.... It would almost be like the Canucks in 2013-2014 suddenly deciding to bring in Brad Marchand, make him Captain, hire Claude Julien and then trade the Sedins away. I wonder if anyone remembers, but there was an audio comedy skit played on SportsTalk back in the days.... I think the premises was some guy went into a coma during the '94 riots and then suddenly waking up when Messier was on the Canucks. He was like asking about the Canucks captain in Linden, then being told by the nurse that Messier is the Canucks captain, which the patient goes off, "Sorry lady, you know nothing about sports, Linden is the captain".... then suddenly realizing the truth, he went back into a coma or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Crossbar Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 I've always looked at Luongo coming to the Canucks as - on a certain level, in some way - Mike Keenan's way of trying to right the wrong of his time here and the Messier era. He took a "damaged goods" Bertuzzi, with a lot of risk and uncertainty, in exchange for Luongo. I've always found it interesting that if it wasn't for Keenan, we wouldn't have had Luongo, who really became the foundational move for that era our success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crobar Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 Ya that deal always surprised me too, cant believe Nonis schooled Keenan on that deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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