Linden recalls 'empty feeling' when Canucks lost 1994 Final to Rangers

Legendary hockey reporter Stan Fischler writes a weekly column for NHL.com. Fischler, known as "The Hockey Maven," shares his humor and insight with readers each Wednesday.
This week features Voices from the Past with Trevor Linden. The former Vancouver Canucks captain had 867 points (375 goals, 492 assists) in 1,382 regular-season games with the Canucks, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals, and 99 points (34 goals, 65 assists) in 124 Stanley Cup Playoff games. Fischler interviewed Linden for his book, "Hockey Stars Speak."

What was it like learning to play hockey in Medicine Hat, Alberta?
"Cold. Very cold! So cold, in fact, that the ponds near my home froze very early in the fall. I got used to the cold very quickly and started skating at three-and-a-half years old. Right from the start, I took to the ice. Skating and hockey became a big part of my life in no time at all. Frankly, the only thing that crossed my mind was to go out and play hockey right from the moment that school was let out for the day. The first question for me and my friends always was 'which rink has the best ice and is in the best shape?' For me, as a kid, that's what consumed my day."
Who in your family developed your character and attitude toward life?
"My parents, for sure. They both were hard-working people. Everything my dad accomplished came purely from hard work and that attitude rubbed off on me. My parents brought me up to respect people and especially to respect people who were older than me. And that shaped my thinking. Although they were not that interested in hockey, my parents deserve credit for my successes. They were very supportive."
How did you progress in hockey?
"My two brothers and I had to learn the game on our own. We all liked hockey so much that we studied the game any way that we could -- watching and reading -- and just learned by playing. It helped me that my older brother was on my team and that made it more fun for me. The other thing that attracted us was our popular junior team -- the Medicine Hat Tigers. Like a lot of kids in our town, I yearned to play someday for them."
How did you reach that goal?
"First, I had to work my way up and the best way to do it in Medicine Hat was via our Midget Level team. Eventually, I played well enough to be promoted to the Tigers and that turned out to be a huge boost for what would become my pro career. In only my first year with the team, we won the Memorial Cup and then -- I was now team captain -- we repeated that feat a year later. I also got another boost playing for Team Canada in the World Junior Championships."
How big a deal was that for you?
"Very big because we won the gold medal. We were playing against Russian stars who later would make it to the NHL -- guys like Alex Mogilny and Sergei Fedorov.
That was a special time in my hockey life. I was only 17 and here we were, winning the thing in their backyard, Moscow. Some of my teammates graduated to the pros, including Adam Oates, Theo Fleury and Joe Sakic. But it was Mogilny who was the dominating figure. He was so great that we always made sure to have one of our guys pay close attention to him and, still, Alex was amazing."
What was it like heading into the NHL Draft?
"The 1988 (NHL) Draft came after my second year of Juniors and it was very exciting for me since the word going around was that I would be picked by either Minnesota with the first choice or Vancouver in the second position. For me it was hard to figure because, before the actual draft took place, teams interviewed us to get a better idea how we reacted. The sessions were very intimidating but I had no choice but to do as I was told and answer the questions."
How did it work out for you?
"When all was said and done I still knew that it would be either Vancouver or Minnesota because by that time it was obvious that I wasn't going to be down around the 20th pick. The way it turned out Minnesota chose Mike Modano who played for Prince Albert. Then, the Canucks got me second overall and, before I knew it, some of the hockey writers were calling me 'The Cornerstone Of The Franchise.' Well, despite the label, I didn't feel any extra pressure. I understood that when a fellow like me is drafted second overall -- whether I like it or not -- there's going to be some sort of pressure because that's the way it is. Pro sports is all about pressure."
What did you do to minimize the pressure?
"First, I began thinking about a method and I decided the best solution was to simply go out on the ice, work hard and do the job asked of me. My philosophy, so to speak, simply was that hard work was the answer. Also, even though I was drafted after Modano, number two is only a number. I knew I'd be judged not that I went second but by what I would do for the Canucks. That was the one and only important thing that mattered to me but there were other things that factored into how I'd make out as a pro."
Can you define those factors?
"Bear in mind that I still was just a kid when I came to Vanvouver. I needed guidance from the veterans and I got it from some good fellows. The best, for me at least, were Doug Lidster, Harold Snepsts, Garth Butcher and Paul Reinhart. Being so young, I also relied on my parents and my lawyer (agent) Don Meehan for all kinds of advice and I was fortunate enough to get it and also to help me fulfill the expectations of my teammates, management, the media and the fans."
What was your rookie season like?
"In 1988-89, I was the NHL's youngest player (18) and finished the season with 30 goals. I didn't win the rookie of the year award, Brian Leetch did, but I was runner-up and proud of it. Most importantly, I got myself a good taste of big-league hockey and, from that point on, for me, it was one thrill after another. A couple of years later (1990-91) I was picked as one of three captains of the Canucks and a year after that (1991-92) I became the youngest captain in the NHL (21). Having the 'C' on my jersey for the first time was very special, but I wasn't kidding myself either. I knew I had more work cut out for me, a lot of responsibilities."
How big a challenge was it to be captain?
"Being so young, I had a lot to learn and, at first, I made a lot of mistakes but I like to think that I learned from them. My idea was to lead by example and I had a good example as a personal role model in Mark Messier because there was only one like him. In my mind, he combined speed and power like no other player, plus he was able to lead like no other player. As a result when some writers compared me to Mark, I was flattered because he was the ultimate hockey forward."
What was it like to go up against Messier?
"I went head to head with Mark any number of times but nothing will top when I led the Canucks into the Cup Final in 1994. That springtime is one that I'll never forget considering that we went all the way to the fourth round. We wound up meeting the Rangers and that in and of itself put us as the underdogs since New York had the Presidents' Trophy (presented to the team with the best regular-season record) and opened the series at Madison Square Garden. I mean just having the final round played in New York City was an experience in itself. It was awesome, incredible. I was very proud of our accomplishments."
What was the best part of the 1994 Stanley Cup Final?
"Look at it this way, we had played two months of playoff hockey and had given everything we had to win. We felt a feeling of euphoria just reaching the fourth --and last -- round. Most people were not surprised when New York took a three games to one lead. The fifth, and what would have been deciding, ame was at The Garden and the whole town was expecting us to go down and they'd have their first championship since 1940. It was nuts and even crazier was that we beat them on their home ice. Then we went home, beat them and tied the series at three.
What was it like to be so close to winning the Stanley Cup?
It was a game I'll never forget since it was Game 7 and we were playing for the big prize. And looking backward, I have to say that while I may have had better individual games, this particular one sure was the most noted. Unfortunately, the final score was 3-2 for them and when the buzzer went off at the end, we were the ones who were down by a goal and -- for all of our Vancouver guys -- it was a very empty feeling."
Even if you didn't win it all, what positives did you take from the experience?
"I feel satisfied that I did my best to lead and even though we lost, I scored both goals for us (in Game 7). Still, the bitterness from losing by one goal remained for quite a while. Really, it took a long time to go away."