The Vancouver Canucks are reportedly poised to name former captain Trevor Linden their new team president, although Bob McKenzie says nothing is official as of yet. Current general manager Mike Gillis also serves as the organization's president at the moment.
Canucks ownership was reportedly courting Linden as of late March, according to Elliotte Friedman. But it's not clear exactly what Linden's role with the team would entail.
TSN's Darren Dreger suggests that in appointing Linden to an executive role, the Canucks might be aping the Colorado Avalanche's "template." Meanwhile McKenzie wonders if Linden may be brought in to conduct the search for a new general manager, similar to what Pat LaFontaine recently did in Buffalo.
For what it's worth Linden denied having been approached by Canucks ownership in an interview with Global News on Tuesday morning. "I’ve always said to people: if the opportunity is right and the time was right, I’d have to seriously consider it," Linden said.
Linden captained the Canucks to the Stanley Cup Final in 1994, and played more than 1,000 games during two tours of duty with the franchise. Though Linden served as president of the NHLPA for a time, and played a central role in ousting NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow in 2005, he's never coached or managed a hockey team at a high level.
Of late, Linden seems to have spent his time building a chain of gyms in Vancouver, dubbed "Club 16 Trevor Linden Fitness."
