Players returning to teams is not uncommon, but rarely does it happen via trade after the season has started. That was the case in 2001 when the Vancouver Canucks and then GM Brian Burke traded a 2002 first and a 2003 third to the Washington Capitals in order to bring back former captain Trevor Linden. For context, Linden was famously traded away in 1998 after spending the first nine and a half years of his NHL career with the organization. The move not only added more depth to the Canucks roster but ensured a franchise great had the opportunity to end his career in Vancouver.
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At the time of the trade, the Canucks were struggling to find any form of momentum to start the 2000-01 campaign. They were 6-11-1 and entered their game against the Minnesota Wild, having lost three of their previous four games. Bringing back such a familiar face clearly affected the team, as not only did they beat the Wild 5-0, but they immediately went on a three-game win streak.
Despite the slow start, Vancouver turned around its season, finishing second in the Northwest Division with a record of 42-30-7-3. Unfortunately, it ran into an elite Detroit Red Wings team that would go on to win the Stanley Cup. Linden provided a significant boost to the team, recording 34 points in 64 games while also contributing a goal and four assists in six playoff games.
Linden would go on to play five more seasons with the Canucks, racking up an additional 130 points in 374 games. During that time, he became the first player in franchise history to play 1000 games and is one of three players to score 300 goals and record 700 points. Linden also helped the Vancouver go on two more deep playoff runs, as the Canucks made it to the second round in both 2003 and 2007.
Linden officially announced his retirement on June 11, 2008, and had his jersey retired just a few months later. He was inducted into the BC Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010 and the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. In April 2014, Linden re-joined Vancouver as President of Hockey Operations, a role he held until July 2018.
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