|
I feel bad for Bure: essentially run out of Vancouver when he was shafted and kicked around by team management. DESPITE the way he left, the number of Canucks fans who feel he should be honoured for his time and contribution speaks volumes to the magnitude of player he was for us. He got a bad rap for the way he conducted himself in the Vancouver public, but let's remember his age and maturity level when he was here, and there are numberous stories about current Canucks that are not exactly flattering either.
I feel equally bad for Naslund: left to whither away with the weight of Canuck Nation on his shoulders, the same Canuck Nation that you can argue he rebuilt after the unfortunate Messier/Keenan years, but left speachless with no answers when it counted the most. I am glad that he was finally recognized for his contributions to the team, market, and city.
As for Linden, nobody can overlook or dispute what he meant to the city. He ALMOST willed home the Stanley Cup amongst a team of underdogs. Not to take anything away from his leadership and heart but to quote Dom Toretto: "It doesn't matter if you win by an inch or a mile..."
These 3 all bring completely different elements to any discussion and argument and its unfair to compare them directly with each other. Given the choice to pick one of the above three, the clearcut choice for me is the only one who isn't honoured as a Canuck thus far.
|