[Rookie]

The Vancouver Canucks will unveil a Ring of Honour on opening night, and will retire former captain Markus Naslund’s No. 19 during a season-long celebration of the team’s 40th anniversary.

Naslund’s big day will come on Dec. 11, at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning, when his sweater will be raised to the rafters to join Stan Smyl and Trevor Linden as just the third retired number in club history. Naslund retired from the NHL after the 2008-09 season as the organization’s career leading scorer.

“For me, it was a no-brainer," general manager Mike Gillis said Wednesday night during the Canucks Summer Summit, an event for 2,000 season-ticket holders at the Rogers Arena.

Vancouver will also establish a Ring of Honour at their newly named arena, and will induct the franchise’s original captain, Orland Kurtenbach, as its first member.

“It’s as great an honour as being the first captain of the Canucks," Kurtenbach said.

The Canucks will have four Ring-of-Honour nights during the season, but have not named the other inductees. Each one will have a permanent in-arena display, and the individuals will be feted with on-ice ceremonies before the games.

The team will also wear the team’s original sweater for several games during the 2010-11 NHL season. The sweater includes the team’s 40th anniversary mark on the front, but just the player’s number – and not surname – on the back.

The Source.

 

[T.H.C.]

I can already hear the detractors on this one. Naslund came along when we had nothing, no hope. Years of missing the playoffs and watching our team be destroyed by new ownership and Mike Keenan. Naslund became the captain with his skill and work ethic and lead us into the playoffs for the first time in 5 years despite being unable to finish the season with a broken leg. He's one of the best players we've ever had on and off the ice and he saved us from the darkest era in our history. Congratulations Markus Naslund !

 

[Daryl Shilling]

I can already hear the detractors on this one. Naslund came along when we had nothing, no hope. Years of missing the playoffs and watching our team be destroyed by new ownership and Mike Keenan. Naslund became the captain with his skill and work ethic and lead us into the playoffs for the first time in 5 years despite being unable to finish the season with a broken leg. He's one of the best players we've ever had on and off the ice and he saved us from the darkest era in our history. Congratulations Markus Naslund !

Well, I hope there aren't too many naysayers that come out for this.

Was Stan Smyl a great player? No. Was Trevor Linden? No. But, that isn't necessarily what getting your number retired is all about. All three are extremely important players in the history of the Canucks franchise, and I think it's great that they're honoured that.

Congratulations to Markus Naslund.

Daryl