Markus Naslund

IF YOU READ IAN MACINTYRE IN THE VANCOUVER SUN TODAY…
YOU WOULD BE FORCED TO CONCLUDE…
THE FANS AND THE MEDIA IN THIS CITY TREATED FORMER CAPTAIN MARCUS NASLUND AS IF HE WAS COVERED IN LEETCHES…
ACCORDING TO MACINTYRE THE CRITICISM OF NASLUND WAS…QUOTE…”DESPICABLE”…
CERTAINLY NASLUND WAS NOT LOVED THE WAY TREVOR LINDEN WAS LOVED IN THIS TOWN…
BUT…”DESPICABLE???”
PLEASE!!!
IN THE LAST 3 SEASONS NASLUND PLAYED IN VANCOUVER HE WAS PAID NEARLY $20 MILLION DOLLARS…
NOT BAD FOR A PLAYER WHO AVERAGED JUST 27 GOALS…AND IN THE 11 YEARS HE WAS THE CAPTAIN…NEVER LED THE CANUCKS PAST THE SECOND ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS…
AS FOR NASLUND THE PERSON???
HIS TEAMMATES CAN NOT SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS…AND IN HIS DEFENCE…AFTER EVERY GAME…NO MATTER WHAT THE SCORE…NASLUND ALWAYS FACED THE MUSIC…
UNFORTUNATELY HIS CHARACTER IS NOT THE ISSUE…
IN THE ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS…PERCEPTION IS REALITY…
THE PASSION THAT HE SHOWED PRIVATELY IN THE LOCKER ROOM…OFTEN DID NOT TRANSLATE ON THE ICE…
AND HIS COMMENTS TO THE MEDIA OFTEN CAME ACROSS…AS COMING FROM A PERSON WHO…EITHER DID NOT KNOW THE ANSWER…OR DID NOT CARE…
NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR AN NHL CAPTAIN WORKING IN A CANADAIN CITY…
THE FANS SIMPLY HAD DIFFICULT DEALING WITH IT…NIGHT AFTER NIGHT…
THE PUBLIC RELATIONS PROBLEM WAS OF HIS OWN MAKING…
PERHAPS NO WHERE WAS THAT “DISCONNECT” MORE APPARENT THAN ON THE FINAL NIGHT OF LAST SEASON…
IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT BOTH NASLUND AND TREVOR LINDEN WERE PLAYING THEIR LAST GAME AS CANUCKS…
LINDEN RECEIVED A STANDING OVATION…
NASLUND WAS ALL BUT IGNORED…
WHEN YOU CONSIDER MARKUS NASLUND HAS SCORED MORE GOALS AND COLLECTED MORE POINTS THAN ANY PLAYER IN FRANCHISE HISTORY…
THAT TREATMENT ON THAT NIGHT…WAS CERTAINLY “UNFAIR”…BUT NOT “DISPICABLE”
LIKE IT OR NOT…THIS GAME IS NOT JUST ABOUT NUMBERS…
IT’S WHY NASLUND IS NOW IN NEW YORK AND IT’S WHY NEXT MONTH THE CANUCKS WILL RETIRE NUMBER 16…