Markus Näslund

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Traded from the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Vancouver Canucks on 20 March 1996 in exchange for forward Alek Stojanov, the deal would be regarded as one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history once Näslund displayed his full offensive capabilities. With the Canucks, Näslund led the team in scoring for 7 seasons, was thrice first team All-Star (2002, 2003, 2004), a Lester B. Pearson Award recipient in 2003, and won the Rocket Richard Trophy in 2003 while finishing as runner-up for the Hart and Art Ross Trophies. He received the Cyclone Taylor Trophy as the Canucks' most valuable player five times and the Cyrus H. McLean Trophy as the leading point-scorer for seven consecutive seasons—both club records at the time—en route to becoming the franchise leader in goals and points (since surpassed by Henrik and Daniel Sedin). He served as captain for 8 seasons, tied with Stan Smyl for the team record. In December 2010, his jersey number 19 was retired by the Canucks, making him the third player in franchise history to receive that honour.

In Their Own Story

After his tenure with Pittsburgh, Näslund was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in 1996, where he spent 12 years, including a team-record 8 as captain. With the Canucks, Näslund led the team in scoring for 7 seasons, was thrice first team All-Star, chosen in 2002, 2003 and 2004, a Lester B. Pearson Award recipient in 2003, and runner-up for the Hart, Art Ross, and Rocket Richard Trophies in 2003. He received the Cyclone Taylor Trophy as the Canucks' most valuable player five times and the Cyrus H. McLean Trophy as the leading point-scorer for seven consecutive seasons—both club records—en route to becoming the franchise leader in goals and points. In 2008, Näslund signed with the Rangers, where he spent one season before announcing his retirement from the NHL after 15 seasons. Midway through the 2009–10 season, he returned to play for Modo before retiring a second time. In December 2010, he became the third Canucks player to have his jersey retired, joining Stan Smyl and Trevor Linden.

Reader's Guide

The image that makes a Canucks fan gasp: Näslund, mid-pass, stick bent at that impossible angle, eyes already three zones ahead, the puck a blur leaving his blade while the entire Pacific Coliseum holds its breath. His peak stretched across the 2000s, a decade in which he was the team's creative engine and emotional anchor. He never led the league in points, but he led it in something harder to measure: the sense that the team was playing his game, a game of patience and geometry. He was the Canucks' identity made flesh — cerebral, unflashy, deeply committed. Off the ice, he was quiet, almost shy, but in the locker room his presence was magnetic—teammates spoke of how he could calm a storm with a single glance or fire up a room with a few clipped words. He didn't just captain the team; he was the team's quiet pulse, the one who made everyone around him believe that a slow, deliberate build was still a path to glory.

Did You Know?

• Näslund holds the World Junior record for most goals scored in a single tournament, scoring 13 in 1993.
• He won the Rocket Richard Trophy in 2003 and was runner-up for the Hart and Art Ross Trophies that same year.
• Näslund received the Cyclone Taylor Trophy as the Canucks' most valuable player five times and the Cyrus H. McLean Trophy as the leading point-scorer for seven consecutive seasons—both club records at the time (since sur
• He became the third Canucks player to have his jersey retired, joining Stan Smyl and Trevor Linden.