Trevor Linden - Beyond Hockey

There was an excellent article about Trevor Linden's life after hockey by Iain MacIntyre of the Vancouver Sun on Christmas Eve.

You get the feeling that Linden, once the stereotypical tough, prairie boy who made it big in the National Hockey League, is a very interesting and curios person, although he is still discovering that himself.

Here's what he had to say about a recent trip to Bethlehem:

"It was a fascinating experience," he said. "Really interesting. It was amazing -- remarkable on many levels. From a historical level, to biblical sites, the modern political situation, the geography. Actually seeing the Gaza Strip and going into the West Bank and seeing the challenges ...

"We all read about it and have heard about it for years. But it's hard to understand, right? You think: How hard can it be to make peace? But after seeing it, and reading more and seeing the settlement issue first-hand, it's very complex. I don't know what's going to happen."

He seems to be fully comfortable with life away from the ice. He's fully immersing himself into bicycling and now cross country skiing. He has a number of business interests, but he seems most interested in taking full advantage of life opportunities his hockey earnings have afforded him, such as traveling and expanding his education on multiple matters.

Trevor Linden was my favorite player for his attributes on the ice, but I've always said he is a far more interesting person off of the ice than we ever knew. It sounds like Linden is discovering that too.

It will be interesting to see what avenues he pursues in the future. He has not ruled out a return to the hockey world, though he seems unlikely to leave his beloved Vancouver anytime soon. Somehow I think there is something even bigger than hockey in Linden's future.