If there’s anyone who can talk about the importance of a united front in an NHL front office, it’s Trevor Linden.

The ex-Canucks captain took on the role of Canucks‘ President of Hockey Operations for the 2014-15 season after the firing of Mike Gillis. Linden, of course, infamously “amicably parted ways” with the Canucks in July 2018. Linden reportedly urged Canucks ownership that the club needed to embark on a rebuild, laying out his plan for them. Shortly after, he was no longer with the Canucks. Linden has never really come right out and said it, but the longstanding rumour was that then-GM Jim Benning — who Linden hired — presented a different idea to ownership. Benning believed the Canucks could return to competitiveness without rebuilding, and remained in his seat as the Canucks’ GM for three and a half seasons after Linden’s departure.

That’s why it was interesting to hear Linden basically come out and confirm that that’s exactly what happened when he spoke earlier this week.

Making an appearance on Sportsnet 650’s Canucks Central, Linden was candid in talking about why he thinks the Canucks’ new regime — headed up by co-Presidents of Hockey Operations Daniel and Henrik Sedin, along with General Manager Ryan Johnson — has a good chance at finding success.

“They’ve got trust between the two of them [the Sedins] and the general manager, and that is critical. That is the most critical piece of the puzzle. They’re going to be able to provide a united front when it comes to ownership, which is absolutely critical. [It’s] something that I didn’t have, and I don’t think Patrik Allvin had that either.

“You won’t find three better people in the game than Ryan Johnson and Daniel and Henrik. So good, good people. They’re character people. They’ll make tough decisions when they have to, but, these guys are gonna be able to look one another in the eye and trust each other, and that is critical in an environment like that down at Rogers Arena.”

“It’s critical that you have alignment, that you have direction, that everybody is aligned with the vision. Daniel and Henrik spoke about that in their press conference. I think Ryan understands that whole alignment and vision and how that has to work. You can’t be in two separate boats. When I talk about a united front, I mean, these are the hockey people. They’re going to have a vision. They’re going to trust one another to stick with it, and they’re going to talk about it, and they’re going to be able to trust one another. Hopefully, there are no go-arounds, and nobody’s talking on the side. That’s critical, and especially where they are now. I mean, the good news is they finished in last place. They’ve got some high draft picks. They got four top picks in the top 40 or something like that. They certainly have a good foundation when it comes to young players. They got some key young players. They got some issues as well, but certainly they can put together a vision and a plan that I think makes sense, and I think the Vancouver Canucks fans will want to hear.”

Interesting.

I genuinely hope this era of Canucks hockey is one filled with far less drama than the last 10+ years have brought. Call me crazy, but what I’ve heard from the Sedins and Johnson has me feeling hopeful. Just treat people right and act normal. Is that so hard?

Remember when Daniel Sedin said the Canucks should be the number one organization in the league for community involvement? Remember when Henrik Sedin added that they wanted to make people proud to be Canucks fans by doing so?

When they want you to be in shape, they’ll race you up the Grouse Grind to show you how it’s done. And when they want you to give back to the community, they’ll show you how that’s done, too.

On Wednesday, the Sedins and GM Ryan Johnson (and Fin, shout out Fin) paid a visit to Canuck Place Children’s Hospice. Canuck Place provides a wide range of services for sick kids, all at no cost to families. It’s the kind of place Henrik and Daniel are talking about when they talk about how community outreach helps put things into perspective.