Editing Vancouver Canucks (section)

====Keenan and Messier (1997–1998)====
[[File:Marccrawford 2006nhlawards.jpg|right|thumb|upright|Marc Crawford became the Canucks' head coach in 1998–99. Crawford also played for the team in the 1980s.]]
Heading into the [[1997–98 NHL season|1997–98 season]], Linden resigned his captaincy for Messier, who had developed a strong reputation as a leader, having captained the New York Rangers over the Canucks in 1994 (he also captained the Oilers to a Stanley Cup in 1990). Linden later recalled regretting the decision, feeling that Messier generated hostility and tension in the dressing room.<ref>{{cite magazine| url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey/nhl/news/2001/08/08/sayitaintso_canucks/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020209004908/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey/nhl/news/2001/08/08/sayitaintso_canucks/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=February 9, 2002 |title=Say it Aint So| magazine=Sports Illustrated | access-date=May 26, 2010|date=August 8, 2001}}</ref> Messier later said if he could change one thing about his time in Vancouver, he would not have accepted the captaincy.<ref>{{cite web|last=Messier|first=Mark|title=Mark Messier here to take your questions|date=January 9, 2014|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/hockey/comments/1utpcu/mark_messier_here_to_take_your_questions/cell32v|publisher=Reddit|access-date=January 10, 2014}}</ref>

The Canucks began the campaign overseas in a two-game series against the [[Mighty Ducks of Anaheim]] in Tokyo, Japan. It marked the first time in NHL history that a regular season game was held outside of North America—an effort from the league to attract attention to the sport in anticipation of the [[1998 Winter Olympics]], which were held in [[Nagano (city)|Nagano]], Japan.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ducks, Canucks Warm Up Japan for Five-Ring Circus|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-oct-04-sp-39215-story.html|access-date=September 1, 2011|date=October 4, 1997|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|last=Teaford |first=Elliott}}</ref> As the team's performance continued to worsen, starting the 1997–98 season with three wins in the first 16 games, Quinn was fired as general manager after ten years with the team.<ref name="quinn fired"/> Soon thereafter, Renney was fired and replaced as coach by [[Mike Keenan]], reuniting him with Messier, another central figure from the Rangers' 1994 team. Keenan's hiring reportedly exacerbated tensions between groups of Canucks players and his negative relationship with Linden was given ample media attention.<ref name="Captain of Islanders">{{cite news|title=Spots of The Times; Here's How A Captain Operates|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/12/11/sports/spots-of-the-times-here-s-how-a-captain-operates.html|last=Vecsey |first=George|work=The New York Times|date=December 11, 1998|access-date=June 8, 2023}}</ref><ref name="Darkest time">{{cite news|title=Linden outlasts 'darkest time' trade from Canucks |url=http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sports/story.html?id=8f587dcd-243b-41da-9aeb-accd1d1d46ac |last=Pratt |first=Dave |work=[[The Province]] |date=February 5, 2008 |access-date=February 21, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104154208/http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sports/story.html?id=8f587dcd-243b-41da-9aeb-accd1d1d46ac |archive-date=November 4, 2012}}</ref> Two months into his tenure with the team, his role was expanded and he was made de facto general manager. With control of player personnel, Keenan overhauled the roster, making ten trades within two months, most notably dealing Linden to the [[New York Islanders]].<ref name="keenan fired">{{cite news|title=Hockey; Canucks Dismiss Keenan and Bring In Crawford|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/25/sports/hockey-canucks-dismiss-keenan-and-bring-in-crawford.html|access-date=May 31, 2011|date=January 25, 1999|work=The New York Times}}</ref> Although the trade was unpopular with fans, the Canucks received winger [[Todd Bertuzzi]] in return, who would later become an integral part of the team's return to success in the next decade. Defenceman [[Bryan McCabe]] was also part of the deal, who would eventually be involved in a key transaction in the [[1999 NHL entry draft]].