SPORTS Where are they mow sy css sicres, spor ei o\ Alexander Mogilny Another former Russian great, Alexander Mogilny, now 39, retired from the NHL in 2006 after 18 years in the league with four teams, including the Vancouver Canucks. Mogilny went from being one of the most dangerous snipers in game—he once scored an astounding 76 goals in one year—to puttering out with a whimper. The beginning of the end came in 2003- 04 when he missed the majority of the year due to a debilitating hip injury. The lockout wiped out the entire next season, so by the time play resumed it had been almost two full years since Mogilny had played competitively. That summer, he received an astronomical $7 million over two years from the usually stingy New Jersey Devils. A number of injuries combined with poor play caused the Devils to waive him and demote Mogilny to the AHL farm. Unlike most fading stars, Mogilny showed a lot of class and played out his contract in the AHL before retiring. Valeri Bure The less talented of the Bure brothers, Valeri Bure, 34, hasn’t played in the NHL since 2004. In 2005, he underwent extensive back surgery before the new season and signed a contract with the Los Angeles Kings. However, he never suited up for the Kings, citing injury problems and a desire to spend more time with his young family. Bure, who has lived in Los Angeles ever since defecting from his native Russia early in his career, married former Full House star, Candace Cameron. In retirement, Bure has kept busy. In 2007, Bure and Cameron opened up The Milk and Honey Café in Florida, and have recently established Bure Family Wines, which distribute top-quality wine. Bure has stated that he first became interested in the food and restaurant business while playing with the Montreal Canadians. Fedor Fedorov Once labelled as a can’t-miss Vancouver Canucks prospect, the enigmatic younger brother of superstar, Sergei Fedorov went through a rough time in Vancouver before being traded to the New York Rangers and eventually winding up in Russia’s new KHL. Fedorov, 27, was praised for having all the tools to be a big offensive star in the NHL and to help lead the Canucks to glory. However, he never clicked with the coaching staff and spent the majority of his time as organizational property with the Manitoba Moose, Vancouver’s AHL affiliate. Eventually, Fedorov was dealt to the Rangers. He only played three games with them and spent two years with their farm team. After leaving North America for Russia, Fedorov had a few relatively successful years in Russian leagues before signing with the New Jersey Devils at the start of this year. He didn’t make the team and instead of again going to the AHL, departed for the new KHL. Sergei Fedorov Six year ago, Sergei Fedorov was considered to be the centerpiece of the emerging Detroit Red Wings dynasty. They had just won the Stanley Cup and Fedorov, the superstar of the Russian national team and one of Detroit’s best players, was in his prime. Shortly after this, however, Fedorov signed a deal with the Anaheim Duck after failing to come to terms with Detroit. He didn’t last long with the Ducks and was shipped out to the basement dwelling Columbus Blue Jackets. With Columbus, Fedorov’s numbers and play dwindled badly, and his stock as one of hockey’s elite plummeted. At last year’s trade deadline, Fedorov was sent to the Washington Capitals for unheralded prospect, Ted Ruth. With low expectations, Fedorov surprised many when he helped lead the Caps to the playoffs for the first time in years. He clicked instantly with superstar Alexander Ovechkin and this summer signed a one- year, $4 million contract with Washington. Trevor Linden was the Canucks’ heart sy sisies seistsc: And he was. Wren you think of a leader, how many of you think of a simple man who has the courage to rise up and say, “We can do this”? How many people really believe it’s about scoring 40-plus goals? It’s not. That’s pure skill, not leadership. Still not convinced? Look back to 1994. There was no Daniel or Henrik Sedin and no Markus Naslund, but their skillful equivalent was Pavel Bure. He was a big star; he got tons of goals. He was the big man on the team, but he wasn’t the captain. Instead, Trevor Linden was; a good season for him was when he scored 33 goals in one year. Clearly he was no superstar. But in 1994 he did two things. In game six of the Stanley Cup finals against the New York Rangers, he was pushed around; he got badly hurt right at the end when it was clear there would be a Game 7. At the time, some did not believe he would make it for the final game, but the Canucks’ own telecaster spouted out on the TV that no matter what, even if “he had to be there in crutches,” he would be there. Imagine the lift a team gets when their leader is not only pushed down and badly hurt, but has the courage to get back up and go for it again. Ironically, Game 7 will always be what made him a true leader. The Canucks would lose the game 3-2, one goal short from tying the game and a chance to still win the cup. So, who scored those goals that kept them in the game? Linden. He scored both of them. That’s why he is a leader; he scores when it counts. He doesn’t get pretty and amazing goals, but he got the job done when no one else could. When we talk about leaders, sure we are talking about greatness. But being a great player doesn’t give you the same greatness as being a leader, someone who can take a group of shabby, self-absorbed people and lead them to that greatness together. Stars can be stopped, but units are unstoppable. Perhaps we should remember this the next time we look to one or two Canucks to solve our immediate woes and look to what’s really missing right now on this team: chemistry, which can only be obtained through leadership.