Entrepreneur and former star hockey player Trevor Linden is letting partner Chuck Lawson run his Club 16 Trevor Linden Fitness venture so Linden can devote all his time to being president of hockey operations for the Vancouver Canucks.
"I've got a great partner who will continue on [at Club 16 Trevor Linden Fitness], and he's done a great job," Linden said at a press conference April 9.
"I'm 100% committed to what I'm doing [with the Canucks] so it's more than a full time job right now. I look forward to getting started and my full attention will be here."
Other business involvements that 43-year-old Linden has had since leaving hockey in 2008 include partnering with Vancouver developer and Airey Development Group principal Howard Airey to build two mixed-use projects. Linden also became a spokesman for Vancouver-based eyewear seller Clearly Contacts.
Linden replaces Mike Gillis, whom team owner Francesco Aquilini fired April 8. Unlike Gillis, who held the position of president, Linden is president of hockey operations.
"Trevor is president of hockey operations, which is really the core business," Aquilini explained. "Victor [de Bonis] runs the business side and they will be working together, in tandem, to operate the business."
Linden is one of four Canucks to have their numbers retired. His No. 16 hangs from the rafters of Rogers Arena alongside Stan Smyl's No. 12, Markus Naslund's No. 19 and Pavel Bure's No. 10. There is also a part of Rogers Arena that is called Gate 16 in honour of Linden.
He played 19 seasons in the NHL, including 16 at least partly in Vancouver.
During his playing days, he was elected president of the NHL Players' Association in 1998 and held that post during the 2004-2005 NHL lockout.
