1997–98 Vancouver Canucks season

After missing the playoffs the season before, the team responded by signing Mark Messier to a three-year contract.

The signing of Messier did little to improve the team, however, as they finished even worse than the year before, costing Head Coach Tom Renney and General Manager Pat Quinn their jobs.

[2] Forward Trevor Linden resigned the team captaincy, in favour of new arrival Mark Messier.

The 48th game was held in the very same year as the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, providing the NHL to show its players from all over the world.

These provisions only applied to the players — coaches would still be selected based on which teams were the best from each conference at the time of the break.