I've had a few interactions of note.
Back in the day at the Coliseum, kids would line up outside the door and after practice players would exit and sign things. One day I was there with my young son, and we waited (for Bure mostly). The other players all came out first....they'd stop, smile, chat, sign. Then Bure came out last, and of course as he stormed out the door kids went wild. Except he rushed right past them to his car that was parked near the door!
Oh no he didn't!
LOL, without thinking I followed him to his car (it was one where the door opened upward, not out). He turned to me as he was about to get in his car and I said "you know, these kids have waited for you and it would be cool if you could sign a few autographs for them". He smiled, closed his car door and came back to the small crowd that had waited. My son still talks about that day. (FTR, we had him sign a pennant that my son hung on his wall...one day we noticed the sun had faded the autograph right off...gone! Oh well, we knew it had been there and would never "sell/get rid of" any of our items)
Another time, we got to meet him and got a picture with him (he remembered us).
My brother used to be a hockey card collector/dealer. They had shows where, at times, players would attend as part of the event to generate interest. Trevor was fairly new to the team at the time...but our favourite. Again, we lined up in a long line to meet him and an announcement was made over the intercom stating Trevor is only here for an hour and with the long line please only one autograph per person in order to get through everyone. We didn't have cell phones to take pictures, but I brought our camcorder. Oh well, no big deal.
As my young son approached, he was in awe and his face showed that all over. He approached the table Trevor was at and could barely see over it.
Then Trevor blew my mind with kindness. He looked at me, smiled and said to my son "I think your Mom wants a video", then he came away from the table to meet my son at the end of the table, placing him on his knee to have a brief chat that I caught on video. I was wow'd by his gesture and my son was so star struck by his "hero". Other people weren't as happy but many were adults in line with glossy 8 x 10's that they were obviously going to sell. So yeah, he took time with a young fella and it left a huge impression on us.
Last one (for now) On one of the Canucks' anniversary years they put out a book - it also coincided with Save On Foods opening a book section in their stores. Trevor Linden (and Matt Cooke) were going to be there to sign the books.
I got there early (first one - 5 am....lol...was WAAAAAY early). It was a good 2 hours before anyone else would arrive (store staff). My son was away and I bought the book and was going to have it signed for him for his birthday.
When they finally opened the doors, I asked a manager there where Trevor would be signing - he pointed to the new book section in the far right corner. I went and...waited. And waited. And then noticed people streaming in, but heading in the other direction!! When I asked an employee she said "oh yeah, he's over there (in the opposite corner from where I'd been waiting for so long). As I approached, there was a LOOOONNNNNG snaking line up. Sigh. I went to the back of the line and, as luck would have it, the manager who'd steered me wrong saw me and came up to me to apologize for the bad info he'd given me. Then he said "follow me" and we went across the store to a door that said "EMPLOYEES ONLY". We went up some stairs and he directed me to a room that had a long table and lots of chairs. "You can wait for Trevor here".
It was the media room and I got to sit in on the scrum after the event (for local papers/news). I also got to meet Trevor and he signed my book.
We still have it.
And Trevor Linden is just...the best.
(to be cont'd....)