page_title: Markus Näslund
section_title: 2001–2005 West Coast Express
hierarchical_section_title: Markus Näslund / Playing career / Vancouver Canucks / 2001–2005 West Coast Express
caption_attribution_description: Markus Naslund with the Vancouver Canucks in 2005.
context_page_description: Markus Sten Näslund is a Swedish retired ice hockey player and former general manager for Modo Hockey of the Swedish Hockey League. He played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, as well as in the Swedish Hockey League|Elitserien]] with Modo Hockey. Nicknamed "Nazzy" by Canucks fans and "Macke" or "Mackan" in his native Sweden, he was known for his offensive skills, particularly his wrist shot and stickhandling.
  After playing junior hockey within the Modo organization, Näslund turned professional with the club's Elitserien team in 1990–91. Selected in the first round, 16th overall by the Penguins in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft, he joined the NHL in 1993–94. After his tenure with Pittsburgh, Näslund was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in 1996, where he spent 12 years, including a team record 8 as captain. He received the Cyclone Taylor Trophy as the Canucks' most valuable player five times and the Cyrus H. McLean Trophy as the leading point-scorer for seven consecutive seasons—both club records—en route to becoming the franchise leader in goals and points.
context_section_description: Set to enter the final year of his contract, Näslund re-signed with the Canucks to a three-year extension on 28 June 2001.  He spent the off-season rehabilitating his leg, which was held together with a titanium rod and screws following surgery, at his private gym in his hometown of Örnsköldsvik. He returned from his injury in 2001–02 and improved to 40 goals and 90 points, which ranked second in the league behind Jarome Iginla. The 2001–02 campaign marked the beginning of what was widely considered the most effective line combination in the league for several seasons. Näslund and Bertuzzi had already formed a duo as wingers on the Canucks' top line for more than two seasons when head coach Marc Crawford replaced centre Andrew Cassels with Brendan Morrison during a game on 9 January 2002. The trio were dubbed the "West Coast Express", named after Vancouver's commuter rail service of the same name.
  The formation of Näslund's new line coincided with an eight-goal, 21-point effort over 14 games in January 2002, earning him NHL Player of the Month honours. He was later chosen to represent the World Team at the 2002 NHL All-Star Game in Los Angeles and scored the game-winning goal in an 8–5 victory over the North American team. The Canucks finished the season with the eighth seed in the Western Conference for the second straight year, resulting in a first-round playoff match-up with the Detroit Red Wings. It was Näslund's first appearance in the post-season since his initial year with the Canucks in 1996. He was limited to a goal and an assist as Vancouver was eliminated by a Detroit side captained by the legendary Steve Yzerman and backstopped by perennial All-Star and future Hall of Famer Dominic Hasek. The Canucks fell in six games, despite winning the opening two games of the series. In the off-season, Näslund received NHL First Team All-Star honours as the league's top left-winger. He also finished fifth in Hart Memorial Trophy balloting.
  In 2002–03, with the West Coast Express line intact for a full season, Näslund finished with a career-high of 48 goals and 104 points, finishing second in the league in both categories. Furthermore, he led the league with 54 powerplay points and 12 game-winning goals. Näslund's linemates also produced career seasons as Bertuzzi recorded 97 points, which ranked fifth in league scoring, while Morrison tallied 71. Together, the trio accounted for 45% of the Canucks' 264 goals.
  Early in the season, Näslund scored his eighth career NHL hat-trick, scoring three goals in a seven-minute span during the second period of a 5–2 win over the San Jose Sharks on 21 October 2002. On 14 December, he scored a career-high four goals in a 6–3 win over the Edmonton Oilers, tying a Canucks record for most goals in a single game. Named to his third consecutive All-Star Game, held in February 2003, Näslund scored a goal in the first shootout in All-Star Game history to help the Western Conference defeat the Eastern Conference 6–5. He was joined on the All-Star squad by three other Canucks – Bertuzzi, Ed Jovanovski and head coach Marc Crawford. Crawford paired Näslund on a line with Peter Forsberg, marking the first time in nearly 10 years the two had played together. Later that month, Näslund registered another career-high game with a six-point night (one goal, five assists) in an 8–0 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers on 14 February 2003.  The win extended the Canucks' franchise record unbeaten streak to 14 games. On 27 March, he recorded an assist in a 5–1 win against the Phoenix Coyotes for his 100th point of the season, becoming the third Canuck to reach the plateau after Pavel Bure and Alexander Mogilny.
  On the last day of the 2002–03 regular season, the Canucks lost the Northwest Division title to the Colorado Avalanche through a defeat against the Los Angeles Kings. Näslund had also begun the night as the league's leading point – and goal-scorer, but was surpassed by Avalanche forwards Peter Forsberg and Milan Hejduk, respectively. After the game, Näslund apologized to the home fans at General Motors P
caption: Näslund with the Canucks at the 2005–06 season opener
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