Trevor Linden can’t help but believe there might be something to the Lucky Loonie.

After all, the lucky coin didn’t exist at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, where Linden played hockey for Team Canada — and lost.

Fast forward to Salt Lake City in 2002, where a Lucky Loonie was buried at centre ice just before the opening of the Winter Games — and Canada went on to win gold in both men’s and women’s hockey.

“We didn’t have it in ‘98 and we didn’t win. I think it took the Lucky Loonie in ‘02 and I think they got in trouble after that whole thing, so I’m not sure how they’re going to make that happen again in 2010,” said Linden.

The legend of the Lucky Loonie is now firmly planted in Olympic lore and the Canadian Mint has produced a special Loonie for every Olympics since Salt Lake.

On Thursday, Linden unveiled the latest Lucky Loonie for the 2010 Winter Olympics, which features the official Inukshuk logo.

To wish Canadian athletes good luck, 10 million of these special coins go in circulation starting Friday.

“This is the fourth Lucky Loonie we’ve ever produced. It started right after Salt Lake City, so in 2004 [in Athens] and every Olympics since. I think it’s really gained in popularity, especially this year since the Games are in Vancouver,” said Christine Aquino, spokeswoman for the Royal Canadian Mint. “People see them as a symbol of good luck.”

Canadian ice-maker Trent Evans was the person responsible for burying the Lucky Loonie in Salt Lake. After the Games, it was removed and given to Team Canada general manager Wayne Gretzky, who then donated it to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

On Monday, the glass case containing the original lucky coin was opened for Canadians to touch to give Team Canada a boost. Don Cherry was the first in line to touch the loonie, followed by a thousand people in a single day.

As for whether anyone has managed to sneak a Lucky Loonie in the ice this year at Canada Hockey Place is anyone’s guess.

However, Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts has issued a challenge to all B.C. municipalities to plant loonies in their arenas. The city of Esquimalt on Vancouver Island planned to heed that challenge Thursday night.

“We hope it brings good luck to our athletes as they go for gold,” said Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins.

By Lena Sin, The ProvinceFebruary 11, 2010 lsin@theprovince.com