The Canucks prefer to go see the followers that do not usually get to see them play houses video games.
Article content material
Taking your coaching camp on the highway was frequent observe.
Commercial 2
Article content material
Normally groups would discover a house away from house in a neighborhood close by to their NHL base, however infrequently they might trek far afield, just like the Montreal Canadiens did in 1961, venturing cross-country to Victoria.
Article content material
Throughout the Nineteen Seventies and ’80s, the Los Angeles Kings additionally usually spent pre-season in Victoria.
However as time has went on and lots of groups constructed their very own coaching services, it turned much less frequent to take the present on the highway. The Vancouver Canucks are nearly the one crew left within the NHL nonetheless doing it.
Through the years, the Canucks have spent pre-season in lots of cities and cities round B.C., together with Victoria, Courtenay, Parksville, Duncan, Vernon, Kamloops, Powell River, Whistler, Abbotsford and Prince George.
Commercial 3
Article content material
Sure, a few of that’s as a result of they don’t have a full-time coaching facility at their disposal, nevertheless it’s additionally as a result of the crew has at all times valued getting out and assembly their followers. Administration group after administration group has taken time to focus on this.
Present Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford is the newest to talk in these phrases.
“The Canucks are extremely popular all through the province and we’d like to achieve out to a few of these smaller areas and provides these folks a greater probability to see the gamers observe. See them round city and issues like that,” Rutherford stated Wednesday, earlier than the Canucks opened their coaching camp in Victoria on the Save-on-Meals Memorial Centre.
Added Canucks captain Quinn Hughes: “Simply being in Kelowna final week, seeing how passionate they’re about hockey and likewise in Penticton, and right here as properly. Individuals right here don’t get to see us play lots. So for them to return out immediately, I imply, it’s fairly cool.”
Article content material
Commercial 4
Article content material
When the Canucks joined the NHL in 1970, the crew skilled in Calgary after which in Drugs Hat earlier than spending coaching camp for 16 of the subsequent 19 years on the island, first in Victoria in 1974.
Former Canucks play-by-play caller Jim Robson remembered the early day of Canucks coaching camp fondly.
“The primary camp was in Calgary, the second camp in Drugs Hat as a result of the ice plant in Calgary broke down so on the final minute they needed to discover one thing,” Robson recalled.
“Whistler, that’s the place Stan Smyl ran Harold Snepsts within the first coaching camp scrimmage as a rookie. And coach Harry Neale Smyl along with Curt Fraser and Thomas Gradin as a line.”
In these days, coaching camp was a two-week affair, with the primary week simply rookies and minor leaguers trying to make their mark and set themselves up for the second week, when the veterans arrived and the dream of profitable a spot on the NHL roster turned actual.
Commercial 5
Article content material
Gamers would have an off-ice exercise, then hit the ice for observe and nearly each night featured a scrimmage.
The fashionable camp is far more condensed, simply three or 4 days, however the gamers skate onerous every day, making an attempt to point out their coaches they’ve carried out the work within the low season to organize for the season to both safe a place within the lineup or to point out they’re prepared for the chance ought to a roster spot open up.
Younger wingers get their probability
A trio of younger wingers — Nils Höglander, Vasily Podkolzin and Arshdeep Bains — obtained to point out their stuff alongside NHL regulars on Thursday because the Canucks opened camp in Victoria.
All three had been skating in spots that introduced profile: Höglander with Elias Petterson and Andrei Kuzmenko, Podkolzin with J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser, and Bains with possible third-liners Pius Suter and Conor Garland.
Commercial 6
Article content material
For Höglander and Podkolzin, this can be a massive pre-season. Each ended up within the AHL for a lot of final season, as their careers took a dip in development. Each made the NHL as rookies — Höglander in 2020-21 and Podkolzin in 2021-22 — however have struggled to safe fill-time roles.
Bains performed his first skilled season final yr with AHL Abbotsford and his sport steadily improved. He performed in all conditions for Jeremy Colliton’s AHL Canucks and confirmed a lot progress that clearly he’s in a spot the place Canucks administration need to get a way of how near seeing NHL motion he is likely to be.
“Höglander, I believed he was actually good immediately. Like simply form of feisty on the market and quick,” Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet stated Thursday, when requested to evaluate the younger wingers’ scenario.
Commercial 7
Article content material
“I feel he realized we’d like some forecheckers. Some buzz saws. I feel that he can provide us that.”
Tocchet didn’t get to see Höglander a lot final season after taking on because the Canucks’ head coach in late January, however he did see the Swede just a few instances in Abbotsford. He additionally spoke to Colliton about Höglander in addition to former Canucks coach Travis Inexperienced, who is aware of him properly from his first yr within the league.
“It’s extra piecing it collectively. So now, clearly, it’s my eyes now. I can see what he has,” Tocchet stated. “I appreciated his first day.”
Tocchet was additionally happy with Podkolzin, however highlighted what he must see from each gamers within the coming days and weeks in the event that they need to change their names on the lineup card from pencil to pen.
Commercial 8
Article content material
“It’s consistency proper? You play an important an important sport; can you possibly can you stick with it? That’s actually I assume the subsequent stage right here: can we be constant? Are you able to guys come out tomorrow and observe onerous once more,” he stated.
“It might’t be one out of each three. That’s actually the message of camp. Restoration immediately and let’s see it once more tomorrow.”
-
Canucks coaching camp recap: Elias Pettersson speaks | Hughes will get a companion | Ilya Mikheyev isn’t right here | Eyes on Surrey’s Arshdeep Bains
-
Canucks prospects: Lekkerimaki joins elite firm with third aim in three video games
Bookmark our web site and assist our journalism: Don’t miss the information it’s good to know — add VancouverSun.com and TheProvince.com to your bookmarks and join our newsletters right here.
It’s also possible to assist our journalism by changing into a digital subscriber: For simply $14 a month, you may get limitless, ad-lite get limitless, ad-lite entry to The Vancouver Solar, The Province, Nationwide Submit and 13 different Canadian information websites. Help us by subscribing immediately: The Vancouver Solar | The Province.
Feedback
Postmedia is dedicated to sustaining a vigorous however civil discussion board for dialogue and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Feedback could take as much as an hour for moderation earlier than showing on the location. We ask you to maintain your feedback related and respectful. We’ve enabled e-mail notifications—you’ll now obtain an e-mail for those who obtain a reply to your remark, there may be an replace to a remark thread you comply with or if a person you comply with feedback. Go to our Neighborhood Pointers for extra info and particulars on the right way to regulate your e-mail settings.
Be a part of the Dialog