Blueger speaks on importance of team culture and what went wrong for Canucks
Former Vancouver Canucks forward Teddy Blueger recently admitted that the 2025-26 season was the biggest lesson of his career.
Blueger was a part of the Canucks roster that finished dead last in the NHL standings with just 58 points. While he admitted to TSN that it was frustrating, he also spoke about just how much he learned during the trying times.
“Particularly last year, it was a very challenging year, but probably the year that I learned the most,” Blueger explained. “My biggest year of learning throughout the course of my career. So many ups and downs, so many challenges with the team, so much change.”
When asked about specific learning points, Blueger, who spent parts of five seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins, pointed towards tight bonds made in the dressing room.
“The importance of team cohesion, culture-type stuff. What makes a team tick, what makes the guys come together, play their best. The goal for any team is to get to a point where you find a balance of guys caring about each other enough to where they’re willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of the team.
“It was stuff I kind of took for granted early in my career with Pittsburgh with [Sidney Crosby] setting the tone with practice habits, discipline of showing up on time, being respectful to each other, to the trainers, to the staff.”
Despite some frustrating times during his tenure with the Canucks, Blueger was adamant that he truly enjoyed his time in Vancouver.
“I loved my time in Vancouver,” Bluger said. “Made a lot of great friends. Some of those guys I’ve been with for three years, we went through a lot of ups, a lot of downs together. I think that helps create a bond. The city was amazing, really nice people. Very, very beautiful nature.”
Blueger’s time with the Canucks recently came to an end, as the 31-year-old, who scored nine goals and 17 points in 35 games this past season, signed a two-year, $4.5-million deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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