"I thought the logo was cool": Canucks draft pick Willander is a big orca fan

The flying skate logo is a favourite among many Vancouver Canucks fans, but their first-round pick loves the orca.

Tom Willander didn’t grow up in Vancouver, but he did cheer for the Canucks. The 18-year-old Swedish defenceman was quite pleased when the Canucks chose him with the 11th overall pick at the NHL Draft on Wednesday, and he explained why to reporters.

The Sedins were a big reason, he said, but also the logo. He digs the orca.

“Vancouver was actually my first-ever team that I started cheering for. I’d say mainly because of the Sedins, obviously, being the most dominant pair of players ever,” Willander said after being picked at the draft in Nashville. “But I guess also, I thought the logo was cool. I got a bit nostalgic seeing it on stage.”

When pressed by Thomas Drance of The Athletic if he was a fan of the orca, rather than the flying skate logo, Willander was adamant.

“Yeah! Yeah, for sure,” he said, confirming his orca love. “100%.”

Time will tell if Willander was the right pick by the Canucks, but he certainly fills a need for the organization. The Stockholm native instantly becomes Vancouver’s top prospect, especially when it comes to defence.

Prospect expert Daniel Gee described Willander as a “near-top-of-the-class skater” and a “safe bet” to become a top-four NHL defenceman, for Daily Hive last week.

Willander is a “nightmare” to play against given he’s strong, skilled, and competes relentlessly for every puck, according to the Elite Prospects draft guide.

“This is something I’ve been working towards for my whole life,” said Willander. “I’m just super happy and excited to get started.”

Willander is following an unusual path for Swedish players, as he has committed to playing NCAA hockey at Boston University next season, rather than proceed to pro hockey in the SHL.

He explained that the NCAA route was a “better fit” for himself, to play at a level that focuses more on development.

Canucks GM Patrik Allvin called Willander’s NCAA plan an “impressive decision.”

Fans are hoping they can look back on this pick in a few years as an impressive decision by Allvin, too.

“Vancouver was my first favourite team I started cheering for.”

Tom Willander meets with the media after being selected 11th overall in the 2023 #NHLDraft.#Canucks | @ToyotaPacific pic.twitter.com/2BC10c8aTm

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) June 29, 2023

You might also like:
• Luongo had the perfect response after goalies kept messing up draft picks