Canucks' 'egoless' locker room a refreshing change
The vibes around the Vancouver Canucks are immaculate right now.
Obviously, it helps that they’ve won a couple of games, but even after Sunday’s loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, there was still a sense of positivity. While the team says they’re still working on developing their culture, the roots are already starting to take hold in the locker room.
Part of that is having a clear direction as a rebuilding team, but there’s another word that keeps coming up: “ego.” Or, rather, the lack of it.
“We have a very egoless group,” said Paul Cotter. “When you have a room that’s that close and willing to get better together, it can take you so far.”
That echoed what the new Canuck said after the season opener.
“This is a special group,” said Cotter. “Very, very egoless, which is so rare — impossible. Older guys, younger guys, we all fit together and mesh well.”
It’s one thing for that kind of statement to come from someone who just joined the team and has little sense of what the Canucks’ room was like before his arrival. It’s quite another to hear it from a player who has been with the Canucks longer than anyone: Brock Boeser.
When The Athletic’s Thomas Drance asked Boeser about the volatility of the Canucks in recent years, Boeser was candid.
“I think it was some of the personalities there in the room; we just had some negativity,” said Boeser. “This year, I don’t feel like there’s anyone with much ego on the team. There’s not one guy that’s sticking out and bringing the group down. I think that’s a good thing. It’s good for us.”
The personalities in the room have certainly changed. The Canucks have made some significant roster moves over the past couple of years, including trading big personalities like J.T. Miller, Quinn Hughes, and Conor Garland.
The difference has been felt by multiple players.
“I don’t think anyone in here thinks he’s better than the next guy and that has ended,” said Max Sasson to Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma. “We’ve turned a new page, and everybody can just be themselves and feel good — feel confident coming to the rink every day and not having to look over their shoulder or anything.
“On the ice, you’re going to see a lot more confidence because if you make a mistake, your buddy has your back.”
All of that speaks volumes about what the environment surrounding the Canucks has been over the past couple of years: one where players are constantly looking over their shoulders, questioning themselves at every turn, and being afraid to make mistakes.
It reflects what general manager Ryan Johnson said about Elias Pettersson in the offseason.
“What I’m stressing with him is I want to give him an environment that supports him, that allows him to be himself and not feel that he’s got to be anything other than himself,” said Johnson. “I want to help him just in creating a space where I know he wakes up excited to come into the arena every day.”
While that was specifically about Pettersson, it’s clear that Johnson wants that same environment for every player on the team. So far, it’s mission accomplished.
How long the positive vibes last over the course of an 84-game season remains to be seen, but the early results have been figuratively and literally encouraging.