These Canucks players are back in Vancouver and skating at a local rink together
Hockey season is here.
Training camp doesn’t begin until Sept. 18, but Vancouver Canucks players are already in town and skating together.
While the whole team isn’t here yet, a large contingent of Canucks players skated together at UBC on Wednesday.
That group was led by Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Thatcher Demko, Kevin Lankinen, Filip Hronek, Marcus Pettersson, and newcomer Evander Kane, who were all photographed at the rink. Numerous other depth players were also present, per a report from CanucksArmy.
Evander Kane in Canucks colours (@Canucks/X)
Skating together weeks before training camp begins has become the norm around the NHL. Edmonton Oilers players were spotted skating at their practice facility two days ago, for instance.
All eyes will be on Pettersson in training camp, given how desperately the Canucks need him to bounce back following a disappointing 45-point season.
Will Kane be a key to Pettersson returning to form? It sounds like the veteran winger would love to play on his line.
“We have some great skill up front. Obviously we got Petey running up the middle there, and he looks like he’s come into this season with a bit of a new look and probably a slightly different attitude, which is obviously going to bode well for us,” Kane told reporters. “It’s going to start with him, and it’s going to be on everyone to help him out and produce offensively at a high level with our entire forward group.”
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Kane had lots of praise for Pettersson, even comparing him to a couple of his former teammates.
“He’s a guy that obviously skates really well. He’s able to handle the puck through the neutral zone; he has great speed. I’ve played with a couple of guys like that in my career. I think it’s imperative to help them create space through the neutral zone, off the rush. At the same time, letting their attributes make yours even better… Excited to play with him, and we’ll see what happens.”