Wave of famous NHL players spotted training in Vancouver this summer
They say the West Coast is the best coast.
From a hockey perspective, that often hasn’t been the case. But is the tide starting to change?
North Vancouver native Connor Bedard was selected first overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2023. Another North Van product, Macklin Celebrini, also went first overall in 2024. Throw Yukon’s Gavin McKenna into the mix, and suddenly, the best young NHL stars are coming from Western Canada.
You know what else they all have in common? They’ve spent the summer training together in Vancouver.
Clips have been surfacing throughout the offseason of Celebrini skating at Scotia Barn (Burnaby 8 Rinks), alongside a swath of other hockey players.
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Most notably for Canucks fans, top prospect Caleb Malhotra was spotted training with Celebrini just last week.
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But Celebrini, Bedard and McKenna aren’t the only stars who’ve skated in Vancouver this summer. Here are some other notable players who’ve been spotted skating in the city:
- Zach Benson (Buffalo Sabres)
- Logan Stankoven (Carolina Hurricanes)
- Kent Johnson (Columbus Blue Jackets)
- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Edmonton Oilers)
- Ben Kindel (Pittsburgh Penguins)
- Will Smith (San Jose Sharks)
- Michael Misa (San Jose Sharks)
- Sam Dickinson (San Jose Sharks)
- Matty Beniers (Seattle Kraken)
- Berkley Catton (Seattle Kraken)
A good chunk of talented, B.C.-based players have skated alongside Celebrini in Vancouver throughout the summer.
Chilliwack native Zach Benson has been working on his craft after a breakout performance for Buffalo in the 2026 postseason.
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While Benson was a stud for the Sabres, Kamloops native Logan Stankoven was a true difference-maker for the Stanley Cup-winning Carolina Hurricanes.
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Kent Johnson, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Ben Kindel are all Lower Mainland-based NHLers.
The rest of the noteworthy NHLers present were either from the Sharks or the Seattle Kraken.
Heck, there might be more Sharks training this offseason in Vancouver than the Canucks.
Thatcher Demko has been spotted in the city, while Brendan Gallagher has reportedly been training in Delta, as he normally does.
But Celebrini has apparently brought some key Sharks players to Vancouver, including recent first-round picks Will Smith, Michael Misa, and Sam Dickinson. Other Sharks prospects, such as Luca Cagnoni and Carson Westch, have also been at 8 Rinks.
Celebrini wasn’t the only member of his family in Vancouver, as his younger brother, RJ, was training with NHLers. That’s something not all 2012-born teenagers can boast.
There was one Canucks player spotted with the Celebrini-led group, as Arshdeep Bains partook in some offseason training.
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Other NHLers spotted in the group included Jake Christiansen, Angus Crokshank, Laurent Brossoit, Parker Wotherspoon, and Vincent Iorio.