Foote explains why Myers took warmups despite sitting out for Vancouver Canucks
It was a confusing couple of hours for Vancouver Canucks fans on Wednesday night.
News broke in the afternoon that Tyler Myers was sitting out for trade-related reasons. That in itself came as a surprise, as he wasn’t considered to be the Canucks veteran with term who would potentially be dealt.
The confusion became dizzying as the Canucks came out for their pre-game skate prior to playing the Winnipeg Jets.
Two hours after the Canucks themselves announced that Myers would sit out for “roster management reasons,” the 36-year-old veteran was seen on the ice in full gear for warmups.
Myers skated over to the glass, where his wife, Michela, stood with their three kids.
It seemed as though, perhaps, the longest-tenured Canucks defenceman just wanted to take one last lap in a Canucks jersey before departing for another team.
However, head coach Adam Foote debunked the feel-good rationale with the truth behind Myers partaking in warmup.
“Well, we were caught in that spot,” Foote said after a 3-2 Canucks overtime loss.
“When I talked to Tyler after the skate this morning, we had a great conversation….I’m like, ‘I need you for warmup. I need you to prepare in case something happens, and where we were with our roster.'”
“He was a true pro and said, ‘Yeah, I’ll be ready.'”
So no, Myers didn’t soak in a final lap before a potential trade.
He went out there because, typically, NHL teams send seven defencemen out for warmups.
“You always need to put your seventh D in,” Foote said. “We’ve seen it happen before, a groin pull or someone gets a puck to the face, or who knows, right?”
It’s a low risk, but as we saw with Filip Chytil earlier this month, anything can happen.
Of course, that also meant Myers was at risk of injury before a potential trade.
I guess you can look at it that way,” Foote said when asked about that. “There’s always a percentage, right?
Foote paused before saying, “It had to happen.”
Myers did escape warmup unscathed before giving up his spot in the lineup to Pierre-Olivier Joseph.
Foote also revealed that he learned about the potential Myers trade last night. At the morning skate, he was told that Myers would have to sit on the sidelines.
If this was Myers’s last game in Vancouver, which seems likely, he’s someone who will be missed by both his coach and teammates.
“He’s been a valuable part of this team for a long time,” Drew O’Connor said when asked about not having Myers in the lineup.
“Especially when we’re in a tie game like that, you know he’s got you on the ice.”
“He’s a leader, and he’s vocal, so it’s definitely something you notice when he’s not there.”
Evander Kane, who is likely to be traded from the Canucks as well, also talked about having Myers as a teammate this season.
“It’s been good to have one of the few older guys that we have and on the roster…and one of the few Canadian guys, Kane said.”
“It’s been nice having him as a teammate.”
This is Kane’s first season playing with Myers. The two players were once involved in trades for each other back in 2015, in a deal that saw Myers go to Winnipeg while Kane went to the Buffalo Sabres.
But of course, if Myers does get traded, he’ll be missed most for his impact on guys off the ice.
“He’s a great, great guy, good human,” Foote said. “I’ve really enjoyed coaching him.”
“A couple of guys were real close to him, and they’re aware of it too. Every year it seems like you lose one you like, and it’s part of the game.”