7 fun facts about new Canucks defenceman Carson Soucy
The Vancouver Canucks’ biggest addition on the opening day of free agency was Carson Soucy.
Unlike most free agent frenzy’s under Jim Benning, the Canucks didn’t break the bank.
Soucy signed a three-year deal worth $3.25 million per season. For the first time in his career, he’ll look to lock down a permanent top-four defence role.
Here are seven fun facts you should know about the 28-year-old defenceman.
1. Nicknamed “Dr. Souce”
If you follow Soucy on Twitter, you might have noticed that his handle is @DrSouce71.
Apparently, it’s a handle he’s had for a long-time.
“I think it was actually my cousin once, he called me it and I decided that’s what my Twitter name should be,” Soucy said in a post-draft interview with the Minnesota Wild back in 2013.
2. Born in Viking
A tough-as-nails defenceman who was born in a town called Viking? Sounds about right.
Soucy’s birthplace of Viking, Alberta is about one hour east of Edmonton, best known for producer the Sutter brothers. And, the estimated population of 1,000 people means it’s about twice of the size of his hometown of Irma, Alberta located 30 minutes to the east of Viking.
3. Was cut from WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings
Soucy’s path to becoming a competent NHL defenceman wasn’t a straightforward one.
In his draft-eligible season, he was still playing Triple AAA midget hockey, and was cut by the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings.
Soucy remained persistent. He played one solid season of Junior A hockey for the Spruce Grove Saints, and ended up being drafted 137th overall by the Minnesota Wild back in 2013.
A late teenage growth spurt also helped. Just prior to being drafted, Soucy had a growth spurt that helped him shoot up from around 6 feet to 6-foot-5.
4. Played fast-pitch softball for Team Canada
Just a few months before being drafted by the Wild in 2013, Soucy wasn’t just lacing up his skates. He was also competing internationally for fast-pitch softball.
“There wasn’t a lot to do—there was no baseball where I live,” Soucy said in 2013 when asked about his fast-pitch softball career.
“[Fast-pitch softball] was the only sport in the summer and all of my friends play, so I ended up playing and growing up loving the game.”
He ended up traveling to Argentina with Team Canada in 2012 for the fast-pitch softball Jr. Men’s World Championships. Canada finished fourth among 15 teams.
5. Played NCAA hockey with his cousin
After being drafted, Soucy spent the next four years playing for the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
However, he wasn’t the only member of his family on the team.
His cousin, Parker Mackey, joined Soucy at the University of Minnesota-Duluth from 2015-17. Both cousins wore a letter on their jersey for the squad, with Mackey actually captaining the team in 2018-19.
View this post on Instagram
6. Fought Tanner Pearson and J.T. Miller
Soucy has five career NHL fights, and two of them were against guys that are now his teammates.
Midway through the 2021-22 season, Soucy had his first career fight as a member of the Seattle Kraken against Tanner Pearson.
He also fought J.T. Miller during a fight-filled first period against the Canucks in October last year.
7. Spent most of 2020-21 season playing with Ian Cole
Soucy hasn’t played on the same team as anyone currently on the Canucks roster, aside from one player.
And ironically, the only guy he’s familiar with was the Canucks’ other prominent signing on July 1.
Soucy and Ian Cole were primarily paired together on the Wild’s third pair during the 2020-21 season. In Soucy’s 669 even strength minutes skated that season, he spent 552 of them alongside Cole.
As a pair, the duo provided steady defensive results. When Soucy and Cole were on the ice together, the Wild outscored the opposition 33-16.
Their possession metrics painted a less rosy picture, but that’s because the Wild created very little offence with them on the ice. Their 24.4 chances against per-60 was well below league average. As a comparison, the lowest scoring chances per-60 total among any Canucks defender over the past three seasons was Quinn Hughes last year (26.4).
Could Soucy and Cole reunite on a pair for the Canucks? It’s possible, although it brings the Canucks’ mess on defence into perspective.
Soucy and Cole were a solid third-pair on a 2020-21 Wild team that made the playoffs but got bounced in the first round. Meanwhile in Vancouver, there’s excitement about these two defenders boosting the top-four of the Canucks defence heading in 2023-24.