7 fun facts about new Canucks forward Sam Lafferty

On the eve of the 2023-24 season, the Vancouver Canucks bid adieu to yet another draft pick.

Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin traded the eight draft pick of his tenure away on Sunday, dealing a 2024 fifth-round pick away in exchange for 28-year-old Sam Lafferty.

It’s the second time in as many weeks that Allvin has traded a draft pick away in exchange for a former member of the Pittsburgh Penguins, with the Canucks acquiring former Pens netminder Casey DeSmith just a couple of weeks ago.

Here are seven fun facts about Lafferty, now officially the newest member of the Canucks.

1. Inspired to play hockey by Mario Lemieux

Being a Penguins fan isn’t so bad.

Lafferty was born in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, which is about two hours outside of Pittsburgh.

He apparently fell in love with the team during the 2001 season, which was the year that Mario Lemieux returned to the NHL after a three-year battle with cancer. Lemieux wowed a six-year-old Lafferty by leading the Penguins to the Conference Finals during his return.

2. Played defence for Team USA at World Hockey Championships

A right shot guy with experience playing defence? Hey, the Canucks are still looking for someone to play with Quinn Hughes.

Lafferty apparently was good enough on defence were good enough that he actually practiced as a defenceman while playing for the Penguins.

However, Lafferty did play in a professional hockey game as a defenceman in 2022. At the World Hockey Championships, with Team USA down to four defencemen because of injury, Lafferty got a shot playing defence.

“[Playing as a defenceman] it in an actual game was a change in perspective,” Lafferty said in an interview. “You see the mistakes forwards make a lot more clearly. As a forward you’re always getting on the d to get you the puck and stuff like that. Seth [Jones] was on the team so I would sit next to him on the bench and right away I would start talking about the forwards and he got a good laugh out of that … You see when a forward turns a puck over in a certain area it can trap a defenseman on the ice and make the job harder.”

3. Played golf competitively in college

Most hockey players are good at golf, but Lafferty is on another level.

Lafferty played both hockey and golf during his stint at Browns University. In 2015, he also qualified for the Ivy League Division 1 Men’s Golf Championship.

Apparently his golfing prowess is known by his peers, as Lafferty was voted a top-five golfer in the NHL during the 2021-22 NHLPA Player Poll.

4. Drafted just before potential linemate Dakota Joshua

Not only did Lafferty grow up a Penguins fan, but he ended up being drafted by his hometown team in 2014.

Lafferty was selected in the fourth round at 113th overall. His potential linemate in the Canucks’ bottom six, Dakota Joshua, was drafted 15 spots later by the Maple Leafs.

So, I guess the Canucks can thank Toronto for one-third of their bottom-six.

Lafferty wasn’t the only notable player drafted in the fourth round of 2014. He was selected one pick after Viktor Arvidsson, who ranks eighth among all players in the entire draft class for games played. Star defenceman Devon Toews, Langley native Danton Heinen, Carolina Hurricanes winger Michael Bunting, and current starting goaltenders Ville Husso (Detroit Red Wings) and Igor Shesterkin (New York Rangers) were also selected in the same round.

5. Scored back-to-back shorthanded goals last season

Aside from being a former Penguin, one of the reasons why Lafferty would be attractive to the Canucks was because of his penalty killing prowess.

Well, the speedy forward took his shorthanded skills to another level early last season, scoring two goals on consecutive kills.

6. Had awkward training camp interaction with Sidney Crosby

It can’t be easy to skate alongside your childhood hero.

While Lemieux got Lafferty hooked on hockey, he mentioned that Sidney Crosby is his all-time favourite player.

When asked in this interview what his “welcome to the NHL” moment was, Lafferty cited an awkward training camp interaction with his boyhood idol.

“I just remember being at training camp and here I’m sitting next to Sid, my childhood idol, and I’m just trying to think of something to say and I was drawing a blank. I couldn’t think of anything good to say so I asked him what the score was and he was like…’I think it’s tied.'”

7. Was healthy scratched during Maple Leafs playoff run

Lafferty’s 2022-23 season was eventful.

He started hot with the Chicago Blackhawks by posting five points in his first four games. It had some writers in the the city claiming that he was the team’s best forward early on.

After being traded to the Maple Leafs at the trade deadline, Lafferty’s ice time unsurprisingly decreased. However, he was healthy scratched in two of Toronto’s 11 playoff games in favour of Zach Aston-Reese, who was placed on waivers Sunday.

Lafferty did score his first career playoff goal after returning to the lineup, but the playoff scratch is a reminder that this is simply a depth pickup for the Canucks.

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