Garland thanks Vancouver Canucks fans: 'It's such a special city'
Conor Garland became a fan favourite in his five seasons with the Vancouver Canucks.
And the feeling was mutual.
A day after being traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets, the 29-year-old winger explained how thankful he was for his time in Vancouver.
“It’s such a special city,” Garland said in a television interview with Sportsnet.
“I really enjoyed my time [there]. The people in the organization are so special, great friends behind the scenes that people don’t even know. The team services guys and the media people. We’ve created a lot of bonds over the years.
“My family and I are forever grateful. My son was born there; that city will forever be special to my heart. So I can’t thank the fans [enough] for embracing me for the past five years.”
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It’s easy to forget now, but Garland was the subject of trade speculation heading into the 2023-24 season. He was reportedly given permission to speak to other teams to facilitate a trade out of town.
Instead, he stayed, and was a big part of the Canucks team that returned to the playoffs.
“I believed in myself and I worked that summer,” Garland said in response to a question from Paul Bissonnette on Sportsnet. “I really wanted to go back and have a good year. That whole summer I really dedicated myself to finding my game again. I was fortunate to do it. It showed me how hard you have to work to keep improving, cause this league’s getting better and better, and you gotta keep getting better every day.”
It’s easy to understand why Canucks fans fell in love with Garland. The smallest player on the ice in most games, Garland never backed down from an opponent. His effort could never be questioned.
This had to be Conor Garland’s best moment as a Canuck pic.twitter.com/m5liUaQ0dw
— Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) March 6, 2026
Garland’s best moment in a Canucks uniform was probably his game-winning goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the playoffs in 2024. That playoff run was clearly a highlight for him.
“When you’re a good team there, such great memories leaving the rink in the springtime when it’s hot out and walking out and there’s thousands of fans there,” he said. “You can’t really replicate playoff hockey in Vancouver.”
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