Pettersson really appreciated new Canucks teammate Zadorov sticking up for him
It took only a few moments after Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson was crunched into the boards for one of his teammates to address the perpetrator. Newly acquired defenceman Nikita Zadorov skated over and dropped the gloves with Chicago Blackhawks forward Reese Johnson in defence of his teammate.
“I appreciate it so much. I don’t mind a good hit, but it just shows he’s going to back me up no matter what,” said the Swedish superstar about Zadorov’s response to Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre. “It shows that you’re playing for each other.”
Canuck Elias Pettersson on teammate Nikita Zadorov instigating fight w Reese Johnson after big hit on Pettersson.
“I appreciate it so much. I don't mind a good hit, but it just shows he's going to back me up no matter what. It shows that you're playing for each other.”
— Iain MacIntyre (@imacSportsnet) December 18, 2023
The incident happened in the third period of the Canucks most recent victory. Johnson had been a pest all game long and this hit on one of the Canucks’ stars was too much to ignore.
Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing nearly 250 pounds, Zadorov is a mountain of a man. He has the frame every team is looking to add to their defence corps, especially after the Vegas Golden Knights used a beefy blue line to win last year’s Stanley Cup.
Zadorov is also a very good skater for his size. He’s reached a top speed of 23.15 miles-per-hour this year according to NHL Edge data, good for the 95th percentile among NHL defencemen.
Since joining the Canucks in late November, Zadorov has already been in two fights. The only other Canucks player to have dropped the gloves during that time is Dakota Joshua.
While the gesture was clearly appreciated by his teammate, Zadorov will need to be careful picking his spots. After taking on Reese Johnson, he was awarded a two-minute instigator penalty. The Blackhawks subsequently scored on the power play, cutting the Canucks’ lead to one goal. However, the head coach didn’t seem to mind.
“One of your better players gets hit, that’s something around here that we don’t mind happening,” said head coach Rick Tocchet about the incident after the game. “I actually like the rule, it’s a good rule, but I also like the passion in Z (Zadorov).”
Reese Johnson lays a big hit on Elias Pettersson, and Nikita Zadorov immediately comes to his defense.
Zadorov is hit with a 2-minute instigator and 10-minute misconduct in addition to the 5 minutes for fighting. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/ewiNM5zjXY
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 17, 2023
Last season, the Canucks had 34 fights as a team, equal to their total from the two years before that combined. However, they lost frequent fighters Kyle Burroughs and Luke Schenn prior to this season starting. The acquisition of Zadorov, who is good for one to three fights per season, will help offset that loss in toughness as he is an imposing figure on the blue line.
After Zadorov’s fight against the Blackhawks, the Canucks now have 10 total bouts on the season.
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