“It’s a city that bleeds hockey”: Pettersson explains why he committed to Canucks

Elias Pettersson will be with the Vancouver Canucks for a long time moving forward.

This morning, the team announced they had signed Pettersson to an eight-year extension. The deal is worth $92.8 million and will carry a cap hit of $11.8 million. Despite how uncertain it appeared at times, Pettersson told reporters today that he has always wanted to remain in Vancouver.

“I’m super excited. This is where I wanted to be,” Pettersson said. “I want to first off thank the Aquilini family for this, [as well as] the management, teammates, for all they’ve done.”

As far as why he wanted to stay in Vancouver, Pettersson said that part of it had to do with how quickly he was able to settle into the city when he first arrived six seasons ago.

“It’s a city that bleeds hockey. Fans are very passionate,” he explained. “I also think it’s very similar to Sweden in some ways. That’s what I realized right away when I got over here. It’s always felt like home here.”

The 25-year-old’s lingering contract status had been a well-talked-about subject in Vancouver all season long but started getting serious coverage in recent weeks. He struggled during that time and admitted his contract situation played a part.

“Well, of course, I’m human,” Petterrson said. “Of course, I put pressure on [myself] and what’s ahead. But I know what I was getting myself into, and I knew it was going to be a big decision. That’s why I wanted to wait, to make sure that I made the right decision for my life.”

While the extension is great news for Pettersson, it also helps out Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin, who can now focus on other areas of his roster.

“It definitely gives us more clarity, not just for next week, but moving forward here now,” Allvin said. “We can plan and project what cap space we have and how our core [is] going to be, which is very important.”

Despite the Canucks struggles as of late, they still sit fourth in NHL standings and are very much a contender for the Stanley Cup. Pettersson is hopeful that they can all get back to focusing on hockey now that this is out of the way.

“Hopefully, we can focus on winning games,” Pettersson said. “Obviously, the long-term goal is to bring a Cup here.”

Pettersson will have the entire day to enjoy this, as he and the Canucks aren’t back in action until tomorrow night in a road game versus the Anaheim Ducks. Puck drop is set for 5:00 pm PT.

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