Pettersson says he doesn't want to "rush" Canucks' captaincy decision
When the Vancouver Canucks traded away captain Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders earlier this month, there were several questions around what the future of the franchise looked like.
And one of the questions most floated around the team amongst the media and fans was: who’d be taking the reins as the team’s next captain?
Horvat had held the role since 2019, taking over from Henrik Sedin who had retired a year earlier.
Amongst the Canucks’ remaining players, a set of possible suitors emerged: 23-year-old old defenceman Quinn Hughes, 29-year-old winger J.T. Miller, and 24-year-old centre Elias Pettersson.
Speaking to Sportsnet’s John Garrett and Scott Oake on the After Hours segment following Vancouver’s 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night, Pettersson was asked about what he thought of being named the Canucks’ captain.
“That would definitely be an honour but for me, I don’t want to stress or rush into a decision,” said Pettersson. “I’ve never been a captain. I guess everyone knows, I’m a pretty quiet guy. It would definitely be an honour but I want to take my time thinking about it in the summer and make a decision.”
Pettersson admitted when asked about the media responsibilities that come with being a captain that he’s not exactly sure if it’s quite his style.
“That’s the thing … I just want to focus on my game, all about winning and performing my best,” he said.
Pettersson has 27 goals and 44 assists in 54 games for the Canucks this season, as he leads the team in scoring. But for now, he doesn’t seem too fussed about whether he’s offered up the chance to wear the “C” next year or not.
“There are leaders on the team with [Luke Schenn], with [J.T. Miller], and guys with a voice in the locker room,” he said.
For now, it’s a waiting game for Pettersson and his teammates, to see who exactly is the next person in line to be Horvat’s successor.
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