Kesler's in Vancouver to watch tonight's Canucks playoff game with his son
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A former Vancouver Canucks legend is back in town for Game 2 of the team’s first-round series against the Nashville Predators.
Ryan Kesler will be at Rogers Arena for the team’s playoff battle tonight.
“What’s up Canucks fans, Ryan Kesler here. Back in Vancouver, excited for Game 2, see you guys there,” he said in a video posted to the team’s social media.
“Go Canucks Go,” added his son Ryker.
Ryan and Ryker Kesler have touched down in Vancouver for Game Two! pic.twitter.com/RBKUWckyhb
— Y – Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) April 23, 2024
Kesler played 10 seasons for the Canucks, finishing his time with the team with 182 goals, 211 assists, and 393 points in 655 games. His best season came in 2010-11 when he scored 41 goals and won the NHL’s Selke Trophy for being the league’s best defensive forward.
The Canucks could use his tenacity and two-way play tonight as they prepare to play this important game without starting goalie Thatcher Demko.
The organization had former goalie Kirk McLean crank the pre-game siren in Game 1. Could tonight be Kesler’s turn to get the crowd excited?
Watching the Canucks take on the Predators in the playoffs tonight may bring back some good memories for Kesler. He famously dominated the Tennessee-based team back in the 2011 Western Conference Semi-Finals, scoring five goals and 11 points in six games.
While Kesler’s time with the Canucks didn’t have the most amicable split, the fans have greeted him with cheers during his returns to Rogers Arena.
“Nothing compares to my time in the city,” said Kesler today about his time in Vancouver on the Halford & Brough show.
The American-born forward has been doing a media tour around town over the past week and revealed that he still follows his former team.
“I stay up a lot and watch Vancouver even though it’s 10, 10:30 my time,” said the former centre on the Donnie & Dhali show last week. “I do stay up and watch them and it’s exciting to me still. I still feel like I’m a Canuck.”
It’s clear that the player still has an impact on this market. Kesler is often compared to J.T. Miller and gave the current-day player a compliment, calling Miller the better player on the same Donnie & Dhali apperance.
“That’s pretty cool to hear that,” said Miller when told about the compliment. “He’s a player that I looked up to when I was coming into the league. We had our fair share of battles early on and I know how special he was to this team on a couple of playoff runs.”
“That’s a hell of a compliment from him and obviously he was a favourite player of mine.”
The puck drops at 7 tonight as the Canucks look to take a commanding 2-0 series lead.