"This is the year": Canucks' Boeser makes 30-goal promise following family sorrow
Brock Boeser has a fresh mind and is ready to reach new heights, following a difficult season in 2021-22.
The 25-year-old Vancouver Canucks winger was brought to tears when he opened up about his dad’s health at the season-ending press conference four months ago. Weeks later, his dad passed away at age 61.
Boeser kept his father’s health private from the media, and even his teammates, until late last season.
“I didn’t really open up with [my teammates] until the end of the year [about] how bad everything was, when Petey saw my dad in Minnesota [in late April],” Boeser told reporters in Whistler, where the Canucks are holding training camp this year. “When I did open up they were all sending me texts and stuff, and checked in on me in the summer, so it meant a lot.”
Needless to say, last season was a challenging one for Boeser personally, and he admitted that it affected his play. He had a disappointing season by his standards, scoring 46 points (23-23-46) in 71 games.
“I obviously took some time away and regrouped [after the season], and once I got back I kind of had a fresh mind, and worked extremely hard. It was a busy summer and a fast summer. I really got my nose down and really tried to improve my game.”
It’s been five years since Boeser’s impressive rookie season, which saw him score 29 goals in 62 games before suffering a season-ending injury. He just missed out on 30 goals that season, and hasn’t been able to hit that mark in any year since.
When asked if this is the year he’ll finally reach the 30-goal plateau, Boeser didn’t hesitate.
“This is the year,” Boeser said, convincingly. “That’s all I got to say. This is the year.”
Getting 30 goals from Boeser would go a long way to putting the Canucks back in the playoffs for the first time in three seasons. He was put in a prime position to accomplish that goal on the first day of training camp on-ice sessions, skating on a line with the team’s reigning leading scorer J.T. Miller, and Tanner Pearson.
Boeser was wearing a Canucks-branded T-shirt that said “unfinished business,” which is the team’s slogan this season, but it might as well be his own slogan as well. He looked and sounded as focused as he’s ever been.
“Last year was obviously a very tough year mentally. It’s just a lot different. Obviously with my dad’s passing, there’s not as much to worry about, so I can really focus on hockey.
“My mom’s going to be able to travel and see me play in a lot of places, and come out here. So that’s really exciting for me, see her a lot. Just being able to really focus on the game now and help our team win is really exciting for me.”
Boeser says his mom will be travelling lots this year to see him play with the #Canucks
— Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) September 22, 2022
“Like our shirt says, I think that’s the motto. We had a really good stretch with Bruce, but we’ve got to pick up where we left off. We’ve got to keep trending in the right direction and improve on some things. I think that’s just overall going to make us a better team.”
This season will be Boeser’s sixth full year in the NHL. He has played in the playoffs just once in that time, playing postseason games in an empty Edmonton arena in 2020.
You can bet he’s one of the guys that’s sick and tired of missing the playoffs, and would love nothing more than to get a taste of postseason hockey in Vancouver.
“One thousand per cent,” Boeser said of the expectation to make the playoffs this season. “We set that bar last year when Bruce came in… We’re picking up where we left off. We all know that we need to make the playoffs this year. There’s no excuses. I think we’re all ready for that task and we’re all excited to get the season going.”
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