Where's Petey? Vancouver Canucks marketing campaign raises eyebrows
There was a moment in time where it would’ve been easy to call Elias Pettersson the face of the Vancouver Canucks.
Twice leading the team in scoring and the team’s highest home-grown draft pick currently on the roster, Pettersson has been plastered all over Vancouver since first joining the franchise back in 2017.
But after a nightmare season where Pettersson dealt with mysterious injures, an all-too-public spat with former teammate J.T. Miller, and an output of just 45 points that was almost exactly half the 89 he’d put up a year prior, it’s a pretty good bet that the EP40 jerseys aren’t exactly flying off the shelves these days.
Even the strongest of Petterson supporters would be quick to point out that he’s not exactly at the top of his game right now, and the Canucks’ marketing team seems to have taken notice.
As noted by Sportsnet producer Andy Cole, Pettersson was left off a team season ticket marketing campaign on Facebook this week, as was Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko.
Where’s EP40? 👀 pic.twitter.com/QH4FaNbcwf
— Andy Cole (@AndyCole1984) June 2, 2025
The graphic features Canucks captain Quinn Hughes, alongside Jake DeBrusk, Conor Garland, and Kiefer Sherwood.
Outside of Hughes, it’s not exactly the star-studded cast the Canucks had just one year ago, when they sent six players to the NHL All-Star Game.
Had Pettersson been on the graphic, it wouldn’t have been much of a talking point at all. Even in a down year, a team supporting and marketing one of its most notable players isn’t headline-worthy, but his lack of inclusion has generated quite a bit of buzz.
Even rival front offices have been taking notice of Pettersson’s absence.
“It did not go unnoticed in league circles yesterday, with a GM asking me specifically – ‘do you know why the Canucks didn’t put Pettersson on that infographic that they sent out?'” NHL insider Frank Seravalli shared on Sportsnet 650’s Halford and Brough show earlier this week.
🗣️"It did not go unnoticed in league circles yesterday, with a GM asking me specifically – 'do you know why the #Canucks didn't put Pettersson on that infographic that they sent out?'"
▶️ Mike & Jason chat with Frank Seravalli about EP40.
— Sportsnet 650 (@Sportsnet650) June 4, 2025
You could read into it however you want to: the Canucks are protecting Pettersson, the Canucks are shopping Pettersson, the Canucks don’t think Pettersson is marketable right now, or the Canucks simply wanted to spotlight other players and we’re all losing our minds.
But whatever the reasoning, with four months remaining until the Canucks play their next game, don’t expect the offseason sleuthing to be slowing down anytime soon.