It didn’t take long for Marcus Pettersson to feel at home with the Vancouver Canucks and his comfort level is already showing on the ice.
Pettersson was traded to Vancouver just a week ago, and within days, he signed a six-year, $33 million contract extension with the club. The 28-year-old defenceman is settling in quickly, and his transition has been seamless.
After the trade was finalized Friday night, Pettersson made his way to Vancouver in time to suit up against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, logging 25:57 of ice time. He then played 23:03 in the Canucks’ 3-0 shutout win over the Colorado Avalanche and 20:35 in a 2-1 overtime win against the San Jose Sharks.
“It's always nice getting two games in right away,” Pettersson said Wednesday at his first team practice. “Getting thrown into the fire right away always helps get closer to the guys and figure out about guys and how they are. It’s been a really good experience so far.”
Head Coach Rick Tocchet has been impressed with Pettersson’s immediate impact both on and off the ice.
“I think the underrated part, even talking to Sid [Crosby], but just even watching in Pittsburgh, [is that] he's a leader type. He's chirping on the bench, [and is] used to talking. Usually [when] guys get traded, they're quiet – he's not quiet. Even the last timeout [against Colorado] we were talking, he was talking, and you can tell he's got some leadership qualities in him, and it really adds to our room as much as on the ice.”
Pettersson’s familiarity with Tocchet’s system from his time in Pittsburgh has made his integration into the Canucks’ system smoother. Even small details – like terminology used within defensive schemes – are similar, reducing the learning curve.
“There's a lot of similarities, especially like language and stuff like that, what Tocc calls different things out there and certain things in the d zone, there’s a lot of familiarities there,” he said. “The hockey language can get confusing sometimes, and when you come to a new team it's always tough, but there are a lot of similarities and familiarities, so that's huge coming to a new team.”
Pettersson has been paired with veteran defenceman Tyler Myers, and the two have worked to develop some quick chemistry through constant communication as they are learning each other’s tendencies and reading off one another.
Myers says they use each other well on the ice and they want to learn how to most efficiently play off each other in their own end, with the puck on their stick, and in the offensive zone. With an already imposing back end, Myers says his 6-foot-5 defence partner is a steady presence and fun to play with.
“It's been pretty awesome playing with him, he seems to make the right play just about every shift, which makes my job a whole lot easier,” Myers said. “For us, as two big bodies staying connected, we cover a lot of ice, and I think we can develop into a really good pairing.”
Pettersson’s game is built on reliability. He focuses on keeping his game simple, making smart plays, and sticking to the system to be as effective as possible. He sets small goals for himself to get better each day and take everything one day at a time.
“Honestly, there's no secret behind it or flashiness behind it or anything like that. I try to get the puck to the net when I can, and try to join the rush if I can, don’t chase anything. I try to keep the play in front of me,” Pettersson said.
“If I can make good, hard, quick plays toward my forwards, that's what I like to do. You’ve got a great group of forwards here and try and get the puck to them in good spots, but also as quickly as possible, that's my game.”
Vancouver is not entirely new to Pettersson. Over his eight-year NHL career, he’s played at Rogers Arena many times. When the trade was announced, he received welcome messages from his Swedish countrymen on the team, including forwards Nils Höglander and Linus Karlsson, whom he trains with in Skellefteå, Sweden during the offseason. He also played alongside forward Elias Pettersson for Team Sweden at the 2019 World Championships.
“It’s always helpful off the ice to have guys that you know, and on the ice, like I said, familiarity with Pittsburgh and stuff like that. It always helps.”
Away from hockey, when Pettersson isn’t in the throes of the NHL season, he enjoys spending time outdoors and with his family.
“I like to golf in the summer. Play golf, play some padel and hang out with the family, I have a two-year-old, so I like to spend time with them as much as I can since the season is a hectic time and lots of travel and stuff like that. So, honestly, just trying to regroup at home and spend time with them,” he said.
Just a week into his tenure with the Canucks, Pettersson has already established himself as a steady, reliable presence on the back end.
