The Vancouver Canucks’ second-round pick, Aleksei Medvedev packed a lot into his summer.
After being selected 47th overall in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, Medvedev attended his first Canucks development camp, worked hard on his game, and learned new skills in his downtime.
Although it’s still summer, Medvedev has already shifted his focus to training camp with the OHL’s London Knights, returning for his second season with the defending Memorial Cup champions. The 17-year-old said the work he put in over the past few months has given him confidence heading into an important year.
“Getting those reps in for the upcoming year with London – I just want to be ready,” Medvedev said. “For me, a lot of my confidence comes from preparation, and if you have a good summer, you can just build off of that, and the work I put in is going to help me a lot this year.”
The Knights are known for cultivating a pro-like culture for young hockey players, something Medvedev embraced last season and saw reinforced during development camp.
“It was obviously really top-notch, and it was an unreal experience. I felt like the culture there was great, I loved it. All the guys were working really hard, and it was great,” he said.
Medvedev adjusted his summer training to include things he learned at development camp, following a customized program designed by the Canucks development staff. Beyond the physical work, he focused on mindset and nutrition which are two areas he hopes will benefit him as he aims to take on a bigger role in London.
Working with Marko Torenius was something he had dreamed of doing since learning that Torenius had trained Igor Shesterkin in Medvedev’s hometown of St. Petersburg, Russia.
Getting the chance to work with Torenius was everything he hoped it would be.
“He's awesome. I love the way he coaches, the way he communicates. I'd say he’s a perfect fit for me; I just feel comfortable working with him,” said Medvedev.
“He gave me my own space and didn't overload me with new ideas and new things, but he kind of let me showcase myself at the camp and just introduced me to some stuff. I really like that.”
This season, Medvedev wants to elevate the consistency in his game, working on puck handling and the small details he refined with Torenius.
“It's a big year for London, for our group, a lot of guys are leaving obviously, and younger guys like me have to step up. I just want to be consistent, help my team every game,” he said.
Last year, Medvedev appeared in 34 games for the Knights, posting a .912 save percentage, 2.79 goals against average, and three shutouts.
In the gym, he has put an emphasis on strength training through July, and his program has been more focused on explosiveness, plyometrics and conditioning in August to prepare for the workload of the season.
Medvedev went home to St. Petersburg before the NHL Draft and did his offseason work in Toronto since Canucks development camp. He has lived in Ontario since he was 14, so he has a lot of friends, and it has become a comfortable second home.
He’s dabbled in a new sport, got his G2 driver’s license, and now has the wheels to get around on his own.
“I've been learning golf a little bit, just been playing a little over the summer, and I really like the game, so I’ve been doing that, and I’ve been taking driving lessons too and just bought a car,” Medvedev said.
With a full summer of preparation and a deeper understanding of what it takes to succeed at the next level, Medvedev enters the season with big expectations for himself and his team.
