Coming off being named Rookie of the Year for the Abbotsford Canucks, defenceman Sawyer Mynio is excited for the fall and the next phase of his hockey career.
The 21-year-old made changes to his offseason after playing his first full season as a professional. Mynio spent the summer in Kelowna, skating and working out with pros, including Canucks defenceman Luke Schenn.
His biggest takeaway from spending time with a large group of NHLers was the importance of showing up every day with a purpose.
“You show up in the morning and do your work on the ice and off the ice. You take care of your body and be respectful to every single guy in the gym. There was a lot to take away from those guys, I was skating with Schenner, Kaedan Korczak, Shea Theodore, and Tyler Myers. It was a great group to be around,” said Mynio.
Mynio found comfort early in his rookie year last season and then earned more and more trust as the season progressed. He was happy about Manny Malhotra and Jordan Smith getting the promotion to the NHL this summer and knows that his relationship with both coaches will help him on his path to playing NHL games with the Vancouver Canucks.
“Smitty really helped me with my habits and my maturity. He was really big on that. He always made sure I was ready to go for every practice and every game. He talked about how you can’t take any part of practice off because it’ll affect your timing in the next game. It’s great to have him up in the NHL now,” said Mynio.
The two-way defenceman is heading into his fourth training camp with the Canucks, and that came as a bit of a shock in our conversation.
“It’s kind of crazy,” he said with a smile. “My first camp was the one in Victoria back in 2023. This one is totally different. I’m a lot more mature as a player. Manny and Smitty really know my game, and that can help me in the future. This camp, I want to be playing my game, and I’ve just grown that over time.”
He felt his game calmed down throughout last season, and the time around pros in the offseason has given him more confidence coming into this camp.
Playing games in the NHL is within reach for Mynio this season, and he is close with Kirill Kudryavtsev, who now has five NHL games under his belt over the past two seasons. Mynio has seen firsthand how Kudryavtsev’s strong play in the AHL has led to NHL opportunities, and he wants to follow a similar blueprint to get his chance.
“Kirill has a great relationship with the NHL guys, and I know him really well too. He got into a few games last year, and I’m hoping to do the same. I’m building relationships and talking to everyone, being a friendly guy, being talkative, and getting to know them all. That stuff definitely helps,” said Mynio.
After an impressive rookie season, Mynio took his offseason training to another level, found guidance from veteran NHLers, and is coming into the year with a calm yet confident attitude.
He’s experienced a lot in his hockey career and is still just 21 years old. Mynio is focused on continuing to develop his game and grow his confidence as a pro. Last year was a big step, but this year could see an even bigger one taken by the defenceman.
