Vancouver Canucks management and Head Coach Manny Malhotra met with the media Wednesday morning to kick off the new season.
Training camp begins tomorrow, but the group has been skating together over the last two weeks, a decision the players made in July. General Manager Ryan Johnson said the decision was made independently of management, with the players wanting to spend more time together before the season got underway, serving as part of the foundation that will help them through the ebbs and flows of the season.
“They informed us that that’s what they were going to do, so there’s obviously a commitment and an excitement,” Johnson said. “I think within that, they’ve developed relationships already. They understand through their communication what the purpose is of what we’re trying to accomplish here.”
The expectations for the group this season are not rooted in wins and losses, but it’s about the process.
“We want to see a team that plays for each other. The fans walk into a building, and they see a group that fights for each other, and you see a foundation. You see a plan in everything they do, and some of them are going to take steps this year,” Henrik said. “There’s going to be some of them who might not take the step this year, but at least you see that foundation in place. That’s all we’re going to ask for.”
Malhotra said it will be important to keep their eye on the foundation, daily improvements, and an environment where guys feel confident and strong and want to come to the rink every day.
“There’s a very big difference between losing games, which is inevitable; every team is going to do it and playing losing hockey. The measure of our group will be on playing the right way, doing the things that we’re talking about, having details to your game, which is going to give us an opportunity to win,” Malhotra said.
With a shortened preseason, there’s a lot of information to cover over the next four days, including a trip to Seattle for a preseason game on Saturday. Malhotra’s coaching staff has been preparing for this since they all joined the team, and he’s looking forward to getting things underway.
Malhotra talked about the importance of the process, balancing practice standards and pace, and teaching what their systems look like and how they need to be played. Pleased with how prepared they are coming into training camp.
“For us, the ground-level stuff, the foundational pieces that we need to put in place are going to be prioritized in camp, and obviously structurally building from the back end, wanting to be good defensively, spending less time in our zone are going to be priorities for us,” Malhotra said.
“As a coach, the plan is we have to take each step as it comes. As RJ said, we’re not cutting corners; we’re not skipping the line. We have to have these foundational pieces in place before we can start to talk about improving and getting the wins and advancing this team to where we want to get to.”
Veterans like Brendan Gallagher, Luke Schenn, and Jamie Oleksiak will be relied on for their leadership, guiding the younger players. Malhotra said that players’ play will dictate where they play and that everyone has to earn their spot and their playing time.
“We brought in veteran guys to lead the way and show how it’s supposed to be done. But there’s young guys that are knocking on the door and ready to kick down the door that are going to fight and try to earn some spots as well,” Malhotra said. “I’m looking forward to an ultra-competitive camp.”
While the Canucks will have inherent veteran leadership, management won’t be hasty in handing out captaincy or alternate captain titles until they feel like the right fit has presented themself.
“We’re in no rush to hand out letters just for the sake of putting a letter on somebody,” Malhotra said. “We’ve talked about it earlier in the summer that the leaders of this group will emerge when the time is right. That’s going to play out over the next few weeks to see who takes hold of that type of role, and we see who the guys want to follow.”
Thatcher Demko won’t be a full participant with the main groups at training camp but will be on the ice working on his game. Johnson commended the goaltender for staying in Vancouver and putting in the work to get back to where he wants to be.
“Not by any means is this a setback; it’s a part of our process,” Johnson said. “Great summer for him. It’s been a great process for him physically and mentally, and we’re just going to continue this journey without a timeline. Just making sure when he does take that last step, that everybody involved feels 100 percent.”
Management will continue with daily conversations with Demko about where he’s at and how he’s feeling, reinforcing that they will feel good about the goaltending position once the season starts.
Defenceman Jack Thompson took a puck to the face and will need more time to heal before returning to the ice; aside from a few nicks and bruises among some prospects after the Prospect Showcase, the group is healthy going into camp.
Training camp is taking place at South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton, kicking off Thursday morning.
Tickets for Thursday, Friday and Sunday practices will be $10.00. Fans can purchase tickets for Super Saturday’s scrimmage for $20.00. A select number of Full Training Camp Packages, featuring tickets to all four days through the event, will also be available for $30.00.
Tickets can be purchased online at ValleyFirstTix.com or in-person at the Valley First Box Office at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
