Vancouver Canucks co-presidents Daniel and Henrik Sedin spoke on Thursday morning to address where the team is at a quarter of the way through the season.
They discussed that building consistency is going to take time, and they’ve seen encouraging moments from the group, but the work is in sustaining those positives through a full 60 minutes.
“Our staff is looking at our game every day, identifying areas where we can improve and finding ways to become more consistent. It's not about making wholesale changes or losing sight of what we're trying to build. It's about continuing to get better at details, trust in the process, and making sure we're taking steps forward,” Daniel said.
“We have confidence in the coaching staff. We have confidence in this group of players, and we believe in what we're working towards.”
They shared that they understand fans’ expectations and frustrations, and the continued support through the rebuild means everything.
“We also want people to understand that we're not sitting back and accepting where things stand. There's a lot of work being done, there's a lot of belief within this group, and we're focused on continuing to move in the right direction. We're a quarter way through the season, we're just taking the first steps of the rebuild, and we're working hard to make a change,” Henrik said.
The Canucks have played tough teams to start the season, and one thing that has impressed the Sedins through the first 20 games is the tone Head Coach Manny Malhotra has set coming to the rink every day.
“Manny and his coaching staff, their ability to come obviously after some tough losses this start this season, they come back the day after looking for solutions. They're very honest about in their conversations about what needs to get better, and I think that's the only way to get better as a group is to have those conversations,” Daniel said.
They’re also proud that the team is tight knit, and the players are working through it together. There’s no substitute for experience, and going through tough losses teaches you how to adjust and apply those lessons to learn how to win.
The Sedins talked about how the small details of the game add up to the difference between being in games and winning games, and the Canucks are still working on the consistency of those details. They want to see the group take the next step of winning tight games, which means being dialed in on the details and digging in when it counts.
“We're learning a lot about our players right now. I think the players are learning a lot about themselves. They need to they need to learn how to deal with adversity and get there every day,” Daniel said.
“Our belief is that our players are going to look every day as an opportunity to get better because they don't want to be in this situation again. That's how we think every day too. We don't want to be here again and be in this situation. So that's the way our players need to look at it. If they shy away from that, then they shouldn't be here. We need players that can push through adversity, become mentally strong, and there's going to be no difference when you start making the playoffs.”
As far as player updates, they addressed any developments on Thatcher Demko’s return, confirming he is still rehabbing and is improving.
“There's no real timeline and he's here, he's rehabbing, he's in a good mood, he's getting better. But again, there's no real timeline on when he's playing,” Henrik said.
