Playing in the NHL presents many learning curves that players must navigate as they progress through their career, and one of the most important lessons is to learn how to be an effective leader.
Marcus Pettersson has taken his role as a leader very seriously throughout his nine-year tenure in the NHL. He has established himself as a role model amongst his teammates as the Vancouver Canucks transition into a rebuilding phase.
“The biggest thing for me is [to] be yourself. Don’t try to be somebody you’re not,” Pettersson said. “Be yourself and be a good person, good teammate, and everything will kind of fall into place.”
Pettersson, whose own father had also been a strong leader for a professional hockey team, has spent significant time around notable leadership figures, including sharing a locker room with Sidney Crosby for six and a half seasons. Having such high-caliber leaders to learn from at a young age was important for Pettersson’s journey towards becoming a leader himself.
“He [his father] always taught me that [to] be responsible, and you’ll be rewarded for it. Having that as a coach and a dad, we talked a lot about being good teammates first."
Having a good leader and a steady leadership group is important for a young team that is trying to establish a new culture and build a new team. Veteran players like Pettersson play an important role in fostering that culture and imparting necessary guidance on younger players as they get acclimated to the NHL. With the Canucks planning to further accumulate young talent, Pettersson believes it’s never been more important to be that voice in the locker room, even during challenging points in the season.
“Good habits, [a] positive attitude,” Pettersson said. “To keep a positive and good energy in the room [is] something we try to do and build a culture that’s a winning culture. I don’t think it happens in a day, it’s a long process.”
Pettersson had high praise for the younger players, and their desire to help build a new culture around the team and continue to push through and stay positive regardless of what may happen on the ice and during games.
“They’re smart kids. They wouldn't be here if they weren’t. You see it brings a lot of energy to see those guys play. I think a lot of our young players are very fearless and want to be the best players they can be, they want to be a difference maker out there, and that brings a lot of energy to the team as well.”
Even in such a highly skilled league like the NHL, Pettersson is not worried about the ability for this new wave of talent to maintain good habits and learn how to be an effective player in this league, seen primarily through how receptive they are to feedback, and how much they are all trying to always improve their game and take advice from veterans such as himself. This, in turn, has made the playing experience more enjoyable for Pettersson as well, as he fulfills his role as a leader on this team.
“It's fun being on the ice and giving a few pointers, because they’re all ears; they want to learn,” Pettersson said. “It’s fun to be around that energy that they bring.”
The Vancouver Canucks will face the New Jersey Devils tonight at 7:00 p.m as the organization honour firefighters on their annual Firefighter Night.
Listen to this and much more as Marcus Pettersson joins Chris Faber on the latest episode of the Canucks Insider Podcast.
