Every hockey player takes some time for themselves in the offseason to get some much-needed rest and relaxation. Some spend their time on the golf course or on the lake, wakesurfing behind a boat, while others travel the world.
We caught up with a few Vancouver Canucks players to hear about their summer fun as they prepare to hit the ice for training camp.
Tom Willander
Though he spent the majority of his summer working out and skating, Tom Willander was able to get away for a week in Portugal, where he found a love for surfing.
“I totally had a blast surfing. I went wave surfing in Portugal, and it might have been one of the most fun things I’ve ever done,” said Willander.
“So, I went there for like a week and got a good handle of it, so I am hooked. There’s a bit of a learning curve, and we got thrown out on the biggest swell day. I think it was like nine-foot swells. I was kind of thrown into the fire.”
He laughed and said they went without a coach or any help, potentially due to their egos being too big. The first day was rough, but the young defender found a love for a new summer activity during his trip to Portugal.
Brock Boeser
Though Brock Boeser felt like his summer flew by, he was able to get away to Europe and enjoy some time away.
He admits that the timing of free agency brought some stress to his trip.
“I went to Italy and Croatia right before the free agency period. So, I don’t recommend that for anyone else going through that. [It was] kind of some stress on a trip you’re not supposed to be stressed on, but no, it was good.”
Elias Pettersson (D-Petey)
After a season where he played in his first 28 NHL games, defenceman Elias Pettersson enjoyed a beautiful Swedish summer with his family and friends (and Nils Höglander).
“I’m spending most of my time in Västerås, my hometown. I work out there, and I mostly I work out in Örebro, one hour from Västerås. When I went on vacation this year, I went to Gotland, a little island outside of Sweden. It’s really beautiful. I went there with my girlfriend and her family. So, it was a nice time,” said Pettersson.
“And then I was up in the northern part of Sweden too, with my family, my grandma and grandpa. So, yeah, I like to spend a lot of time up there too. It’s really quiet, and it is just really nice to be up there. And then Höggy lives one and a half hours from there.”
Pettersson loves his Saturday nights in the summer because his family gets together for a barbecue or goes out to dinner.
“Those times are always great with my family, going out to restaurants with friends and family is always good,” said D-Petey.
He tries to contribute to the cooking during barbecues, but he leaves most of the work to the professionals: his girlfriend’s parents.
Braeden Cootes
West Coast living was the type of life Braeden Cootes had this summer.
The 2025 first-round pick spent some downtime in Osoyoos with his billet family that he has during his time at the Yale Academy.
“I was able to get on the water, get a little surfing in, just not think about hockey for a day or two, and then got down to Seattle. So, yeah, it was awesome,” said Cootes.
Tyler Myers
Myers and his family made the most of summer in Kelowna, where swimming was a staple activity this year. The kids took lessons, and trips to the waterslides turned into a new family favourite.
Before letting the kids go, Myers did a test run, reaching high speeds on his way down, practically skipping across the pool as he reached the water.
“I hadn’t been on a waterslide probably since I was a kid, and my wife said, ‘Remember, lift up your butt to go fast,’ and I said ‘Alright’. I came flying down,” Myers laughed.
The technique worked a little too well.
“After that I just decided to let my bathing suit slow me down,” Myers said.
Conor Garland and Drew O’Connor
Conor Garland and Drew O’Connor represented Team USA at the World Championships, where they helped capture gold with a 1-0 overtime win against Switzerland.
Garland came away from the experience with a gold medal, core memories, and new friendships.
“It was such a great month, such a great group of guys, and I became close with a handful of them as we spent the month together. You kind of become friends for life when you have a bonding experience like that,” Garland said.
Back home in Sweden, Marcus Petterson enjoyed time with friends and family, including a special family reunion on his dad’s side.
For Nils Åman, summer 2025 was full of milestones and adventures. He became a homeowner and finally took up Nils Höglander’s longstanding invitation to visit his hometown of Bockträsk, Sweden. The 10-hour drive was worth it - Höglander introduced Åman to the great outdoors, including camping, building fires, and cooking outside.
Linus Karlsson also became a proud homeowner this summer, buying a home close to Höglander’s hometown. As for Höglander, he cherished time at home and spending time with loved ones.
There were a number of Canucks who will remember the summer of 2025 as the summer they got married. Elias Pettersson, Filip Chytil, and Kiefer Sherwood all say the best thing they did this summer was tie the knot, Sherwood adding that the honeymoon with his wife was also a highlight. Chytil’s big day was a highlight for Filip Hronek, who had a blast celebrating.
