For the past couple of weeks, the 4 Nations Face-Off has captured the attention of hockey fans all around the world. The players who were not in attendance could take some time to take a breather, as the final third of the season is on the horizon.
For Vancouver Canucks’ captain Quinn Hughes, the break gave him time to work on rehabbing from an injury that kept him out of the lineup in the final four games before the break.
“I’ve been lucky, but the most games I’ve missed in a season is six,” said Hughes when asked about how the break was for him and how he is excited to get back on the ice with his teammates. “Time will tell. [I want to] play really good hockey, help the team, and bring my best for the final 27 games.”
The couple weeks gave Hughes a much-needed break and allowed him to escape the daily grind of a hockey season. Hughes admitted he couldn’t fully let his hair down because he was focused on his rehab, but his hunger to win kept him motivated throughout the break.
Captain Hughes is excited for the challenge that is to come for the Canucks as they close out the final third of the season. At the break, the Canucks hold a three-point lead over the Calgary Flames for the final wild card spot. They are two points back of the Los Angeles Kings for third place in the Pacific Division.
Aside from Hughes, we caught up with some other Canucks players to discuss their time over the break, how they found a balance between rest and focus for the final stretch of the season, and how they used the time to reflect on the first 55 games of the season.
Elias Pettersson (D-Petey)
While most players were away from the rink during their break, Elias Pettersson (D-Petey) went down to Abbotsford to play AHL games.
“It was really fun to come down to Abby and see all the boys there,” said Pettersson. “My game didn’t feel any different there. I’m still going to bring the exact same game every night, and that’s what I tried to do in my games with Abby.”
Pettersson is back in the NHL now and focuses on improving his game every day.
“I’m not taking any day for granted up here,” said the 21-year-old Pettersson about being in the NHL. “I have to be on my game every day here. I’m trying to be hard to play against every shift. Footey has been really good; he’s helped me a lot. He’s on me every day, and I listen and take in as much as I can. Footey has been in this league for a long time, and he had a hell of a career. There’s a lot I can learn from him.”
D-Petey didn’t have an answer for what has given him success in his time with the NHL Canucks. He mentioned that he could learn so much from just being around NHL players and playing alongside and against NHL players at his young age.
“I would say it’s harder, but at the same time, it’s easier,” said Pettersson about the NHL. “Having these defencemen and these guys around and supporting me every day, it’s just so important for me to see what they do and how they carry themselves around the rink. I just take so much in from them and try to learn from them.”
Pettersson had a busy hockey schedule with practices in Abbotsford and did not get a chance to get away for a day, but that is precisely what the young defenceman wants as he continues to work on his craft to become an everyday NHL player.
“I think it’s really good being here in the NHL. I can’t rush too fast. I think I have to develop slowly and take in as much as I can and then try to do what I learned on the ice,” Pettersson said.
Dakota Joshua
Dak used the time off to see family in Michigan and took a quick trip to Florida for rest and relaxation.
He felt he could have used a shorter break, but stepping away and returning refreshed was nice. He hopes a more extended break will benefit them in the long run, as the team is on a mission for the remainder of the regular season.
“It’s a good mental reset for this down the stretch run because every game is important for us for the rest of the way out,” Joshua said. “Personally, I wasn’t too happy with how my first half of the season went. I need to put even more focus and attention to detail to be on it for the last 27 games.”
He talked about ensuring the group is on the same page after the break and limiting mistakes. Over the next couple of months, his keys are to keep it simple and take it game by game.
Joshua has played 30 games this season, returning to the team in mid-November and missing a few weeks due to an injury in January. Rick Tocchet mentioned before the break that the winger had found his form again, and Joshua is determined to keep that momentum. He is focused on gelling with his line to help the team hit the ground running on Saturday.
“I probably didn’t need the break; I wish I could have just kept it rolling. It makes it all that more important for this week leading up to the games, to get back into those habits and pick up where I left off,” Joshua said.
“I felt really good the second time around, coming back from my injury, so it’s very important for me to be on it here for the last 27.”
Teddy Blueger
Since joining the Canucks last season, Teddy Blueger has heard a lot about Tofino and used the break to finally get over to the island and see what Tofino has to offer.
He and his wife went over to experience it first-hand and said it was a fantastic trip.
Blueger viewed the break as something that helped him come back refreshed both mentally and physically.
“Everyone’s got a good energy coming back. It’s not quite like the start of the year, but most guys haven’t seen each other in a while, so it seems like everyone had a good break. There’s a good, positive energy coming back,” said Blueger.
“The good thing about that is we ended off on a positive note. That last week was really good. We played some good hockey and got some results finally. So, yeah, a little bit of positive momentum. Hopefully, we can take that into this weekend, but I think there are some positive, good things to build on.”
Blueger said the break was quite different than the Christmas break or a typical All-Star weekend. He mentioned that it was good for the Canucks to have a few hard practices ahead of their back-to-back this weekend.
He also appreciated the mental break these last two weeks provided. The day-to-day grind is tough on the body and mind, and Blueger took some extra time to relax and reset his mind before the season’s final third.
Blueger is now focused on the team finishing the season strong and gave his thoughts on how his group has overcome adversity and become stronger as the season progresses.
“I think we’ve had a lot of adversity of different kinds: outside noise, injuries, [and] things not going our way on the ice. We’re right there in the fight, giving ourselves a good chance to compete going down the stretch,” Blueger said.
“We’ve built some resilience, built some character. I think we’ve got a great group of guys in there in terms of players, but also personalities and gelling together in the room and stuff. We’ve shown the last week or two before the break that we can play really good hockey and compete with anyone.”
Jake DeBrusk
Jake DeBrusk enjoyed the break, but now it’s back to business, as the focus has shifted to the ice and the gym.
The Canucks entered the break in a playoff position, which made it easier to unwind, knowing they were trending in the right direction.
“You’ve got to take advantage of it when you can to get away and try to get some nice weather and things like that. It was nice; it felt pretty long, to be honest with you. A couple of days here [at Rogers Arena], and we’ve been grinding, so it’s nice to be back,” DeBrusk said.
Still, shaking off the rust isn’t always easy.
“You try to keep the body up to speed, but it’s kind of hard when you haven’t skated for a while.”
The focus now is on maintaining the momentum they built before the break. DeBrusk is looking forward to having their captain back in the lineup and believes the way to success is having everyone locked in on the finer details of their games and building on the chemistry they have.
“The biggest thing is just kind of focusing on everyone’s game individually, and just kind of do the things that will give us success for the last stretch here,” he said.
Reflecting on his play in the first two-thirds of the season, DeBrusk has been happy with his overall performance but said his production could be higher.
“You want to be a consistent player, obviously. I don’t necessarily think my game drops off that much, I think it’s just more so in terms of production, the hardest thing in this in this league, is to score goals, but that’s what you get measured by. I think I can generate more, just in general, at five-on-five,” DeBrusk said.
He says there’s another level to his game offensively, especially given the talent around him.
“I need to find ways to generate more plays, in general, in the offensive zone. I’m playing with some pretty good players, and I feel like there’s more room there to grow,” he said. “I think it’s a hard league to be content in, no matter what your stats are, but I said at the beginning of the year, I don’t care what I have, as long as we win – that’s why I’m here.”
A rejuvenated Canucks roster is ready for the playoff push that is on the horizon, and these final 27 games should be entertaining to watch as the team looks to bring a playoff atmosphere back to the city of Vancouver this spring.
