Canucks development camp provides a terrific opportunity for Jason Krog to hit the ground running in his new role as the Canucks’ skills and skating coach.
The BC-born Krog is looking forward to a week of on-ice drills with the Canucks’ prospects and working alongside his new co-workers in the Canucks’ coaching staff. Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin and former skills coach and now assistant coach Yogi Svejkovský were among the Vancouver Canucks coaches on the ice for development camp.
“I've been around some of them before and it’s nice to be here,” said Krog. “The whole group here has been so welcoming, and it's made up of so many good people from top to bottom. That's what makes it enjoyable coming to work every day.”
Though it's a new environment for his employment, Krog has worked with many of the Canucks’ coaching staff in the past. He’s been around Svejkovský quite a bit, as both have been local skills coaches in the Vancouver area.
"We’ve seen each other at the rinks, and I helped out a couple of summers ago with the skates leading up to training camp. There’s nothing but good things to say about Yogi and I’m excited to learn from him, work with him and collaborate on things,” said Krog.
Krog is a former star in the NCAA and AHL, and he believes that he has learned a lot about how to work with the younger generation from his time as a skills coach with the Burnaby Winter Club and other young pro players in the Vancouver area.
He likes to lean on his playing days but continues to evolve with the new-age player. As much as he leans on his past playing days, Krog said he can bring experience from being on both sides of the player-coach relationship.
Working for the Canucks feels like the perfect spot for Krog, and he is stoked that this week at development camp is the first step in him providing assistance to the Canucks’ players and coaches.
“It's very exciting. Any skills or development coach wants to work with the best players and it's an added bonus to be able to do it in Vancouver with such a great organization, a great staff, and do it in the province that I grew up in,” said Krog.
