Building Blue: Danila Klimovich Continues Maturing as a Person and Growing his Game in Fourth AHL Season

Growing and maturing is a part of life and whether it's at the rink or at home, Danila Klimovich has done a lot of growing up since he joined the AHL as an 18-year-old.

Drafted in the second round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft by the Vancouver Canucks, the now 21-year-old Belarussian was the first player from his draft class to sign an entry-level contract.

He immediately went to the AHL and began his journey of playing hockey in North America.

“My mindset has changed, and I feel like more of a grown man,” said the 21-year-old with a chuckle. “I'm responsible for my decisions. Looking back, I was just a kid when I came here, and I didn't play pro before. My wife told me the other day, ‘You're mature now,’ and other people are saying it more, but I don't see this, I just keep hearing it from other people. So, I guess it’s true.”

This summer, Klimovich was able to go home and see his family for the first time in years and that helped him recharge and refocus ahead of the 2024-25 season.

It also helped him understand that there’s a lot more maturing and growing to do even if people around him say how mature he seems lately.

“My family back home still thinks I am a kid,” said Klimovich with a smile. “Last year made me more mature. Now, I am just putting it to work, that is what I'm trying to do.”

Klimovich came to British Columbia in the summer of 2021 and loved the change of scenery but knew that he might not be returning to his home country for years to come.

In his first couple summers as a British Columbian, the teenager could be spotted working on his game at rinks around the lower mainland and even spending some time playing with kids at road hockey rinks around Vancouver.

Now, Klimovich turns 22 years old on January 9th and is in the midst of his best season as an AHLer. The winger has 11 goals in 26 games and is second on the team to Jonathan Lekkerimäki for finding twine this season.

“I have been shooting the puck all my life and it’s been my bread and butter, but I’ve learned [in the AHL] that I need to be quicker and more deceptive. I need to be able to find the [shooting] lane. In the summer, I was working on having a quicker shot from good shooting zones – I worked on that in the yard and on the ice.”

Abbotsford head coach Manny Malhotra sees the skill and potential that Klimovich possesses and has trusted the young player in his fourth AHL season.

“When you have trust with the coach, it’s easy because I know that if I keep doing what he wants me to be doing, I am going to be getting ice time. That makes me more calm. I know now when coach sees you block a shot or win a board battle and help the team, it builds confidence [from him] to you,” said Klimovich.

“When I feel like the coach trusts me, I feel so much better. The last couple of years have been up and down. Now, I feel more consistent, but I just need to keep going because I like this. It feels good because I am working hard. I can’t be upset about anything, but I just need to stay at a steady level. The Sedins tell me that every year I just need to be more consistent and that will give me a chance.”

Daniel and Henrik Sedin have worked with Klimovich since he was 18 years old, and the young player leans on the twins when he needs advice or just wants to talk.

“The Sedins are very helpful to everyone here. They really care about all the guys and are very helpful to the young guys, especially me,” said Klimovich. “They always give me advice and lead me in the right direction to get me where I want to be.”

Klimovich has been seeing time on Abbotsford’s power play units and his wrist shot continues to be his best weapon against the opposition.

As he develops his game, the matured version of Klimovich is sticking to the plan of getting better over the long haul and not focusing on game-to-game as much. Looking at his own development and play from a wider perspective has made Klimovich able to focus on keeping his confidence up throughout the season.

“I feel like I’ve got more confidence now, but I need to be more confident in wall battles and use my body more,” said Klimovich. “I’m paying a lot more attention to learning [to be better in] wall battles. I am feeling more confident in the D-zone when there is a loose puck because I am using my body more. I’m trying to be as confident in my defence [as I am in my] offence.”

Klimovich is also maturing about his NHL future.

His shot looks like an NHL shot but for the time being, the forward is focused on self-improvement and being a consistent contributor to his current club, the Abbotsford Canucks.

“When you feel like you're closer, you want to be there so bad, but you need to stay calm because when you want it so bad, you start making mistakes and [in development] it drops you back a bit. I’m focused on being a good player for the Abbotsford Canucks and am not thinking about [the] NHL right now,” said Klimovich.

We had a good laugh with Klimovich after this answer because it felt like such a mature way of looking at it. The follow-up question was about whether this was a separate way of thinking than he has had in the past.

“I just started thinking like this this year,” said Klimovich. “The past few years, I was thinking about it, but I am just now starting to realize that the more I think about the NHL, the more mistakes I make. I’m not focused enough if I think about the NHL because I need to be focused here in Abbotsford to be able to one day get a chance in the NHL. I am just learning to trust the process.”

The young winger feels great about where he is at in his fourth AHL season. He has a new outlook on himself and his own development, support from the Canucks’ development coaches, trust from Manny Malhotra, and eagerness to improve all aspects of his game.

Klimovich is focused on his game and continues to mature and grow as a person and a player so that he can one day achieve his goal of making it to the NHL.