Building Blue: Defenceman Elias Pettersson Finds Confidence on Penalty Kill as He Develops in AHL

Abbotsford Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra and his staff have been working closely with 20-year-old defenceman Elias Pettersson this season and they are already seeing growth in the young man’s game.

Pettersson played in eight AHL games last season following a full season in Sweden that saw him represent his home country at the World Junior Championships. He now has his eyes set on the road to the NHL.

Moving to the smaller ice in North America can sometimes be a difficult ask for certain European players but Pettersson has found that the North American ice fits his style of play. The smaller ice is giving him a better chance to utilize his strengths and is giving Pettersson a chance to learn about the changes he needs to make to be successful in the NHL one day.

Pettersson is feeling comfortable in Abbotsford and the biggest adjustment he has seen in his day-to-day life has been the travel in the AHL compared to what he went through in Sweden. He has enjoyed a few hikes around Abbotsford and took in Bridal Falls about a month ago.

His teammates and fellow Swedes, Linus Karlsson and Nils Åman have been helpful to Pettersson’s transition to Canada. Whether it's dinner on the road or finding the right area to live in, the Swedes have helped make the 20-year-old feel comfortable.

Dinner and nice apartments are great, but Pettersson is here to play hockey, and just as like his life away from the rink, Pettersson is feeling comfortable in the role he has with Abbotsford. He is often the first defenceman over the boards to kill penalties for the Canucks and has even been relied upon to be the one defenceman when Abbotsford kills off a five-on-three.

(Yes, they often use two forwards on five-on-threes.)

“The coach is giving me a chance to play in that role and I like it. It feels good that he trusts me in that role because that is the type of defenceman that I want to be,” said Pettersson. “I like it when I’m involved in the penalty kill. In Sweden, I didn’t feel the play like that because I was the second or third defence pairing out there on the PK. Now, I feel like that is one of the strengths in my game.”

Pettersson’s greatest appreciation for his head coach is the honesty that he brings to the rink every day. Malhotra is a straightforward coach who is fully transparent with his young players on what they need to do now and what they need to focus on to be successful down the road.

“There has to be a balance of continuing to focus on the fundamentals of a Petey’s game, making sure he continues to hone in on those things, and not jump to the next challenge right away. We’re not putting too much on his plate. It’s not that we don't feel he could handle adding another element to his game, but we always want to make sure the fundamentals are sound before we move on to the next element,” said Malhotra.

“The challenge for us is keeping him challenged enough. We’re still pushing him, but at the same time making sure his game stays tight and that he focuses on the things that he does really well and making those staples in his game.”

Growing his self-confidence has been something that the Abbotsford coaching staff has been engaged in through the first two months of the season. There’s always pressure on young players to perform during the start of their pro careers in North America and Pettersson is being given a lot of tough minutes but has thrived in the position that he has on the Canucks’ defensive corps.

“I think my confidence has grown more and more during the season. I don't think I'm going to get too confident at any time. I’m just going to stay with my feet on the earth and be humble and keep working every day – my confidence comes from that,” said Pettersson.

Something that helped boost Pettersson’s confidence was a call-up to the NHL. Though he did not get into a game, the call was something that helped him see how close he is to achieving his goal of being an NHL defenceman.

“The NHL is where I want to be, and it meant a lot to be called up there. So, I was happy about that, and now I'm back here, so I’m just going to keep going and working here in Abbotsford.”

The coaching staff sees gobs of potential in Pettersson and wants to help him develop his game the right way. As much as he is relied upon on the penalty kill, Malhotra feels like his little plays at five-on-five are the most impressive part of his game.

“The fact that you don't notice him is a positive. As a coach, we value so many of the little things that allow big plays to happen. His ability to kill plays and just advance a puck with a good first breakout pass. It's nothing flashy. It's nothing that stands out in the course of a game, but in the coach's eyes, and as you watch video, so many plays are set up by his simple execution of the right play at the right time,” said Malhotra.

“Anybody that understands the game and knows what it should look like recognizes how important those little plays are throughout the course of a game, and the fact that he's doing them consistently is a positive.”

Malhotra also sees how the smaller ice in North America is a positive for Pettersson’s game. At 6’3” and close to 210 pounds, Pettersson already has a big frame and the fact that he is still growing into a man makes the future bright for the physical defenceman.

“He definitely has that size advantage at this age, but he'll only get stronger,” said Malhotra. “It’s one thing to say he's big and strong now but understanding how to use that size is another thing, and that's something that is a learned behaviour. Once he becomes more used to playing against the bigger bodies over and over and over again, he will become stronger and be able to handle himself that much better. I don't want to say he's peaked, and he has full man strength, right? The scary part is, he’s only going to get stronger.”

On top of his physicality and defensive awareness, the coaching staff loves the way that Pettersson moves around the ice. Due to his strong skating and willingness to learn, Malhotra is not shocked by the progression that Pettersson has made so quickly in his time with the Abbotsford Canucks.

Malhotra also gives credit to Pettersson for knowing the type of player that he currently is while also realizing the type of player he wants to become. There is an elevated level of maturity from Pettersson, and he continues to impress in the preliminary stages of his first full season in North America.