Taking steps requires trust.
Whether it’s a toddler trusting their legs to stand and step against gravity, a skydiver stepping out of a plane and trusting the parachute, or a young hockey player trusting that the development team which they work with will help them take the correct steps towards becoming an NHLer.
Steps require trust.
And that is what Mikael Samuelsson swears by in his role as a development coach with the Vancouver Canucks.
Samuelsson has been a part of the development staff since the summer of 2022 and has spent a lot of his time working on building bonds with the draft picks and young players. He and Mike Komisarek spent their days discovering not only the hockey skill in a young player, but also focus on what drives these talented young men.
“The best part of my job is seeing these kids grow as people and as hockey players,” said Samuelsson. “They are all so talented and driven, but sometimes they begin to doubt themselves and ask, ‘Am I enough?’ There are times when we talk with a player about their play but many times, we might have to reinforce confidence and let them know that they are improving.”
There’s always support from the Canucks’ development coaches on the mental side of things. Whether it’s a first-round pick like Tom Willander or Jonathan Lekkerimäki or a later-round pick like Melvin Fernström or Vilmer Alriksson – these young players can learn a lot from the guidance of a former NHLer like Samuelsson.
But Samuelsson doesn’t want that to happen from the get-go. He appreciates young players that are eager to ask questions and try to develop their game with the help of the Canucks’ development team, but Samuelsson works on building that trust before the development coach and player relationship begins to truly form.
The summer is a tremendous time for Samuelsson to get to know the prospects and said that development camp is a key week for his department because the face-to-face interactions build a solid foundation for a relationship that is set to evolve over the ensuing years.
“We are really building bonds there,” said Samuelsson about development camp. “It’s not so much about what they are doing on the ice, it’s more about connecting with the kids during that week.”
And from that connection, comes trust.
And that’s where a development coach can help guide a player through the next steps.
Samuelsson brought up Vilmer Alriksson as a player he has built a relationship with since Alriksson was drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. Samuelsson spent a lot of time on the ice with Alriksson this past summer and mentions trust as the most important thing in their player and development-coach relationship.
“Vilmer was on the ice with NHL players this summer like Jesper Bratt, Alexander Holtz, the Nylander brothers, and lots of others. He was playing excellent hockey against them, he did some damage to those players, and he would say, ‘I’m feeling good.’ That’s his most common answer,” chuckled Samuelsson.
“I had to let him know about what he is doing to these NHL players. I told him that he can play with these guys and that there’s no reason for him to lack confidence going into training camp with the Canucks. I didn’t want him to shy away from anything in training camp, I told him to do some damage because that’s the type of player that he is.”
Alriksson certainly stepped up his game at the Young Stars tournament and caught eyes at Canucks’ training camp as well as the two preseason games. He ultimately earned himself an entry-level contract with the team and Samuelsson believes that this is just one step in his development.
Last season, Samuelsson’s typical visit with a player was going to their game, talking with them before or after and then continuing the conversation through texts or phone calls.
This year, Samuelsson wants to spend more time watching a player practice and wants to catch up over a meal or spend the afternoon with the player to see more of how they are living and if he can help teach the youngsters about what they can do to better themselves in preparation for becoming a pro player.
“I watch all their games and see what they are like during play. But this year, I will try to shift so I can actually sit down and also bond more. When the practice is over, we can sit down with them for lunch or whatever. That's when you can discuss life in general and hockey as well.”
Samuelsson also takes pride in his relationship with fellow development coach Mike Komisarek. The two came to the Canucks together and immediately built a strong bond as they have a heavy focus on relationship-building with the prospects.
“Nothing didn’t click with Komo,” said Samuelsson. “From the get-go, we were incredibly open to one another. I love the way that Komo talks to the players and when we are together at something like Young Stars or Development Camp, we are an effective team.”
Another reason for the development team's success is understanding their role in the organization. Samuelsson believes the hockey operations department works superbly as a group.
“It starts with Jim [Rutherford] and Patrik [Allvin],” said Samuelsson. “We all understand how a team works and how everyone has a job to do. We have good human beings who want to include everyone and be open to discussion.”
It’s an exciting time of the year for the Canucks’ development staff and they are keeping a close eye on how each player is doing in their respective leagues. Samuelsson stays connected to many of the players and is excited to get out even more and build bonds over lunches and post-practice conversations this season.
His goal is to do whatever he can to support these young players to get to play pro hockey in North America and nothing makes him happier than building a strong relationship with a player and being a helpful piece in these young players achieving their ultimate dream.
