There’s nothing sweeter than finding a rhythm in your game.
Tyler Myers has been playing strong hockey through the last 14 games and he attributes part of that to adding a new skillset.
“I feel great. I've brought a calmness to my game. I know exactly what to expect. [The] coaches do a great job with that with each and every guy. I'm just enjoying it with the guys, it's been fun,” Myers said.
It was important to him to come into this season with confidence and keep an even mindset. He helped Canada take home gold at the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship last May, defeating Germany 5-2 in the gold medal game. He liked his play in the tournament and wanted to keep it going into this NHL season.
“I decided to go to Worlds at the end of last year, I think that tournament really got me to the level I wanted to be at. I wanted to carry over into this year and I think I've done that, and [I] just have to keep pushing and stay as consistent as I can,” he said.
Head coach Rick Tocchet has been crediting Tyler Myers for his play since the team’s first road trip. During that 13-day stretch Tocchet mentioned that Myers was “leading the charge” during practices and his teammates were playing off his energy.
“He's been our one of our best defenceman. Just the way we want him to play, the way our system is, he's playing it,” Tocchet said, adding that he’s leaning into what they’re asking him to do. “He's embracing it, he's not getting in trouble. He knows that he's making the right play. He's making the first pass to the right guy all the time, his indirects are great. He’s actually doing some really good stuff on the blue line and the penalty kill. He's been really good. Really, really good. I'm proud of him. I just like the way he came out. He wasn't as good for that Nashville game [and] he admitted it. And he just reset, and he's been great.”
Since the game in Nashville, he’s found a jolt of offence. Myers has seven points (1-6-7) in his last 13 games but has also found that calmness in the defensive zone – only being on the ice for four goals at five-on-five through that stretch.
Myers is third on the team in points from a defencemen after Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek. He’s tallied nine points (2g-7a), including a beautiful shorthanded goal that sent Rogers Arena into a frenzy. Through 19 games, Myers is averaging 18:32 minutes of ice time per game.
The 14-year veteran gives his team a boost when they need it and he’s also able to use the calm he’s found in his game to reassure his teammates. At 33 years old, he’s one of the key veterans on the Canucks’ roster but he likes the collaborative leadership style that gives everyone a sense of ownership.
“I like to help in any way I can. The first week of the season, I was maybe taking a little bit too much on, putting a bit too much on myself. I've been around long enough to where I can help guys when they need it, adjust to different situations and help guys through different situations. But one thing I really like with our group is we have younger guys that are stepping up in leadership roles as well. So it's not just three or four guys anymore. It's a collective effort within the room of bringing everybody up,” he said.
At nearly 20 games into the season, the group is feeling and moving different than last season. With the commitment to improve keeping everyone on the same page, players know what’s expected of them individually and when working together they’re like a well-oiled machine.
“Going into specific situations within a game, you know exactly what you're doing in that situation. That takes a lot of your mind out of it, and it just becomes second nature,” Myers said. “You can tell guys are making plays quicker and we're doing a good job within the room of holding each other accountable and making sure that we don't dip.”
As he looks to continue building his game, assistant coach Adam Foote has been an instrumental part of his development this season. Foote is another one of the checks and balances the Canucks have to help keep things running smoothly or get them back on track when things get bumpy.
“He's helped all of us,” said Myers when asked about Foote as a coach. “You can see you can see the improvement in everybody's game. He's great to bounce things off of day-to-day. We're always talking about different things, and he's given us the reminders we need.”
Myers likes the steadiness in game, and the 33-year-old right-shot defenceman has set a standard for himself.
In a season that ebbs and flows it’s not always going to feel easy. The last few games before the 3-1 win against San Jose, Myers feels they got away from their structure, but he’s confident in his game and his team’s ability to keep building.
