There wasn鈥檛 quite the electric buzz of Connor McDavid filling the lower bowl of Rexall Place for the Edmonton Oilers rookie camp. But the 29 invitees to the Vancouver Canucks鈥� development camp Monday at Shawnigan Lake School got a clear taste of what the NHL club means to this province.
The 300 bleacher seats in the new $8-million sprung-structure rink were full, and other fans ringed the glass, as the young hopefuls tried to impress an array of assembled Canucks brass, including head coach Willie Desjardins.
鈥淚t鈥檚 called the Vancouver Canucks, but it鈥檚 the whole province of sa国际传媒 that follows the team,鈥� said Canucks legend Stan Smyl, now the senior adviser to general manager Jim Benning.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good for these young guys to experience that. It shows the passion of the fans . . . that people are here in July to watch them.鈥�
And nothing is an empty exercise at this level. The Canucks are making every minute at Shawnigan Lake School count.
鈥淭eam building is important to me,鈥� said Smyl, closely involved in Canucks player development.
鈥淗opefully, these guys will be teammates in the future. And what better bonding than being together 24/7 in the dorms here at Shawnigan? These players don鈥檛 know each other. But when they leave here, they will.鈥�
Defenceman Anton Cederholm of the Portland Winterhawks and goaltender Jackson Whistle of the Kelowna Rockets aren鈥檛 used to this kind of warm reception when they normally visit the Island for Western Hockey League games against the Victoria Royals.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a little different . . . it鈥檚 nice being cheered on the Island,鈥� chuckled Whistle, who in the spring backstopped Kelowna to a five-game second-round playoff victory over Victoria en route to the WHL championship and Memorial Cup final.
He could be back with the Rockets as a Royals killer next season as an over-age 20-year-old. But the aim is pro hockey, not to be back in junior.
鈥淚鈥檓 here as a free agent, but I want to push for a spot,鈥� said Whistle, who was among four goalkeepers on the ice, with San Diego native and 2014 second-round pick Thatcher Demko from Boston College not skating due to injury.
鈥淥bviously, everybody is competing against each other out here. I am going to push hard.鈥�
The six-foot-two rearguard Cederholm, a Swede who was drafted by the Canucks in the fifth round of the 2013 NHL draft, is another 1995-born player attempting to get noticed in the pro ranks.
鈥淚鈥檓 here to make the Canucks. There is no reason to aim for the AHL. You aim for the NHL,鈥� he said, displaying the kind of brash resolve one needs to even be on the ice at this level.
Asked about the difference between junior and pro, Cederholm noted: 鈥淭he details and pace of the game . . . the guys are stronger and everyone knows their roles up here.鈥�
The Winterhawks and Royals have had some spirited games, especially during a highly combative second-round 2014 WHL playoff series.
鈥淥ur biggest rivalry for sure is against Seattle 鈥� the 鈥楶ortland sucks鈥� chants start right after the national anthem 鈥� but there鈥檚 also a lot of feeling whenever we play Victoria,鈥� said Cederholm.
鈥淭he fans behind our bench [at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre] 鈥� well, you learn to appreciate that 鈥� it鈥檚 all part of the game,鈥� he added, with a smile.
One thing is better at the pro level.
鈥淲e got to fly here [for Canucks camp], not take the ferry,鈥� said Cederholm.
Even though the Winterhawks have been a dominant franchise in the WHL, they haven鈥檛 won a Memorial Cup during Cederholm鈥檚 time in Portland.
鈥淵ou always think about that, and what things you could have done better,鈥� he said.
But the move to play junior in North America turned into a shrewd one in terms of development. Now comes the next step.
鈥淚 want to keep up my consistency, play physically and be reliable,鈥� said the big European.
The Canucks鈥� development camp continues today with a practice session from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., followed by a three-on-three tournament at 5 p.m. It concludes Wednesday with a practice session from 8:30 to 11 a.m.
ICE CHIPS: Among the five goalkeepers in camp (including the non-dressed Demko) is free agent Matt Ginn from the pro ECHL Florida Everblades. Ginn was the 2010-11 Victoria Grizzlies starter in the BCHL with a 2.86 goals-against average in 51 games before a stellar U.S. collegiate NCAA career at Holy Cross . . . The Canucks hopefuls aren鈥檛 the only athletes currently training at Shawnigan Lake School, as the Canadian national rugby team arrived Monday for a pre-World Cup camp . . . The national rowing team has also used the school and adjacent lake for camps.
