CHICAGO B次元官网网址� Bo Horvat is ready and willing to be the next captain of the Vancouver Canucks.
HeB次元官网网址檚 just waiting for the tap on the shoulder.
The team left the role vacant last season following the retirement of Henrik Sedin and his twin brother Daniel, but Horvat said Thursday heB次元官网网址檇 be willing to take on the hefty responsibility in a razor-focused Canadian hockey market.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檇 be an unbelievable honour to wear the B次元官网网址楥B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� to wear any letter for that matter,B次元官网网址� the 24-year-old centre said at the NHL/NHLPA North American Player Media Tour. B次元官网网址淓ven to be in consideration is definitely humbling. But it wouldnB次元官网网址檛 change who I am and it wouldnB次元官网网址檛 change the type of player I want to be.
B次元官网网址淚 wouldnB次元官网网址檛 let it affect me that way, but IB次元官网网址檇 just try to be the best leader I can be.B次元官网网址�
Horvat certainly had some good teachers.
He sat a couple stalls away from the Sedins in VancouverB次元官网网址檚 locker room from the time he made the league at age 19 until the Swedish superstars waved goodbye in April 2018.
There were lean years, but the superstar Swedes were always there to face reporters.
B次元官网网址淭heir last three years, it definitely wasnB次元官网网址檛 easy standing in front of the media and taking the heat, and talking every single day,B次元官网网址� Horvat said. B次元官网网址淛ust watching it, you were like, B次元官网网址楬ow did these guys do it?B次元官网网址� I kind of had that responsibility last year, so I got a little bit of practice.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檇 be ready to make that next step.B次元官网网址�
It's in Chicago and is loving every minute of it - we think... 馃槓馃懆馃ぃ
B次元官网网址� Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks)
Vancouver is far from the only NHL team without a captain 颅B次元官网网址� the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights, Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings are among the other seven without one B次元官网网址� but Horvat said itB次元官网网址檚 important in the long run to have one voice.
B次元官网网址淚t is nice to have a guy to lean on and a guy to go to when times are tough and have somebody to set the tone,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ut at the same time thereB次元官网网址檚 no rush for our team or any team to name one right away. ItB次元官网网址檚 obviously up to the (general manager) and the coaching staff to decide who they think is the best fit.
B次元官网网址淲e have a lot of great guys in our room.B次元官网网址�
The Canucks have missed the playoffs the last four seasons, but made a number of off-season acquisitions in hopes of challenging for a spot in the Western Conference in 2019-20.
Vancouver dove into free agency by signing defencemen Tyler Myers and Jordie Benn, as well as winger Micheal Ferland, while forward J.T. Miller was acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
B次元官网网址淚 really like our additions,B次元官网网址� Horvat said. B次元官网网址淚 definitely think theyB次元官网网址檙e going to help us make the next step.B次元官网网址�
Another key would be getting restricted free agent Brock Boeser in town for training camp, but the star winger continues to negotiate a new contract with the team.
Horvat knows what the uncertainty can be like after waiting until Sept. 8, 2017, to sign a six-year, US$33-million extension with Vancouver coming out of his entry-level deal.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been talking to (Boeser) a little bit, just asking how things are going,B次元官网网址� Horvat said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been through it. ItB次元官网网址檚 not easy, especially this late in the summer.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檇 love to have Brock for camp and love to have him to start the season, because heB次元官网网址檚 such a huge part of our team. Hopefully they can get a deal done.B次元官网网址�
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One player Horvat and his teammates will be counting on from Day 1 is Elias Pettersson B次元官网网址� the slick Swede that took the NHL by storm early last season on the way to capturing the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.
B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think he has a ceiling,B次元官网网址� Horvat said. B次元官网网址淗e hasnB次元官网网址檛 completely filled out in his body yet B次元官网网址� and heB次元官网网址檚 already doing what heB次元官网网址檚 doing right now.B次元官网网址�
Horvat B次元官网网址� who put up career-highs in goals (27), assists (34) and points (61) in a breakout season of his own B次元官网网址� said it was hard to tell how good Pettersson was until he recorded a goal and an assist in his very first game, and didnB次元官网网址檛 look back.
B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檙e just like, B次元官网网址榃ow, this kidB次元官网网址檚 a player,B次元官网网址滲次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淗e continued to keep doing it game after game after game. ItB次元官网网址檚 not easy. As a young guy, maybe you have a couple good nights here and there, but he just seemed to keep doing it night in and night out.
B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 a special player. WeB次元官网网址檙e lucky to have him. HeB次元官网网址檚 just going to keep getting better as he gets older and gets more experience and bigger and stronger.
B次元官网网址淪o B次元官网网址� look out.B次元官网网址�
Joshua Clipperton, THE CANADIAN PRESS
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