The Abbotsford Canucks have opened training camp with an emphasis on teaching the same structural rules used across the Vancouver organization, head coach Ryan Papaioannou says.
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The Abbotsford Canucks have opened training camp with a focus on structure, particularly the rules players are expected to follow away from the puck, head coach Ryan Papaioannou said.
Papaioannou said much of the message should already be familiar because players heard it at the Prospects Showcase and at Vancouver Canucks training camp in Penticton. He said the goal over the next few days and into the preseason is to make sure the team is “set” before the staff adds more individual elements.
He said Abbotsford’s staff worked with Vancouver’s coaches before the Prospects Showcase to align on system details. Papaioannou said that process included presentations at rookie camp and at NHL camp under Vancouver head coach Manny Malhotra.
Following secondary roster cuts in Vancouver, Abbotsford’s camp roster has grown. Papaioannou said that has allowed for more demanding sessions and a clearer look at how the roster is taking shape.
He said assistant coaches Harry Mahesh and Mark O’Leary, goaltending coach Justin Pogge and video coach Lucas Bourdon will lead in their specialty areas. Mahesh is handling offence, lines and the power play, while O’Leary is overseeing the defence and penalty kill. Pogge is working with goaltenders and Bourdon is supporting the staff with video.
Papaioannou said Mahesh and Pogge bring existing relationships with players, O’Leary adds head coaching experience and Bourdon improves day-to-day efficiency through video work.
Mahesh said continuity across Vancouver, Abbotsford and the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings should help the group move quickly once players settle into the system. He said the Kalamazoo staff was in Penticton for Vancouver’s camp and is also helping at Abbotsford camp, giving coaches across all three levels a better chance to evaluate and teach players consistently.
Mahesh said he expects to take on game-day responsibilities, including running lines and adjusting the power play. He said camp habits matter, including finishing at the net, holding positional areas and avoiding what he called “summer hockey.”
O’Leary, who spent 14 seasons with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors, said his defensive approach starts with early possession and putting players in position to make the next play. He said the coaching staff wants the team to compete as teammates first, with defending tied directly to regaining the puck and transitioning into offence.
Papaioannou said his staff is continuing to discuss concepts in all three zones. He said players first need to internalize the organization’s structure so the group can build from that foundation as the preseason continues.
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