The Vancouver Canucks finished a four-day training camp in Penticton on Sunday, with management and coaches saying they will carry a focus on new systems into the remaining preseason games as roster decisions approach.
The Story
Vancouver Canucks players wrapped up their training camp in Penticton on Sunday afternoon, completing a four-day stay in the South Okanagan.
The team said the camp’s emphasis was on executing new systems as the regular season approaches. General Manager Ryan Johnson said the organization used the time to teach and reinforce how Vancouver plans to operate, noting the regular season is “just over a week away.”
Johnson said the pace was fast but necessary given the amount that needed to be communicated in a short span, including clarifying priorities using a Wednesday night skate while building intensity on the ice.
He also pointed to players’ feedback as evidence the plan is translating, saying the club’s energy level and execution during practice were what the coaching staff hoped to see and that adjustments continued as camp progressed.
Head Coach Manny Malhotra said the group met the coaching staff’s goals, adding that players executed the sessions as planned and adapted as concepts were introduced, picking up key elements quickly enough to apply them through the pace of the week.
Malhotra described the final stretch of camp as involving a repeating rhythm of skating, travelling and then playing before returning to skating again the next day, and he said the team handled that sequence without giving into excuses amid the compressed preseason schedule.
The Canucks said they also returned to Vancouver a few weeks before camp so players could skate together and prepare, and Malhotra said that preparation showed in how quickly the group took on camp concepts once they arrived in Penticton.
The team described the shorter preseason as a change for veterans, but said the bench staff expected urgency once players were asked to push the pace and that there was no delay in responding.
Beyond the on-ice work, Malhotra cited Penticton’s facilities and local support. He said the city and the South Okanagan Events Centre were hospitable and that having access to two sheets of ice helped the team complete its practices.
He also referenced an incident in which “the glass broke” and the organization switched ice time to keep practices moving, saying the team was grateful for the adjustment.
Malhotra said the organization appreciated help from the Okanagan Hockey Association and the broader community, adding the team enjoyed dinners out and had an opportunity to meet fans during its stay.
Defenceman Tom Willander said the camp served a practical purpose for him personally and for the team’s system goals, calling the four days an effective way to get going again by building intensity and touching the systems.
Willander said the intensity at camp was strong and that the time provided a productive start without overstaying it, adding that with the regular season nearing, the group is ready to open and believes in what has been built.
With camp complete, the Canucks’ attention now turns to preseason games and roster decisions later this week. The team said the selections will be supported by three preseason games remaining before the season begins.
The Canucks’ next preseason game is scheduled for Tuesday, September 22 in Calgary against the Calgary Flames, with puck drop at 6:00 p.m. PT. They will then host Edmonton on Thursday, September 24 at 6:00 p.m. PT, followed by Abbotsford’s training camp starting midweek.
← More stories