Canucks shift day two of training camp toward offence and power-play structure

The Story

Vancouver Canucks training camp took a noticeable turn on day two, with the team directing more of its work toward the offensive side of play after beginning camp by establishing defensive habits and structure. The early practice days are about more than simple systems on paper, assistant coach Ryan Mougenel said, with the goal of creating a foundation that defines how the Canucks want to play once the season approaches.

Mougenel, who leads the offence and power play with the coaching staff, described the first phase of camp as a period for building blocks rather than polishing every detail. He framed the work as establishing the habits and specifics that will later become core parts of the team’s identity, suggesting that what the players learn early will influence both how they react during live play and how they communicate as a group.

Mougenel’s approach is also supported by coaching personnel working closely on the offensive principles. Assistant coach Jason Krog works alongside Mougenel on those offensive ideas, and Mougenel highlighted the value of having Krog in that role. He pointed to Krog’s experience across different hockey levels, and said Krog’s ability to point things out to players and the coaching staff has been especially useful in the early camp environment.

Beyond individual coaching assignments, the Canucks’ head coach, Manny Malhotra, emphasized that relationship-building is part of the structure of camp itself. Malhotra said the coaching staff has focused on laying a foundation for the group and teaching what the team wants to be about, which he said shows up in players’ communication skills and in how they talk to teammates and get to know one another.

Mougenel said he has been encouraged by the way practices have gone over the first couple of days, calling the effort from the groups a key factor in the early momentum. He described the players as extremely determined from the outset and said the practices and day-to-day interactions have felt positive and “refreshing,” reflecting buy-in across both younger players and veterans.

The offensive identity the coaching staff is building is built around a specific structure, with Mougenel describing a 1-3-1 framework designed to provide options. In that concept, the team looks to regain the puck when it is lost and then make life difficult for the opposition once Vancouver has possession, using the structure to sustain pressure rather than treating chances as isolated moments.

Creating stress for the other team is central to how Mougenel described the intention behind the offence. He said the Canucks want to create anxiety by making plays to the paint and then become a team that attacks consistently, using timing and positioning to arrive on the offensive opportunity with purpose. The emphasis is not only on where players end up, but also on how quickly they reach key areas of the ice to support plays.

Mougenel also stressed that the team’s direction is about playing more in the interior of the rink, which he described as a “big message.” He linked that interior focus to puck support and the importance of coming to the puck, while also noting that possession time alone does not guarantee results if players are not positioned inside and prepared to make plays toward the net.

At the same time, Mougenel said the coaching staff is balancing structure with freedom, aiming to provide a framework that still allows players to use their instincts. The idea is to give the group an organized set of principles and then let the players’ individual abilities shape how those principles look in live action, especially as camp progresses and the team adds more detail.

Practices on day two included offensive elements such as how the Canucks want to play the puck, how they want to get it back when it is lost, and how they “reload” to continue the attack. The coaching staff also addressed how players should come to the puck, along with other concepts meant to create more opportunity in the offensive zone by improving both decision-making and positioning.

Mougenel said attention to small details has stood out early in camp, particularly in how players executed drills on day two. He acknowledged that mistakes and misreads are expected at this stage, but framed the purpose of these sessions as learning how to correct course within the system and how to respond consistently. He said he has been pleased that the message is landing broadly, with players appearing attentive regardless of experience level.

Looking ahead, Mougenel said the staff will continue building the offence as a layered learning process, turning concepts into habits over time as the preseason and regular season develop. He described several habit-based focuses that can be applied repeatedly, including stopping at the net, finding second-shot opportunities, and having defenders work to get pucks past the first layer, while also noting that the team can always add additional layers once the foundational approach is in place. For now, the work is aimed at clearly defining what the Canucks’ offence should look like and ensuring the details that support that vision become second nature.