Looks like we have a stretch of wet weather in store for the next few days here in Vancouver, which is going to be a bit of a change in our social distancing experiences. It has been incredible how much sunshine we've had over the last six weeks, considering the time of year. I've been going out for evening walks a few days a week and have seen some incredible sunsets that have definitely boosted my spirits.
Another thing that made me happy — waking up this morning to find a new Dan Murphy interview with Elias Pettersson from his apartment in Sundsvall, Sweden.
With the talk that some of the Swedish players have been skating while they're back home, Pettersson says he is not. He left his gear in Vancouver and would have to travel two hours to get ice. He's preferring to stay close to home, although he is hanging out with some friends.
Says he doesn't have weights but has been working with resistance bands and playing racquet sports with his friends. During the virtual tour of his apartment, he shows off a stationary bike outside on the massive wraparound patio.
Pettersson says he misses normal life back in Vancouver and the food, especially the sushi. He says he checks in quite often with Brock Boeser, Jacob Markstrom and his road roommate, Quinn Hughes.
When asked about his favourite goal, he first says it will be his next one, then also mentions that first goal in the first game against Calgary, particularly because his parents were in the stands.
He also shows off his jersey collection — and says the black skate jersey is his favourite — as well as his trophy case. And when asked which two retired players he'd like to skate with on a line, he picks Peter Forsberg and Wayne Gretzky, saying they'd carry him and he could just do backdoor tap-ins.
With talk about re-start plans in some locales and rumours swirling around the hockey world, perhaps Petey will be back on the ice in Vancouver with his teammates sooner rather than later.
The NHL's current recommendation is that players self-isolate through April 30 — which is next Thursday, if you've lost track.
Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported last Thursday that at least one team has told its players to be prepared to start informal workouts on May 15, and that belief seems to be gaining traction.
As Brooks points out, players returning from abroad would most likely need to self-quarantine for two weeks before hitting the ice with teammates in North America, which would suggest that European players could be making their way back as early as next week.
Pettersson said he has heard lots of rumours but isn't putting much stock in anything at this point, just taking things day by day.
Meanwhile, after taking on Wayne Gretzky on NHL 20 from his home in Washington earlier in the week, it looks like Alex Ovechkin has now relocated to his home in Florida. His wife posted some video on her Instagram stories on Friday of Ovechkin in the pool with his young son, Sergei.
Early in the pause, Ovechkin said he had his trainer living with him, as he has done at this time of year for the last couple of seasons. I wonder if the trainer is still with him, or if maybe Ovechkin is just taking a little downtime while he can, before training does perhaps resume in May?
With all that being said, here are some sobering words from the health authorities in Alberta. Even while there has been lots of chatter that Edmonton could provide one of the better options for an NHL hub, there are some significant details in their current restrictions that would clearly make hockey impossible.
So — while we wait — the Canucks gave us a nice distraction on Friday by giving out Fan Hero Awards to members of the community who are making a difference.
I enjoyed learning about the initiatives that were highlighted — and while I put on my detective cap to see what I could read into which players were chosen to announce each award, the story on the website makes it clear that they used the winners from last season: Pettersson as most exciting, Antoine Roussel as unsung hero, Alex Edler as best defenseman and Jacob Markstrom as MVP.
A couple of other quick programming notes to wrap up today:
• Joey Kenward has been promoting a big interview with former Canucks owner Arthur Griffiths, which airs Saturday at 3 p.m. on Sportsnet 650.
In addition to covering the Pat Quinn story, Kenward has teased tales of how Igor Larionov and Vladimir Krutov first came to Vancouver, how Rogers Arena got built and much more. Seems like it would be worth tuning in!
• And finally, from the non-hockey realm, I really enjoyed the new Beastie Boys documentary, directed by Spike Jonze, which dropped on Friday on Apple TV+.
I found it fascinating to see their evolution through the years boiled down into a two-hour package — with highs and lows, lots of laughs, lots of heart and so much love for the late MCA, Adam Yauch, who died from cancer in 2012 at the age of 47.
Many Beastie Boys tracks were DJ staples for me over the years, and I saw them live at the Pacific Coliseum in 2004. If you're interested, you can see the setlist
here. It was a terrific, wildly diverse show, and I was glad to be safely up in the stands when the giant swirling mosh pit went into overdrive during the last song, "Sabotage." A very satisfying experience!
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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