After starting my breakdown of the Canucks' 2022-23 schedule in the last blog, I'm putting Part 2 on pause for the moment.
We've still got warm temperatures and sunny skies in Vancouver as the calendar flips to September, but Canucks coverage has ramped up in a big way this week. A significant group of players is now on the ice at the Scotia Barn in Burnaby, with an audience that has included reporters, the club's social media team, and even coach Bruce Boudreau.
Goaltending coach Ian Clark has also been on the ice, along with four goaltenders: Thatcher Demko, Spencer Martin, Collin Delia and Arturs Silovs. No Mikey DiPietro sightings to this point.
Patrick Johnston from
The Province chatted with Martin and the 28-year-old newcomer, Delia — who made no bones about the fact that he's hoping that Clark can improve his game the same way he helped Martin last season.
"It was really cool to see — especially as someone who’s kind of struggled to maintain a foothold in the NHL — to see a mid-20s guy come up and play really well and earn a contract," Delia said. "You root for those moments and you cheer those guys on, too, just as much as you want success for yourself. It’s really cool to see that happen."
Now, Delia is hoping that Clark's approach will take his game to the next level.
"He applied himself, like he was super disciplined and he got rewarded for it. So I plan to do the same thing in my own way," he said. "He’s just a self-professed contrarian goalie coach. That’s his moniker. And for me, it’s just kind of almost rewiring what I’ve learned in the past, you know, because exactly how he’s self-described, like a lot of things are contrary to what I’ve been taught in the past."
"I have a good reputation for being a good teammate and being approachable and coachable. And I think that really helps me with Clarkie’s style and his delivery. You know, like I don’t profess to know everything, I want to be coached."
While Martin almost certainly has the inside track on the Canucks' backup spot this season, depth at the position is key. Delia is on a one-way deal, but he'll require waivers to be sent down to Abbotsford — where he'll be reunited with his old coach from Chicago, Jeremy Colliton.
The other contingent that has been skating regularly at the Scotia Barn is the Russian group — Andrei Kuzmenko, Ilya Mikheyev, Vasily Podkolzin and Danila Klimovich.
On Monday, Johnston got a hyped-up Podkolzin for his first-ever English-language interview without a translator or any assistance, and of course he got through it in fine style.
Podkolzin seems to have really appreciated being welcomed back warmly when he returned to town.
"I remember when I came in Vancouver last year, I felt like I don’t know nobody. I don’t know guys. I don’t know who is who," he said. "I came in this year, like a few days ago, I feel at home, you know? I went to my locker room. And everybody — staff, guys I know — I got hugs. And like, ‘How was summer? How was summer?’"
Podkolzin was succinct when describing what he told his old KHL teammate Kuzmenko when asked about the envrionment in Vancouver.
"He asked me: ‘How’s life? How’s the coach? How’s the system? How’s the hockey we’re going to play?’ And I said, ‘we want to play in playoffs.’"
Now 21, Podkolzin said he understands that he's still young enough that he can use his offseason training to get stronger, rather than just working to maintain like an older player might. He said he started skating in July, and has been going through a serious offseason training regimen.
"It’s been crazy, like with my Russian coach, my workout coach," he said. “"t’s been tough, but I need it for new season, because it’s a big season, 82 games. … I need the confidence physically and a confident mentality."
Other players who have been spotted at Scotia Barn include defensemen Travis Dermott, Kyle Burroughs and Brady Keeper — and UFA forward Alex Chiasson.
After putting up 22 points in 67 games last season, Chiasson told
Chris Faber of Canucks Army that he decided to stay in Vancouver for the summer because he really likes the city.
At the end of last season, he said he'd like to re-sign with the Canucks. Unless something changes on the trade front, it's hard to imagine that the team would be able to squeeze in another offensive-minded winger — but that's what I thought last year, as well.
“Not sure where that’s going to go, but they’re giving me the opportunity to skate here and we’ll see how that folds out," said Chiasson. "But obviously, we’re three weeks away from camp so I have to make a decision for myself as well."
Mr. PTO turns 32 on Oct. 1, and has his heart set on another NHL job.
"With the end of the year that I had, I still feel like I can play, contribute, and help an (NHL) team so that’s where I’m at this year mentally," he said. "I feel like I can help a team. I can move up and down the lineup. Those are all things that I’ve shown in the past. I feel good physically, and being here, it was a good summer. I feel like (I’ve) been able to do my own thing and prepare really well. We’ll see how things go."
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