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[Vancouver Canucks]

Olympic Hockey Preview: Canucks’ Pettersson, Hronek, Kämpf and Lankinen all in action; Canada battles Switzerland

Fully in the swing of the round robin, hockey fans are spoiled with the quality of hockey we’re seeing when the best collide with one another. And now, we’ve got a fully stacked Friday for Vancouver Canucks fans.

Elias Pettersson and Team Sweden battle Team Finland and Kevin Lankinen. Filip Hronek, David Kämpf, and Team Czechia look to make their mark on the tournament against Team France. And to wrap up the day, Canada vs. Switzerland. Hockey fans are spoiled on a Friday.

Finland vs. Sweden​

Start time and info

Coverage for Team Finland vs. Team Sweden kicks off on February 13 at 3:10 AM PST / 12:10 PM local from Milano Santagiulia IHO. Viewers can watch on CBC, Bell Media (TSN) and Rogers Media (Sportsnet).

Projected lines

Here are the projected lines for tomorrow’s games, provided by Daily Faceoff.

Team Finland

*Note. Teams start an extra forward (13) and defenceman (7) per game. The fourth pairing is the extra forward and defenceman.

Finland is making some changes. Oliver Kapanen replaces Joel Kiviranta as the 13th forward, while Nikolas Matinpalo will step in for Mikko Lehtonen as the seventh defenceman.

Team Sweden

*Note. Teams start an extra forward (13) and defenceman (7) per game. The fourth pairing is the extra forward and defenceman.

William Nylander missed another practice on Thursday. However, he is projected to play.

Starting goalies

Despite struggling against Slovakia with a 3.06 goals against average and a .875 save percentage, Juuse Saros gets the start against the Swedes.

Another goaltender who struggled early in his opening game, Sweden is sticking with Filip Gustavsson.

Players to watch

Sebastian Aho: Watching the Finns in the opening game, they were clearly the better team through 40 minutes. The two most noticeable lines were the Aho line and the Lundell line. The Finnish top line will draw the shutdown line, and will need to rely on their next best offensive threat to lead them if they want any glimmer of hope at avoiding the qualifying round.

Joel Eriksson Ek: The Minnesota Wild was a volume shooter against the Italians. He was a big presence at the net front, registering four shots on goal from that location through the first handful of minutes, and finished the game with nine in total. If he’s going to continue to get this deployment, playing important minutes on the top line and in all situations, with this volume, he’s going to make his mark on the scoresheet sooner rather than later.

France vs. Czechia​

Start time and info

Coverage for Team France vs. Team Czechia kicks off on February 13 at 7:40 AM PST / 4:40 PM local from Milano Santagiulia IHO. Viewers can watch on CBC, Bell Media (TSN) and Rogers Media (Sportsnet).

Projected lines

Here are the projected lines for tomorrow’s games, provided by Daily Faceoff.

Team France

*Note. Teams start an extra forward (13) and defenceman (7) per game. The fourth pairing is the extra forward and defenceman.

Team Czechia

*Note. Teams start an extra forward (13) and defenceman (7) per game. The fourth pairing is the extra forward and defenceman.

Starting goalies

With both teams playing earlier on Thursday, neither team has confirmed a starting goaltender at the time of this writing.

Antoine Keller got the start on Thursday. He stopped 39 of the 43 shots he faced in their 4-0 loss to Switzerland. If France does not want to start him on back-to-back nights, backup Martin Neckar projects get the nod.

Lukas Dostal started against the Canadians. He stopped 31 of the 36 shots in the Czechs’ 5-0 loss. Dan Vladar served as Dostal’s backup on Thursday. He or Karel Vejmelka, who leads the NHL in wins, will get the start.

Player to watch

David Pastrnak: One can imagine how frustrated a player of Pastrnak’s ilk will be coming off a big 5-0 loss to Canada. He was held to just one scoring chance, one shot on goal and a minus-two rating in 18:05 minutes of ice time. Now against a weaker opponent in the French, Pastrnak should have plenty of opportunity to take out his frustration and lead the Czech’s to their first win of the tournament.

Canada vs. Switzerland​

Start time and info

Coverage for Team Canada vs. Team Switzerland kicks off on February 13 at 12:10 PM PST / 9:10 PM local from Milano Santagiulia IHO. Viewers can watch on CBC, Bell Media (TSN) and Rogers Media (Sportsnet).

Projected lines

Here are the projected lines for tomorrow’s games, provided by Daily Faceoff.

Team Canada

Josh Morrissey was injured on Thursday against the Czechs. There is no update on his status. If he is forced to miss this match against the Swiss, expect Travis Sanheim to make his Olympic debut as the seventh defenceman. *Drew Doughty and Thomas Harley, who made up the third pair against Czechia, are not listed in the photo but will play.

Team Switzerland

Starting goalies

With both teams playing earlier on Thursday, neither team has confirmed a starting goaltender at the time of this writing.

Jordan Binnington stopped all 26 shots he faced in Canada’s 5-0 shutout loss to the Czechs on Thursday. To avoid giving Binnington back-to-back starts, Logan Thompson could get the nod.

Leonardo Genoni matched Binnington with a shutout of his own against France, stopping 27 shots in the process. NHL goaltender Akira Schmid is in line for the start against the juggernaut Canadians.

Players to watch

Connor McDavid: Shocker. I mean, did anybody not watch McDavid in awe out there? He was dominant, finishing the game with three helpers on the night, with six shots on goal in 18:04 minutes of ice time. It was a bit shocking that he did not light the lamp himself in this game, with the quality of looks he had, none better than that chance all alone, where Dostal robbed him twice. One can imagine he’s eager to get his first Olympic goal after a six-shot outing.

Nico Hischier: Regardless of who Hischier gets matched up against, it’s going to be a struggle for him to keep McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon or Sidney Crosby off the scoresheet. However, if he can flip the script during his minutes by limiting Canada’s production while providing offence himself, Hischier is the clearest X-Factor for Switzerland. It’s a tall and unlikely task, but if he can’t at least shut down the Canadians a little bit, the Swiss may not even stand a chance.

PRESENTED BY DAILY FACEOFF’S OLYMPIC COVERAGE​

Catch Every Goal from the 2026 Milan Games! The 2026 Milan Games are almost here, and the world’s best men’s and women’s hockey players are ready to battle for gold! The Nation Network is bringing you every game, every jaw-dropping save, and all the drama with live reaction streams and full recaps. Don’t miss a moment of Olympic hockey action—men’s, women’s, and everything in between—on the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel. Subscribe now and stay on top of every play!

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/olympi...pf-lankinen-action-canada-battles-switzerland

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Canucks prospect Parker Alcos commits to Quinnipiac of the NCAA for 2026-27

Vancouver Canucks prospect Parker Alcos is NCAA-bound.

The 19-year-old defenceman announced via Instagram that he has committed to the Quinnipiac Bobcats, where he will join fellow Canucks prospect Matthew Lansing for the 2026–27 season.

Originally selected by Vancouver in the sixth round (189th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft, Alcos’ (NHL) signing deadline was set for June 1, 2026. However, under the newly ratified CBA, players drafted from the CHL who later move to the NCAA now have their rights extended further. In Alcos’ case, his rights will now run through (at least) August 15, 2028, providing the Canucks with additional time to evaluate his development at the collegiate level.

According to PuckPedia, how long rights extend beyond that date — particularly for players drafted before 2027 — remains somewhat unclear under the new agreement, and there is a possibility that those rights will extend through his entire NCAA tenure. What is certain, though, is that Vancouver now holds Alcos’ rights for at least the next two seasons.

The Port Moody native was signed out of Northern Alberta Xtreme (CSSHL) before embarking on a four-year WHL career with the Edmonton Oil Kings. Across 167 games with Edmonton, he established himself as a steady, right-shot defender capable of logging defensive minutes, particularly on the penalty kill.

At the 2026 WHL Trade Deadline, the Kelowna Rockets acquired Alcos in a push to strengthen their roster ahead of hosting the Memorial Cup. The move placed him in an environment that’s guaranteed to see a deep run into the spring months.

In total, Alcos has appeared in 182 WHL games, recording 52 points (seven goals, 45 assists), 113 penalty minutes, and a plus–26 rating. This season marks a career year across the board, and he has already set personal bests with five goals, 22 points, and a plus–38 rating — notably his first season finishing on the positive side of the ledger.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-prospect-parker-alcos-commits-quinnipiac-ncaa-2026-27

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Olympic Hockey Preview: Can Canucks’ Pettersson make an offensive impact vs. Slovakia? Will Lankinen start vs. Italy?

We’re fast approaching the final end of the Round Robin, with Group B (Sweden, Finland, Slovakia, and Italy) playing their final matches and we see a group solidified. But there are some big questions that remain surrouding the Vancouver Canucks’ participants.

Can Elias Pettersson make an impact and help his country offensively? Will Kevin Lankinen get the start against the Italians? Let’s find out.

Sweden vs. Slovakia​

Start time and info

Coverage for Team Sweden vs. Team Slovakia kicks off on February 14 at 3:10 AM PST / 12:10 PM local from Milano Santagiulia IHO. Viewers can watch on one of CBC, Bell Media (TSN) and Rogers Media (Sportsnet).

Projected lines

Here are the projected lines for tomorrow’s games, provided by Daily Faceoff.

Team Sweden

*Note. Teams start an extra forward (13) and defenceman (7) per game. The fourth pairing is the extra forward and defenceman.

Team Slovakia

*Note. Teams start an extra forward (13) and defenceman (7) per game. The fourth pairing is the extra forward and defenceman.

Starting goalies

There are no confirmed goaltenders for tomorrow’s games at the time of this writing.

After back-to-back outings in which Filip Gustavsson struggled, we would anticipate Jacob Markstrom getting the nod for this important game.

Considering the Slovaks gave Sam Hlavaj the day off today against the Italians, we would assume he earns the start in this match.

Players to watch

Sam Hallam: I know this isn’t a player. However, outside of William Nylander and Rasmus Dahlin, Hallam needs to get more out of his group. He has taken some criticism from Swedish fans for his deployment of Filip Forsberg. He and Lucas Raymond, two of Sweden’s top-five NHL point scorers, played sub-1o minutes against the Finns on Thursday. We will wait to see how he adjusts his lines ahead of a pivotal match for the Swedes, if they want to win their Group.

Juraj Slafkovsky: The Slovak is taking the country by storm with his performance at these Olympic Games. His two goals and four points had him in a tie for second with Nathan MacKinnon for in points this tournament. He’s been the driving force for this Slovakian team, and will remain the X-Factor if they can upset the Swedes and win the Group.

Germany vs. Latvia​

Start time and info

Coverage for Team Germany vs. Team Latvia kicks off on February 14 at 3:10 AM PST / 12:10 PM local from Milano Rho Ice Hockey. Viewers can watch on one of CBC, Bell Media (TSN) and Rogers Media (Sportsnet).

Projected lines

Here are the projected lines for tomorrow’s games, provided by Daily Faceoff.

Team Germany

*Note. Teams start an extra forward (13) and defenceman (7) per game. The fourth pairing is the extra forward and defenceman.

Team Latvia

*Note. Teams start an extra forward (13) and defenceman (7) per game. The fourth pairing is the extra forward and defenceman.

Starting goalies

There are no confirmed goaltenders for tomorrow’s games at the time of this writing.

After having the day off, we would say Philipp Grubauer is primed for another start. However, with them playing on Sunday against Team USA, the Germans may save him for that and lean on Mathias Niederberger. However, this is still an important game, so don’t be shocked to see Grubauer get the nod in both contests.

Considering Arturs Silovs led the Latvians out for the third period against the Americans in their opening match, we would anticipate that he would get the nod over Elvis Merzlikins.

Players to watch

JJ Peterka: Playing on a line with Tim Stutzle and on the top power play unit, finishing with an assist and three shots on goal seems a little underwhelming against the Danes. Expect the sniper to be more of a shooting threat against the Latvians.

Teddy Blueger: We made Alberts Smits our player to watch in the opening game, we have to throw Teddy Blueger a bone here. He might just be used in a defensive role, but if he can shutdown Leon Draisaitl or Stutzle, that’ll be a successful day for the Canuck.

Finland vs. Italy​

Start time and info

Coverage for Team Finland vs. Team Italy kicks off on February 14 at 7:40 AM PST /4:40 PMM local from Milano Santagiulia IHO. Viewers can watch on one of CBC, Bell Media (TSN) and Rogers Media (Sportsnet).

Projected lines

Here are the projected lines for tomorrow’s games, provided by Daily Faceoff.

Team Finland

*Note. Teams start an extra forward (13) and defenceman (7) per game. The fourth pairing is the extra forward and defenceman.

Team Italy

*Note. Teams start an extra forward (13) and defenceman (7) per game. The fourth pairing is the extra forward and defenceman.

Starting goalies

There are no confirmed goaltenders for tomorrow’s games at the time of this writing.

Juuse Saros has started both games for the Finns so far, and looked well on Friday. We would anticipate they give him a break against an easier opponent in the Italians and give Kevin Lankinen the start. We believe he would have the edge over Joonas Korpisalo after his work at the 4 Nations Faceoff last season.

After nearly stealing the game for the Italians on opening night against the Swedes, we would imagine Damian Clara would get the start.

Players to watch

Mikko Rantanen: It’s been a surprisingly quiet Olympics for Rantanen. He has just the the one empty-net goal on the tournament. There’s no better time than against the Italians to get over the struggles and start producing right before the Qualifying Round.

Matthew Bradley: The Vancouver, BC native has goals in both of Italy’s games so far this Olympics. With the Italians just playing for pride at this point, let’s see if he can make it three in a row.

PRESENTED BY DAILY FACEOFF’S OLYMPIC COVERAGE​

Catch Every Goal from the 2026 Milan Games! The 2026 Milan Games are almost here, and the world’s best men’s and women’s hockey players are ready to battle for gold! The Nation Network is bringing you every game, every jaw-dropping save, and all the drama with live reaction streams and full recaps. Don’t miss a moment of Olympic hockey action—men’s, women’s, and everything in between—on the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel. Subscribe now and stay on top of every play!

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/olympi...ffensive-impact-slovakia-lankinen-start-italy

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Abby Canucks preview: Canucks host the Ontario Reign for Family Day set

The All-Star break is in the rearview, and the Abbotsford Canucks are back to work.

After a week off, Abbotsford returns home to Rogers Forum to open a two-game set against the Ontario Reign. The pair of games in Abbotsford represents the first leg of a three-game stretch between the Pacific Division rivals.

Ontario arrives sporting a 31-14-1-1 record, riding a three-game winning streak and a 7-3-0 run over their last ten contests. Abbotsford, meanwhile, snapped a five-game skid in their last outing but still sits at 16-26-3-3 on the season.

The Canucks are winless in three meetings against Ontario this year and have been outscored 15-6 in the process. Coincidentally, each of those games finished with a 5-2 scoreline.

Players of note​

Duncan, BC’s Ben Berard, returns from the AHL All-Star festivities after representing Team Pacific in the championship victory. Berard recorded two goals and three assists during the event and delivered one of the weekend’s top highlights at the skills competition. He co-leads Abbotsford with 23 points on the season.

Sharing that mark is Ty Mueller, who has been one of the team’s hottest players in recent weeks. Mueller has collected 10 points (4G, 6A) over his last nine games and now sits at 23 points on the year, putting him on pace to approach last season’s 39-point rookie total.

Jonathan Lekkerimäki continues to climb the leaderboard as well. The Swedish forward leads the club with 11 goals in just 18 games and now sits five points back of the team lead. He has goals in four of his last six games and points in five.

Both Lukas Reichel (Germany) and Anri Ravinskis (Latvia) remain out while representing their respective countries at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

Kirill Kudryavtsev, who was originally slated to appear in the All-Star game, continues to miss time with what has been reported as a high ankle sprain. Vilmer Alriksson, Joseph LaBate, Nils Åman, Sawyer Mynio, MacKenzie MacEachern, and Chase Stillman also remain sidelined with injuries. However, both Nils Åman and Chase Stillman were seen skating with the team, so both may rejoin the lineup.

Nikita Tolopilo received back-to-back starts last week. With a day off between games this weekend, he could see a similar deployment. If not, Aku Koskenvuo may draw his first start in two weeks.

Keys to the game​

Facing one of the league’s most productive offences means defending will be paramount. Ontario ranks second in the AHL in goals scored with 159, while Abbotsford has allowed the league’s third-highest total at 164.

Limiting high-danger chances and staying structured in their own zone will be critical. A tighter, lower-event game may not be flashy, but it could be the formula required for Abbotsford to pull out points during this three-game stretch.

What’s next?​

Game one goes Saturday at 7:00 p.m. PT, followed by a Family Day matinee on Monday at 1:00 p.m. PT.

The Canucks will then travel to California for a one-game rematch against the Reign on Wednesday at Toyota Arena.

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/abby-canucks-preview-canucks-host-ontario-reign-family-day-set

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Olympic Hockey Preview: Canada with a prime chance to lock up number one seed vs. France

On the final day of Round Robin, Team Canada has an opportunity to lock up the top seed of the tournament with a win over France.

But there’s a bit more to it. To officially finish as the No. 1 seed, they need to beat France and maintain their lead on goal differential over the USA. Currently, Canada has a plus-9 goal differential compared to the Americans’ plus-7.

The level of competition remains in Canada’s favour, as they will take on France, who have zero points in Group A and a negative-7 goal differential. The Americans, however, will take on Germany, who has three points in Group C and a plus-1 goal differential.

Elsewhere around the tournament, Vancouver Canucks‘ Filip Hronek, David Kämpf, and the Czechs will take on Switzerland, with the winner of that game clinching the second seed in Group A. Then later in the day, Teddy Blueger and the Latvians will hope to clinch the second seed in Group C with a victory over Denmark.

Switzerland vs. Czechia​

Start time and info

Coverage for Team Switzerland vs. Team Czechia kicks off on February 15 at 3:10 AM PST / 12:10 PM local from Milano Santagiulia IHO. Viewers can watch on one of CBC, Bell Media (TSN) and Rogers Media (Sportsnet).

Projected lines

Here are the projected lines for tomorrow’s games, provided by Daily Faceoff.

Team Switzerland

With injuries to Kevin Fiala, Denis Malgin, and Andrea Glauser in their last game against Canada, there is too much uncertainty with how the Swiss will lineup for this all-important Group A match to include lines.

Team Czechia

*Note. Teams start an extra forward (13) and defenceman (7) per game. The fourth pairing is the extra forward and defenceman.

Starting goalies

There are no confirmed goaltenders for tomorrow’s games at the time of this writing.

There is a real question mark as to who will get the start for the Swiss. One would lean toward Akira Schmid because he is in the NHL, but Leonardo Genoni is regarded as one of the best goaltenders in the world who is not playing in the NHL. Plus, he shut out the French in their opening game. So, this one is a true toss-up.

The Czechs’ goaltending decision to give Dan Vladar the start against France over Karel Vejmelka, who is tied for the league lead in wins, was questionable. However, it should tell us where he stands in the depth chart. With that said, we would project Lukas Dostal to get his second start of the tournament.

Players to watch

Nino Niederreiter: While we don’t exactly know the new line combinations the Swiss will use with their variety of injuries, if they want to stack the top line, Niederreiter would be the likely recipient of the promotion. And for good reason. Against the Canadians, Niederreiter had three Grade-A scoring chances, but could not capitalize on any of them. Don’t expect him to miss those opportunities two games in a row.

Tomas Hertl: Watching Hertl against France the other day, he had scoring chance after scoring chance, but just could not find a way to score. The Golden Knight is determined to find the back of the net for his country, expect him to be a big impact player in a very important game.

Canada vs. France​

Start time and info

Coverage for Team Canada vs. Team France kicks off on February 15 at 7:40 AM PST / 4:40 PM local from Milano Santagiulia IHO. Viewers can watch on one of CBC, Bell Media (TSN) and Rogers Media (Sportsnet).

Projected lines

Here are the projected lines for tomorrow’s games, provided by Daily Faceoff.

Team Canada

*Note. Teams start an extra forward (13) and defenceman (7) per game. The fourth pairing is the extra forward and defenceman.

Team Canada Head Coach Jon Cooper confirmed that Brad Marchand would draw back in for this matchup, but did not announce who would be coming out. Defenceman Josh Morrissey, who was injured in Canada’s opening game against the Czechs, will remain out.

Last game, we saw Nathan MacKinnon and Tom Wilson switch lines, with Nick Suzuki sliding into the middle. We’ll see if that Macklin Celebrini – Connor McDavid – Nathan MacKinnon line is something that Cooper sticks with.

Team France

*Note. Teams start an extra forward (13) and defenceman (7) per game. The fourth pairing is the extra forward and defenceman.

Starting goalies

There are no confirmed goaltenders for tomorrow’s games at the time of this writing.

With the day off on Saturday, both Jordan Binnington and Logan Thompson appear fresh and would be ready to go for this matchup. This choice will likely determine which goaltender Canada will go with to start the elimination stage.

After sitting out France’s last game, we would project Antoine Keller, who made 39 of 43 stops against the Swiss in their opening game, to get the start.

Players to watch

Thomas Harley: Since Josh Morrissey went down with an injury, Thomas Harley has done an admirable job of stepping up and filling in those massive shoes. He has logged the second-most ice time of any Canadian defenceman thus far, and has contributed offensively with a goal and two assists. Many were left surprised that he was named to the team after the season he was having, but when he’s representing the Maple Leaf, Harley finds another gear.

Louis Boudon: France did a great job to keep up with the Czech, scoring three quick second period goals – and Boudon had a hand in all of them. He scored two goals in three minutes and added a secondary helper less than two minutes later. It will be an uphill battle for the French, but Boudon’s got the hot stick heading into this matchup.

Denmark vs. Latvia​

Start time and info

Coverage for Team Denmark vs. Team Latvia kicks off on February 15 at 10:10 AM PST / 7:10 PM local from Milano Rho Ice Hockey. Viewers can watch on one of CBC, Bell Media (TSN) and Rogers Media (Sportsnet).

Projected lines

Here are the projected lines for tomorrow’s games, provided by Daily Faceoff.

Team Denmark

*Note. Teams start an extra forward (13) and defenceman (7) per game. The fourth pairing is the extra forward and defenceman.

Team Latvia

*Note. Teams start an extra forward (13) and defenceman (7) per game. The fourth pairing is the extra forward and defenceman.

Starting goalies

There are no confirmed goaltenders for tomorrow’s games at the time of this writing.

Considering Mads Sogaard left early with an injury, and Frederik Dichow had to come in relief, it’s a fairly safe bet to assume Carolina Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen would get the start tonight.

Having come in relief on Thursday, winning Latvia’s first Olympic Men’s Hockey game since 2014, it would be shocking if we did not see an Arty Party with Arturs Silovs starting on Sunday.

Players to watch

Oliver Bjorkstrand: After logging a team-high seven shots on goal against the Germans, Bjorkstrand was held shotless against the Americans. That’s unusual for the sniper, who is his country’s primary shooter. He’s going to have to show up if he wants to help his nation get into the win column for the first time this tournament.

Arturs Silovs: We are banking on Silovs getting the start here. But if he does, he has proven he can single-handedly win his country an important game, as he did at the 2023 World Championships and on Saturday against the Germans. With a chance at locking up second place with a win (and a little bit of help from the USA), they should roll with Silovs.

PRESENTED BY DAILY FACEOFF’S OLYMPIC COVERAGE​

Catch Every Goal from the 2026 Milan Games! The 2026 Milan Games are almost here, and the world’s best men’s and women’s hockey players are ready to battle for gold! The Nation Network is bringing you every game, every jaw-dropping save, and all the drama with live reaction streams and full recaps. Don’t miss a moment of Olympic hockey action—men’s, women’s, and everything in between—on the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel. Subscribe now and stay on top of every play!

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/olympi...nada-prime-chance-lock-number-one-seed-france

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Meet the Buyers: Which NHL teams might trade for Canucks’ Evander Kane?

Welcome back to Meet the Buyers, a pre-deadline series at CanucksArmy that may or may not be named after hit 2004 comedy sequel Meet the Fockers.

The premise here is that talking about the theoretical trade value of the various assets on the Vancouver Canucks is all well and good, but it still takes two to tango. Any trade value is theoretical, really, until someone becomes willing to pay it.

It’s hard to talk about what the Canucks might get back for what they are selling without talking about who might be buying it. So, this series attempts to guess at which other NHL teams might be well and truly interested in the Canucks’ for-sale items.

Last time around, we did a two-for-one special in which we looked at teams in need of a bottom-six centre, and speculated about their interest in Teddy Blueger and David Kampf.

This time, we’re covering the other remaining pending UFA of note in Evander Kane.

The rumours around Kane have been fairly consistent since the dawn of the new year. We know he’s on the market, and we know a trade is likely. He and his agent have already been given permission to speak to other teams to help facilitate a deal, and it’s almost become a matter of when, not if.

The expected return is a mid-round pick. Some believe the Canucks will only be able to get back the fourth rounder they paid for Kane in the first place, some believe it could be a third, and some believe it could get as high as a second, should the bidding get really out of hand.

We have also heard tell that the Canucks are willing to retain on Kane’s $5.125 million cap hit, which should increase the pool of available suitors. A 16-team no-trade clause could get in the way a little, but then with Kane’s agency already involved, it seems like something can be worked out.

But worked out with whom? That’s what we’re taking a stab at today.

Boston Bruins​

Current Top-Nine Wingers: David Pastrnak, Morgan Geekie, Viktor Arvidsson, Casey Mittelstadt, Tanner Jeannot, Mark Kastelic

The Bruins have been named as a potential destination for Kane already, and it’s not hard to see the personality match. The Bruins pride themselves on their heavy play, and have built a roster to accommodate that. But some of their heavier wingers, in Jeannot and Kastelic, are probably playing a little too high up the lineup in the current moment.

Kane could represent a cost-effective top-nine upgrade that could match the general style of the other Boston wingers but with more potential for offensive contributions.

Colorado Avalanche​

Current Top-Nine Wingers: Martin Necas, Gabriel Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin, Artturi Lehkonen, Ross Colton, Victor Olofsson

The team that has been most attached to Kane in rumours is the Avalanche. They are the best team in hockey, but if they’ve got a weak point, it is definitely on the wings, where they are a tad thin.

Kane easily steps into their top-nine, and may even find himself within their top-six under the right circumstances. There’s also been a belief expressed that, of all the NHL dressing rooms out there, Nathan MacKinnon’s Colorado room is best equipped to keep a lid on Kane’s eccentricities.

The Avalanche are gearing up for a lengthy playoff run, so why not take a good long look at someone who has been to the last two Stanley Cup Finals?

Dallas Stars​

Current Top-Nine Wingers: Mikko Rantanen, Jason Robertson, Mavrik Bourque, Jamie Benn, Justin Hryckowian, Sam Steel

The Dallas Stars have also been named as a potential Kane-seeker, and it’s not hard to see why. Their wing corps are very top-heavy, with Rantanen and Robertson a clear step ahead of the rest of the pack.

Kane would complement the veteran heaviness of Benn nicely, and could feasibly fit into any of the Stars’ top three forward lines. The Stars are almost certainly going to have to face the aforementioned Avalanche in the postseason. Part of the equation here has to be that if one team gets Kane, the other team doesn’t. And he is a player that has made a difference in a playoff series before.

Detroit Red Wings​

Current Top-Nine Wingers: Lucas Raymond, Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane, Marco Kasper, Emmitt Finnie, Mason Appleton

We’re not entirely sure that Evander Kane is a Steve Yzerman-type player. But the Wings have already brought in one Kane with an iffy past, and that seems to have worked out just fine. In reality, beyond Kane and DeBrincat, the Wings are very inexperienced on the wings, and that’s not ideal heading into their first postseason in a good long while.

Adding the other Kane to the mix might help equip them to face more playoff-tested and playoff-built rosters in the East.

Edmonton Oilers​

Current Top-Nine Wingers: Zach Hyman, Vasily Podkolzin, Kasperi Kapanen, Matt Savoie, Andrew Mangiapane, Jack Roslovic

Now, we here at CanucksArmy have already published an article entitled “Why the Canucks trading Evander Kane back to the Oilers just won’t work.” But never say never.

The fact of the matter is that the notoriously top-heavy and centre-heavy Oilers appear to be weaker on the wings than ever, but are still otherwise set on competing. They are also incredibly low on cap space. The Oilers will look for upgrades, but they might have a tough time shopping for them. And if that’s the case, maybe they do wind up circling back on an old familiar who won’t cost them very much. If it’s a buy-low option for the Oilers, it might be best to go with one they know has worked out for them in the past.

Los Angeles Kings​

Current Top-Nine Wingers: Adrian Kempe, Artemi Panarin, Trevor Moore, Kevin Fiala (injured), Corey Perry, Joel Armia

Speaking of old connections, the GM who brought Kane onto the Oilers roster is no longer their GM. But Ken Holland is GM of the Los Angeles Kings now, and he might be interested in a reunion, too.

The Kings are clearly going for it, having already brought in Panarin at a bargain rate. Their top-nine is fine in the aftermath, but kind of jam-packed with middle-six talent. When that’s the case, supplementing with depth is a good idea, and Kane represents depth that Holland is familiar with.

He’s already got Perry back in his fold. Kane provides a lot of the same things, and complements what Los Angles has built up thus far.

Late edit: Kevin Fiala’s awful-looking injury at the Olympic Games makes a middle-six addition an even bigger priority for the Kings. While we don’t have any details at this time, that did have the look of something that could keep Fiala out well into any postseason run.

Ottawa Senators​

Current Top-Nine Wingers: Brady Tkachuk, Drake Batherson, Claude Giroux, Ridly Greig, David Perron, Mike Amadio

The Senators have been mentioned as a potential Conor Garland destination. But failing that, a Kane trade also makes some sense for them – so long as they remain a buyer, and don’t fall out in the two weeks after the Olympic Break.

Kane makes plenty of sense for a forward corps led by a Tkachuk. If these Sens make the playoffs, they’re going to be involved in a lot of scrums, and Kane is a scrum veteran. With Perron’s long-term injury and a few of the other Ottawa forwards a little high on the depth chart, Kane could provide them with a little of what they might be looking for in Garland, but at a much, much cheaper price.

Tampa Bay Lightning​

Current Top-Nine Wingers: Nikita Kucherov, Brandon Hagel, Jake Guentzel, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Gage Goncalves, Pontus Holmberg

At this point, the chances of the Lightning meeting their state rival Florida Panthers in the playoffs again seem slim, but it still could happen. And if it does, the Lightning might be grateful to have someone who has spent the last couple playoffs doing battle with the Panthers on their roster.

The Lightning have been absolutely besieged by injuries this year, and they could use some depth to help cover that. Kane fits well enough into their top-nine, but more importantly, he adds some truculence to help the resurging Lightning in the abrasive clashes that are sure to come out of the Eastern Conference playoffs this year.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-trade-rumours-meet-buyers-nhl-shopping-evander-kane

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Canucks Olympic Hockey Recap: Hronek and Kämpf pick up assists in Czech’s 4-3 overtime loss to Switzerland

The preliminary round is officially behind us, and now we enter the always-threatening do-or-die stage of the tournament.

We’ve already covered how the Canadians faired today, winning in dominating fashion – 10-2 over the French – and have now officially clinched the No. 1 seed. However, it’s best to now check in on how the rest of the Vancouver Canucks representatives did on Sunday afternoon.

Switzerland vs. Czechia​

The game started a bit slow for the Czech’s, being outshot 7-4 through the first three quarters of the opening period. But leave it to a Canuck to get his nation on the scoreboard.

GOAL: Filip Chlapik – Assists: Martin Necas and David Kämpf – 1-0 Czechia

Racing for the puck to try and clear the zone, Kämpf gets there in time to block the Swiss attempt to hold the zone. With his momentum going up ice, the puck follows Kämpf, and he battles the Swiss defender through the neutral zone before he can finally get enough on the pass to corral it forward to an open Necas. Now sprung on a two-on-one, Necas sends a backhand saucer pass to Clapik, who drops to a knee and fires the one-timer across the goal line.

The Czechs would sit on this lead for over a period before the Swiss scored back-to-back goals in less than two minutes.

GOAL: Roman Josi – Assists: JJ Moser and Ken Jager – 1-1 tie

GOAL: Timo Meier – Assists: Roman Josi and Nico Hischier – 2-1 Switzerland

Filip Hronek’s defence partner, Radim Simek,

GOAL: Radim Simek – Assists: Filip Chlapik and Martin Necas – 2-2 tie

But that lead only lasted a minute and a half until former Canuck Pius Suter put the Swiss back on top.

GOAL: Pius Suter – Assists: JJ Moser and Timo Meier – 3-2 Switzerland

The Czechs continued to press, and even thought they had scored the game-tying goal. However, a goaltender interference penalty by David Pastrnak wiped the goal off the board with just over three minutes to play. But Czechia kept pressing and eventually got rewarded.

GOAL: Martin Necas – Assists: Filip Hronek and David Pastrnak – 3-3 tie

Necas gains the zone, but has the puck knocked off his stick. Pastrnak barely holds the line, but makes the proper move around the Swiss defender to find Hronek with open space. Selling shot, Hronek catches Necas on the far side, sliding the pass right into Necas’ wheelhouse. He’s not going to miss a one-time opportunity to tie the game like that very often, and he didn’t there.

Fast forward to overtime, where an unlikely hero emerged.

GOAL (OT): Dean Kukan – Assists: unassisted – 4-3 Switzerland Final.

The Zurich SC defenceman picked up the puck in the corner, and skates it himself the entire way before ripping an absolute howitzer into the top left corner blocker side on Lukas Dostal to secure second place in Group A.

Denmark vs. Latvia​

Teddy Blueger and Team Latvia held the power to finish second in their division with a victory over a winless Danish squad. However, it wasn’t an ideal start for Latvia.

Uvis Balinskis has his pass blocked by a Danish stick, which redirects right to Mikkel Aagaard, who fires a slap pass to Nick Olesen to give Denmark the lead 23 seconds in.

GOAL: Nick Olesen – Assists: Mikkel Aagaard – 1-0 Denmark

And things got worse when the same duo beat Arturs Silovs for the second time, not even five minutes into the game.

GOAL: Mikkel Aagaard – Assists: Nick Olesen and Christian Wejse – 2-0 Denmark

It was a first period to forget for Latvia, as Carolina Hurricanes forward Nikolaj Ehlers extended the Danish lead to three off a rebound in front.

GOAL: Nikolaj Ehlers – Assists: Oliver Bjorkstrand and Markus Lauridsen – 3-0 Denmark

Latvia managed to walk into the first break with a little bit of pride, as with a delayed Denmark penalty in the dying seconds of the frame, Roberts Kristaps Zile fires a wrist shot from the point that catches Frederik Andersen looking.

GOAL: Roberts Kristaps Zile – Assists: Janis Jaks and Eduards Tralmaks – 3-1 Denmark

The Latvian’s made it interesting early in the second off a cross-crease set faceoff play.

GOAL: Eduards Tralmaks – Assists: Roberts Kristaps Zile and Zemgus Girgensons – 3-2 Denmark

Despite multiple chances, power play opportunities, and outshooting them 23-12 after pulling within one, Latvia was unable to muster a comeback. Denmark would ice the game with an empty net goal with two minutes remaining.

GOAL (EN): Nick Olesen – Assists: Oliver Lauridsen and Lars Eller – 4-2 Denmark Final.

Canucks​

Filip Hronek: Logging a team-high 26:14 minutes of ice time (by nearly three minutes), Hronek picked up the spectacular game-tying assist, one shot on goal and an impressive plus-three rating. Despite the lone assist, Hronek’s impact was felt for the Czechs in such a pivotal game. To be on the ice for all three goals for and zero of the four against is as impressive as it gets. Hronek finishes the preliminary round with three assists, a plus-one rating and four shots on goal.

David Kämpf: Like his Canucks teammate, Kämpf’s defensive efforts were influential to today’s outcome, as he also finished with a plus-three rating – the only two Czechs to do so. Kämpf picked up the secondary assist on the opening goal of the game and had one shot on goal in 15:02 minutes of ice time. Today’s totals bring Kämpf to two assists, a plus-two rating and two shots on goal on the tournament.

Teddy Blueger: We haven’t expected much offence from Blueger in this tournament, as he has mostly been playing the matchup role. And that didn’t change today. Blueger did not find the scoresheet and finished with a minus-one rating in 16:40 minutes of ice time. He registered a shot on goal, which was a quality scoring chance shorthanded, but could not capitalize. Blueger finished the preliminary round pointless, with a minus-two rating and just the one shot on goal.

With today’s results, Hronek, Kämpf and the Czechs will finish as the eighth seed and take on Denmark in the qualifying round. On the other side, Blueger and the Latvians will take on Elias Pettersson and Team Sweden on Monday.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancou...-assists-czechs-4-3-overtime-loss-switzerland

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Could the Canucks still trade Brock Boeser, and should they?

The Brock Market has hit historic lows this season. And we’re not just saying that for the sake of a good pun.

In a season in which the Vancouver Canucks have collectively tanked as a team, it’s arguable that no individual’s performance has tanked quite so badly as has Brock Boeser’s. He headed into the Olympic Break with just 12 goals and 25 points in 50 games, putting him on pace for just 19 goals and 41 points – easily the slowest pace of his career thus far, going all the way back to his rookie campaign.

And yet, we’ve still heard a lot of different things when it comes to Boeser’s future in Vancouver. If we’re sticking with our motif here, the Brock reports have been inconsistent, at best.

We’ve heard that Boeser’s brand-new contract extension, combined with the performance that has followed, makes him a non-moveable asset, or at least an asset that the Canucks would have to pay to move.

Other reports aren’t so sure about the negative value angle, but suggest that Boeser is a veteran the Canucks would prefer to hang on to.

And still other reports have Boeser, along with Conor Garland, as the Vancouver veteran “most likely” to be moved before the March 6 Trade Deadline, with this last opinion coming from Thomas Drance of The Athletic.

So where does the truth lie? Are the Canucks really stuck between a Brock and a hard place?

It’s not hard to see where the ‘Boeser now has negative value’ crowd is coming from. This season of career-worst production comes directly after Boeser signed a seven-year, $7.25 million AAV extension on the precipice of free agency.

The contract essentially amounted to a non-raise, once NHL inflation was factored in, but then it was expected that Boeser would, at the very least, maintain his traditional numbers until further inflation brought his cap percentage as the years wound on. But here we are in Year One of the deal, and Boeser already appears to have fallen off a cliff.

One has to imagine there are teams out there that were prepared to offer Boeser a significant contract this summer, and who are now breathing sighs of relief that they did not. Anyone trading for Boeser now has to be comfortable having him on the books at $7.25 million from now until 2032. They’d have to be fine committing to him from age 28 right through to 35. That’s a big ask, and it’s easy to understand if the answer is ‘no’ given Boeser’s current returns.

But what if that’s not quite the case. What if there might still be some interest in Boeser from around the league, even if it’s only minor or passing interest?

A way to frame this question that might make particularly contextual sense to a Canucks fan is this: why is Garland considered so moveable, and Boeser is not?

Garland is almost exactly one year older than Boeser. He, too, signed an extension this summer, and his doesn’t kick in until 2026-27, so its six years will run until 2032, too.

And just like Boeser, Garland followed that extension up with some uncharacteristically low production. He started off well enough, with 11 points in 11 games to start the season, but he’s only got 14 points in the 35 games since. Garland sits at just seven goals and 25 points through 46 games, which paces for 12 goals and 44 points across a full 82-game schedule. In other words, he’s pacing for about the same as Boeser is.

And while Boeser has come on a bit lately – with eight points in 13 January games before suffering another cheapshot-induced concussion – Garland remains ice-cold, with literally zero January points of his own.

Why then, are some suggesting the Canucks could get up to a first round pick back for Garland, but would have to pay to get rid of Boeser? Something isn’t quite adding up here.

Boeser is the younger of the two. If we had to predict whose game might age better, that distinction probably goes to Garland. But then Boeser has always played a game that does no rely on speed, so maybe there’s less risk of a slow-down with him.

Garland certainly plays the game with more pace, and brings more intangibles to the table, especially when it comes to defensive coverage – even if that hasn’t exactly been on display in 2025-26.

But while Garland has the competitive edge, at least as far as the eye-test is concerned, it has to be said that Boeser has the much better postseason track record. He’s notched 11 goals and 23 points in 29 playoff games in his career, whereas Garland has just seven points in 21.

Boeser has a well-earned reputation as a clutch goal-scorer, especially in the playoffs (or when the Nashville Predators are the opponent).

There is a salary discrepancy, but it’s not that extreme. Boeser is set to make $1.25 million more per season for the next six years than Garland. As it stands, Garland is paid about average second-line compensation. Within a few years of inflation, Boeser’s salary will be there. Is that $1.25 million gap really enough to swing the value from ‘potential first’ to ‘no value whatsoever’? Especially when Boeser’s career PPG (0.76) remains a fair bit higher than Garland’s (0.60)?

We’re not so sure. A quick look around the league shows that cap space is as abundant as it has ever been, while goal-scoring remains at a premium. A full 18 of 31 other NHL teams have enough current cap space to add Boeser’s $7.25 million hit to their rosters without any subtractions, and that number will grow by deadline time. If teams want to add some goal-scoring to their mix before this 2026 Deadline, then Boeser will be an affordable option for most of them – at least as far as this season itself is concerned. But then, as inflation continues and the cap ceiling continues to skyrocket, Boeser’s contract becomes an easier-to-swallow percentage of the cap with each passing year thereafter.

All they’d be betting on is that A) Boeser has a couple more decent, bounceback-ish seasons left in him and B) by the time he really falls off, his cap hit will have become comparatively manageable. One can imagine at least a team or two willing to take that bet to get an edge in these ultra-close 2025-26 standings.

The fact of the matter is that worse players that Boeser will get bigger contracts in free agency soon enough. If not this offseason, then by next offseason. The teams that might be most attracted to the idea of trading for Boeser might be those teams who traditionally struggle to draw in free agents of their own, and who might need to instead focus on UFAs already signed by other teams.

With that in mind, however, we have to mention that Boeser holds a full no-movement clause in this season and for the next three seasons running. Boeser only moves if he wants to move, and that could take any of those less desirable destinations firmly off the table.

That’s about as far as we can take the “could” question today. We think the declarations of Boeser having suddenly developed truly negative value in a single half-season, with his team collapsing around him, are decidedly overstated. But with that said, the length of commitment required to trade for Boeser, and the existence of that NMC, are definitely enough to make a trade incredibly difficult to pull off, and probably preclude Boeser from being “most likely” to be moved by the Trade Deadline.

That brings us to “should.” Let’s take that negative value option out of the equation right away. The Canucks have no reason to pay to ditch Boeser at this point, or at any point soon. If he really is negative value, he won’t be traded, simple as that.

But let’s imagine that there is at least one team out there willing to take Boeser on without being paid to do so – or, perhaps, even willing to pay a mid-round pick for the privilege – and that Boeser agrees to go there. Is now the time to pull the trigger?

That all comes down to a bet, and it’s the same one being asked of potential trading partners. Is this truly a cliff that Boeser has fallen off? Or is this just a bad season that will be rebounded upon, at least to some extent?

Boeser had paced for a 30-goal season in most of his seasons prior to this one. He’s 28 years old, and will turn 29 in a couple of weeks. What you’ve got to ask yourself – or, what GM Patrik Allvin and Co. have to ask themselves – is if they believe Boeser has a better season or two left in him. And given his history of production, and the fact that he hasn’t quite aged out of his prime years yet, the odds of that seem pretty high.

The question then becomes whether or not trading Boeser later, somewhere down the road amidst a more productive campaign, might be the more lucrative option. If Boeser can get you a fourth round pick today, but could get a couple of seconds in the middle of a 30-goal season next year, is it worth the risk to wait that long?

The real answer may lay in the latter years of Boeser’s contract. No one knows quite how long a Canucks rebuild might take, but one has to hope they’re at least moving toward a more competitive state within about five or six years.

At that point, Boeser will be in his mid-30s. At that point, he likely will have fallen off some sort of production-based cliff. Sure, his $7.25 million cap hit will represent a smaller percentage of the cap at that point, but it will never be chump change.

It could be that Boeser’s contract extension becomes most onerous, and gets the most in the way, at right about the time that the Canucks need cap space in order to sign extensions for their current youth movement – the Zeev Buiums, the Tom Willanders, the Braeden Cootes, the [INSERT 2026 DRAFT PICK HERE]s.

There’s an element of ‘getting out’ of the Boeser contract here now that the window has decidedly shifted, and maybe that surpasses any possibility of getting more for Boeser a season or two into the future.

Could the Canucks trade Boeser? The answer is probably “yes.” Should the Canucks trade Boeser? The safest answer to that is probably also “yes.” But will the Canucks trade Boeser? For now, the power to decide that is entirely in Boeser’s own hands.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-trade-rumours-brock-boeser-should-they

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Olympic Hockey Qualifying Round Preview: Canucks’ Pettersson and Hronek both hoping to avoid elimination

With the United States’ win over Germany on Sunday afternoon, the preliminary round portion of the Men’s Hockey schedule at the 2026 Winter Olympics has officially come to an end.

Next up is the qualifying round, which will see eight teams face off on Tuesday, February 17th. The winners of these games will move on to the quarterfinal round of games, which takes place on Wednesday, February 18th. Here’s a preview of each matchup, and a word on the teams who won’t be competing in this round of action as well.

Germany vs. France: 3:10 AM PT​

Kicking things off will be Germany and France. Germany’s sole win of the preliminary round came in the form of a 3-1 win over Denmark in each nation’s first game of the tournament back on February 12th. Meanwhile, France hasn’t yet won a game, losing to Switzerland, Czechia, and Canada. France has been outscored 20-5 across three games. The winner of this game will go on to play Slovakia on Wednesday in the Quarterfinals.

Switzerland vs. Italy: 3:10 AM PT​

If you thought France was having a tough tournament…

Despite nearly giving Team Sweden an early-tournament scare thanks to some stellar goaltending from 21-year-old Anaheim Ducks second round pick Damian Clara, Team Italy is coming off an 11-0 loss at the hands of Finland to close out their preliminary round games. They did only lose 3-2 to Slovakia, however, and a matchup with the Swiss could prove to be an opportunity for Italy to pull off an upset. The winner of this game plays Finland in the Quarterfinals.

Czechia vs. Denmark: 7:40 AM PT​

Czechia’s lone win of this year’s Games came in the form of a 6-3 win over France. They lost to Switzerland in overtime, and were given a 5-0 beatdown at the hands of Canada to open their tournament. Canucks defenceman Filip Hronek has played a big role for Czechia to this point, and will be looking to lead his country past Denmark and into the Quarterfinals on Tuesday. Denmark made things interesting in their game against the United States, but have just one win to this point, a 4-2 victory over Latvia that came on Sunday.

Sweden vs. Latvia: 12:10 PM PT​

Finally, Canucks forward Elias Pettersson will look to build off his 2-goal performance from Saturday’s 5-3 win over Slovakia as Sweden looks to earn a spot in the Quartefinals. Sweden beat Italy in their first preliminary round game, and should be feeling good about themselves after knocking off Slovakia, who are already through to the Quarterfinals as the winners of Group B. Meanwhile, Latvia seeks to pull off an upset after winning just one of their three preliminary round games. Arturs Silovs appears to be Latvia’s choice in goal, and Canucks fans know very well what he is capable of in big games…

Who’s standing by, and what’s next​

The Quarterfinal round games will take place on Wednesday, February 18th. Canada, Slovakia, Finland, and the United States advanced directly to the Quarterfinals after strong showings in their preliminary-round games. Here’s who’s waiting for who, and when each game will take place:

Slovakia vs. winner of Germany vs. France: 3:10 AM PT
Canada vs. winner of Czechia vs. Denmark: 7:40 AM PT
Finland vs. winner of Switzerland vs. Italy: 9:10 AM PT
USA vs. winner of Sweden vs. Latvia: 12:10 PM PT

After that, there will be reseeding for the two semi-final games, which take place on Friday, February 20th. But we’ll get there when we get there.

Standings after preliminary rounds​

Canada – 1
USA – 2
Slovakia – 3
Finland -4
Switzerland – 5
Germany – 6
Sweden – 7
Czechia – 8
Denmark – 9
Latvia – 10
France – 11
Italy – 12

Where to watch​

In Canada, the 2026 Winter Olympics (Milano-Cortina) are broadcast officially by CBC/Radio-Canada. All events can be found for free via livestream and on-demand replay on CBC Gem and CBC Sports. TSN and Sportsnet will carry some secondary event coverage as well.
Check out DailyFaceoff.com for up-to-date Olympic hockey line combinations by clicking here!

READ NEXT: Sweden coach Sam Hallam praises Canucks’ Pettersson for two-way play​

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/mens-o...ncouver-canucks-elias-pettersson-filip-hronek

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

The Canadian Olympic Team has fought more frequently than the Canucks this year, but what does that mean?

We’ve seen and heard a lot of surprising statistics surrounding the 2025-26 Vancouver Canucks, but this one has to take the unexpected cake.

Speaking of unexpected, by now you’ve no doubt heard that Tom Wilson did the previously-thought-impossible and achieved a Gordie Howe Hat-Trick in Sunday’s Olympic matchup against Team France. Even more unexpectedly, he got away with it, skating away from the incident entirely suspension-free.

Now, to call what happened a ‘fight’ by NHL standards might be a bridge too far. But by Olympic standards, it was a genuine donnybrook, and any way you slice it, fighting majors were handed out.

Which brings us to eye-catching stat we mentioned in the headline there. Thus far, the Canadian Men’s Olympic Hockey Team has played three games in Milan. If we’re just measuring on a simple per-game basis, that’s one fight in three games. The Vancouver Canucks, meanwhile, have played 57 games thus far in the 2025-26 regular season, and only have seven fighting majors in that time.

That’s a rate that comes in at a little under one fight every eight games. In fact, by this measure, Team Canada is guaranteed to come out of this tournament with more fights per game than the Canucks, given that the maximum number of games Canada can play is now six.

This, again, in a tournament that explicitly bans fighting.

We do realize this is a bit of a silly comparison to make, especially given how bizarre that whole Wilson episode was. But it is a convenient jumping-off point to talk about how little the 2025-26 Canucks are fighting, and what that might mean.

There are those who will hear a fact like this on the surface – that Team Canada fights more at the Olympics than the Canucks do in the NHL – and immediately begin making pronouncements about the Canucks. That they’re soft, that they’re uninspired, that they don’t stick up for one another.

We won’t make any quite-so-dire commentaries ourselves, but will note that it’s an interesting truth all the same. And one that is fairly unique among NHL teams this season. Fighting has been a little bit on the rise over the past few seasons. The Tampa Bay Lightning have 29 fights themselves on the 2025-26 season already, a rate of one every other game. Only three teams – the Detroit Red Wings, the Carolina Hurricanes, and the San Jose Sharks – have fewer major penalties than do the Canucks this year.

And if we’re going to get into the ‘issue’ with the Canucks’ lack of fisticality, it probably starts with the observation that all three of the Red Wings, Hurricanes, and Sharks have had a lot more to play for throughout 2025-26 than have the Canucks.

Many will say that fighting is less relevant to the NHL game than ever, and they might be right. They will say that it doesn’t really make an impact on a team’s wins and losses. That fighting doesn’t really matter much in the grand scheme of things.

But at the risk of being overly blunt, nothing the Canucks have done on the ice has been of much importance in 2025-26. They did enter the Olympic Break as not just the worst team in the NHL, but with a seven-point gap between them and the second-worst team.

The Canucks have been absolutely abysmal, and it’s not hard to understand the perspective of those who say “if they’re going to be awful night-in and night-out, the least they could do is stick up for one another.”

And sticking up for one another has been called for, and not delivered, at several points along the 2025-26 campaign trail. Cheapshots have been handed out. Brock Boeser got domed in the head again, with even less response this year than last year. The Olympic-fighting Wilson annihilated poor Filip Chytil, and nobody blinked. Aforementioned revenge against the likes of Jason Dickinson never materialized. When he was still here, opponents were taking runs at Quinn Hughes like never before.

Yet, throughout all that, we can find just one instance of a Canuck fighting to defend a teammate. Marcus Pettersson dropped the mitts with Sam Carrick of the New York Rangers after Carrick caught Conor Garland with a hard hit at centre ice. Pettersson got walloped for his efforts, but the try was appreciated.

But that’s it. We’ve got a couple of corner scrums that turned into bouts (Victor Mancini v. Brandon Duhaime, Garland v. Darren Raddysh), a couple of instances of Canucks being called out for their own hits (Evander Kane v. Nick Seeler, Garland v. Jared McCann), one time where Max Domi jumped someone for little reason (M. Pettersson v. Domi), and one time where Evander Kane jumped someone for little reason (Kane v. Timothy Liljegren).

That last one is a good example of how pointless the Canucks fighting has been this season. Kane attacked a non-fighter seemingly out of nowhere, and laid some fists into him. The motivation seemed selfish, at best. And as a direct result, Sharks enforcer Ryan Reaves spent the rest of the game taking big runs at the rest of the Canucks as Kane continued to duck him. This is the opposite of sticking up for the team. This is the opposite of using fighting as a deterrent. This is fighting for oneself, not for one’s teammates.

And that really shouldn’t be the book on a team like the 2025-26 Canucks, that doesn’t have much else to play for but one another.

Those who tie this component of the game in to the long-term success of the rebuild may have a point to make. As the Canucks are set to go through some down years, and as they hope to continue to cycle young players into the lineup, team morale is going to be as important as ever. Rookies are especially vulnerable to being taken advantage of physically at the NHL level. Heck, there’s every chance the Canucks open up 2026-27 with multiple teenagers on the roster. It would be really nice if the Canucks could offer, if not a winning environment, at least one where players feel protected, defended, and stood up for. That absolutely has not been the case for the non-fighting 2025-26 Canucks.

How did it get to this point? The point at which Garland and Marcus Pettersson share the team lead in fighting majors?

Derek Forbort – who stuck up for the Canucks frequently in 2024-25 – missing the entire season with injury is a factor. Kane arriving without the bulk of his promised physicality is another factor. The departures of the likes of Dakota Joshua, Vinny Desharnais, and JT Miller over the past year are also factors.

But the most consequential factor is that the Canucks simply have not made this part of the game a priority.

Should that change moving forward? Now that the front office has seemingly committed to a long-term approach, one feels like the answer has to be at least a little bit ‘yes.’ No matter what one’s overall opinion on fighting is, now that the team is set on a couple of losing seasons filled with up-and-coming prospects, it would seem as though having this element on the team – or, at least, fighting more than an Olympic squad – is as important as it’s ever been.

Maybe the Canucks look to call-up someone like Joe LaBate after some deadline dealing is done. Maybe they take back some veteran cap dumps with rambunctious games. Maybe they actually go out and sign a genuine enforcer-type for the 2026-27 season.

Either way, the Canucks are fighting less than are the Canadian Olympians, and that’s probably something that shouldn’t be the case for much longer.

PRESENTED BY DAILY FACEOFF’S OLYMPIC COVERAGE​

Catch Every Goal from the 2026 Milan Games! The 2026 Milan Games are almost here, and the world’s best men’s and women’s hockey players are ready to battle for gold! The Nation Network is bringing you every game, every jaw-dropping save, and all the drama with live reaction streams and full recaps. Don’t miss a moment of Olympic hockey action—men’s, women’s, and everything in between—on the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel. Subscribe now and stay on top of every play!

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/canadi...e-frequently-vancouver-canucks-year-what-mean

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Scenes from practice: Boeser, Chytil, and more Canucks resume skating at UBC following Olympic break

After two weeks away from the rink, the Vancouver Canucks returned to the practice ice on Tuesday afternoon at the University of British Columbia. Due to the Olympics, National Hockey League guidelines restricted all teams from skating until 2 PM local time today. The players not in Milan assembled in two groups, with Conor Garland the only regular who did not participate. The veteran forward was excused from the session as he battles an illness.

What we saw​

truly easing #Canucks back to work after two weeks off pic.twitter.com/shdN4NOdJd

— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) February 17, 2026

The first of the two groups to take to the ice was comprised of veteran players. Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk, Tyler Myers, Marcus Pettersson, Drew O’Connor, Evander Kane, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, and Marco Rossi were joined by Filip Chytil, who was a full participant in the 45-minute workout. However, Chytil, who missed the team’s final game before the break with migraine issues, wore a red non-contact jersey and was unavailable to the media, so his status moving forward remains unclear.

The second group of the day included primarily younger players on the roster, with the exception of Nils Höglander. Others in Group Two included Tom Willander, Elias Pettersson, Max Sasson, Linus Karlsson, Aatu Räty and Liam Öhgren. The group also included Zeev Buium, who returned to the ice wearing a full cage and a red non-contact jersey as he works his way back from a facial injury suffered in a January 25th loss to Pittsburgh.

#Canucks Buium pic.twitter.com/01gHr4ySlz

— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) February 17, 2026

The Canucks had three goalies on the ice for the sessions. Jiri Patera spent the Olympic break on the NHL roster and remains with the big league team. Aku Koskenvuo was called up from Abbotsford to practice with the NHL team. The club also had Alex Kotai, its usual practice netminder, taking part in drills. Abbotsford has three AHL road games over the next four nights so the plan, for now, is to leave Nikita Tolopilo in the minors to continue to log game action during the NHL break.

Tuesday’s on-ice sessions started with players easing back into skating drills without pucks before ramping up into some in-zone activity.The idea behind breaking the team into two groups was to give players more puck touches after being away from the game for a couple of weeks.

The plan for the remainder of the week is to have the first consolidated practice at UBC on Wednesday. Thursday is a scheduled team day off. The club is slated to practice again at UBC on both Friday and Saturday before taking Sunday off.

The Canucks resume their NHL schedule on Wednesday, February 25th, at home to Winnipeg.

Plan for Olympic participants to rejoin the team​

The Canucks say they are monitoring the workloads of their Olympians as they try to devise a plan for integrating them into the group before that first game out of the break. There is considerable concern for Filip Hronek, who has logged heavy minutes for Czechia and will be expected to do the same when he returns to the Canucks’ lineup. The NHL and NHLPA have mandated that all Olympians get one full day off upon their return to North America following the games. Depending on how far their teams go and when those players return to Vancouver, it’s possible they will receive more than one day off. Given that they have been playing hockey at the highest level for the past week, the concern is more of jet lag and fatigue than it is about fitting back into an NHL lineup.

READ NEXT: With 25 games remaining, will the 2025-26 Canucks reach the 60-point mark?​

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/scenes...-brock-boeser-filip-chytil-resume-skating-ubc

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

A fully healthy Marco Rossi excited to show Canucks what he can add to the mix

Like anyone in any job, Marco Rossi wanted to impress his new bosses. So the 24-year-old Austrian did all he could to step into the Vancouver Canucks lineup right away after being acquired in December’s blockbuster trade with the Minnesota Wild. The problem was that Rossi wasn’t fully healthy at the time the deal went down.

He suffered a lower-body injury blocking a shot in an early November Minnesota Wild game and tried to play through the pain at the time. Eventually, he left the Wild lineup on November 11th, not knowing at the time it would be the last game he’d ever play for the franchise. As he neared a return to the Wild lineup, he was dealt to Vancouver along with Zeev Buium, Liam Öhgren and a 2026 first-round draft pick for Quinn Hughes.

Looking back now, it was a lot to process for Rossi.

“It’s not easy for sure,” he told the media after practice at UBC on Tuesday. “ After my first shot block, it didn’t feel good but I kept playing and then I had to be out for a while. And then obviously, I got traded and there was so much happening. When I came here, I wanted to play right away. Looking back, maybe it wasn’t the best decision, but I feel good now and I can’t wait to be back.”

Tuesday’s practice was the first time Rossi had been on the ice with his teammates since leaving a December 30th game against the Philadelphia Flyers with an undisclosed injury, but one he revealed was related to the earlier injury that kept him out of action for more than a month.

So it’s been a difficult season to say the least: two lengthy injury setbacks, a trade and just 25 games split between two organizations.

Canucks goal

Marco Rossi pulls the Canucks within 1!

Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/YuvbrE86Fc

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) December 28, 2025

In the eight games Rossi has played for the Canucks, he has just one goal, one assist and nine shots. Underwhelming numbers to be sure for a player that scored 24 times and registered 60 points last season. But dealing with injuries has thrown a curveball at the usually durable Rossi, who logged all 82 games in each of his first two full NHL seasons in Minnesota.

To his credit, Rossi wasn’t using the injuries as any kind of excuse but rather as an explanation for his underwhelming first impression with his new hockey club.

“For sure, the couple of games I had, it wasn’t my game or even my best,” he said of struggling to adjust to his new surroundings. “But it is what it is. And it’s all about learning, too. So I’m happy to be back. Not just to show the fans, but also to myself. I wanted to be back to a hundred percent and that’s how I feel right now.”

Much of the Canucks struggles this season can be tracked directly to a lack of centre depth. From early-season injuries to Filip Chytil and Teddy Blueger, to an odd experiment with winger Lukas Reichel in the middle and to playing David Kämpf higher in the lineup than he ought to be, the Canucks can desperately use Rossi’s skill and playmaking. There’s a direct correlation between the lack of centre depth and the struggles of so many of the team’s scoring wingers this season.

With 25 games remaining on the schedule and finally a clean bill of health, Marco Rossi is looking forward to proving why he was a player the Canucks had been interested in dating back to last summer.

At his best, he’s an intelligent player with solid playmaking ability, but one that can find the back of the net, too. He scored 21 goals two seasons ago and backed that up with his career-best 24 last season.

Even with the early-season injury, Rossi had four goals and nine assists in 17 games before the trade. That’s a 62-point pace at the time he left the Wild lineup. Without a doubt, he fills a massive hole in the Canucks lineup.

And he’s hoping to use the remaining 25 games on the team’s schedule to regain his top form with an eye to being a key contributor next season and beyond. Between getting to full health and having a full week of practice before playing on February 25th against the Winnipeg Jets, Rossi is excited to have the chance to put his best foot forward. He’s had plenty of time to think about all that has gone on – and gone wrong – this season. Now he just wants to play hockey.

“The situation the team is in, it’s different. Everything is different. I think the key is to try not to think too much about it and enjoy everything, every day,” he explained. “The guys here have been really nice and all the coaching staff and everyone around has been really nice, so I’m happy to be here. Even as a team, we can’t think about the standings and stuff. We have to stay positive and try to play our game and learn as much as we can as a group.”

With Elias Pettersson, Teddy Blueger and David Kämpf all away at the Olympics, and with Filip Chytil’s migraine issues limiting him to a non-contact jersey, the Canucks are without most of their regular NHL centres at the moment. So it’s hard to get a true sense of what the Canucks lineup will look like and where Marco Rossi will slot in when the team hosts the Jets next week. He’s expected to return to the second line centre role, but who he skates with remains a mystery for now.

But Head Coach Adam Foote will certainly welcome a fully healthy Rossi back to action, giving him options at centre ice that he just hasn’t had for most of the season.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/fully-healthy-marco-rossi-excited-show-vancouver-canucks-what-add-mix

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Olympic Hockey Recap: Canada survives Czech scare in overtime, while USA, Finland, and Slovakia advance to semifinals

What. A. Day.

The quarterfinals of the Milano Cortina men’s hockey tournament did not disappoint, with three of four games going to overtime and a bunch of late-game rallies. When the dust had settled, all four top finishers remained; the same four countries that competed for medals at Vancouver 2010, with some new semifinal matchups. One Canuck remains in contention for a medal, with Kevin Lankinen the last player able to bring a medal home to Vancouver.

Let’s recap one of the craziest days of hockey the Olympics have ever seen.

Marner the hero in Canada’s 4-3 overtime win over Czechia​

Wow. It nearly all fell apart, but Canada found their heroics against Czechia in one of the best Olympic hockey games ever witnessed.

North Vancouver’s Macklin Celebrini got the scoring started with his fifth of the tournament, but the Czechs returned serve with back-to-back first-period goals from Lukas Sedlak and David Pastrnak, who finally arrived on the Olympic scene. The second period put Canadians in a cold sweat when Sidney Crosby left the game with a lower-body injury after a hit by Radko Gudas and didn’t return, but Nathan MacKinnon tied the game on a Canadian power play with Celebrini taking Crosby’s spot on PP1.

With both teams pressing in the third period, controversy ensued after the Czechs took a 3-2 lead off an Ondrej Palat goal with seven minutes to go, despite having six players on the ice for an extended period of time. Canada needed a trio of heroes to save the day, and the first was Nick Suzuki tying the game with just three and a half minutes to go. The second was Jordan Binnington, who made a breakaway save on Martin Necas in the final minute of the game to force OT.

And the third was Mitch Marner, splitting the defence and finding a room past the glove of Lukáš Dostál to give Canada a comeback win for the ages. They’ll move on to face Finland in the medal round on Friday morning at 7 AM. Whether or not Crosby will join them for it is anybody’s guess.

Pettersson and Sweden knocked out by USA in overtime, 2-1​

If there’s one team that will be searching for serious answers before the next Olympics in 2030, it will undoubtedly be Sweden. The Swedes seriously underperformed in this tournament, and never truly looked like they had control of their game plan. EP40 played just nine minutes in regulation for Sweden, seemingly stapled to the bench by coach Sam Hallam.

To their credit, Sweden hung in with the Americans for a lot longer than expected. Dylan Larkin drew first blood for the States at the halfway mark, but they wouldn’t solve Jacob Markstrom again in regulation in a 38-save performance. With a minute remaining and the goalie pulled, Mika Zibanejad put the puck past Connor Hellebucyk to tie the game and force OT.

Enter a name Canucks fans are all too familiar with: Quinn Hughes would score the game winner three and a half minutes into extra time to send the Americans on to the semis. All the concerns about Hellebuyck not being a big game goaltender are a little quieter now, and Team USA survived their biggest scare of the tournament and comes out better for it. They’ll face Slovakia in the medal round on Friday at noon.

Lankinen last Canuck standing as Finland completes comeback against Switzerland​

In all the commotion of Canada’s big win over Czecha, an equally impressive comeback flew under the radar down the road.

Until the final ten minutes of this game, it looked like Swtizerland was about to pull off a major upset. Damien Riat and Nino Niederreiter scored a pair of first period goals less than 90 seconds apart to give the Swiss a 2-0 lead, and they held form until deep into the third period. But the Finns finally broke out late, with Sebastian Aho scoring at the six minute mark to cut the lead in half, and Miro Heiskanen tying the game with 1:12 to go.

With the Swiss totally deflated, it took three and a half minutes for Artturi Lehkonen to spring free and beat Leonardo Genoni over the glove for the overtime winner. The win makes Lankinen the last Canuck remaining in the hunt for a gold medal, though he once again did not dress for Finland in this game.

Reichel and Germany eliminated by Slovakia in 6-2 drubbing​

This was the only quarterfinal game that wasn’t even close. The German program has certainly made strides in recent years, but they have a ways to go before truly competing with the big boys. And they learned that lesson the hard way today as Slovakia completely overwhelmed them in a 6-2 victory.

Pavol Regenda had a pair of goals for the Slovaks, while Leon Draisaitl and Tim Stützle were limited to just one assist between the two of them. One player who did get on the scoreboard was Lukas Reichel, who broke the goose egg with his second goal of the tournament after four unanswered Slovakia goals and assisted on Frederik Tiffels’ third period marker. Daliborr Dvorsky continued his strong tournament with a goal and an assist, while Sam Hlavaj made 25 saves in the win. The Slovaks will face the United States for a chance at a medal on Friday.

Upcoming Hockey Schedule​

Thursday
Women’s Bronze Medal Game – Switzerland vs. Sweden: 5:40 AM
Women’s Gold Medal Game – Canada vs. USA: 10:10 AM
Friday
Canada vs. Finland: 7:40 AM PT
USA vs. Slovakia: 12:10 PM PT

PRESENTED BY DAILY FACEOFF’S OLYMPIC COVERAGE​

Catch Every Goal from the 2026 Milan Games! The 2026 Milan Games are almost here, and the world’s best men’s and women’s hockey players are ready to battle for gold! The Nation Network is bringing you every game, every jaw-dropping save, and all the drama with live reaction streams and full recaps. Don’t miss a moment of Olympic hockey action—men’s, women’s, and everything in between—on the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel. Subscribe now and stay on top of every play!

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/olympi...rtime-usa-finland-slovakia-advance-semifinals

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Canucks’ Buium ready to pick up where he left off before facial injury extended his Olympic break

For Vancouver Canucks defenceman Zeev Buium, the Olympic break was both a blessing and a curse.

The forced stoppage in the National Hockey League schedule allowed a facial fracture suffered in a January 25th game against the Pittsburgh Penguins to heal and limited the number of games the San Diego native had to miss. That was the good news. The downside is that the injury came at a time when Buium felt his game was gaining traction.

As it turned out, Buium missed the final five contests heading into the stoppage. Without the Olympics, that number could easily have reached 15 games or more. So the young blueliner is trying to take the positives out of the fact that while he hasn’t played in nearly a month, he really didn’t miss much game action.

Buium returned to practice with his teammates this week, wearing a full cage and a red non-contact jersey for precautionary reasons. But he’s confident he’ll be able to shed both protective measures in short order and will be ready to play when the puck drops on the Canucks next game on Wednesday, February 25th, against the Winnipeg Jets.

“The break kind of came at a perfect time, obviously,” Buium said with a smile after practice at UBC. “You don’t want to miss games. Luckily with the break everyone has time to rest and heal. For me especially, it was good not to worry about missing games.”

While Buium has tried to find the silver linings in his serious injury, he was also disappointed at the timing of it all. In the game before he was injured, he scored a brilliant goal against the New Jersey Devils. The sequence was a showcase of the many skills that make Buium the highly-touted prospect he is.

After an offensive zone faceoff win by Elias Pettersson, who drew the puck to the left point, Buium moved down the boards and then cut hard to the slot before unleashing a wrist shot that Jacob Markstrom stopped. But Buium showed the presence of mind to stay with the play and converted his own rebound for his second goal as a Canuck and his first at Rogers Arena.

Inject that Zeev Buium goal into my veins pic.twitter.com/Uxv17ZYBdh

— Wyatt Arndt (@TheStanchion) January 24, 2026

“Those last couple of games, I thought I was growing into myself a little more and thought the game against New Jersey went well,” he explained. “I was excited to play again and then this (the injury) happens. But for me, it’s nice to know that when you play your game and do the things you want to do and they start to work and you become more confident knowing that you can do these things at this level. And I think that’s where my head is at. I want to bring that into my game a little bit more. Play with more confidence.”

In 20 games since being the centrepiece the Canucks received in return in the Quinn Hughes trade to Minnesota in mid-December, Buium has scored twice and added four assists while averaging 20:24 of ice time. He feels strongly that the injury will be a mere blip, more than any kind of setback, as he works to return to the lineup.

And as he returned to the ice this week, Buium was buoyed by the fact that a number of injured players were also back on skates. Marco Rossi has played just eight games for the Canucks since being part of the Hughes trade. Brock Boeser and Nils Höglander both missed time leading into the break.

So Buium wants to see what the hockey club looks like with most of its roster available for game action.

“It’s always tough with injuries and it doesn’t matter what team you’re on,” Buium said. “You never want guys to miss games, especially important players. Marco’s a hell of a player. It has sucked to have him out. But it’s cool to see everyone back on the ice and maybe now we can see what we can be with a full roster.”

With five players away at the Olympics, the Canucks haven’t had enough bodies on hand at practices this week to run line drills and get a sense of what the coaches are thinking in terms of what the lineup might look like when the team faces the Jets next week.

But this much is clear: Zeev Buium wants to be part of the final 25-game push to the finish line, hoping to pick up where he left off before his extended break.

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancou...left-off-facial-injury-extended-olympic-break

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Olympic Hockey Preview: Canada with a chance to play for Gold with win over Finland, USA vs. Slovakia

We’ve made it to the Final Four. All four remaining teams will be playing for an Olympic medal. Whether that be on Saturday for Bronze, or Sunday for Gold, they will all have an opportunity to take home some hardware.

There’s just one Vancouver Canuck remaining: Kevin Lankinen. However, he and Team Finland will have a daunting task against the Canadians. On the other side of the bracket, a pair of former Canucks, Quinn Hughes, JT Miller, and Team USA, will battle the surprise of the tournament team of the tournament, Team Slovakia.

Canada vs. Finland​

Start time and info

Coverage for Team Canada vs. Team Finland kicks off on February 20 at 7:40 AM PST / 4:40 PM local from Milano Santagiulia IHO. Viewers can watch on one of CBC, Bell Media (TSN) and Rogers Media (Sportsnet).

Projected lines

Here are the projected lines for tomorrow’s games, provided by Daily Faceoff.

Team Canada

*Note. Teams start an extra forward (13) and defenceman (7) per game. The fourth pairing is the extra forward and defenceman.

We will await an update on Sidney Crosby’s availability for this contest against the Finns. According to reporters in Milan, Canada has closed tomorrow’s morning skate, so there likely won’t be an update until closer to game time. Nick Suzuki, who skated in Crosby’s spot between the pair of Vegas Golden Knights, would likely fill in that role. Sam Bennett, who missed the Quarterfinals with an illness, would slot back in if he’s ready to go.

Team Finland

*Note. Teams start an extra forward (13) and defenceman (7) per game. The fourth pairing is the extra forward and defenceman.

Starting goalies

At this stage of the tournament, teams will continue to ride with their guys who got them to the semifinals. So expect Jordan Binnington (1.65 GAA, .922 S%) for the Canadians and Juuse Saros (1.49 GAA, .938 S%) for the Finns.

Players to watch

Connor McDavid: This might be the low-hanging fruit here, but with Crosby’s status in question, and Nathan MacKinnon clearly ailing and not fully up to his regular speed, it is truly going to lie on McDavid’s shoulders. However, he can certainly handle it. His two goals and 11 points have him leading the tournament in scoring and tied for the most points in a single tournament of all time. If Canada doesn’t have Crosby playing, MacKinnon at top speed, or McDavid going, then they might be in trouble against a defensively sound Finnish squad.

Arturri Lehkonen: He might not get the credit he deserves, but Arturri Lehkonen shows up in big games. He scored the biggest goal of the tournament for the Finns, beating the Swiss netminder in all alone on a breakaway in overtime to punch their ticket to the semis. That goal now has him tied with former Colorado Avalanche teammate Mikko Rantanen for points (5) by a Finn. It seems like Finland always has a sneaky scoring threat in these tournaments. At the 4 Nations Face-off, it was Mikael Granlund, now that seems to be Lehkonen at these Olympics.

USA vs. Slovakia​

Start time and info

Coverage for Team USA vs. Team Slovakia kicks off on February 20 at 12:10 PM PST / 9:10 PM local from Milano Santagiulia IHO. Viewers can watch on one of CBC, Bell Media (TSN) and Rogers Media (Sportsnet).

Projected lines

Here are the projected lines for tomorrow’s games, provided by Daily Faceoff.

Team USA

*Note. Teams start an extra forward (13) and defenceman (7) per game. The fourth pairing is the extra forward and defenceman.

Team Slovakia

*Note. Teams start an extra forward (13) and defenceman (7) per game. The fourth pairing is the extra forward and defenceman.

Starting goalies

At this stage of the tournament, teams will continue to ride with their guys who got them to the semifinals. So expect Connor Hellebuyck (0.98 GAA, .958 S%) for the Americans and Sam Hlavaj (2.67 GAA, .932 S%) for the Slovaks.

Players to watch

USA Depth Scoring: Looking at the Slovakian lineup on paper, you wouldn’t think they are as big of a handful as they are. They can surprise the top of the American lines, so having Jack Hughes and Brock Nelson continue their strong chemistry together, as well as getting some contributions from the third line of Clayton Keller, Dylan Larkin and Tage Thompson, will be needed to help the Americans cruise to the Finals.

Sam Hlavaj: Most of the talk surrounding this Slovakia team and their success at the tournament has been about Juraj Slafkovsky — and fair do. However, more needs to be discussed about the play of Sam Hlavaj. A goaltender who split the season between the AHL and the ECHL, going up against some of the NHL’s most talented forwards and having respectable numbers in an Olympic semifinal, needs to be more discussed. However, this will be his biggest test. We’ll see early whether he’s got what it takes to drag his country to an Olympic final.

PRESENTED BY DAILY FACEOFF’S OLYMPIC COVERAGE​

Catch Every Goal from the 2026 Milan Games! The 2026 Milan Games are almost here, and the world’s best men’s and women’s hockey players are ready to battle for gold! The Nation Network is bringing you every game, every jaw-dropping save, and all the drama with live reaction streams and full recaps. Don’t miss a moment of Olympic hockey action—men’s, women’s, and everything in between—on the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel. Subscribe now and stay on top of every play!

Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/olympic-hockey-preview-canada-chance-play-gold-win-finland-usa-slovakia

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Instant Reaction: Canada punches ticket to Gold Medal Game with thrilling comeback win vs. Finland

Welcome back to Instant Reaction, the series here at CanucksArmy where we give you our instant reaction to every Vancouver Canucks game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below! Today, we’re applying our model to Team Canada’s game against Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Starting Lineup​

CAN lineup vs. FIN per IIHF:
Celebrini-McDavid-Wilson
Horvat-MacKinnon-Jarvis
Marner-Suzuki-Stone
Hagel-Bennett-Marchand
Reinhart

Toews-Makar
Harley-Parayko
Sanheim-Doughty
Theodore

Binnington
Thompson

Out: Crosby, Morrissey, Kuemper

Referees:
Eric Furlatt
Dan…

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) February 20, 2026

First Period​

The game got off to a very physical start, and that remained for most of the first period. Everyone was finishing their checks, nobody took a shift off, and the game had a real NHL playoff-like feel to it.

Canada was called for too many men on the ice just before the ten minute mark, giving Finland the game’s first power play. Finland managed to generate some good looking chances, but their best — a cross-ice backdoor feed to Markus Granlund — was redirected wide.

After the penalty expired, Canada went back to what I’ve been calling the Triple Mac line with Celebrini-McDavid-MacKinnon. To this point in the game, it had been Tom Wilson in that spot. That line got multiple shifts together to close out the period, and wouldn’t you know it, that was when Canada generated the best looks they had all period.

Sam Bennett took an absolutely puzzling goalie interference penalty with just over three minutes left in the period, putting Finland back on the power play. And on the ensuing faceoff, the puck made its way to Mikko Rantanen, who made no mistake in ripping a shot past Jordan Binnington to open the scoring.

And just like that, it's 1-0 Finland

WATCH: https://t.co/wh0c0UoEzv pic.twitter.com/RLoAgYecmB

— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 20, 2026

1-0 Finland.

Second Period​

The start of the second period was more than chaotic, as Roope Hintz and Nathan MacKinnon collided with one another and were slow to get up. MacKinnon stayed out, and while changing personnel, Canada controlled the zone for the next few minutes. That was, until Tom Wilson rifled a pass outside of the blue line and killed all the momentum Canada had built. Wilson marginally redeemed himself when he drew a tripping penalty, giving Canada a chance to tie things up on the power play.

Unfortunately, an unfortunate bounce and a miscue from Nathan MacKinnon led to Erik Haula moving in on a breakaway and burying a backhand attempt past Jordan Binnington to stun the Canadians and give Finland a 2-0 lead.

Finland scores shorthanded, 2-0 pic.twitter.com/icai5WgCQM

— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 20, 2026

Does this team ever miss Sidney Crosby…

Canada had the majority of the possession from there, but Juuse Saros was absolutely dialled in, and the players in front of him did a tremendous job of clogging the middle and forcing Canada to the outside.

With just over six minutes to go, Anton Lundell got his stick up on Florida Panthers teammate Anton Lundell, giving Canada another power play opportunity. Hopefully this one goes better than the last one…

And it sure did. After more magic from Connor McDavid, who has undoubtedly been Canada’s best player in this tournament, Cale Makar danced at the blue line before letting a shot go, and Vancouver’s Sam Reinhart deflected the shot far side on Juuse Saros.

CANADA POWER-PLAY GOAL

Reinhart with a tip on a Makar shot, now 2-1 Finland pic.twitter.com/zcnM1abqPz

— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 20, 2026

2-1…

That really felt like a momentum shift for Canada, who had been pressing all period long, albeit to no avail for most of the frame. Finland was certainly on their heels, but got back to bending but not breaking as Canada kept up the pressure to close out the second period, but still found themselves down by one heading into the third.

Third Period​

Canada’s plan of “move in on the rush, slide the puck to the middle and hope for the best” wasn’t working, but with the way Finland was defending, the Canadians weren’t left with much other choice.

Finland’s plan, on the other hand, was to wait for Canada to make a mistake or turn the puck over, and strike quickly on the counterattack. In one of these instances early in the third, Jordan Binnington had to make a big save off of Anton Lundell, keeping out what would have been a back-breaking goal for the Canadian side.

Canada kept up the pressure on the Finns throughout the period, getting some good opportunities in the process. Unfortunately, Juuse Saros was more than up to the task in front of him, and Canada had to keep pushing…

And push they did.

With 9:26 left on the clock, BC-born Shea Theodore blasted a slap shot off of Juuse Saros and into the back of the net. Canada was finally, officially, back in this game.

SHEA THEODORE

WE'RE ALL TIED UP 2-2

WATCH: https://t.co/wh0c0UoEzv pic.twitter.com/92s2fJ5Cj1

— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 20, 2026

2-2. New ballgame.

Canada continued their pressure after this, and to be honest, my heart couldn’t really handle this game. Watching the Canucks as a job? Easy peasy. Watching Team Canada? Undoubtedly, the most nervous I’ve been watching a hockey game since the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.

Enough play-by-play. Here’s a tally of who had the best chances to score the go-ahead goal for Canada (ranked in order of how loudly I yelled and how high I jumped up off my couch):
-Mitch Marner
-Nathan MacKinnon (after a huge play from Celebrini)
-Macklin Celebrini
-Nick Suzuki

With 2:35 left, Canada got another power play chance after some phenomenal work in tight from Celebrini and a great backhand attempt by Nathan MacKinnon (and an even greater save from Juuse Saros).

The Canadian power play… I’m honestly speechless. If you didn’t get to watch this game, you missed out on one of the most nerve-wracking hockey games of all time. With everyone watching on the edge of the edge of their seat, MacKinnon blasted home a one-timer after more magic from the Canadian power play and gave Canada a lead with 35 seconds remaining.

MACKINNON GIVES CANADA THE 3-2 LEAD WITH 30 SECONDS LEFT pic.twitter.com/8RTJnoAATP

— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 20, 2026

Finland challenged the play for offside, and this one was close… BUT STOOD! CANADA WINS! GO CRAZY!!!!!!

What’s your instant reaction to this game?

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Source: https://canucksarmy.com/news/olympi...-medal-game-thrilling-comeback-win-vs-finland