Bo knows what Virtanen is enduring
World juniors fallout is an obstacle to be overcome, says teammate
When Jake Virtanen re-enters the locker-room, he should search for Bo Horvat. Horvat knows of personal disappointment and widespread dissection of ability and character that come when world junior championship expectations aren’t met.
The Vancouver Canucks’ sophomore centre was with Team Canada when it placed fourth in 2014. Though he scored twice and added two assists in the event, the venom spewed toward individuals via social media was toxic and shocking.
It was the same Saturday when Virtanen was blamed for taking two minors on the same play during the third period in a quarter-final loss to Finland. Criticism of the 19-yearold NHL rookie was swift, sharp and somewhat unfair, even though he managed just one tournament assist and was expected to deliver more.
“We lost in the bronze-medal game and placed fourth and at that stage and that age, you feel like you let your country down,” Horvat recalled Sunday.
“It’s such a huge thing in Canada, but it’s just one thing in your career. He’s won it (gold) and I’m sure he’d like to take those penalties back. Stuff like that happens and he’s a strong mental kid and he’ll be OK.”
Virtanen is expected to return to Vancouver on Monday and the plan is to keep the right-winger here, control his environment on and off the ice and bring structure back to his game.
He has an NHL body, but has yet to demonstrate a complete NHL game, which isn’t surprising. Even as a budding power forward, you need three-zone awareness while not losing the offence. You also need a thick skin. Worrying about what the coach is thinking when you have one goal in 19 games is one thing; worrying about what the outside world thinks can be more trying. Social media has exploded to where the informed use it as a platform to critique and the irrelevant use it as a launching pad to criticize.
“You try not to look at it, but it’s tough not to,” Horvat said.
“I know a lot of guys had trouble with it after we lost at the worlds and people (were) chirping. It’s insane how hard they are on young kids like this. It’s not easy. Telling you how terrible a player you are and that you’re garbage and no good, it’s tough.
“If Jake has any questions, I’d be more than happy to help him out with it.
“I’d say, ‘Just go and play your game and don’t think about what everybody is thinking about you. It’s what you do on and off the ice and that’s what you can control.’
“Even for me, I’m blocking everything out and playing my game.”
There are good sounding boards in the room. Everything general manager Jim Benning and coach Willie Desjardins have pledged in support of Virtanen is matched by the veteran core.
Horvat was schooled by Derek Dorsett last season and Radim Vrbata has done the same with rookie Jared McCann. When Alex Burrows broke into the lineup as a regular 10 years ago, he had Trevor Linden as a mentor.
It’s imperative, because as much as the game is fun at this level, it’s a business. That can be lost on wideeyed rookies who may think all that really matters is what they do on the ice. But to be productive, they have to put in the work with proper training and rest.
And they have to get over the world junior cheap shots. Nobody is talking about the times Virtanen took pucks to the net, or nearly scored or didn’t retaliate.
“The experience will help him in how magnified it is when you’re a pro because he was when he went over there,” Dorsett said.
“I don’t buy into it one bit that (quarter-final) loss is on him. When the timing is right, I’ll say to him, ‘People will believe what they want to believe and say what they want.’ But he’s got to know deep down inside that it wasn’t his fault.
“The NHL is an everyday grind. There are emotions and ups and downs and sometimes you ride the highs and you really ride the lows, too, and you get stuck in the pit and you wonder what the coach is thinking.”
Desjardins is thinking rather than return the winger to junior — or be overly concerned where he might land by the Jan. 10 trade deadline in the WHL — he will be part of a plan here to play, teach and train the kids.
McCann sat out Friday against Anaheim, but will play Monday against Arizona. While an ability to skate, score and process the game quickly allowed McCann to transition faster to the NHL, the plan for Virtanen might be different. Aggressiveness is an asset, but the offence that made him the sixth overall pick in 2014 can’t disappear. He had 45 goals in the 2013-14 season.
“We’ll have to figure that out,” Desjardins said. “With all our young guys, it’s how can we help them develop the most. We’re trying to rush them through. You would probably like them to be two years in the AHL like the Detroit system, but you’re not always given that luxury.
“We’re trying to develop them quicker and we’ve speeded that up. They’ll be ready sooner than if they went to junior.
“With Jake, I’m more worried about his offence than his defence. He has to score and create and I’m not going to be as hard on the defensive side. At this level he has to develop that offensive side. It’s the same for McCann.”
Dorsett has been around long enough to see guys carve out niches and have long careers. He was a seventh-round 2006 pick who went from scoring 25 goals in Medicine Hat to being an irritating presence with three NHL teams. Virtanen is a first-round pick and expectations are greater.
“If I was 19 and in the situation he’s in, it would be really hard,” Dorsett said. “I see a guy like that who’s built for the power game in the NHL. In junior, he looks like he’s 25 because he’s more developed and can cheat. He can get away with being on the wrong side of the puck or being late to the zone. In the NHL, that’s not acceptable.”