Canucks’ star cheering on local rink

It turns out Bo knows curling, just not quite as well as hockey.

Bo Horvat, the young — currently injured — Vancouver Canucks star, was on hand at the Victoria Curling Club for Draws 4 and 5 of the 2018 B.C. Scotties Women’s Curling Championship on Thursday, cheering on his girlfriend, Holly Donaldson, who now skips a rink that includes VCC teammates Steph JacksonBaier and Carley Sandwith.

“I try to. I’m not completely up to par with it, but I’m trying to get the hang of it,” said Horvat, who sometimes holds the broom for Donaldson when she’s practising on her own in Vancouver. “It’s pretty funny for me getting out there and trying to get down low like these girls. It’s tough to do.”

So he’ll stick to being a spectator while he nurses his broken foot.

“I watch her whenever I can,” he said. “Obviously, our seasons collide, but when I can, I get out.”

He came out for the day on Thursday and is returning to the mainland today. His NHL teammates departed Thursday for a road trip that begins Saturday in Toronto against the Maple Leafs.

“It’s a little more nerve-racking now that she’s a skip, but at the same time she handles pressure really well, so it’s fun to watch,” said Horvat, who hopes to be back to work soon.

The two met in London, Ont., and have been dating for six years. In fact, Horvat has often called Donaldson — who also competitively rides horses at the national level — the better athlete.