VIRTANEN CAN REALLY RIP IT
It took the Canucks prospect only a few minutes to make an impression with the AHL Utica Comets when his practice shot went right through the net
It didn’t take long for Jake Virtanen to have his first wow moment in the pros. It was mere minutes instead of days, or hours.
Two weeks ago, Virtanen was fused with the Utica Comets when his junior season completed. In his first practice, he was slicing in on goal. On the move, he ripped a shot that exploded off his stick. It then cut clean through the net.
Shea Weber did something similar. His shot was at the Vancouver Olympics and in a game. They made a commercial about it. People still remember with awe. But the Weber torpedo was a wind-it-up one-timer from the point. Virtanen’s was a shot on the fly.
It’s not like it never happens. And it will happen again, some day. When it does, it will impress other hockey players. It always does. “The guys were all going, ‘Wow,’ ” Vancouver general manager Jim Benning recalled.
“He has a real good release on his shot. He gets it off fast. It’s hard and powerful.”
This has been a productive couple of weeks for Virtanen. Fortunate, too.
Fortunate because if he is going to ensure the make-the-Canucks decision is a difficult one this fall, every game he plays on this Comets playoff run is a big one.
Bo Horvat was helped immeasurably by his experience in the AHL. He spent two weeks on a conditioning stint, playing five games in October. It proved to be a stepping stone he needed to transition to the NHL.
Before Virtanen played, both Benning and the Comets coaching staff sat him down separately.
“We told him he just can’t hurt the team. He had to be good defensively, along the wall and in his own end,” Benning said.
You can expect something similar from Willie Desjardins in September. It won’t be Virtanen’s offence which determines whether he is going to stick with the Canucks. It will be decided on how much Desjardins can trust him defensively.
It’s why Virtanen spent much of the past year focused on that part of his game. Benning thinks the work is showing.
“Oh yeah, but it’s still a learning experience because it’s so much faster,” Benning said. “But he’s adding to the team because he’s a physical presence on the forecheck.
“He’s big, fast and he gets in one the forecheck.
“And when he hits, he hits through you.”
The Comets will play a very good Grand Rapids team in the Calder Cup’s Western Conference final. They got there with a dramatic 1-0 Game 7 win Wednesday.
It was Virtanen’s second game. He has not disappointed.
“He had three good hits and a good scoring chance in his first game, while his line had two other good scoring chances,” Benning said. “(In his second game), he had two real good hits and two good scoring chances.
“I’m glad, from a GM’s standpoint. I’m happy that he’s getting this experience as an 18-year-old kid.”
Virtanen got into the lineup replacing Carter Bancks, who will be out three weeks with a fractured knee cap.
There is a very good chance Virtanen stays in the lineup, though former Edmonton Oiler Will Acton is expected to return from an injury some time this series.
“If Jake keeps playing well, (he’ll stay in),” Benning said. “That’s up to him.”
Nothing is handed easily to the young prospects in Utica. The number of veterans and the focus on winning ensures that.
Promising defenceman Ben Hutton went from the University of Maine to Utica. He played four regular season games. But he was 10th on their depth chart and was shuttled to Vancouver last week to begin working on his offseason strength and conditioning program.
“It’s a culture we’re trying to cultivate through the entire organization,” Benning said. “They learn to play the right way and do the right things.
“Winning is hard. You have to be physical. You have to block shots. If you make a mistake defensively and it ends up in your net, it could be the difference in the game and the series.
“It’s a really good learning experience for our young kids. Even in practice, when (Virtanen) is doing the battle drills, it’s a step up from junior.
“He’s getting an appreciation of how good the AHL is, and it’s like a stepping stone to get to the next level.”