Canucks aware of video game craze
NHL general managers have discussed issue; rookies counselled on how to spend free time
Jim Benning laughed at the assumption because it not only caught him off guard, it seemed like a real reach.
When the Vancouver Canucks’ general manager was informed Thursday that social media was running wild with speculation that one of his prized prospects may have a video-game addiction — following a report last week by broadcaster Jeff Marek that an unnamed recent firstround draft pick has the problem — he didn’t know how to respond. And rightfully so.
Not only did rumours swirl that the player in question might be Olli Juolevi, a tweet Thursday morning by a freelance journalist citing sources stated it was the Canucks defensive prospect.
The tweet was then deleted and an apology issued. Marek responded to the post by stating: “This is not accurate. Your sources are wrong. It is not Olli Juolevi.”
This all occurred after Benning broached the subject. He understandably didn’t want Juolevi’s name linked to speculation because it was unfair to suggest video games would hamper the career development of the fifth overall pick in the 2016 draft, who is expected to push for an NHL roster spot next fall.
Juolevi is no different than any young player who spends time with an Xbox One and the gaming community. For NHL teams, the devotion is a curiosity that could morph into greater concern if it keeps hockey players from perfecting their craft.
The topic came up at a general managers’ meeting, but Benning was surprised Juolevi’s name surfaced.
“This is the first I’m hearing of it,” said Benning, who spoke with Juolevi’s agent, Markus Lehto, later Thursday to confirm the allegations were false. “And in talking to (TPS Turku coach) Sami Salo, he said Olli had put in the work in the gym and he had bought in that way.
“As a 19-year-old kid (now 20) in an adult league, he had a good year (seven goals and 12 assists in 38 games and two goals and five assists in seven playoff games), and is making good strides. To be able to get back and turn the puck back up ice with his head up and make those long passes was good.
"Olli is a serious guy and wants to do well.”
Gamers are also serious and the obsession to do well with Fortnite is global.
The most popular version is Fortnite Battle Royale that features up to 100 players, alone, in duos or in squads of up to four players. The objective is to be the last player alive by killing other players or evading them. All this while staying within a constantly shrinking safe zone to prevent taking lethal damage for being outside of it.
Players must scavenge for weapons and armour to gain the upper hand on opponents. The game adds the construction element from Fortnite. Players can break down most objects in the game world to gain resources to build fortifications.
Fortnite has in-game currency that can be used toward upgrades. In April, it generated US$296 million across mobile, console and PC platforms. It was more than double what the game generated in February.
About 1,700 Fortnite games were uploaded to YouTube in the past week that amassed 226,376,777 views. By comparison, Minecraft, the second most popular game on YouTube, generated 74,398,127 million views from 1,050 videos.
“On their down time, this is what our players do,” Benning said. “We have players who carry the box and play on the road. I have kids who play and it’s getting bigger and there’s a circuit with arenas full of people who watch guys play video games.
“It’s getting bigger. And if a play- er is doing it all the time and has an addiction, it could be a problem.”
It’s not a stretch to suggest the player interview process at the NHL Scouting Combine next week in Buffalo could or should include gaming questions.
“Asking players if they play video games?” Benning said with a chuckle. “I’ve never heard that it has been a problem.”
The Canucks educate prospects at their development camp in early July. They’re schooled in fitness and nutrition and to also be wary of social media and how to best handle downtime. For veterans, that usually means finding a good restaurant, a golf course, running errands or dealing with family matters.
For younger players, it can mean flipping the Xbox switch and gaming for many hours.
“Everything changes — nothing stays the same,” said Benning. “Whether it’s video games or social media, we have to keep educating our players on the good things and things they should stay away from that could get them into trouble. Our development camp is Hockey Education 101 on everything.
“Social media has been the big thing. We spent a whole afternoon teaching them about the proper behaviour because everybody has a camera on their phone. There are pitfalls to what that entails.”
It can be the same if video games become more of an obsession for impressionable players.