Let’s get this going, Horvat says
Asked during a video-call interview if he’s getting antsy about playing, given there’s still more than a week to go before the Vancouver Canucks open their Stanley Cup qualifying round series against the Minnesota Wild, team captain Bo Horvat practically jumped through the screen.
“If you guys haven’t caught on, let’s get this thing going,” he said, with emphasis. For Horvat to be bubbling over with enthusiasm was telling, given he’s usually a rather stoic, level-headed interview subject.
At one time he wasn’t sure hockey would actually return from its COVID-19 pause, he said. But once the return-to-play plans started falling into place, when timelines became firmer, the excitement level warmed up. Now it’s clearly at a boil. “It’s going to be a huge relief,” he said of the feeling he and his teammates will feel once they arrive at their hub-city hotel in Edmonton today.
It was difficult to leave his wife and their newborn son behind in London, Ont. But being back with his teammates in the longest training camp he’ll probably ever experience as a professional has been a big emotional help, Horvat said.
That he has been able to keep busy from the day he got back to Vancouver has helped deal with the emotions of missing out on his son’s earliest days.
“I think it helps a lot,” he said. “To leave your family, it’s not easy. It definitely took a toll I’m sure on a lot of players.”
His teammate Alex Edler was one of the few Canucks to remain in Vancouver when the NHL paused for the COVID-19 outbreak. Edler is also excited about going to Edmonton.
“I’ve been able to spend a lot of time with my family — that part has been great,” Edler said. “It’s been a crazy time.”
When the team started skating together, even in small groups, “you kind of got that feel back.”
Edler feels like he’s getting set for the first road trip of a new season. “It’s the same feeling as when you leave,” he said. “But it’s probably going to be a hard thing to not see your family.”
Quinn Hughes said he kept himself so busy during the hiatus, he barely noticed the passing of time. “I honestly feel like we were gone for an all-star break,” he said. “I don’t know if I’m antsy [to get to Edmonton], but there’s a bit of mystery.”
Like most athletes these days, Hughes has a strong understanding of the psychological advantages of focusing on the here and now. More than ever, that mentality is going to be vital, he thinks.
“I’ve been trying to take it one day at a time,” he said. “It’s so important, you can’t focus on the next week — you can lose focus on what you’re trying to do today.”