Pettersson’s dazzling play attracts accolades
Canucks centre well on his way to eclipsing rookie franchise record
COLUMBUS, OHIO To know where the electric Elias Pettersson is headed, you have to know where his countrymen have been.
The Vancouver Canucks rookie has seamlessly transitioned to the North American game, ice surface and culture — without the benefit of junior or minor-league preparation on this side of the Atlantic Ocean — and the remarkable adjustment has captured the imagination and admiration of Swedish teammates Alex Edler and Loui Eriksson.
“He has been unbelievable for us,” Eriksson said Monday. “There were a lot of eyes on him before he came here and he came in with a lot of confidence. It’s impressive the way he’s been able to handle it and to come in to the best league in the world and do so well for himself.”
It’s not just that the 20-yearold centre has been named NHL player of the week, was rookie of the month in October and that his 30 points (15-15) in 26 games will easily eclipse the rookie franchise record of 60 points established by Pavel Bure and Ivan Hlinka. It’s much more than that.
Edler had WHL guidance with the Kelowna Rockets and AHL tutelage with the Manitoba Moose before his Canucks debut in the 2006-07 season. Eriksson played for the Iowa Stars before transitioning to the parent Dallas Stars in the same season. Edler was 20 when eased into the NHL with mentorship from Sami Salo and Mattias Ohlund. Eriksson was 21 and managed 19 points (6-13) in 59 games.
When Eriksson and Edler see the professionalism and eye-popping production of Pettersson, they search for superlatives. They knew playing as a rookie right winger in the Swedish Hockey League last season, earning regular season and playoff MVP honours with 56 points (24-32) in 44 games and 19 (10-13) in 13 post-season games — and leading Vaxjo HC Lakers to the league title — was an amazing accomplishment by itself.
But turning the NHL into his personal playground? This is special stuff.
“It’s very impressive,” said Edler. “You knew he was going to be good, but you didn’t know how long it was going to take because everything is so different. He’s just smart and sees the ice so well. He might not be able to out muscle guys but he has great positioning and balance.
“Every game he does something and it’s his mindset of how he wants to be a good player all over the ice. And it’s an advantage to be evenkeeled, so I don’t think he needs much help from us (countrymen).”
Eriksson was a slight winger when he joined the Stars and that was his toughest adjustment. Nobody talks about Pettersson’s weight anymore, or an Oct. 13 concussion that sidelined him for six games, because his inner resolve to succeed has become the story.
Run this by Pettersson and you get a nod and trademark pause to find the right words to summarize his sensational start. He played but eight games at centre last season and could have started his NHL career in the same spot. Now he’s a centre of attention.
“It means a lot and it’s always fun to be recognized with the best players in the world in this league,” said Pettersson, “I don’t think about points. I try to be productive and creative and just become better. The team winning two games in a row means more than personal awards and I’m happy we’ve found our game a little bit, but we need to bring it more for a longer time. I’ve learned to live and play here pretty fast, so that wasn’t a problem. I feel more comfortable every day and they (Swedish teammates) have helped me a lot and they know what I’m going through.”
Travis Green wanted to experiment with Pettersson in the middle at camp and the kid ran with it.
“It says a lot about the type of player he is now and in the future,” said the Canucks coach. “He seems to just get it. A lot of things just come naturally to him. He could probably kill penalties within a week if we put that on him because he understands nuances in the game that can take a long time to figure out.
“And he has an inner compete that is extremely high. He’s driven to be a top player and his confidence is not cockiness. He’s very sure of himself and has an understanding of what you’re talking about. Sometimes, you need to check in with young guys to make sure they’re doing OK. Every conversation, I’ve never had to worry that he’s feeling down or up.”
He might not be able to out muscle guys but he has great positioning and balance.