Josh Bloom talks getting traded twice, plus the story behind his Canucks wrestling mask

It’s been a whirlwind final season of junior hockey for Vancouver Canucks prospect Josh Bloom.

After getting traded from the Saginaw Spirit to the North Bay Battalion just 19 games into the OHL season, the Buffalo Sabres traded Bloom’s NHL rights to the Canucks in exchange for defenceman Riley Stillman. On Thursday’s episode of Canucks Conversation, Bloom spoke about that experience and much more.

“Yeah it was really weird,” said the Oakville, Ontario, native. “I remember getting a call from Kevyn Adams and he told me I was traded. It was very different than my trade in the OHL, like you pick up your stuff and you leave right away, whereas this trade was kind of in the future and more about where I’m going next. So it was a weird feeling. I was excited as soon as I heard it was Vancouver. Canadian team Canadian market, can’t be more excited about that. So I was really, really excited to hear Vancouver from the other line. Buffalo was great to me, but this is a new chapter and I’m really excited to get started.”

Bloom will be in Vancouver this summer for the Canucks’ development camp, which should take place sometime in July. When he does, we’re hoping that he wears the Canucks wrestling mask that he donned just days after the trade.

Bloom gave us the backstory of the mask.

“My assistant coach at North Bay just has the most random stuff kicking around his basement and the day after I was traded, he brought it in and I put it on and the boys had a good laugh,” Bloom explained. “I did the starting lineups in it the night after, so yeah, it kind of stuck around and I kept it in my stall. We all thought it was funny and just something random that you would never think to like make a Canucks mask like that. But it’s definitely cool to have and it was a hilarious moment for sure.”

Bloom told us he’ll be bringing the mask to development camp, so here’s hoping he comes out for his first media availability wearing it.

Bloom also spoke about the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic brought upon his hockey career, and the uncertainty he faced heading into the draft before the Sabres selected him in the third round.

Watch the full interview with Bloom below!

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