After inking a fresh six-year $33 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks, defenceman Marcus Pettersson met with the media to discuss his long-term extension.

It’s been less than a week since the Canucks traded for Pettersson. Despite the short stint, his immediate impression of his new team is positive.

“It’s a young, hungry group looking to win every game we can and looking to go far in the playoffs. So expectations are high. That’s kind of my decision with signing with the team, too. [I’ve] Been here a few days now and really feel involved, everybody’s been great. And just how great the organization is.”

Having played for just the Anaheim Ducks and the Pittsburgh Penguins, this will be Pettersson’s first taste of what it’s like to play in a Canadian market. He spoke on what that change is going to be like, as well as how the Canucks’ success last season contributed to his decision to sign an extension in Vancouver.

“I saw a few of the games in the playoffs last year and how much the city rallies around the team. Just great people everywhere, it seems like. A Canadian market is going to be a little bit new than what I’m used to, but I’m really excited. Like I said, great people in the city. It’s a city that really loves its players and rallies around them when the time needs. I’m really excited here and to get going.”

This acquisition has been speculated on for a long time. The Canucks staff is littered with former Pittsburgh Penguins representatives, with their front office, coaching staff, development and training department. So it’s easy to draw a line between the two. Those connections were also key to completing contract negotiations quickly.

“I think a lot for me was the familiarity with the management. I’ve had them before. I know the way they run a team, and it’s people that I know. So that helped me a lot. A team like this is somewhere I want to be and keep developing. Great coaching staff, great players, young players, hungry players, like I said.

“I spent seven years in Pittsburgh and owe them a lot. Really grateful for [my] time being there. I’ve got the opportunity to play with some great players. So I really enjoyed my time there. And I’ve got nothing but good things to say about that organization and all the people there. That being said, I’m really excited to be here. It kind of felt right away when I got over. I think knowing the management before kind of helped me.”

While Rick Tocchet was not a part of the Penguins during Pettersson’s time there, the coach’s influence still runs deep in the organization. Especially for Pettersson.

“I didn’t have him in Pittsburgh, but he’s for sure left a mark there. All the players, everybody loves him over there. So, I think from a coaching standpoint, it’s been a lot of [the] same kind of language in what you call things on the ice and D-zone coverage and stuff like that. So, that also had a real impact on me wanting to be here, too. A lot of familiarities and not only management, but coaches, too, and how they play the game and the language has really helped me kind of settle in a little bit.”

Part of the reasoning behind getting the rangy Swede is his leadership and personality. He’s known for being vocal on the ice and in the dressing room and is looking forward to that being one of the reasons the Canucks brought him in.

“I’ve always tried to be myself. I try to be as vocal as I can and help everybody. I know some of the guys said a lot of good things about me in Pittsburgh. I’m really grateful for that. It’s not something that I try to go out of my way being. But it’s for sure that’s something that’s maybe a little bit of my nature and try to be vocal.

“I’m not going to go out there and out of my way and be somebody that I’m not. [It’s been a] great experience so far. And I’m looking forward to keep building.”

Coming over to a new team can be intimidating at points, not knowing all of your teammates in the locker room, especially with all the recent turnover. However, Pettersson credited a few guys who have made a big impression on him so far in Vancouver.

“There’s been a lot of guys. A guy like Mysie (Tyler Myers) has been here a long time, been around the league a long time. I talk to him a lot. Obviously, playing the first two games with him, so it comes naturally to talk to him as your partner. Other guys, I’ve known Kiefer Sherwood since before. He’s a guy that’s vocal around the room.

“Other guys, Conor Garland seems like a vocal guy in the room and really a leader here. Then you’ve got Petey – forward Petey – and Brock, great guys. Obviously, you’ve got Quinn, too. Like I said, a lot of great people and hungry guys that want to win [and] want to win everyday. There’s a lot of guys that have made an impression on me. A lot of guys who’re taking steps in that leadership role, and for sure, Mysie being one of them.”

A little-known rule about the NHL is that the Penguins can’t be talked about without mentioning Sidney Crosby. The Canucks’ newest defenceman raved about Sid the Kid’s leadership abilities on and off the ice. From Crosby’s competitive drive to his habits away from the rink, the living legend has such great influence that Pettersson says he tries to model himself after Crosby.

During Patrik Allvin’s press conference five days ago, he said that he wanted to create a “safe environment” for players. There hasn’t really been a follow-up to determine what exactly the Canucks general manager meant. When asked about what a safe environment looked like, Pettersson gave a very astute answer.

“I think every team wants that, right? So I don’t think it’s anything new. It’s a good question. What it looks like is everybody has a voice, and you see in every meeting we have here and on the ice, everybody’s involved. Everybody has a voice, and I think that’s really important in a team. You can have a high ceiling in a team, and you’re a family of some sort. So yeah, that’s kind of what my interpretation of it is. Over time in Pittsburgh, I think that was built with before Sid and those guys, and for sure it’s something that they try to build here. And from what I’ve seen so far, it’s a great group of guys that everybody has a voice and everybody voiced their opinion on plays and coverage. So it’s been a great experience for me so far.”

In order to be consistent, you have to build the proper culture, according to the defenceman. He saw it with the Penguins and he sees it now with the Canucks.

“The culture that [the Penguins] built is every day, come to the rink and try to be better than what you were the day before. And that really helps the team go forward and take steps all the time, every day. So, I mean, the NHL season is a long, long, long season. So just getting better every day. I think from what I heard from a lot of the guys and from what I saw, you see a city rally around a team like that, like they did in the playoffs last year. I think it for sure kind of gives a taste to you and you want to do that all the time. So I think the hunger is there. I’ve felt it ever since I’ve been here.”

On the nickname front, there are many contenders for what he will be called. When asked about being called ‘dragon,’ Pettersson was not exactly enthusiastic.

“It’s fine with me. It’s something that came from my days in Anaheim. It was Trent Yawney, the assistant coach there, kind of he asked me if I was good at basketball or whatever, and I kind of jokingly said that my PE teacher back in middle school called me ‘the dragon’ when I played basketball. He loved it, and me [being] young at the time, didn’t know better that it would stick. So there’s not much more behind that.

“I haven’t been called that in a long time, but I guess OC [O’Connor], when he came over, told all the guys there, and you got a couple of the training staff that’s been in Pittsburgh that knew of it too. So yeah, it’s kind of funny, but hopefully, it doesn’t stick too long.”

The final few questions were taken in Swedish. It was through these questions that the most important nugget of information was revealed, hidden in plain sight but locked behind ignorant ears. With all the nicknames thrown about (Petey, D-Petey, MP, MP3, and dragon), there have been various levels of enthusiasm. Pettersson revealed his actual nickname: Mackan. He goes on to say that this translates to Sandwich in English.

Here is what Pettersson said, according to our translation:

“Some guys call me MP. It’s a little hard to call me Mackan. I tried to say, you can call me Mackan in English, it would be sandwich. So maybe I’ll go with that.”

You can watch Pettersson’s full media availability below.

Welcome to the Vancouver Canucks, Marcus “Sandwich” Pettersson.