And so it begins again. On Thursday in the South Okanagan, the Vancouver Canucks will take their first steps on the long path that could result in the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Then again, it could result in a spot on the outside looking in when the playoffs begin. Nobody knows.
Like all lengthy hockey journeys, this one starts with training camp. The Canucks can’t win the Cup in Penticton this week, but they can put the building blocks in place that could possibly lead them to the top of the hockey mountain. Now, this isn’t a column making any brash predictions. Born and raised in North Vancouver and having followed this team since the mid-1970s, trust me, I know how the story has ended each and every season of the club’s existence. For the past quarter century, I’ve been on the front line, documenting the many twists and turns the organization has taken. And there have been plenty.
But there is something special about training camp. It’s that time of the year when hope exists in vast quantities. When it’s okay to consider the boundless potential of individuals and the collective. What if Elias Pettersson returns to his 102-point form? What if Quinn Hughes has another level to reach? What if JT Miller is a 100-point player again? What if Jake DeBrusk reaches his untapped potential and scores 35 in his first season on the West Coast?
Dare to dream. That’s what September’s are for.
We’ll all get our answers over the next six to eight months. And there is a very good chance this new season will end like all of the others – short of a Stanley Cup and without a parade in downtown Vancouver. That’s just the way it goes in this city and for this hockey club. But let’s leave the ending for later. The Canucks don’t play a meaningful game for three more weeks, and they can’t play all 82 games at once. So the drama will surely be spread out in equal doses over the course of the regular season schedule. And make no mistake, there will be drama. After all, these are the Vancouver Canucks. Thatcher Demko’s short and long-term futures are murky at best. And Tuesday’s news that Dakota Joshua is recovering from testicular cancer surgery and won’t be ready to start the season certainly provided a reality check that while every storyline at camp seems important, this is still just a game.
Training camp is about the possibilities. This is a time to let your mind wander to best-case scenarios. This is an opportunity to consider the line combinations and defence pairings that will lead to the optimal line-up. This is a space for long shots to overcome the odds and for underdogs to rise.
Maybe Jonathan Lekkerimäki has what it takes? Maybe there’s another NHL act in Sammy Blais? What if Daniel Sprong makes the most of his opportunity and produces a career year on a value contract? What if Nikita Tolopilo turns out to be the best of the inexperienced goalies the Canucks have with them?
The beauty of a National Hockey League training camp are the unknowns. It’s the notion that players have the chance to author their own stories. Starting Thursday, the focus starts to narrow, and we’ll all get a better sense of how this team will take shape. With that first on-ice session, we’ll get an idea about what the coaching staff thinks of various players and how and where they all fit into the matrix.
It will give those of us who cover the hockey club — and those who follow it passionately — storylines to sink our teeth into.
And that’s the best part of it all.
The new hockey season is upon us. The failings of past seasons give way to new beginnings. The players on this year’s team aren’t responsible for the shortcomings of the organization going back 50-plus years. They can only worry about what is in front of them. So, in that regard, the slate is clean. What they do with it is now up to them. But after an off-season of speculation and conversation, the new Canucks season is finally here.
The roller coaster is about to depart the station. So hop in, buckle up and enjoy the ride – as bumpy as it’s bound to be.
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