Vancouver Canucks brass were made available for the first time ahead of this weekend’s training camp in Penticton.

President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford led the availability with an opening statement regarding turning the page from last season and focusing on the season ahead with new head coach, Adam Foote:

“Welcome to the start of the 2025-26 season. We’re really looking forward to it. We’ll say the obvious, that we’re happy that the book’s been closed on last year. I feel very fortunate [with] the way the coaching situation played itself out after Tocc [Rick Tocchet] decided he was going to move on, and Patrick and I looking at different people to become the next head coach of the Canucks. Adam Foote did a terrific job in his interview. We already knew him. We knew what he’s capable of doing, and then from there to be able to get the assistant coaches that we got, I’m really excited about it. I’m really impressed with his coaching staff. I know Adam doesn’t have a lot of head coaching experience on an NHL bench, but I view him as taking the same pathway as Rod Brind’Amour did. I know Rod Brind’Amour very well. I’m the one that hired him after he retired as a player, and I knew he was going to be a good head coach; I feel the same way about Adam. Adam is well prepared. He’s had a very good offseason. I don’t think our players could be more prepared for training camp in the start of this season with all the things that Adam his coaching staff and that the players have bought into. So we are excited that the guys have done what they need to do to have a good start, and now we’ll find out for real. That’s why we have camp. That’s why we play the games.”

The big takeaway from his opening statement was turning the page on last season. There were far more downs than there were ups. But with a new head coach comes a fresh start, which is what Foote tackled from the jump with the Canucks leadership group:

“I mean, the first thing for me that I wanted to take care of was getting Petey [Elias Pettersson], [Thatcher Demko and [Quinn] Hughes together. And it happened quick. You know, I asked Petey, I think it was on a Saturday, to come down on a Wednesday, and he stopped what he was doing and made that commitment, which I found was really big. We met in the Detroit area, because Demko lives there, he had a new baby, and Huggies from there. It made sense to go out and get together and have a couple days together. We played some golf. But it was a good time to get together to talk about what they wanted to discuss. I call it working on our contract together, of our leadership group; how we’re going to carry ourselves as a group, as a team, and what we want to start throughout the summer and how we wanted to approach our season.”

“I know he put the work in, and I think we also know he didn’t a year ago. Success comes with preparation. And I believe all of our players, especially Petey, has worked very hard this summer. So now, the test starts tomorrow. That’s why we have camp, why we play the games. But I do believe he’s committed to being the player that we all expect him to be. We’re all hoping that that starts right from game one.”

Having seen Pettersson this summer, Foote would chime in regarding his No. 1 centre:

“Yeah, I mean Petey, like for me, coming over within four days, that commitment, having those conversations, open book, he really wants to continue to grow. Obviously, you see maturity happen throughout. The first test he did very well, and it’s a type of test that, if he did the work in the summer compared to last year, he might not. He had to do the work to get the number. It’s a great start. I’m looking forward to working with them. I think his teammates too, the leadership group, they’re all pulling for each other and helping each other get through this and understand this process. And I think it’s a good start for everyone to see that.”

After the pure dominance he’s displayed in just 433 NHL games, Quinn Hughes has proven there’s really no cap to his ceiling. While recognizing he is already at the top of his position, Foote shares that Hughes is still dedicated to perfecting his craft and improving, with a recent conversation between the two:

“He’s a young guy; he’s going to continue to grow. We had a great conversation recently that he’s happy, he’s ready to play, ready to go, and he called me and said he’s fired up and can’t wait to get back and get on the ice. His head’s clear. So very positive for me. He asked me, ‘I want you to keep teaching your staff, teaching me how to win a Game 7’. It’s huge to hear that come from him, that he knows there’s growth there, and we all keep getting better. I mean, if you’re lucky enough to play for 15 years, 20 years, you have that mindset. The great players have a mindset to be a sponge. And I think he’s maturing into that where he knows he can continue to grow. He’s got great coaching around with Dean. So Huggy is in a good spot. [I’m] Real happy with our last conversation.”

Switching from defence to goaltenders. Allvin was asked just how confident he is heading into this training camp, compared to last season, given the uncertainty surrounding Thatcher Demko’s health and without Kevin Lankinen even the roster.

“In my opinion, they’re [Demko and Lankinen] the best goalies goalie tandem in the league, which gives us a chance to win every night, and it gives the confidence to the group. We have the luxury in the condensed season, a lot of games and traveling and all that for Adam to kind of managing his starter. Adam brought up a good point that I think Lankinen was the best goalie in shootouts over the last couple of years, and Demko was number two. I think that just calms the whole team down. We’re excited to see the camp and how it’s going to play out.”

Allvin also spoke highly of the entire goaltending pipeline:

“I truly believe that with the addition of [Aleksei] Medvedev this summer, our goalie pipeline is probably the strongest one in the National Hockey League. To be able to add a goalie like Medvedev, and we all saw his game in Seattle over the weekend. So he will get his taste here at camp. I think that Jiri Patera is a great, great goalie. We’re very, very pleased to have him here. He got injured last year didn’t play many games. Koskenvuo coming in from Harvard, I think we’re really strong in that position.”

You knew this question was coming: have you made any progress on a practice facility?

“Yes, we are closer,” Rutherford shared. “We do have a few legitimate options now. We are in conversations with those options, and if I say anything beyond that, you’re going to laugh at me. We should be able to get this done at this point.”

At the end of the season media availabilities, Canucks management said that acquiring a second line centre would be expensive, but it would be even more expensive not to do so. Through reportedly numerous attempts, the Canucks brass was unable to land one. However, the club has not shut the door on that heading into the 2025-26 season, going as far as to say that they are open for business:

“Well, it’s based on what’s available too. I think even going back a couple of years where we identify a guy like Filip Hronek being somehow available to strengthen or D-corps and were able to execute a deal there. Same thing last year, when we were identifying [that] our top four needed another left shot defenceman and part of the leadership and addressing it with Marcus Pettersson. I think we will continue to watch and see here and again, since I get in and the support from Jim, we’re not waiting if anything comes up and make our team better. I think we have enough assets in our organization. We have draft capital if that’s needed, and we’ll see here how Adam want to utilize his players and how the players will fit together during camp and early part of the preseason.

“We’re definitely, we’re definitely not waiting for the purpose of waiting. We were open for business.

Watch the full media availability below.