It was about as good of a year as Patrik Allvin could have hoped for.

Nearly everything broke right for his Vancouver Canucks team. He was the runner-up for the NHL’s GM of the Year Award. His club finished first in their division for the first time since 2013. The fanbase is confident in the team’s management group for the first time in years.

It’s been a good year for Patrik Allvin and the Canucks, and the GM sounds determined to make next year even better.

In a recent interview with Swedish outlet hockeysverige.se, Allvin dished on a number of Canucks-related topics.

First, Allvin talked about his GM of the Year nomination.

“Of course, I was happy. It’s the league’s other general managers who vote. I believe all individual awards come when the team is doing well. It’s the team’s results that drive individuals. I’m glad to be part of the team. The players, coaches, and my staff have made it possible for me to be nominated… It was certainly a great honour to be nominated for such a prestigious award, especially considering the other candidates who were also nominated.”

Allvin was then asked what the most important areas to address when he took over the Canucks were. A loaded question, and one with many good answers to choose from! But according to Allvin, there were two that stood out, and neither had much to do with roster construction, although he has excelled in that area since taking the job.

“That’s a good question… There were two things. One was to establish a structure for the organization off the ice—how we would work and what type of players we would bring into the team. The other was also to get coaches in place who could execute the style of play we wanted in both the NHL and AHL.”

Allvin added that he feels very welcome and immediately respected and accepted as the first Swedish GM in the NHL, and gave credit to Vancouver’s strong Swedish culture and previous players paving the way for respect towards Swedes. Allvin was then asked about the future within the Canucks organization for two of the Swedes he’s talking about: Daniel and Henrik Sedin.

“That’s something they themselves will decide based on their family situations. Clearly, it was important for me that if we were going to implement a certain way, culture, and standard in the organization, we had to involve the Sedins. When you have people like Daniel and Henrik who have represented that culture over the years, it was extremely important to keep them in Vancouver. Both in terms of how they work and also to see what the Canucks mean to them. They don’t have egos; they want to see the young guys succeed. In that way, Daniel and Henrik have meant a lot.

“When they were inducted into the Hall of Fame, it showed the impact they made and the respect they earned after their 18 years in the NHL. Their behaviour on and off the ice, how professional they are—Henrik and Daniel are unique in that they played at such a high level and gave back to hockey here in Vancouver all those years. They carry immense respect with them.”

Allvin then reflected on the success of his club in 2023-24, and the support they got from the fans and the city.

“I think we managed to establish a style of play that we believe in. We succeeded in developing our game throughout the season. We also managed to develop individuals, constantly improving and taking steps forward. It didn’t quite go all the way. I believe the players who have been part of this journey want more and are preparing themselves very well this summer to come back in a few weeks and start again. For us, it’s just a matter of looking forward, continuing to develop our game, and pushing the players and the team to take the next step. The league is extremely competitive, so we can’t just rely on what we did last season. We constantly need to look ahead and try to improve, or else other teams will catch up.

“There was immense enthusiasm, and it was great to see how much hockey means to people here in Vancouver and Canada. It has actually been fascinating. You really understand how important success and joy are to the people here.”

Finally, Allvin spoke about two Swedish players: Nils Aman and Canucks top prospect Jonathan Lekkerimäki.

On Aman, who Allvin handed a contract extension to this past season:

“I hope that Nils Åman continues to develop and has a good summer. In the last few months of last season, he started to assert himself more and wasn’t just too nice on the ice. He is very well-liked and respected within the group. Additionally, he can play both as a center and on the wing. It’s important to have players who can play in two different positions.”

On Lekkerimäki:

“It’s going to be exciting. Jonathan was here and showed what he could do in the farm team during the spring. He did very well. I hope he got an understanding of what is required on smaller rinks. It will be interesting to see him at camp when everything kicks off. After that, it’s up to him where he will end up, but we are very happy to have Jonathan here and to continue working with him. He is a very talented player. We need to respect his age and experience as well, so there’s no rush—when he is physically and mentally ready, Jonathan will show where he wants to be.”