For fans of the Vancouver Canucks, and 30 other teams, the Stanley Cup Final doesn’t have quite the same bite this year. Without Vancouver representing the Western Conference and competing for the greatest trophy in all of sports, who are you supposed to root for?
Well, here are six former Canucks you can back in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Florida Panthers
Oliver Ekman-Larsson spent two seasons with the Canucks from 2021 to 2023. In 133 regular-season games, the defenseman tallied 51 points (seven goals, 44 assists).
His two seasons were night and day when looking at his overall stats. Ekman-Larsson played 79 games in 2021-22 and finished with 29 points (five goals, 24 assists) and a plus-5 rating. The next year, he struggled with only 22 points (two goals, 20 assists) and a whopping minus-24 rating in 54 games.
Sam Gagner, Edmonton Oilers
A veteran of over 1,000 NHL games and the sixth overall pick in the 2007 draft, Sam Gagner suited up for Vancouver from 2017 to 2019.
In 81 games, the forward recorded 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists). He played 74 games in his first season but only seven the next year due to injury.
Troy Stecher, Edmonton Oilers
After being signed as an undrafted free agent, Stecher spent four seasons with the Canucks from 2016 to 2020.
The defenseman recorded 75 points (11 goals, 64 assists) in 286 regular-season games with Vancouver and added three points in 17 games during the Canucks playoff run in the 2020 Edmonton bubble.
William Lockwood, Florida Panthers
Since being drafted by the Canucks in the third round (No. 64) of the 2016 draft, Lockwood has played 28 of his 54 NHL games with Vancouver.
In those 28 games, the winger recorded two assists and a minus-12 rating. He signed with Florida after the 2022-23 season and played 26 games this season.
Lane Pederson, Edmonton Oilers
Pederson signed with the Arizona Coyotes as an undrafted free agent in 2020. After two NHL seasons with Arizona and the San Jose Sharks, he found his way to Vancouver.
The forward played in only 11 games in 2022-23, recording three points (one goal, two assists). He was put on waivers by Vancouver during the season and claimed by the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Jonah Gadjovich, Florida Panthers
Alright, we may be stretching it here, but Gadjovich did play one game for the Canucks in 2021.
After being drafted by Vancouver in the second round (No. 55) of the 2017 NHL Draft, the forward made his debut in a game against the Calgary Flames.
So, if you can’t root for the Canucks, root for some former ones! Enjoy the Final.
