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Canucks’ Ohgren responds to healthy scratch: ‘I know I have to play harder’

Photo credit: © Bob Frid-Imagn Images

By Jeff Paterson

Oct 25, 2026, 12:00 EDTUpdated: Oct 24, 2026, 22:19 EDT

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One look tells you that Liam Öhgren has many of the traits required to be successful in the National Hockey League. He’s big, he skates well, and he can fire the puck. The problem is he doesn’t put those attributes together often enough to make any kind of regular impact yet. While there have been moments already this season where the 22-year-old winger has left his mark on Vancouver Canucks games, those instances have been few and far between. Too infrequent, apparently, for the organization. So it came to the point that on Thursday night against Detroit, Öhgren was taken out of the lineup and made a healthy scratch for the first time this season.

It certainly wasn’t what he wanted just a dozen games into the new season. But the Stockholm native accepted his fate and returned to work at practice Saturday at the University of British Columbia with a renewed focus to ensure that he doesn’t come out of the lineup again any time soon.

“I understand the decision and I know I haven’t played at my best level,” Öhgren said when asked about sitting out. “I know I have to play harder and win more puck battles and stuff like that. So that’s my mindset going into next game. Try to focus on what I can do to make the team better. I’ve talked with Manny, and he said it was a bit of a reset thing to get back to my game. I’m excited to be back, and I’ll try to make the most out of it.”

A quick glance at the counting statistics shows Öhgren with two goals and three assists through 11 games. On the surface, those numbers look more than respectable for a young player still finding his way in the NHL. Among his assists were a crisp on-the-tape breakaway pass to Marco Rossi on opening night and a deft pass into space for defenceman Elias Pettersson’s game-winner against Calgary. Those are the flashes, however. A closer inspection of Öhgren’s production shows that after recording a goal and three assists in the first three games of the season, the budding power forward has just a single point – a goal in Florida – to show for his last eight outings. And that’s where his consistency gets called into question.

Vancouver goal!Scored by Liam Ohgren with 12:37 left in the 1st. Assisted by Linus Karlsson.FLA: 0 | VAN: 1#VANvsFLA #FlaPanthers #Canucks

— NHL Goals (@nhlgoals.bsky.social) 2026-10-15T23:25:55.936442Z

No one is expecting Öhgren to light up the scoresheet every game. But at his size, he has to find a way to leave his mark in more games than he has lately. He has registered 13 shots and has been credited with 11 hits in his first 11 games. There has to be more to give, and he insists there is.

“I know what I can do,” Öhgren said matter-of-factly. “I have to try to get to that level every night. I think it’s mostly in my head. I have to try to not think out there on the ice and just try to play my game and trust my instinct and trust my game.”

The timing of Öhgren’s healthy scratch was interesting, coming one game before he faces the team that traded him away as part of the Quinn Hughes blockbuster last December.

At Saturday’s practice, Öhgren skated on a line with Filip Chytil and Jonathan Lekkerimäki, suggesting he will return to the lineup against the Wild. Head coach Manny Malhotra insists he didn’t sit Öhgren down against Detroit specifically with Sunday’s opponent in mind. In fact, the coach says it doesn’t matter who is on the other side. He needs Öhgren to bring his best game every night to cement his spot in the lineup.

“Not necessarily light a fire, but you hope the response after being scratched is the right one and that emotion is put in the right place,” Malhotra explained. It’s part of the development process for a young guy. It’s the opportunity to sit and watch a game and see what it looks like from above, but by no means was it a tool to try to kick him in the pants.”

Malhotra says Öhgren is not unlike many other young players trying to establish themselves as NHL regulars. They may have been able to impact games at lower levels based on talent alone. But at the next level, it takes commitment and consistency, and it’s clear the coach feels there is still work to do in those areas to get the most out of Öhgren.

“That seems to be a common theme with every young guy in the league – the players are in this league for a reason,” Malhotra said. “The physical attributes and the talent is always there, or they wouldn’t be here. The element of bringing it every night is something that becoming a good pro in this league is all about. With Ogie, he possesses those attributes, he possesses that talent, we would like to see it on a more consistent basis.”

In the past, Canucks players not suiting up on a given night often worked out during the game or watched from the players’ lounge. But Manny Malhotra insists his scratches take in the game from the press box to get a better understanding of how the game looks in person rather than on television.

The coach believes there is particular value for players in seeing the game from above.

“Just understanding time and space,” he said. “It’s a lot different watching in the press box than on TV. Obviously, it’s way easier from up in the stands. Just the opportunity and getting a different perspective on the game, understanding where time and space may be, when you have to accelerate and sprint to spots. So much is lost in translation – the speed of the game, the physicality, the spacing of the game. When you have a chance to watch it from above, especially for the players, it takes on a different meaning and perspective of where you need to be on the ice.”

On Sunday, Liam Öhgren will have the chance to apply the things he learned from sitting out against the Red Wings. While he knows Quinn Hughes will be the centre of attention in his first game back in Vancouver, Öhgren is looking forward to facing the only other franchise he’s been a part of. It’s the organization that made him the 19th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.

“It’s special,” he said of testing himself against friends and former teammates. “They made my dream come true to get drafted and play my first games in the NHL. It’s special to play against them and it’ll be a fun game.”

And hopefully, after a game off to think about the state of his game early in the season, Liam Öhgren can find a way to elevate his effort level and sustain it for a full 60 minutes.