Welcome back to WDYTT, the only hockey column on the internet that always starts by welcoming you back.

Speaking of welcoming back, welcome back to the official start of the hockey season. By the time you read these words, you’ll be just days away from the first actual-factual Vancouver Canucks hockey of the 2024/25 season, in the form of the Penticton Young Stars Classic – otherwise known as the pre-preseason.

Though it’s been a bit of an on-again, off-again sort of thing, the Penticton Tournament has become something that fans in this market really look forward to. What better way to ring in a new hockey season than with a look to the future?

Each September – or each September in which the tourney is actually being held – about a dozen Canucks prospects and a handful of contractual hopefuls head to the Okanagan to compete against the best prospects the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Winnipeg Jets have to offer. And each year, at least one Canucks player manages to make a name for themselves in Penticton, springboarding a good showing there into an extended look at main camp, and then from there…who knows?

That’s the exciting part about watching prospects. You never really know where they’ll end up. But for many of them, their journey to becoming Canucks starts in Penticton.

Which is why we’re so curious to find out who your eye will be on this upcoming weekend.

This week, we’re asking:

Let it be known in the comment section.

You answered below!

A bit too late, but I’ll go with Joe Pavelski. Hard-nosed player who stuck to the rules, for the most part. 18 years in the NHL and he was a minus player once! He should make the HoF, IMO.

Jarome Iginla was a player I loved watching play. Absolutely hated the Flames, but that guy embodied what a hockey player was in my eyes at a young age.

This current era? I would say, McDavid, MacKinnon, Crosby based on their sheer skill, effort to get better, and dominance.

Guys like Parayko, Tanev who just eat shots to win games, play big minutes, and do whatever it takes to win. Not to mention very active in the community.

Conner McD is the guy for me. I dislike the Oilers, and was rooting for the Panthers in the Final, but McD just does everything right, doesn’t he? Most important, a classy guy off the ice, and speaks to reporters the same no matter what the result was.

Best to watch? McDavid for sure, but respect has to be Anze Kopitar.

He won two Cups, while staying under the radar as far as stars go. He also has kept up top-level play well into a career where most players fall off a cliff.

Like most hockey fans, I respect players who consistently work hard, have good skills, and behave honourably on and off the ice. Anyone who leads by example and puts team ahead of self is worthy of respect. The guys who demonstrate these things throughout long careers deserve the most respect.

Every team has a few of those type of players. Hard to narrow it down. A couple guys who come to mind are Kopitar, Chris Tanev, and Letang. There are lots more, but those were the first to come to mind.

Big Mac, Nathan MacKinnon, just a classy guy.

I’ll cheat and say Chris Tanev. He was always one of my favorite players. He takes a beating all the time, but plays great.

There are actually two rival players I really respect; Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin.

Crosby constantly works to be better, and he has been consistent year over year as a player that can do it all.

Ovechkin is probably the greatest goal scorer in history. He has a great chance of breaking Gretzky’s record, and he has also be consistent year over year. We are starting to see some decline now, but he has made his mark on hockey.

Nathan MacKinnon is my choice. He is a legitimate superstar that competes like few others and is a threat every shift.

He is fun to watch and seems to enjoy the sport. I enjoy how he conducts himself on and off the ice.

From three different eras:

The late Borje Salming took more of a beating than even Tanev has, and was excellent at every aspect of the game. Also owner of the scariest (visible) scar in hockey.

Joe Sakic was pure class and absolutely lethal.

Patrice Bergeron frustrated the hell out of me because he was so effective in all roles and I couldn’t bring myself to hate him like the rest of that team.

I’ll go with Artemi Panarin. He has spoken out against Putin. Agree or not, that takes guts. He’s also given generously to a number of charities and vowed to donate all of his endorsement money to charity. That shows a big heart.

Without the Olympics and cheering for Team Canada in any type of recent years, it is harder to pinpoint. I will go back to 2010 in Vancouver and Drew Doughty. Some thought he was too young to make the team, but there he was in the Gold Medal game in Vancouver sitting on the bench bopping his head in time to the music playing on the Jumbotron. Biggest stage and cool as a cucumber. Went on to win two Cups and that team deserved it. Only stain was the “lose to a team like that” comment about Vancouver back in 2018(ish), but he knew he had a bad team at the time and was trying to set the tone early in the season.

Ryan Smyth and Iginla come to mind…

A player on a rival team that I, as a Canucks fan, really respect is:

Theo Fleury.

The memories from my youth.

He was a small ferocious fireball who played like he was twice his size. I looked forward to every time I got to watch him play.

Honorable mentions:

Ryan Smyth, Mikka Kiprusoff.

When writing this, I decided to ask my daughter, an admitted Canucks homer like myself, the same question and she immediately responded without the slightest hesitation:

Leon Draisaitl.

She said she has always thought he was not just a great player but also seems like a really good person with great values who has a cool/calm and humble demeanor both on and off the ice.

She added that when Vancouver and Edmonton were in the playoffs and he made that comment about the bar and not Silovs stopping his shot, she thought it was funny and awesome that Vancouver was able to bring out a bit of ego from him in the heat of the battle and likes him more now because of that passion.

For me, it would have to be Steve Larmer. His compete level was insane and the fact the Sedins and Luongo are in the Hall of Fame, and he’s not, is another stupid joke of the committee.

Nathan McKinnon & Sidney Crosby…they appear to be good friends, and they both play without an ego. Which reminds me of Gretzky, and the way he handled himself in the media; he had a great mentor in Walter, who taught him good honest values, which we see in Crosby and McKinnon.

‘Who is a player etc’ means to me you’re asking for a current NHL player. Connor McDavid is the rival player I respect the most. I admire his exquisite talent, but also his low-key, sportsman-like demeanour. I don’t hear a lot of whining and complaining. I admire his reserve. He is a true Canadian icon playing in a Canadian city.

I’ll keep it local for my #1 choice: Jamie Benn. He’s a player the Canucks have in similar to JT Miller, but could use another one. He leads, he defends, he scores, he plays on both special teams, lays out very timely bone-crushing hits, is always there for his teammates, and, when needed, he doesn’t hesitate to drop his gloves (which he’s good at, as well). He’s been Dallas’ longest tenured captain for ten seasons and for good reason.

People on here won’t be happy about this choice, but an honorable mention goes to Brad Marchand. I know most of you, if not all of you, are saying “wtf man!” Just hear me out. Marchand’s name is usually preceded or followed with a curse when mentioned by a Canuck fan, but he’s a player that’s been an absolute winner everywhere he’s played. He’s been a winner at every level: WJC Gold x2 with Canada, a World Cup, a World Championship Gold for Canada, and the SC with the Bruins. In fact, he’s only missing an Olympic Gold medal to be included in the elusive ‘Triple Crown’ club. I get it, he’s called ‘The Rat’ for a reason. However, he’s earned my respect for two simple facts. 1) The fact that he was a 3rd round selection that’s managed to exceed all expectations at 5′ 9″ & 176 pounds, and 2) The fact that he was brutally sucker punched by Sam Bennett in this years SC playoffs (I know most say he had it coming), but in the interviews, that I saw afterwards, Marchand didn’t complain about the cheap shot, nor did he say anything derogatory towards Bennett and basically said hockey’s a tough game and things happen.

Agree with my choices, or not, I’d be happy to have either of these players suit up for the Canucks and for that, they earn my respect.

For me it is Leon Draisaitl…with a bullet.

I think he exemplifies what I love about a hockey player in the playoffs. Someone who will play through injuries, will be clutch, etc.

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