Brendan Gallagher isn’t in a rush to rush anybody.
That’s the vibe around the veteran winger as the Canucks lean into a rebuild that management has already said will take time. General manager Ryan Johnson and the rest of the team brass have been clear about the extended runway ahead, and Gallagher says that kind of message has to be accepted the right way inside the room.
“I think it is important for management and coaches,” the veteran winger said when asked about Vancouver Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson and other team brass pointing out this rebuild will need an extended runway. “For players, it’s about process.
It’s about understanding the process and buying into the process. It’s about as an individual thinking about how can I help the team here and contribute to team success.
“It’s about making steps, making improvements. There’s still a lot of belief in our dressing room. You’re not winning 84 games right away but there’s going to be a belief every game that if we compete as a group and show up as a group we’re going to win.
“As players, our expectations are going to be to win and you’re going to want people in there who are going to compete. Regardless of results, your expectations are to win the next game. That’s part of growing culture, but it’s also about being around competitive people, and you’re not going to be at this stage of your career without being competitive.”
Johnson, who became GM in May, spent the summer adding veteran voices to help guide a young core and steer the group after last year’s messy campaign. The list includes defencemen Luke Schenn, 36, and Jamie Oleksiak, 33, along with Gallagher, 34.
For Gallagher, the fit makes sense. The former Vancouver Giants star from Tsawwassen spent 14 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, and he has already lived through the kind of long haul the Canucks are now describing.
Montreal went to the Stanley Cup Final in the COVID-19 season of 2020-21, then missed the playoffs in each of the next three seasons. They lost in the first round two year ago and fell in the third round last spring. Gallagher has seen the whole arc of a rebuild, but he was careful not to arrive in Vancouver trying to take over.
He said he didn’t want to come in and “overstep.”
“There are certain leaders in place already. You want to understand how a team functions and how they work.
You just want to be a part of it,” Gallagher added. “Once you fit in with a group, you can show how you can help out.
“I came in with no real expectations. I came in trying to meet some new guys and get close and bond and find a way how we’re going to grow as a group.”
What Gallagher brings on the ice has never been a mystery. At 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, he’s a grinder who built his NHL career by living in the dirty areas - the crease, the corners, anywhere the puck is contested and the pain is real. He works like there’s no pause button, and he plays without fear.
He has also outlasted plenty of assumptions about players with his frame and style. Gallagher enters this season with 911 career regular-season games, which ranks 11th among players from the 2010 NHL draft class. Montreal took him in the fifth round, No. 147 overall, that summer.
Put the new veterans together with a year of growth from the younger players, and it’s not hard to see why the Canucks believe this version of the team should bring a different edge. The results may not change overnight, but the energy might.
This group, at the very least, looks built to compete harder and with more spirit than last year’s version did for most of the season. And if that shows up, it could be the kind of change fans notice right away - even before the win column catches up.
In Other News...
Canucks Prospects Suddenly Have A Real Shot To Stick
Ryan Johnson is setting a noticeably different tone heading into Canucks training camp, one that puts real weight on every rep and every roster battle. The general manager said Vancouver will give all players a clean slate, and he made clear the organization wants to avoid the old habit of shuttling young players back and forth between the NHL and American Hockey League.
For a group of prospects expected to be in camp, that approach changes the stakes. If a young player earns a promotion, Johnson believes he should stay put so the development path is protected, which means the openings in camp are not just for a temporary look. For prospects trying to turn a strong showing into something more lasting, the message is simple enough: make the team now, and the Canucks may be willing to keep you there. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Fans Just Got A Familiar New Postgame Voice
A familiar voice is sliding back into the Vancouver Canucks orbit this season. Jamie Dodd, the former Sportsnet 650 on-air personality, will co-host Rink Wide Vancouvers postgame livestreams for most Canucks games, giving fans another steady place to land after the final horn.
Dodd is set to begin with the preseason game on Sept. 22 and the regular-season opener on Sept. 29, while other co-hosts will handle the remaining broadcasts. The show will continue to be offered as both a livestream and a podcast, keeping the postgame conversation easy to find no matter how fans prefer to follow along. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Suddenly Face A Bigger Thatcher Demko Question At Camp
Thatcher Demkos camp availability is already shaping up to be one of the Canucks first real storylines of the preseason. General manager Ryan Johnson said the goaltender will not be fully participating this week as he continues to recover from hip surgery, even though he is still skating and working out on his own in Penticton. For a team that has leaned on Demko as a foundational piece, any update on his health naturally draws attention, especially when the calendar flips to camp and the first signs of the season start coming into focus.
Johnson framed the situation as a matter of patience and support, stressing that the organization wants Demkos recovery handled properly and noting his determination to get back as part of Vancouvers future. The important part for the Canucks is that this is not a setback in effort or intent, but it does leave one of their biggest questions hanging over the week as the rest of the roster settles into full camp work. [Read more 🡒]