The Vancouver Canucks were back on the ice Monday morning at Rogers Arena, and the first thing that stood out was the new look. After a league-wide reveal hours earlier, the team skated in its Hometown Remix gear for the first time, with players wearing new gloves and helmets and Kevin Lankinen unveiling a silver goalie setup.
The Canucks said they will wear the Hometown Remix jerseys six times this season, beginning Nov. 13 against JT Miller and the New York Rangers.
Practice also brought a few changes to the forward group after Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Drew O’Connor and Liam Öhgren switched spots, putting Öhgren with Marco Rossi and Jonathan Lekkerimäki, while O’Connor skated on the left side with Abbotsford call-up Jacob Quillan and Linus Karlsson. Quillan, who made his Canucks debut against his former team on Saturday, finally got his first practice with the NHL club after joining without the benefit of a full session.
The top line stayed the same, with Jake DeBrusk between Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser. Boeser remains in good form, with goals in three of his last four games.
Manny Malhotra also appears to have found a fourth line he likes. Max Sasson stayed between Paul Cotter and Brendan Gallagher, the trio that drew praise after Saturday night’s game. Arsheep Bains rotated through a few looks on that line, but seemed to be the extra forward.
On defence, the Canucks kept their top four intact. Elias Pettersson skated with Filip Hronek, while Jamie Oleksiak was paired with Tom Willander.
Victor Mancini lined up on the right side with Zeev Buim, and Luke Schenn and Guillaume Brisebois were the extra pair. It was a birthday skate for Hronek, who turned 29, and Schenn, who turned 37.
The Canucks wrap up their short two-game homestand Tuesday night against Anaheim before heading to Winnipeg on Thursday and Edmonton on Saturday night.
Malhotra gave a brief update on injured centre Filip Chytil, who missed Saturday’s game and will not play Tuesday because of a shoulder injury: “He’s progressing along. He feels better daily.
He’s in the gym and keeping himself fit. But nothing other than that.
He’s just getting back to a level where he feels comfortable with it.”
He also explained what he liked about Cotter-Sasson-Gallagher against Toronto: “I think the consistency and the energy they brought to the game. They did a really good job of doing the things we’ve asked in terms of getting in on the forecheck.
It was a very simple game and they were rewarded for it. The simplicity of getting the puck to the net and looking for rebounds is a timeless recipe that seems to work.
But it comes down to the willingness to do those things and they did a good job of it.”
And Malhotra had a proud reaction to his son Caleb’s overtime winner for Boston University against Maine on Saturday night: “I was really happy. Really happy. It was obviously a really nice goal and it a really good win for the group to be able to come back from two and get it done in overtime.”
In Other News...
Canucks Unveil A New Look Built Around Vancouvers Home Identity
The Canucks have added a fresh wrinkle to their look with the unveiling of their new "Hometown Remix" jerseys, a design meant to tie the club more closely to Vancouver itself. The latest alternate was developed through the NHL and Fanatics jersey program, and team officials framed it as a collaborative effort built around the citys identity and the way it shows up in everyday life around the rink.
The new sweater carries a speckled pattern that nods to the regions wet weather, giving the jersey a distinctly local feel rather than a generic modern refresh. Vancouver has already set a date to break it out, with a full slate of appearances planned after the debut, and the first chance to see it in action will come against the Rangers on Nov. 13. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Brutal Start Is Fueling Trade Buzz Around Core Forwards
A rough start has already pushed the Canucks into an uncomfortable spot, and with the season sliding the conversation around the roster is shifting fast. Vancouver is in the middle of a rebuild, but the attention now is landing on some of the clubs most established forwards, with Jake DeBrusk and Elias Pettersson drawing notice as possible trade candidates because of the way they have performed this season.
Both players have been productive enough to keep their value intact, which is exactly why they are suddenly part of the wider trade chatter. For a team trying to sort out its next step, that creates an awkward balancing act: keep core pieces that still help on the ice, or listen if another club comes calling with the kind of interest that can accelerate a rebuild. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Goalie Choice Is Becoming Hard To Ignore
Leevi Merilinens recent run in the crease has become one of the more notable developments around the Canucks, and Manny Malhotra has made it clear why the young goalie keeps getting the nod. Merilinen has started seven of the last nine games, and the coachs message has been simple enough: hes giving Vancouver a chance to win. In a season where the team is still sorting out its best options in goal, that kind of trust matters.
The contrast with Kevin Lankinen has only sharpened the discussion, especially with the veteran struggling to find his footing early. Vancouvers goalie picture is starting to feel less like a short-term rotation and more like a decision the coaching staff may have to keep leaning into. Away from the ice, the Canucks also found a lighter moment this week with a team Halloween party, complete with player costumes, but the bigger question around the crease remains the one everyone is watching. [Read more 🡒]