Canucks coach Rick Tocchet challenged the big Swede to not be a bystander and get involved. Alriksson responded.
Message received. Message understood. Message delivered.
After laying out Logan Morrison with a heavy first-period check, and wisely avoiding a challenge from the hulking Jamie Oleksiak, he accepted one from the 29-year-old Josh Hayden and held his own against the seasoned scrapper.
“I want to use my body and play physical and if somebody challenges me, I’ll accept it,” said Alriksson. “I had a better reach than him (Hayden) with longer arms. It was a good fight. I always want to finish my hits and play my best.”
Tocchet liked what he saw.
“I want him to play like he did in rookie camp,” Tocchet said after the Tuesday game-day skate. “He’s with NHL players and he’s kind of waiting around and being respectful. I want him to be disrespectful, get the puck and want the puck and do what you did in rookie camp.
“It’s one of the guys we had to talk to. He’s a great prospect for us.”
And when Alriksson responded against the Kraken, Tocchet was impressed.
“His game is just going to grow,” said Tocchet. “He’s a big kid. Great hands and all that stuff is going to come and he’s going to catch up. Hell of an effort to stick up for his team.”
After Alriksson’s first and only one-sided fight with the Storm last season, nobody wanted to take on the big Swede. Might be the same one day in the NHL.
Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said Alriksson checks a lot of development boxes.
“Vilmer had a solid training camp and continues to develop and improve,” said Allvin. “We really like his size, skating ability and skill set and we will help Vilmer get ready to take another step forward in his hockey career.”
Alriksson had 33 OHL rookie points (17-16) and 35 penalty minutes in 67 games with the Storm in 2023-24. The Stockholm native previously played 43 games for Djurgardens Jr., where he recorded 21 points (12-9) and 22 penalty minutes. He was a fourth round Canucks draft pick in 2023.