Head coach Rick Tocchet says inserting the youngster against a first-place Capitals team and Alexander Ovechkin is something you “can’t be scared of.”
It’ll be fun sidebar to count up how many shifts defenceman Elias Pettersson gets tonight against Alexander Ovechkin in his welcome-to-the-NHL game.
Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet confirmed after his team’s morning skate Saturday that 20-year-old rearguard Pettersson will play his first regular season game with the big club this evening when Vancouver hosts the ageless Ovechkin and Capitals at Rogers Arena.
Pettersson’s a 6-foot-3, 209-pound left-shot rearguard who’s played so well with the Abbotsford Canucks this season that he’s their representative at the upcoming AHL All-Star Classic.
This Pettersson was born Feb. 16, 2004, which is a few months before Ovechkin was drafted first overall by the Capitals. The now 39-year-old Russian comes into the Vancouver game 19 goals shy of Wayne Gretzky’s once seemingly insurmountable NHL career record of 894.
Washington (33-10-5) sits atop the league standings currently. They’ve won six straight. Ovechkin has three goals in that span and 22 goals in 32 games on the campaign.
Tocchet pointed out that Pettersson has been practising with the Canucks for several days and he “can’t be scared of that” in regards to inserting Pettersson into the lineup against a high end team like Washington.
“He’s got some stuff, some attributes, some characteristics that we want back there,” Tocchet explained. “So why not? You shouldn’t be afraid to do those things.
“He’s played really well down there. Love his enthusiasm. We need that. He can skate. He’s physical. And he can move the puck.”
Pettersson said of Ovechkin: “He’s one of the best of all time. It’s going to be cool.”
Pettersson, who was a third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, has been lauded for his all-around, complete game during this rookie season in the North American pro ranks. He has one goal and 13 points in 36 games with Abbotsford so far this AHL campaign. He’s also leads Abbotsford in plus-minus (plus-eight).
“I think I’m playing my best when I keep it simple and hard,” Pettersson said. “I want to be physical.
“I want to be that as fast as possible here.”
Tocchet had Pettersson paired with Carson Soucy this morning, with fellow left shot Soucy taking the right side. Mark Friedman was skating as an extra defenceman, as were Tyler Myers (suspended) and Noah Juulsen (undisclosed injury). The other pairs were Quinn Hughes with Filip Hronek as well as Derek Forbort with Vincent Desharnais.
Meanwhile, forward Kiefer Sherwood (undisclosed) didn’t skate this morning after leaving Thursday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers early. Tocchet pegged him as a game-time decision against Washington.
“It’s not serious,” he said of whatever is ailing Sherwood, “but it’s serious enough that in five hours he may not play.”
@steve-ewen.bsky.social