Canucks: That other Elias Pettersson playing as advertised at development camp

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For the record, the new kid on the local hockey block said his preferred pronunciation of his name is ‘Uh-Lie-Us Pettersoon.’

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For the future, the way this other Elias Pettersson, a third-round pick Friday in the National Hockey League Draft, handled the opening day of the Vancouver Canucks’ development will make him more than a Twitter meme. or a subject of comparison. nicknames to the most famous Swedish compatriot of him.

They still have to talk, but the Canucks star posted a congratulatory ‘Spider-Man versus Spider-Man’ Twitter duel meme after the draft.

“I said thanks for the welcome,” the younger Pettersson chuckled on Monday after the first day of camp at UBC. “It was fun.”

So forget about Pettersson 2.0 or Petey Light or whatever may come next on Twitter. What we saw on the ice was Pettersson correct.

He excelled at technical drills to address proper posture and skating and then showed why the 6-foot-2, 185-pound mobile was considered one of the best defenders in the 2022 draft class.

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In a one-on-one drill, Pettersson could have taken the easy way out when a forward ran into the offensive zone and cut into the high slot. Pettersson could have twisted and stretched his stick to help deny the play. However, he not only cleverly deflected off the striker, he physically erased the foray and then crashed heavily into the end boards.

Pettersson got up slowly and winced, but he didn’t miss a beat. And with the Canucks pining for prospects who can deal with their own end as a deterrent, the play was easily the best of the day. Especially in adapting to the smaller ice surface in North America.

“It’s all good,” Pettersson said of hitting the wall. “I just received a small bump on the knee. That was good training to get into new areas against new guys and it was fun.”

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Fun? That’s a pretty quick and satisfying summary because he moves well and hits hard.

“My skating is my biggest strength and so is my size,” added Pettersson. “If you’re going to make it to the NHL, you need to work on everything and this is a really good camp. I’m going to develop as much as I can.”

Pettersson looks up to his imposing compatriot Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning as a role model and a player he hopes to eventually emulate by playing well on both ends of the ice. Hedman is a two-time Stanley Cup champion (2020, 2021) and has won the Norris Trophy (2018) and Conn Smythe (2020).

“He’s such a good player, one of the best,” left-hander Pettersson said. “I’m trying to be tough and play tough and that’s also one of my strengths, so I’m trying to use that. Last year, I was playing in the SHL (Swedish Hockey League) with big players and my coach told me that he had to be tough.

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“I learned a lot last year to be tough and defend myself. It will take some time, but of course my goal is to play in the NHL. And I’m going to fight for it.”

None of this surprises Canucks senior director of player development Ryan Johnson.

“Those are things that we’re addressing from the beginning, its angling and we have details of our week, and we’re not just doing drills,” he stressed. “Seeing that on Day 1 and executing it is something we’ve been showing on video and discussing. We will continue to build on that.”

Pettersson was split last season between Orebro HK U20 and their SHL entry. He scored 18 points (10-8) in 37 Under-20 games and added 10 points (2-8) in six playoff games. He also recorded 17 games with the organization’s SHL entry and had one assist in 17 limited ice time games.

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Pettersson will return to the SHL next season and is under contract through 2024-25, which is the option year. He also represented Sweden at the U-18 world tournament last spring.

Pettersson also took a good look at two Hockey Hall of Famers Monday in Henrik and Daniel Sedin. Lending his ice expertise to this camp nearly left Pettersson speechless.

“They are icons in Sweden and around the world,” said Pettersson. “I always saw them when I was a kid and they have always been stars. And now being here on the ice with them is amazing.”

Pettersson can take another look at the fitness-mad twins on Friday. The camp concludes with a legendary vertical walk.

“I’ve heard about it, but I don’t know exactly what it is and I’m not sure what we’re going to do, I think we’re going to go up the hill,” Pettersson said.

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I am sorry. Nope.

The demanding Grouse Grind in North Vancouver awaits and the Sedins have climbed the steep climb in a mind-blowing 32 minutes. Will they be tied on Friday?

“My bet would be yes,” Johnson laughed.

As for Monday, the routine on the ice edged out 2022 third-round pick Jackson Dorrington. The USHL defenseman was absolutely gassed after various drills and often seemed worn out. A harsh introduction to a tiring week.

“It was a pretty high rate, especially for July,” Dorrington said. “But it was good. Everybody was pushing each other.”

OVERTIME – The Canucks have extended a qualifying offer to goaltender Michael DiPietro but not to forwards Justin Bailey, Matthew Highmore and Juho Lammikko.

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