Fans in British Columbia and across the NHL know Elias Pettersson isn’t one to speak much. The Vancouver Canucks are okay with that, as long as the centerman does his talking on the ice. However, the Swede did send a two-word message to Brock Boeser shortly after he signed an extension in Vancity.
Though there wasn’t exactly any shortage on drama during the past months in Vancouver, the offseason brought up some of its own. Boeser’s long-awaited decision on free agency was chief among them. Fortunately for the Canucks, the 28-year-old winger decided to stay in town.
The re-signing with the Canucks brought a smile onto the faces of all fans in British Columbia. After a deflating 2024-25 NHL season, good news were deeply needed across the city. Pettersson was also thrilled to see his teammate and good friend stay with the club that drafted him in the first round of the 2015 Draft. However, Boeser knew better than to expect a long message from Pettersson, who limited himself to a brief, two-word text.
“I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, so once [Boeser] signed I just texted him ‘thank you’. So that was good,” Pettersson admitted to reporters on Monday. “He’s been here all my years when I’ve been here and he’s one of my closest guys on the team. So I was really happy to see him sign here.”
Be you
After the year Pettersson and the Canucks have been through, it’s no wonder the Swedish forward would want to keep a close friend in the locker room. Wiping the slate clean is a must for Vancouver, but it’s way easier done when the air inside the locker room isn’t thick and filled with tension. Still, Pettersson admitted he didn’t want to meddle on Boeser’s decision.
“Contract situations are no fun, especially in Boeser’s situation,” Pettersson added. “He knew he always had my support, but I didn’t want to stumble on his toes, or anything like that.”
Familiar face
It’s been a summer of major changes for the Canucks, but at least Pettersson and company won’t see a complete stranger behind the bench. Rick Tocchet’s departure certainly left its mark on this Vancouver team, but Adam Foote is looking to put the pain away when the regular season gets underway.
“I mean, he’s been our assistant coach for three years now. He’s been a great leader,” Pettersson stated about Adam Foote becoming the new head coach. “He’s good to talk to, and just the talks we’ve been having over the summer, it’s been really good. So really, really looking forward to it.”
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Having Foote take over behind the bench could be the perfect mix for Vancouver. It’s a balance of change and continuity—keeping parts of their past intact. Only time will tell if that was truly the best move the Canucks could have made.