There is no such thing as summer holidays at Shawnigan Lake School. As soon as the Vancouver Canucks prospects depart, the Canadian Olympic women’s rugby sevens team moves in today for a pre-Rio camp.
It’s a revolving door but the Canucks don’t mind. They leave as literaly happy campers.
“Everything is within walking distance and works well here,” said Stan Smyl, the director of player development, as the Canucks ended their four-day development camp.
“You don’t get this environment in too many places. These players will hopefully all be teammates eventually, and here they get to know each other.”
Camp concluded with a scrimmage game Thursday evening before a crowd that packed the tidy grandstand in the $8-million sprung structure rink, followed by a community fundraising dinner. The game was closely watched by pretty much anybody of note in the organization, including Smyl, head coach Willie Desjardins, president Trevor Linden and chairman and governor Francesco Aquilini.
Most eyes were on the Big Three prospects — forward Brock Boeser, projected Vancouver goalkeeper-of-the-future Thatcher Demko, and 2016 Canucks’ first-round draft pick and fifth-overall selection Olli Juolevi.
“You look at Olli [Juolevi] and watch his poise,” said Smyl, of the blue-liner who helped lead Finland to the 2016 world junior title and the London Knights to the Memorial Cup.
“In goal, Thatcher [Demko] has improved and looks bigger.”
Up front, you could sense the increasing confidence this year in winger Boeser. Last year he skated in the Canucks development camp, also at Shawnigan Lake School, in the shadow of 2014 first-round draft picks Jake Virtanen and Jared McCann.
With Virtanen entering his second season with the Canucks, and no longer required to report to development camp, and McCann traded to the Florida Panthers, the Shawnigan Lake rink belonged this week to the 2015 Canucks first-round pick Boeser.
“Brock stepped up and took a leadership role here this week from Day 1,” noted Smyl.
The 19-year-old Boeser, from Burnsville, Minnesota, took time to sign autographs and snap pictures with fans following sessions.
“The players see the passion that fans all over our province have for the Canucks,” said Smyl.
Boeser has taken note.
“The fans have a lot of pride in this organization,” he said, following Thursday’s scrimmage.
“This was a great week with a great set-up. There was a lot of team bonding and we were together a lot and got to know each other.”
Earlier in the week, the Minnesotan reflected on the difference between this year and last year at Shawnigan Lake: “I’m in my second year in development camp and it’s definitely a different role than last year. The bar has been raised and the expectations are higher.”
The six-foot-one, 191-pound Boeser has bulked up, but in a defined and cut manner, during the past season in leading North Dakota to the 2016 NCAA title. He had 27 goals and 60 points in 42 games as a freshman at North Dakota and scored a goal and three assists in the 5-1 national championship game victory over Quinnipiac in the Frozen Four at Tampa Bay.
“I’ve put on 10 pounds and matured physically,” said Boeser, who represented the U.S. this year in Finland at the 2016 world junior tournament.
Boeser already plays a pro style game — physical yet refined — but he has decided he would be better served by playing his sophomore season at North Dakota in 2016-17 rather than turning pro just yet.
“There was a discussion, but we believe it’s a good move,” said Smyl. “There is no need [to hurry to the pros]. We don’t want to crush confidence.”
Most of the 33 players this week will continue to chase their NHL dreams during the Young Stars Classic Sept. 16-19 in Penticton. The best of them will be invited to join the Canucks veterans in main camp, which opens Sept. 23 in Whistler.
