The Canucks have kicked off the month of September by holding informal skates at Rogers Arena ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Rogers Arena has been busy throughout the past couple of days, and that’s not just because of upcoming concerts and events hosted by the venue.
The Vancouver Canucks have slowly made their way back to BC as the off-season dwindles down, taking part in casual skates at their home rink on August 31, September 1, and today, September 2.
Among those that have been spotted in Vancouver’s skates via social media are the following:
- Forwards Elias Pettersson, Filip Chytil, Jake DeBrusk, Brock Boeser, Marco Rossi, Max Sasson, Linus Karlsson, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Aatu Räty, Drew O’Connor, Liam Öhgren, Brendan Gallagher, Paul Cotter, and Chase Wouters.
- Defencemen Filip Hronek, Zeev Buium, Jamie Oleksiak, Luke Schenn, Elias Pettersson, Tom Willander, and Victor Mancini.
- Goaltenders Kevin Lankinen and Nikita Tolopilo.
This was the first little stretch of skates at Rogers Arena for newcomers Gallagher, Oleksiak, and Cotter. In Gallagher’s case, this is his first time facing a change of scenery at the NHL-level — he previously spent all 14 seasons of his NHL career with the Montréal Canadiens — so things felt understandably different for him.
“It starts to hit a little bit more when you get here,” he said in a media availability on September 1. “That chapter of my life is behind us. Very appreciative for what we had, but we’re on to bigger and better things here, and we’re excited as a family. I think this is such a good opportunity for us to come to Vancouver and to be a part of a really good group, and we’re very excited. It’s exciting days, and we’re looking forward to getting to work.”
For now three-time Canuck Schenn, the feeling, while still a bit different, is ultimately familiar. Things have undoubtedly changed since Schenn’s last stint with Vancouver back in 2023, whether that’s regarding his teammates on the ice or coaching staff and management off the ice. The defenceman spoke a little more about the feeling in Tuesday’s media availability.
“It does in some ways for sure feel natural. In other ways it feels a little different just because there’s so many new faces here. I’m kind of a familiar face, but a lot of the medical staff is new, I think there’s only three or four players left from when I was here the first time around, and obviously all new coaching staff and management. It feels very familiar, but yet very different at the same time.”
More and more news will likely begin to trickle in as training camp, taking place in Penticton from September 17 to 20, draws closer. Before then, the Canucks will take part in their 2026 Prospect Showcase against the Seattle Kraken on September 12 and 13.
Apr 14, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Zeev Buium (24) and forward Nils Hoglander (21) and forward Elias Pettersson (40) and defenseman Kirill Kudryavtsev (59) celebrate Buium’s goal against the Los Angeles Kings in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn ImagesMake sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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