Looking Back At Canucks Opening Night Lineups: 2019–20 to 2023–24

The Vancouver Canucks have officially wrapped their 2025 pre-season, which means they’re one step closer to finalizing their opening night roster for their season-opener on October 9 against the Calgary Flames. We’ve looked back at opening night lineups from 2015–16 to 2018–19, so let’s reflect on those from 2019–20 to 2023–24. 

Micheal Ferland – Elias Pettersson – Brock Boeser

Tanner Pearson – Bo Horvat – J.T. Miller

Loui Eriksson – Brandon Sutter – Josh Leivo 

Tim Schaller – Jay Beagle – Jake Virtanen 

Alex Edler – Tyler Myers

Quinn Hughes – Chris Tanev

Jordie Benn – Troy Stecher 

Jacob Markström – Thatcher Demko 

This was the first Canucks lineup in a while that had given the team a bit of hope. With young stars like Pettersson and Boeser having had a couple seasons worth of experience, and Hughes making his full-season debut, the team had playoffs in sight — and finally clinched them for the first time in five seasons. While the regular season was thrown off due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Vancouver managed to finish third in the Pacific Division and 17th in the NHL before qualifying for the playoffs. 

Brock Boeser – Elias Pettersson – Jake Virtanen 

Tanner Pearson – Bo Horvat – Nils Höglander 

Antoine Roussel – Adam Gaudette – Zack MacEwen 

Tyler Motte – Jay Beagle – Brandon Sutter 

Alex Edler – Nate Schmidt 

Quinn Hughes – Travis Hamonic 

Olli Juolevi – Tyler Myers

Braden Holtby – Thatcher Demko 

Vancouver lost some key players during the 2020 off-season, leading to some new players joining their lineup. Out came Chris Tanev, Jacob Markström, Troy Stecher, and in-season acquisition Tyler Toffoli, and in came Schmidt, Hamonic, Holtby, and prospect Höglander. In a shortened season, Vancouver dealt with injuries and COVID-19 outbreaks that resulted in them placing 24th in the league and seventh in the Scotia North Division. 

Tanner Pearson – Bo Horvat – Conor Garland 

J.T. Miller – Elias Pettersson – Alex Chiasson 

Matthew Highmore – Jason Dickinson – Nils Höglander 

Justin Dowling – Juho Lammikko – Vasily Podkolzin 

Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Tyler Myers

Quinn Hughes – Tucker Poolman 

Jack Rathbone – Kyle Burroughs 

Thatcher Demko – Jaroslav Halak 

The Canucks made one of their biggest moves in awhile during the 2021 NHL Draft, resulting in yet another roster overhaul. Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland joined the team via trade, while Vancouver also made many depth additions in all three positions. While they did come close, the Canucks couldn’t quite make the final push, finishing the season with a fifth-place divisional and 18th overall ranking.  

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Tanner Pearson – J.T. Miller – Brock Boeser

Andrei Kuzmenko – Elias Pettersson – Nils Höglander 

Vasily Podkolzin – Bo Horvat – Conor Garland 

Dakota Joshua – Nils Åman – Curtis Lazar 

Quinn Hughes – Luke Schenn 

Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Tucker Poolman 

Riley Stillman – Kyle Burroughs 

Thatcher Demko – Spencer Martin  

The 2022–23 season began with a question mark. With both Miller and Horvat awaiting contract extensions, the team opted to sign the former during the off-season, leaving the door open for an eventual Horvat trade. The Canucks’ big free-agency splash was goal-scoring dynamo Kuzmenko, who signed for league-minimum straight out of the KHL. Once again, Vancouver was unable to qualify for the playoffs, finishing the season 22nd in the NHL and sixth in the Pacific Division. 

Andrei Kuzmenko – Elias Pettersson – Conor Garland

Phil Di Giuseppe – J.T. Miller – Brock Boeser

Dakota Joshua – Pius Suter – Anthony Beauvilier 

Sam Lafferty – Nils Höglander 

Quinn Hughes – Filip Hronek 

Ian Cole – Tyler Myers 

Akito Hirose – Noah Juulsen 

Thatcher Demko – Casey DeSmith 

The Canucks were heavy underdogs heading into the 2023–24 season, with many people confused about the direction the team was heading in. Only six players on this opening night roster had played for Vancouver in the 2019–20 season, and only nine had been part of the opening night roster from the season before. In a surprising twist, the team surged to a first-place Pacific Division position at the end of the season as well as a ranking of sixth overall in the NHL. 

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