On February 13, the Vancouver Canucks released the first episode of the Canucks Insider Podcast, which features interviews from all members of this NHL organization. The podcast, hosted by Canucks Senior Writer Chris Faber, aims to “provide a new type of content for Canucks fans to be more engaged with the team.
“I’ve always loved the podcast space, and that type of content is the type that I love to create. We’re just in the beginning stages of the podcast now, and it’s sure going to be fun to watch it evolve in the future. I hope viewers/listeners can sit back, enjoy the show, have a laugh, and feel more connected to the Canucks,” Faber told The Hockey News - Canucks site of what he hopes fans can take away from the new content medium.
Eight members of the Canucks organization have been interviewed throughout the six episodes released so far, including Conor Garland (episode one), Adam Foote (episode five), and Kiefer Sherwood (episode six). Let’s take a look at one fun fact from each of these interviews.
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Conor Garland Gives Good Advice
Garland was the first Canuck interviewed as part of the podcast. During his episode, he discussed his conversations with the organization’s younger players at the end of training camp.
“I try to just tell them to enjoy it and soak up every moment, because it goes by in a flash and all of a sudden you’re in the American league,” Garland explained about what he tells prospects at the end of training camp. “You’re excited to be a pro, but you’ve got to enjoy junior.”
One player in particular that Garland mentioned was Vilmer Alriksson, who signed his entry-level contract back in September. He joined the Abbotsford Canucks only a couple of days ago, at the conclusion of his OHL season with the Brampton Steelheads.
Practice Makes Perfect For Manny Malhotra
Malhotra, the current Head Coach of the surging Abbotsford Canucks, was the second guest on the podcast. An NHL veteran who played with a handful of teams including Vancouver, Malhotra spent eight years as an NHL Development and Assistant Coach before making his way to Abbotsford. When asked about how active the coaching staff is in practices, he noted that this stems from their love of the game.
“You can’t ask someone to do something you’re not willing to do yourself. I heard that somewhere before, so when we join in with the guys there’s no excuses for them when we can get up and down the ice,” he said. “Again, it comes back to the enthusiasm of it. Our coaching staff, we love hockey, we love being on the ice with the guys. We love teaching, we love coaching, when we have opportunities to jump in drills and be a part of it, it’s fun for us.”
Tyler Myers’ Favourite Appetizers
The third guest on the podcast was Tyler Myers, who talked about some of his typical food preferences. He listed arancini as a “go-to” for him whenever it’s present on a menu, but also specified that grilled octopus is “one of [his] favourites.” He also discussed the “unbelievable eating” that Vancouver’s food scene hosts. However, in terms of road cities with notable eats, Myers couldn’t quite pick one out.
“New York, Chicago, any city really — you can find some good spots.”
Arshdeep Bains Idolized Ryan Kesler
Episode four of the podcast touched on common roots and shared passions for the Canucks at a young age. Arshdeep Bains, a Surrey local, talked about his admiration for former Canuck Ryan Kesler.
“I had a Kesler jersey when I was younger, and I wore number 17 a lot, so that just made me love the Canucks and him in the playoffs and the Stanley Cup run.”
Bains also discussed his role as a fan during the Canucks’ 2011 Stanley Cup run. “We were watching the Canucks game. I’d say the majority of the school was in the gym area and we had the whole projector out, and we basically just put the school on pause and we all got to watch hockey. That was a pretty big memory for me.”
Jujhar Khaira Followed The Team From Era To Era
“Vancouver at that time, they had that West Coast Express line. We loved watching, we watched at home whenever we could. [Todd] Bertuzzi was just big, super skilled, super tough — he just got the job done in many ways. He was just a super exciting player for me to watch growing up. He was the one jersey I had,” Jujhar Khaira said of his favourite Canuck, Todd Bertuzzi.
Khaira, who also grew up in Surrey during the height of the Canucks’ Stanley Cup run, had his own stories to share about following the team. “There were a couple of times I made it downtown, and just to be a part of the crowd there, the atmosphere, it was pretty cool. You see it in so many different sports, but when fans or the communities come together to support a collective group and to a goal the whole city has, it’s amazing.”
Building on the experience of supporting a team and then going on to play for them, Khaira emphasized how “amazing” joining the Canucks has been. “It’s nice to be close to home, see family. I think it’s cool for my parents to be able to come out and watch. They did so much for us growing up, and they sacrificed so much because of that, and now for them to spend some of their evenings out here watching, and seeing us play. That’s kind of the big thing in my eyes.”
Adam Foote Describes Rick Tocchet As A “Sponge”
Vancouver Assistant Coach Adam Foote joined the podcast on episode five to talk about his history with current Canucks Head Coach Rick Tocchet. While Tocchet and Foote both joined the Canucks organization as coaches in January 2023, their history runs deeper than that. Tocchet was an Assistant Coach with the Colorado Avalanche during the 2002–03 and 2003–04 seasons, during which Foote was one of the team’s most instrumental players.
“Tocchet was that guy that, he didn’t have to say much, you looked at him and you knew if he was happy with you or not,” Foote joked of having Tocchet as a coach. “But very fair, always had his door open, you could talk to him and run things through him. It was a short period, but I enjoyed it.
“He’s grown a lot. The beauty is, guys like him, they’re sponges — they keep trying to learn every day,” he added of Tocchet’s growth behind the bench.
Kiefer Sherwood Has Many Allergies — Dogs Are One Of Them
Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood is known for having many allergies. One of them is a lot closer to his home than some may expect.
“I’m actually allergic to dogs,” he confessed when talking about his growing family. “When we [he and fiancée Ariel Smith] started dating that was a non-negotiable, and now I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Despite the allergy, Sherwood decided to “tough it out and just get immunity eventually over time.” Now he describes his dog, Luca, as a member of his family.
“I call him my son. He’s a mini person, he’s got such an awesome personality. He’s pretty special.”
Luca is not the only dog who has entered the Sherwood household, as Smith and the Canucks forward also fostered a couple of puppies. “It’s something that she was doing more when we were on the road,” he explained. “We tried to help a couple of foster puppies that were in need of help just for a few days, and then that kind of blew up. It was just for a few days, it’s kind of funny how everyone looked at that and thought that we were major fosters.”
Sawyer Mynio Thanks Thunderbirds Fans For Making His Time In Seattle Memorable
Canucks prospect Sawyer Mynio has also joined the podcast as a guest in its special “Building Blue” segment. During this, he reflected on his time with the Seattle Thunderbirds, the WHL organization he spent four seasons with before being traded to the Calgary Hitmen this year.
“I still get texts from fans and things like that who I have their numbers with, they’re telling me how they miss me and stuff like that,” he said. “They’re some of the best fans in the league. They support you if you’re winning the championship like we did or last season when we’re at the bottom of the league. They’re just the best fans out there.”
Although the Canucks’ 2024–25 season is coming to an end, Faber noted that the team “plan[s] to run episodes consistently throughout the off-season.
“I’m looking at our development camp and the NHL Draft as great opportunities to knock out some episodes for fans to get to know some of our prospects and coaches,” Faber added regarding off-season content. “The organization is giving me a lot of support to continue growing this type of content, so I’m excited to see what comes next.”
Watch episodes of the Canucks Insider Podcast on YouTube or listen via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon Music.
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