Canucks forward Marco Rossi has something to prove once the NHL season resumes.
Marco Rossi only played eight games for the Vancouver Canucks before being sidelined due to injury at the end of December, meaning the forward has yet to play since the start of 2026. On Tuesday, he took part in Vancouver’s first practice back from the 2026 Winter Olympic break. As it stands, it looks like Rossi’s getting the green-light for an imminent return.
“It feels really good, wasn’t too long, but feels really good [for] my mindset too, so this break was good for me to get away a little bit and just to get back to 100% and that’s how I feel right now, for the first time I’ve been here,” the Canucks centre said in a media availability after Tuesday’s practice. “I feel really good, and I’m happy to be back.”
As Rossi mentioned, the Olympic break came at a decent time for him, as the forward’s last game came on December 30 and it wasn’t until near the start of February that it looked as though he could potentially make his return. Having the extra time away gave him some more time to recover properly while also taking a small step away from the game.
“It was perfect timing, like I said, it was good to get away a little bit, for the head and stuff. And like I said, it’s pretty good to be back.”
Rossi also noted that his most recent injury did end up being related to the one he’d sustained earlier on in the year with the Minnesota Wild. He elaborated a little more on how things unfolded with the most recent one.
“After my first shot block, it didn’t feel good, but I kept playing, and then I had to be out for a while, and obviously get traded,” he explained. “There’s so much happening, but when I came here, you want to play right away. Looking back, maybe it wasn’t the best decision, but like I said, I feel good now, so I can’t wait to be back.”
Dec 27, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Marco Rossi (93) during a stop in play against the San Jose Sharks in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn ImagesBecause of the fact that he’s only played in eight games for Vancouver, Rossi’s name has occasionally fallen to the wayside when discussing the blockbuster Quinn Hughes trade that occurred in mid-December. Fellow former Wild Liam Öhgren and Zeev Buium have each seen their fair share of minutes, though there hasn’t been much seen from Rossi. The forward knows he has something to prove heading into the final stretch of the 2025–26 season, but isn’t just working towards proving himself to the fans.
“A couple of games I had, it wasn’t my game, or even my best. It is what it is. It’s all about learning too. I’m really happy to be back and not just show the fans [but] also to myself, I want to be back for 100% and that’s how I feel right now.”
The rest of the season may not look the brightest for the Canucks, who currently still sit in 32nd in the entire NHL, but Rossi insists that there are still valuable things that the team can take away from these upcoming games.
“Even as a team, we can’t think about the standings and stuff. All we have to [do] is stay positive and just try to play our game and try to learn as much as we can as a group.”
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