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Elias Pettersson Finally Shares Honest Thoughts on How He Feels About Vancouver Canucks Fans
Photo credit: Sportsnet
Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson recently opened up on how he deals with interacting with fans while he's out and about in British Columbia's biggest city.
The Vancouver Canucks have one of the most passionate fan bases in the entire National Hockey League and it makes playing in the city and at Rogers Arena one of the best things a player can experience in their career.
Playing in a big market like Vancouver can also come with some disadvantages too, as everyone knows who you are, including star forward Elias Pettersson, but the Swede doesn't seem to mind when he's approached by fans in public.
Canucks forward Elias Pettersson opens up on dealing with fans in Vancouver
After a tough 2024-25 campaign, one that was filled with drama and a lack of production, Elias Pettersson is looking to prove everyone wrong next season and wants to return to being a 90-100 point player for the Canucks.
The Sundsvall, Sweden native has already already begun his offseason training regiment in his home nation, something he wasn't able to do at 100 percent health last summer due to an injury, which likely played a role in his not-so-great season.
Recently, Pettersson sat down for an interview with Uffe Bodin and Elias Johanson HockeySverige to discuss a number of different topics and among them being what it's like to play in a big market like Vancouver and how he deals with the attention on a daily basis.
Elias Pettersson was also asked how it is to deal with fans in Vancouver when he's out and about in the city and he shared that it's a good problem to have.
Note: the following is translated from Swedish
"It depends on how you look at it, of course. Sure, you get recognized, but you get recognized because you play ice hockey and you live your childhood dream. I take it with a kick in the heels. I had idols when I grew up so I just try to be as good and happy as I can. It's not always me every day (laughter), but you get recognized because you play hockey so it's a good problem." Pettersson said.
He later added when asked if he's taken more selfies with fans than Leo Carlsson, "Yeah, but the ones that come up are always nice so you just try to spend some time with them."
"It depends on how you look at it, of course. Sure, you get recognized, but you get recognized because you play ice hockey and you live your childhood dream. I take it with a kick in the heels. I had idols when I grew up so I just try to be as good and happy as I can. It's not always me every day (laughter), but you get recognized because you play hockey so it's a good problem." Pettersson said.
He later added when asked if he's taken more selfies with fans than Leo Carlsson, "Yeah, but the ones that come up are always nice so you just try to spend some time with them."
It's nice to hear that Elias Pettersson is really accommodating when approached by fans and that even through a tough stretch in his career, he's feeling the love and support from the entire city and fan base.
Source: Uffe Bodin & Elias Johanson/HockeySverige
TV: "It's hockey in Canada and it doesn't get any better"
TV: "It's hockey in Canada and it doesn't get any better"
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