LATEST | Former Canucks captain Mark Messier makes big claim about current team

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Cooper Godin
March 13, 2024 (11:58)

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Former Vancouver Canucks captain Mark Messier sat down with NHL.com recently for an interview and was asked a very important question about which Canadian team this season has the best chance at winning the Stanley Cup.

Messier may not have been a hit with Canucks fans during his tenure in Vancouver, but his answer may win them over.

"Vancouver has had an incredible year. I've got to take my hat off to (coach) Rick Tocchet and the job he's done there. He's really centered and focused that team. They do have a lot of talent, but you know, focusing that talent is not always easy." Messier said.

He went on to add, "So Vancouver has set themselves up. One of the things I like about the Canucks is they have a really big, strong defense. In playoff hockey, playing for two months, your defense is going to be tested � ground and pound � and they've got to be able to absorb that.

Other than some inexperience in Vancouver, which is probably the thing that they're lacking the most right now, you've got to look at their team as being really positioned well to play well in the playoffs."

The Vancouver Canucks have played very well this season and currently sit in first place in both the Pacific Division and Western Conference with a record of 42-17-7 (91 points) and have set themselves up for a deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and could be Canada's best hope for brining hockey's greatest trophy home for the first time in 31 years.

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