Vancouver Canucks' Conor Garland Ready to Take on Bigger Role for His Team This Season
Photo credit: Sportsnet
Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland believes he is ready to take on a bigger role and be a leader for his club throughout the 2025-26 season.
It was quite a busy offseason for Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland which began by helping the United States win their first gold medal at the IIHF World Championship in over 90 years.
A month later, the Canucks and Garland agreed to terms on a contract extension that'll keep him in Vancouver until the summer of 2032, the same year which deals for Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson will expire.
Because of what he accomplished at the World Championship, Garland received an invitation to USA Hockey's 2026 Olympic Orientation Camp and as he heads into his fifth season as a Vancouver Canuck, he's hoping to play a big role and be a leader on and off the ice for his club.
Conor Garland hoping to play bigger role, be a leader for the Vancouver Canucks this season
This week, Garland sat down for an interview with Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet where he spoke about taking on an expanded leadership role this coming season and what he can bring to the team after putting up 50 points for the second time in his career last year.
"I definitely have to improve and grow into it more. I think there's other guys that have natural (leadership), like Fil Hronek and how hard he practises, how hard he plays. He's a huge leader for us. Derek Forbort, Mysie (Tyler Myers), Demmer (Thatcher Demko), Marcus Pettersson. For me, I think it's just through my hard work and my love for the game. I hope I can come in every day and make guys happy to be at the rink. I'd love to be that type of leader." Garland said.
Whether he's playing on the second, third or fourth line, Garland has proved to be an effective player for the Vancouver Canucks and he expects much of the same heading into the 2025-26 campaign wherever he's placed by the team's new Head Coach, Adam Foote, as he told Iain MacIntyre this week.
"It's an ability I have, and I take all the pride in it. I can play first line, second line, third line, fourth line, PK, power play. Wherever I go, I feel like I can help the team. Me and Footy (head coach Adam Foote) talked about that in the summer, you know, 'If I need you there, you've got to go there.' He knows I'll never complain. I played third line last year and still played 20 minutes some nights. If you play well, the coach wants to get you on the ice. If you play poorly, your time is going to be limited. That's how I always view it." Garland said.
Garland and the Canucks are just a week away from opening up training camp and if the club is going to have any success this season, they'll need players like the Scituate, Massachusetts native to help with secondary scoring, something that he'll certainly be able to do as he chases a fifth-straight 15-goal campaign.
Source: Sportsnet
Garland embracing role in Canucks' leadership core
Garland embracing role in Canucks' leadership core
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 11 | 886 ANSWERS Vancouver Canucks' Conor Garland Ready to Take on Bigger Role for His Team This Season Do you think Conor Garland will finish top-five in points for the Vancouver Canucks in the 2025-26 season? | ||
| Yes | 796 | 89.8 % |
| No | 90 | 10.2 % |
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