Vancouver Canucks Top Prospect Tom Willander Opens Up on His Career-Altering Decision
Photo credit: Vancouver Canucks.
Vancouver Canucks top prospect Tom Willander has opened up recently after deciding to make the jump to professional hockey this season after two years in the NCAA.
The Vancouver Canucks' Rookie Camp officially got underway on Thursday and this year's roster is loaded with talent including some of the team's top prospects including Tom Willander, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Braeden Cootes and Elias Pettersson.
All eyes will be on those four this weekend against the Seattle Kraken, among others such as goaltender Aleksei Medvedev, but it's defenseman Tom Willander that fans have been waiting to watch for a couple of years now and will finally get their chance to do so with him in a Canucks uniform.
This week, while at the team's Rookie Camp, Willander opened up about his decision to leave the NCAA for professional hockey and whether he's starting in the AHL with Abbotsford or right into the NHL with Vancouver, the 20-year-old is very excited about the opportunity ahead of him.
Tom Willander opens up after deciding to make the jump to professional hockey
For those who aren't familiar, Willander was Vancouver's first round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and he quickly established himself as one of the top defenders not only in the Hockey East conference, but in the entire NCAA and after weeks of back-and-forth negotiations in the spring, the Canucks and the Swedish blueliner were finally able to agree to terms on a contract to allow him to turn pro.
Recently, Willander sat down with Vancouver Canucks Senior Writer Chris Faber to speak about his offseason, which included a brief stint with the Swedish Men's National Team before the IIHF World Championship and gave his thoughts before his first professional hockey season.
"What I kind of felt when I was there playing was that when you play with pros, hockey is very different from college hockey, obviously. When you play with better players, there are some things that are a bit different. Defending is harder, but parts of the offensive game are a lot easier because you get the puck quicker and earlier, so you really have more time than you would have to make a play at the college level. I felt like you just get the puck in better positions, better spots, all over [the ice]. So, some parts of the game definitely did feel easier." Willander said about being with the Swedish Men's National Team.
Willander also shared that his mentality heading into Rookie Camp this week followed by main camp next week in Penticton is to try and do whatever it takes to earn a spot on the Vancouver Canucks' opening night roster and be in the lineup when they begin the 2025-26 season against the Calgary Flames.
"I've been on the ice with these guys in the past week, so I think all the time I get on the ice before the season starts serves as experience. But I think doing anything but fighting for a spot would be wrong, so that's my mentality going in." Willander said.
For those who have watched Tom Willander's progress since coming over to North America to join Boston University, they'll know that he'll be ready for whatever scenario is thrown his way and based on his performance during the latter stages of the 2024-25 campaign, as well as at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, it wouldn't shock anyone if the Stockholm native wins a roster spot out of training camp.
Source: Vancouver Canucks/Chris Faber
'I was definitely more dialed in than I've been before': Tom Willander's Big Summer Prepares Him for First Training Camp with Canucks
'I was definitely more dialed in than I've been before': Tom Willander's Big Summer Prepares Him for First Training Camp with Canucks
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 12 | 952 ANSWERS Vancouver Canucks Top Prospect Tom Willander Opens Up on His Career-Altering Decision Do you think Tom Willander will make the Vancouver Canucks' opening night roster out of training camp? | ||
| Yes | 510 | 53.6 % |
| No | 442 | 46.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
TRENDING NOW
