Willpower

I just really like the fact that Dorsett doesn't ever quit. My son chose 15 for his own number after watching an interview with Dorsett and his father about how he'd been told his whole life that he wasn't good enough, but he worked hard enough to make it. I'm not all that concerned about the fighting. It's the effort that serves as an inspiration. Love that. Hope he keeps it up.

I've been a fan since he first showed up on the Canucks roster. I don't need to see him hammering people into mush or trying to punch their faces in, just the fact that he's able to push them out of his way, clear the crease, and play a solid defensive D is enough. The year before last, we had nobody like that. Last year it was obvious we needed him back in when he was hurt. Hopefully he stays healthy and in Vancouver for some time to come.

You took the words right out of my mouth. If he can serve as an example for some of the younger guys to inspire them to put in just as much effort, it's totally worth it to keep him around a little longer. And, in a completely selfish manner, he serves as a fantastic inspirational motivator for my own hockey playing son. "See, you don't need to be the next Crosby or McDavid to make it into the NHL, you just have to be like Dorsett or Biega and work harder than anyone else you know."

Sorry if someone else mentioned it, but this thread was starting to make my head explode. There's a lot of mind-blowing stuff in here about Jake's talent. But for me that is probably secondary. Jake *sounds* like a more mature person in his recent interviews. Which, aside from his obvious progress with Green last year, makes me think that he is far more ready now for his shot in the NHL than he was when he first showed up. He hadn't matured enough as a person or player, regardless of his skill and size, and that was pretty clear in all of the interviews, video blurbs, etc. He's grown as a person, as well as a player, in this past year. I was admittedly excited to see a homegrown kid make the club last time, but you could see in games that he wasn't ready. I hold a lot more optimism for him this time around. He seems to have gained much more of an understanding of what is required of him, on and off the ice. I'd be willing to bet that if you spoke to some of the older guys in the locker room, they'd be saying stuff about how he's got a different presence in the room. Way to go, Jake. Take your experiences and make the most of them.