Jump to content
The Official Site of the Vancouver Canucks
Enter Search Term. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. If no results appear, use Enter to do a full site search.
Forum Closure ×
Canucks Community
Forum Closure

Jake Virtanen | #18 | RW

avelanch

By avelanch
in Alumni

 Share

Recommended Posts

Derp... Canucks First-Line

Derp...

Posted
Posted

He was ranked in top 25 NHL prospects by NHL.com 1 behind Horvat, and ahead of Dal Colle. Thatcher Demko and Brendan Gaunce also received votes for being in the top 60, but didn't make it.

Interestingly Shinkaruk, McCann, Jensen, and Vey didn't receive votes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DeNiro Canucks Hall-of-Famer

DeNiro

Posted
Posted

He was ranked in top 25 NHL prospects by NHL.com 1 behind Horvat, and ahead of Dal Colle. Thatcher Demko and Brendan Gaunce also received votes for being in the top 60, but didn't make it.

Interestingly Shinkaruk, McCann, Jensen, and Vey didn't receive votes.

Jensen might not be eligible for their list.

Not sure why Gaunce would get votes and Shinkaruk wouldn't unless Shinkaruk wasn't eligible either?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pimp C Canucks Prospect

Pimp C

Posted
Posted

Jensen might not be eligible for their list.

Not sure why Gaunce would get votes and Shinkaruk wouldn't unless Shinkaruk wasn't eligible either?

Its based on calder eligibility which Jensen is still eligible for (over 25 gp in 1 season or over 5 games played in 2 or more seasons.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dogbyte Canucks Star

Dogbyte

Posted
Posted (edited)

AHA, I just remembered I live in Calgary ... I always try to forget. :)

But the perk to that is that we have excellent tickets behind the bench for the Hitmen, and we get the box every second game ... of course every one clambers on about the Flames and the Hitmen tickets go unused for the most part.

Not this year, me thinks I'll be watching me a lot of Virtanen ... I may have extra tickets each game. This should be fun.

Edited by Dogbyte
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Canucks1219 Canucks Regular

Canucks1219

Posted
Posted

http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=730423&navid=DL|VAN|home

“It’s tough watching your team play, but I know I’m only a few weeks away from coming back,” he said. “The date that has been set for me is October 15 and I am hoping that’s the date so I can come back as soon as possible, try to make the team, and if not, head back to Calgary and have a successful year.

But now, four months after the surgery, Virtanen is feeling good and doesn’t appear to have any limitations, besides contact, during practice as a result of the procedure.

“I was kind of nervous after surgery that my shoulder would feel different on the ice,” he said. “But it feels normal and it feels good. I don’t have any problems shooting the puck or skating, I just need to clear the contact part.”

Glad to see things are coming along nicely with his recovery.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DeNiro Canucks Hall-of-Famer

DeNiro

Posted
Posted

,

I guess Team Canada..(?) Unless he means "to be 100% before then" I don't see how he can make the team once the NHL season has started.

Yea that`s why I was confused. It sounds like he`s talking about the Canucks, but if he`s not good to go until the 15th, there`s no way the team is gonna leave a spot open for him to have a 9 game trial.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
theminister Canucks All-Star

theminister

Posted
Posted

Yea that`s why I was confused. It sounds like he`s talking about the Canucks, but if he`s not good to go until the 15th, there`s no way the team is gonna leave a spot open for him to have a 9 game trial.

They could still give him a short trial at that time if an injury hits and then feel he is in game shape.

They won't. But they could.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Robongo Canucks Third-Line

Robongo

Posted
Posted

From The Province

PENTICTON Jake Virtanen is pumped to be at his first NHL training camp, but hes also frustrated hes not in a position to make the Canucks as an 18-year-old.

The Abbotsford native is recovering quickly from surgery in late May to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He has been skating with the Canucks prospects here, but hasnt been cleared for contact, so he cant yet play in any games.

Its pretty crazy, said Virtanen on Monday morning, following another hard skate with a couple of other injured players and the healthy scratches for the Canucks final Young Stars tourney game against Calgary.

Its a lot of fun right now. Its been frustrating just watching. I want to be out there with the guys and having a good time. Its my first rookie camp and I really wanted to get out there. It has kind of sucked to be watching. But with the situation Im in right now, Im handling it and just going out and practising.

The Canucks new brain trust of president Trevor Linden and GM Jim Benning used their top pick (sixth overall) to take Virtanen, a big goal-scoring winger who already has NHL wheels. Virtanen, whos physical as well as fast, has a big shot and scored 45 goals for the WHL Calgary Hitmen last season.

The Canucks are obviously expecting big things from the 6-foot-1, 208 pound right-hand shot.

So does Virtanen.

If it wasnt for my shoulder, my goal was to make Vancouver and try to be a full-on player this year, he said. But, with the shoulder, its whether Vancouver wants to keep me in Van or send me back to Calgary. If I go back to Calgary, itll be a development year, try to be on the world junior team.

Virtanen is close to playing, though. Hes set his sights on Oct. 15.

Im a pretty quick healer and its come back to me pretty quick, he said. It (the shoulder) feels really normal right now. I had that fear when I had surgery that it would feel different but it feels really good, feels normal. Im really happy with it. I can do everything except take contact.

Itll be up to the Canucks, of course, whether they send him back to the WHL or keep him through the upcoming main camp.

Virtanen hopes its the latter.

Im really hoping to go to Vancouver and meet all the team, skate with some of the veteran guys and soak that in as well, he said. They havent really talked to me about it. But thats my goal, to stay around as long as possible.

Virtanen injured his shoulder when he fell awkwardly during a mid-season game. At first, he thought it wasnt major.

I wasnt sure, thought it could have just tweaked a muscle, but it ended up being a torn labrum, he said. It didnt hurt that much, but you want to be healthy and not have to worry about it in the future.

He played through the injury and played for Canadas Under-18 team at the world championship in Finland in April, leading the squad in scoring, with six points, including three goals, in seven games.

If he does get sent back to junior, Virtanen seems a lock to be on the world junior team, though he knows hell have to hit the ground running to show the coaches hes ready.

Ill have to have a quick start to the season because Ill only have about a month and a bit to show myself and try to make a spot on that team, he said.

Doubt they keep him around as they haven't even talked to him about it. Unfortunate that he's only a couple weeks late for preseason. Might be for the best though, since he'll have a big role with the Hitmen this year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest Dasein

Guest Dasein

Posted
Posted

^^^^ still would like to see him traded to a legitimate contender like Kassian was and have a shot at a championship or two before he finishes his junior career.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...