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Bo Horvat | #53 | C

-Vintage Canuck-

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IBatch Canucks Hall-of-Famer

IBatch

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5 hours ago, AlwaysACanuckFan said:

Absolutely loved the video. Not only is Bo a good player but he's also a humble, hard working confident individual. 

Moved to small town Ontario seven years ago (from Castlegar, spent 30 year on the Island) and aside from missing the mountains don't regret it a bit.   This video does a great job representing the farming communities that cover the map of small town Ontario...great people, excellent hockey talent all over the place.  GTA may be the 3rd biggest city in the US/Canada, and have 60% of Ontario's poplulation, but it is the humble and modest farming community that feeds the province, takes stewardship over the land and represents the area so well.  So happy we have Horvat, it was a horrible blow to lose Schneider, and then Luongo, but he is exactly the type of young player we need to take over the leadership of our team in a couple years.

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Cramarossa

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Edit: Didn't realize it was the same link as @Maniwaki Canuck! Well here it is copied and pasted :) 

 

Didn't see this posted anywhere. Interview of Bo by Ben Kuzma. What a beaut this kid is. Love him.

http://vancouversun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/bo-horvat-qa-young-canuck-on-pushing-his-pace-virtanens-consistency-quest-willies-systems-challenge-mounting-that-tv

 

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Bo Horvat gets it on every conceivable level.

His improving on-ice presence and dedication to charitable causes in the Lower Mainland have made the small-town product a poster boy for everything that’s right about the big-city Vancouver Canucks.

Horvat is also wise enough to understand that when you purchase a downtown home, it’s best to defer to your girlfriend for decor guidance. You might win faceoffs, but you’re not going to win that battle.

And because his residence isn’t big enough for a Man Cave, he had just two items on his wish list that he whittled down to one. It’s certainly a reasonable request for any sports fanatic — and especially a third-year NHL centre who can walk from his new place to Rogers Arena to train, practise and play.

“I want the television mounted over the fireplace and that’s about it — and hopefully I get that,” the 21-year-old Horvat said from his native Rodney, a farming community in southern Ontario with a population of 1,091.

Bo Horvat had 30 points in his final 40 games last season.

After a slow start to replace the injured Brandon Sutter, Bo Horvat had 30 points in his final 40 games last season. AP

It’s a good bet Horvat will get his wish. His on- and off-ice demeanour is one of respect and, coupled with an insatiable desire to improve every aspect of his game, it’s been noticed most by those who matter — his teammates, coaches and even linesmen.

As a defensive-zone faceoff specialist who had a 50.9 success rate in the circle last season — a team-high for those who played a full season, with the potential for improvement under the guidance of new assistant coach Doug Jarvis — gaining the respect of veteran officials is also of paramount importance and takes patience and professionalism.

Communication is a two-way street, and if the Canucks are going to climb out of the hole of being the league’s worst faceoff team last season at just 45.4 per cent, not getting on the wrong side of officials doesn’t hurt.

It’s up to Horvat to win the draws, but maybe he gets cut some slack if he doesn’t quite line up properly or his hands are moving because of his courteous manner.

“I’m getting respect, and I know the majority of them say hi and you try to stay on their nice side so they give you a little bit on an advantage,” said Horvat, laughing.

“That relationship is pretty important; linesmen are more worried about where you put your stick at the beginning, and your feet are the most important thing. They get pretty frustrated when you try to cheat and try to get that leverage over guys.”

 

Q: You initially struggled to supplant the injured Brandon Sutter as the second-line centre. You had a 27-game goalless streak, rallied for 30 points in your final 40 games for a 40-point season, yet your plus-minus was second-worst in the NHL at minus-30. What do you take from last season?

Bo Horvat endured a 27-game goalless drought last season, but is better for handling the adversity.

Bo Horvat endured a 27-game goalless drought last season, but handled the adversity. AP

A: The plan was to ease me in to being a second-line guy and Sutter gets hurt twice. I’m put out for defensive-zone faceoffs and going against all the top guys. For the majority of the time, I had rookies on my line and it definitely wasn’t easy, but I’m better for it. I learned a ton and got more comfortable and the weight was off my shoulders in the second half. I just went out and played. And that’s when I played my best.

Q: Brandon Sutter will probably be pencilled in as the second-line centre because he’s a veteran presence. What are your expectations for next season?

A: I want to be the guy the team knows will play well and a guy that everybody relies on. Whether that’s playing well defensively and shutting down a big line or contributing offensively, I obviously want to be a No. 1 centre some day, but Hank (Henrik Sedin) and Sutter are doing a great job. I’m just going to keep pushing the pace and push them as well.

Q: You have done a lot of Olympic weightlifting and power skating to improve leg strength and give you better edges for east-west movements and those end-to-end dashes. What’s your focus this summer?

A: I’ve been on the ice since the middle of June and I don’t like to stay off it long. I want to keep improving my speed and quickness and working on my shot is going to be huge, too.

Q: Can sophomore winger Jake Virtanen win the challenge to be ready physically and mentally to make the team, and avoid starting the season in Utica?

A: Jake is going to be a big part of this team for years. It was a stepping stone for him and I was out there (Vancouver) for a week and saw him training and he looked good to me. He doesn’t have the mindset that he’s on the team. He has to work for it. It’s the consistency part of the game and you can’t take a night off like in junior. You can take some off knowing it’s a for-sure win and an easier night. There are no easy nights in the NHL. On any night, any team can surprise you.

Q: Can the Canucks be structurally better without the puck after allowing the eighth-most goals last season?

A: That’s going to be a huge part of our game. Defence is a huge part of it, and it’s the biggest thing we have to work on — limit scoring chances. A lot of it has to do with getting everybody to know their jobs, and that first pass will make the game a lot easier. But my wingers and me need to get back and support the D, and we need to move up the ice as a unit.

Bo Horvat believes the positing nature of Willie Desjardins and a willingness to improve will be a boon next season.

Bo Horvat believes the positive nature of Willie Desjardins and a willingness to improve will be a boon to the club next season.

Q: Can Willie Desjardins be better at making in-game adjustments, and what would that mean to his players?

A: Willie has been unbelievable for me — especially in my first year with developing and getting me ready for the NHL. He’s so easy to talk to and approach and he always wants to know what the guys are thinking. Last year wasn’t easy on him, and he got all the blame when we weren’t playing well. He had lots of young guys with all the injuries and he’s never had a year like that. He’s ready to go and very determined to win. He’s never negative and always positive. That shows his character and that gives you confidence.

Q: Charitable work in the community has been a long-standing Canucks requirement and you seem to embrace it. Why?

A: I got brought up with it in London (OHL). They (Knights) did lots of charities and hospital visits and minor hockey stuff and that just made me more comfortable with it. Being from a small town is a huge part of it — the humbleness — and my parents raised me the right way. That has a lot to do with it.

 

Edited by ThrustyPrusty89
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11 minutes ago, Hairy Kneel said:

Man that is a great insight through his father's eyes--being separated so young. Every parents worst thoughts but he toughed er out.

The parents call him 'Bowie' ha his goal song could be "Heroes" by David Bowie

 

I remember his dad saying he was named after various athletes he admired like Bo Jackson etc., but then in that video where Jake and Ben did teammate trivia they said Bo was named after David Bowie.

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Just now, ThrustyPrusty89 said:

I remember his dad saying he was named after various athletes he admired like Bo Jackson etc., but then in that video where Jake and Ben did teammate trivia they said Bo was named after David Bowie.

Yeah both mom and his dad called him Bowie--like a nickname I like it better than the others.

Man this kids got character...loved the old chewed up puck too (his first goal one).

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Cramarossa

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1 minute ago, Hairy Kneel said:

Yeah both mom and his dad called him Bowie--like a nickname I like it better than the others.

Man this kids got character...loved the old chewed up puck too (his first goal one).

I think Bowie is his legal name, which is kind of cool since it's unique. I like his bling rings from his Mem Cup days. And those videos of baby Bo with his sick mullet ahaha

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Honky Cat Canucks Star

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I have a feeling that Horvat is going to have a real breakout this upcoming season....Definitely underrated around the league,most likely because he's out west.....He got off to a slow start last year,but I think he's pretty much got it figured out now..Looking forward to the year of the Ox.

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Alflives Canucks Hall-of-Famer

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1 minute ago, Honky Cat said:

I have a feeling that Horvat is going to have a real breakout this upcoming season....Definitely underrated around the league,most likely because he's out west.....He got off to a slow start last year,but I think he's pretty much got it figured out now..Looking forward to the year of the Ox.

I agree.  Even with the heavy lifting he will certainly take on defensively, I see Bo getting to 60+ points this season, and in consideration for the Selke.  

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