Virtanen not sure what "stuff" he was suppose to collect

[Bur14Kes17]

The 20-year-old prospect is trying to find his game with the AHL's Utica Comets. 

Jake Virtanen still has no idea what stuff he was supposed to collect during his last visit to Vancouver.

The Canucks recalled Virtanen from the AHL's Utica Comets after just two games in mid-November. After sitting out as a healthy scratch for two games, Virtanen was once again on a plane bound for Utica. At the time, Canucks coach Willie Desjardins turned some heads with his explanation of Virtanen's brief recall.

“We were on the road, and so I don’t think he had any of his stuff,” Desjardins said per The Province. “He needed to come back to get his stuff for us to kind of make a decision on where we’re going to go at with him. When you’re on the road you don’t have anything.

“If you’re going to go down (to the AHL) for a while, you need to go back and get (your stuff).”

Asked about the whirlwind couple days, Virtanen says he was just following team orders. 

"Honestly, I was just doing what I was told," said Virtanen. "I wasn’t going to say much, but yeah, I didn’t play for a little bit there: two games on the road trip (against the Islanders and Rangers). Get sent down, play two games and then back to Vancouver, didn’t play and then sent back (to Utica).

"It’s just business and that’s just how things are going to work. I dunno exactly what (the plan is) they didn’t really communicate with me as much." 

As for getting "his stuff", Virtanen, Vancouver's 2014 first-round selection, has no idea what his coach was talking about.

"I honestly have no idea, to be honest," he said. "I actually still don’t understand that really."  

On the ice, the Canucks are looking for more consistency from the 20-year-old. The 6-foot-1, 208-pound forward scored seven goals and six assists in 55 games during his rookie season while finishing second on the team with 128 hits. 

This season, Virtanen has one assist in 10 games with the Canucks while also watching six games as a healthy scratch. 

Virtanen, who was partnered with Curtis Valk and Darren Archibald during the Comets 4-1 loss to the Toronto Marlies on Saturday, was averaging just 10:09 a night in ice time with the Canucks this season.

The Abbotsford, B.C. native is hoping added ice time while with the Comets will help him find his game. Known as a power forward, who can contribute offensively, Virtanen scored 85 goals and 161 points in 192 games over parts of four seasons with the WHL's Calgary Hitmen.

"Playing 20 minutes a night almost is pretty nice," he said. "You’ve got to get that feeling back from junior, that’s what I’m trying to build off. I was playing all the time in junior and I want to come down here and play lots of minutes and get that confidence." 

Virtanen admitted his game likely would've benefitted from a season in the AHL prior to making the jump to the NHL. However, as a 19-year-old last season the Canucks had just two options: either return him to Calgary or keep him with the NHL club.

"For the development, I bet you Vancouver would’ve wanted me come down here for a year, just for the experience," Virtanen said.  "But with the whole 20-year-old thing, they had to send me here this year. Obviously my goal is to get back to Vancouver as quick as possible and that’s what I want to do." 

In six AHL games this season Virtanen has two assists - he's yet to find the back of the net at either level this season. Virtanen's last goal came on March 14 against the Winnipeg Jets. 

"Like a lot of young players, there’s a lot of things that he’s got to work on," said Comets coach Travis Green. "I think his details in his game still have to improve. I think getting playing time is going to help him, solid practice time will help his overall game." 

The Canucks entered Saturday's play with the 27th ranked offense. Virtanen, who has shown he can score at the NHL level, could certainly help in Vancouver, if he can regain his scoring touch. 

In order to earn another recall, Virtanen knows what he needs to work on. 

"They wanted me to come down, play lots of minutes, practice lots, it’s definitely a different league: faster down here, I feel," Virtanen said. "Guys are working 100 per cent every shift so you’ve got to be able to keep up with that and bring that back to Vancouver.

"When I get that call hopefully back up to Van, I want to be up there as soon as possible and show that I belong."

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This was from The Hockey News. Just a little bit more egg on the face of the Canucks management. It's hard to know who to blame this one on as it seems Jims plan was for him to play two games in the AHL and then right back to the show but Willie wasn't informed of this and had other plans. It sounds like Jake kinda felt like he was thrown under the bus a bit by Willie over "not having his stuff" and wanted to make it clear he had no idea what was going on. Great. How to mishandle a prospect 101.

The good news is he still seems very motivated and has a good attitude about working hard and learning what he needs to to get back to the show. Best of luck Jake!

[Odd.]

Quote

This was from The Hockey News. Just a little bit more egg on the face of the Canucks management. It's hard to know who to blame this one on as it seems Jims plan was for him to play two games in the AHL and then right back to the show but Willie wasn't informed of this and had other plans. It sounds like Jake kinda felt like he was thrown under the bus a bit by Willie over "not having his stuff" and wanted to make it clear he had no idea what was going on. Great. How to mishandle a prospect 101.

And this is why we're notorious for screwing up prospects. LMAO 

[BlackBeard]

some immaturity there when he said he doesn't know the stuff they're talking about, he should've had gotten that it was just a made up and went along with it to keep things professional and avoid making things bigger, the kind of things a lot of the media feeds on.

 

imagine WD being honest on Virtanen, in his interviews, that would've been sick

[Nuxin07]

I don't see how this kid is going to have success if he in only playing 10 minutes a night in the AHL. Another JB disaster. 

Just on a side rant - JB was brought in for scouting - when you compare the draft success of JV and OJ to Nylander and Tkachuk it just futher reminds me we should have brought in an experienced GM. In the future Aquillini has to learn not role the dice on a junior coach/rookie gm/rookie prez. It only adds to the whole "ownership control" theory.

 

Somewhere Mike Gillis is laughing his ass off...

[Apple Juice]

2 minutes ago, Nuxin07 said:

I don't see how this kid is going to have success if he in only playing 10 minutes a night in the AHL. Another JB disaster. 

Just on a side rant - JB was brought in for scouting - when you compare the draft success of JV and OJ to Nylander and Tkachuk it just futher reminds me we should have brought in an experienced GM. In the future Aquillini has to learn not role the dice on a junior coach/rookie gm/rookie prez. It only adds to the whole "ownership control" theory.

 

Somewhere Mike Gillis is laughing his ass off...

He'll be getting around 20 mins in the AHL. Green will make sure he gets top minutes considering Green himself even said in the article that he has a lot to improve on and the only way he can do it is by getting the minutes, which he will be getting. The 10 mins a night was quoting his playing time in the NHL, not the AHL

[hearditall]

19 minutes ago, Bur14Kes17 said:

was averaging just 10:09 a night in ice time with the Canucks this season.

[Primal Optimist]

don't take the 'getting his stuff' explanation as real. It was what they GM said to the press, not the truth. Not saying GM's lie to the press, but they have to hold some of their cards close to the chest and so need alternative explanations rather than "So i had this hot trade lined up to send X Sedin to Y Team, but then as we were faxing the signed copies back and forth with Y Team it fell through when we wouldn't include a 5th round pick in 2018, so we called up Virts for nothing it turned out". 

[-AJ-]

I really look forward to seeing what Green can do with this kid.

[lethal_spaghetti]

4 minutes ago, Nuxin07 said:

I don't see how this kid is going to have success if he in only playing 10 minutes a night in the AHL. Another JB disaster. 

Just on a side rant - JB was brought in for scouting - when you compare the draft success of JV and OJ to Nylander and Tkachuk it just futher reminds me we should have brought in an experienced GM. In the future Aquillini has to learn not role the dice on a junior coach/rookie gm/rookie prez. It only adds to the whole "ownership control" theory.

 

Somewhere Mike Gillis is laughing his ass off...

Yea i agree that not every decision has gone bennings way however it is still a bit early to call anything a disaster. lets wait this one out and see where we are at in 3-5 years everyone is going to develop differently. (Also for every "disaster" benning has done a lot of good here too i.e. boeser, tryamkin, stecher, etc)

[saucypass]

As someone who has been critical of Jake's game around here, all I want to say is that I genuinely wish him nothing but the best in the AHL and that he'll become a monster for us when he gets called up. 

[Bur14Kes17]

10 minutes ago, Nuxin07 said:

I don't see how this kid is going to have success if he in only playing 10 minutes a night in the AHL. Another JB disaster. 

Just on a side rant - JB was brought in for scouting - when you compare the draft success of JV and OJ to Nylander and Tkachuk it just futher reminds me we should have brought in an experienced GM. In the future Aquillini has to learn not role the dice on a junior coach/rookie gm/rookie prez. It only adds to the whole "ownership control" theory.

 

Somewhere Mike Gillis is laughing his ass off...

The article was confusing but it meant 10 min a night in the NHL. Jake is playing close to 18 min a night in the AHL right now

[Dreckis123]

Bottom line is this kid hasn't played well and when he was in the lineup he looked undetermined. Look at Bo given absolutely nothing to work with and still goes out every single shift looking like he wants more. 

 

Dont nut tell me this organization can't develop prospects. Hogwash........

[FijianCanuck]

3 minutes ago, Dreckis123 said:

Bottom line is this kid hasn't played well and when he was in the lineup he looked undetermined. Look at Bo given absolutely nothing to work with and still goes out every single shift looking like he wants more. 

 

Dont nut tell me this organization can't develop prospects. Hogwash........

He's a different player type than bo. No power forward can skate like a 2 way center. Jake needs the love that Bert got.when he was here and Jake will thrive. 

[Smiley2051]

Hopefully the AHL is the best for him, but why do they need to screw it up so bad? Everything is such a controversy with this org, and they are certainly far from helping themselves. 

[WHL rocks]

Rookie GM, Rookie coach, Rookie President. 

 

Mistakes are bound to be made, all three are on their first Job in their respective roles. Second time around they will know better. Thing is none of these 3 will likely get a 2nd time around at these positions. 

[leomessi]

1 minute ago, WHL rocks said:

Rookie GM, Rookie coach, Rookie President. 

 

Mistakes are bound to be made, all three are on their first Job in their respective roles. Second time around they will know better. Thing is none of these 3 will likely get a 2nd time around at these positions. 

 

 

I think benning will still be around as well as linden but willie done by the end of this year.

[SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME]

31 minutes ago, Bur14Kes17 said:

I dunno exactly what (the plan is) they didn’t really communicate with me as much." 

So that doesn't sound good. But then later in the interview:

 

31 minutes ago, Bur14Kes17 said:

In order to earn another recall, Virtanen knows what he needs to work on. 

"They wanted me to come down, play lots of minutes, practice lots, it’s definitely a different league: faster down here, I feel," Virtanen said. "Guys are working 100 per cent every shift so you’ve got to be able to keep up with that and bring that back to Vancouver.

"When I get that call hopefully back up to Van, I want to be up there as soon as possible and show that I belong."

Which sounds like they did communicate a plan to Virtanen.

 

And then regarding Willie and the "stuff":

 

31 minutes ago, Bur14Kes17 said:

"I honestly have no idea, to be honest," he said. "I actually still don’t understand that really."  

This all seems like a case of a reporter taking advantage of a kid who isn't very media savvy.

 

And the result is some juicy quotes that can be used to make the Canucks organization appear inept.

 

But it seems clear that Virtanen knows what's expected of him and what he needs to do to get back to the NHL. Which again suggests there is a plan and that it has been communicated to the player.

 

And Benning did say that they had meetings in Vancouver to decide what the long term plan was for Virtanen. Which really seems like the main reason why they brought Jake back to Vancouver before re-assigning him to Utica.

 

The rest of the interview just strikes me as the reporter manipulating Virtanen into saying some things that might make the team look bad.

 

And unfortunately, it seems that Jake hasn't quite learned to keep his mouth shut when it comes to statements that are potentially damaging to the reputation of the team and its management and coaching staff.

[DeNiro]

By the time Virtanen is recalled Willie will be gone and he can have his fresh start.

 

He's gotta get back to working hard and earning his minutes though. No coach in the NHL will give him minutes without having solid fundamentals.

[Dekey Pete]

40 minutes ago, Bur14Kes17 said:

"Playing 20 minutes a night almost is pretty nice," he said. "You’ve got to get that feeling back from junior, that’s what I’m trying to build off. I was playing all the time in junior and I want to come down here and play lots of minutes and get that confidence." 

Virtanen admitted his game likely would've benefitted from a season in the AHL prior to making the jump to the NHL. However, as a 19-year-old last season the Canucks had just two options: either return him to Calgary or keep him with the NHL club.

"For the development, I bet you Vancouver would’ve wanted me come down here for a year, just for the experience," Virtanen said.  "But with the whole 20-year-old thing, they had to send me here this year. Obviously my goal is to get back to Vancouver as quick as possible and that’s what I want to do." 

In order to earn another recall, Virtanen knows what he needs to work on. 

"They wanted me to come down, play lots of minutes, practice lots, it’s definitely a different league: faster down here, I feel," Virtanen said. "Guys are working 100 per cent every shift so you’ve got to be able to keep up with that and bring that back to Vancouver.

"When I get that call hopefully back up to Van, I want to be up there as soon as possible and show that I belong."

 

This is one of the most promising interviews I've heard him do.  It sounds like he's accepted the fact that he needs time in the AHL to work on his game.  I look forward to see if he can get his development back on track.

[Conscience]

10 minutes ago, FijianCanuck said:

He's a different player type than bo. No power forward can skate like a 2 way center. Jake needs the love that Bert got.when he was here and Jake will thrive. 

??? Skating was one of jakes best assets