Rick Tocchet rewards Jonathan Lekkerimaki with massive opportunity

The Vancouver Canucks opened up training camp on Thursday in Penticton at South Okanagan Events Centre to prepare for the 2024-25 season, hoping they'll be able to replicate the success they had last year.

On the ice for the first of three sessions on Day 1 was the Canucks' top prospect, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, who was given a pretty big opportunity right out of the gate by head coach Rick Tocchet.

As the team took to the ice, David Quadrelli of Canucks Army noticed that Jonathan Lekkerimaki appeared to be skating on a line with Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk.

That was later confirmed to be correct as the trio began taking rushes together during drills, as shared in a video on X by 'Canucks Insider'.

Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet 650 shared the lines from Group A's on-ice session in a post on X. Several other regulars were also on the ice in Group A, those being Conor Garland, Nils Hoglander, Filip Hronek, Tyler Myers and Derek Forbort.

We'll have to wait and see what Jonathan Lekkerimaki is able to do with the opportunity he's given and if that trio will be together for any preseason games. If he's able to have a good camp, the 2022 first-rounder will certainly be in the mix for a spot on the opening night roster.

The Canucks will have three days of on-ice sessions in Penticton before wrapping up with a Blue vs White game on Sunday at Noon PT. Rick Tocchet's group will then open the preseason on Tuesday at home against Seattle.