Vancouver Canucks Rookie Jonathan Lekkerimaki Has Already Won Over Rick Tocchet & Teammates After NHL Debut
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Photo credit: Canucks Daily
In what was a highly anticipated NHL debut for Vancouver Canucks top prospect Jonathan Lekkerimaki, it seems with the comments after the game that he already has won over head coach Rick Tocchet and his teammates.
Since getting drafted 15th overall back in 2022, the organization and fans already knew Jonathan Lekkerimaki had an elite set of skills in the offence department, but it does no change how nerve-racking an NHL debut can be.
Fellow Swede and teammate Erik Brannstrom, who too has made a name for himself this season with the Canuck's, offered his fellow countryman some advice going into his first ever NHL game.
«I just told him to have fun,» said Brannstrom. «It's only hockey. He's played so many games in his life. Just keep going.»
Given the opportunity to play on the first line in his first game, the pressure mounted for Lekkerimaki. Even though he did not record any points, he played an extremely solid two way game, achieving 14:07 of ice time, managed to get 2 shots on net and had one hit.
After his debut, he commented on what it was like to finally live out his dream, especially with his parents from Tullinge, Sweden there to cheer him on.
«It felt pretty good,» said the five-foot-11, 172-pound right-winger. «It was a special moment. I tried to enjoy it.»
«That was very good,» said Lekkerimaki. «They've been there since day one.»
Jonathan Lekkerimaki impresses head coach Rick Tocchet and Vancouver Canuck teammates in NHL debut
Whether it was a language barrier, or maybe Lekkerimaki is just a man of few words, you can tell he loved every second of his debut, but on the flip side, Rick Tocchet was able to fill in the holes and had a lot to say about his rookie's first game.
«There's definitely a lot there to like,» said Tocchet. «He's a smart player. When he has the puck, there's not a lot of panic. He's just going to get better. There's a lot of stuff to build off.» - Rick Tocchet
Lekkerimaki also earned some big words from alternate captain and star forward, J.T. Miller, who had 2 assists in the win over the Calgary Flames.
«He played really well today,» said Miller. «He makes a lot of little subtle plays and he played fast. He seemed to be in the right spot most of the time. I'm very impressed and hopefully he can get more and more comfortable as we go.»
Even though the 20-year-old Swede got the praise which must feel good, he stayed humble and told the media that there are still a lot of parts to his game that he needs to improve on.
«I think I need to get stronger on the puck, get more shots,» he said. «I'm a shooter, so I want to shoot the puck more. I'm here for a reason, so just play my game.»
All in all, it was a very solid and memorable debut for the kid, and even though he was "sent down" today for cap purposes, with Brock Boeser out, we look forward to seeing him in the upcoming games to showcase that elite shot.
Previously on CanucksDaily
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 13 | 205 ANSWERS Vancouver Canucks Rookie Jonathan Lekkerimaki Has Already Won Over Rick Tocchet & Teammates After NHL Debut What do you think of Jonathan Lekkerimaki's NHL debut with the Vancouver Canucks? | ||
| great | 85 | 41.5 % |
| not bad | 104 | 50.7 % |
| could be better | 13 | 6.3 % |
| not impressed | 3 | 1.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
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