'I'd be smiling if I got that much money, too': Elias Pettersson's teammates, coach react to 8-year contract extension
When Elias Pettersson took to the ice for practice at Rogers Arena Saturday morning, minutes after signing an eight-year, $92.8-million contract extension with the Vancouver Canucks, teammates couldn’t help but notice a difference.
“He’s smiling everywhere he is. You know, I’d be smiling if I got that much money too,” joked teammate Brock Boeser. “I’m just so happy for him, and happy he’s committed to stay here and wants to be a part of this organization.”
“Just seeing him, I think it was a big of a weight off his shoulders. I mean, I think he handled it really well the entire year and didn’t make a big deal out of it or talk about it at all. But, of course, it’s going to be in the back of your mind,” said Quinn Hughes, who considers Pettersson a close friend.
“We have played together for a long time now, and you know, when I first came in, I was 19 and he was just turning 20. Happy for him as a teammate, but also on the other side of that that, he’s going to be here for a long time,” said Hughes.
Head coach Rick Tocchet is also happy he’ll be able to count on Pettersson for years to come.
“He’s been here five years, you know, been a Canuck for five years, and now pretty well going to be a Canuck for the rest of his career. It’s something that I think he really wanted this year by talking to him about it. And this is going to be his home, so it’s exciting for Petey. I am really happy for him,” said Tocchet.
The new contract, which is the richest in Vancouver Canucks history, puts an end to weeks of speculation on Pettersson’s future with the team that drafted him back in 2017.
“I said it the other day, I think regardless if you say it’s not in your mind, it’s obviously in your mind. It’s a lot of money and it’s a big commitment, and I’m just happy he can put it past him and really just focus on doing what he does best, and that’s being a leader and producing for our team,” said Boeser.
“I don’t know if it really affected me that much. As coach you live day to day, game to game. But you also have to think of the psyche of a player too, so I think he can kind of relax a little bit now knowing that he’s got a lot of money coming this way,” added Tocchet.
The signing is also a boost for a team that’s struggled of late, losing six of its last seven games.
“It’s obviously huge for our team and our organization and the city,” said Boeser. “He’s shown that he’s a phenomenal player and, you know, he’s a great kid, and you know just to put it past us and now we can focus on what we want to achieve is huge for our group.”
The Canucks next face off against the Ducks in Anaheim Sunday afternoon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Child under 5 dies of measles in Ontario: PHO
A young child has died of measles in Ontario, marking the first death in the province from the highly contagious virus in more than 10 years, a Public Health Ontario report confirms.
NEW Pack the macaroni necklace: Lessons on evacuations from a woman who fled one of Canada's worst wildfires
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
'Ugly produce': One way Canadians are shrinking rising grocery bills
As the cost of food in Canada has risen, grocery shoppers are looking at ways to reduce their grocery bill, and more are choosing price over beauty, turning to companies that deliver so-called 'misfit' produce at a fraction of the cost.
Vatican revamps norms to evaluate visions of Mary as it adapts to Internet age and combats hoaxers
The Vatican on Friday radically reformed its process for evaluating alleged visions of the Virgin Mary, weeping statues and other seemingly supernatural phenomena, insisting on having the final say in whether the events are worthy of popular devotion.
Wildfires burning across Canada: Communities threatened as flames creep closer
Thousands of residents fled Fort McMurray this week, fearing a repeat of the 2016 wildfire that forced out the entire community and torched more than 2,400 homes.
5 secrets to moving better and preventing avoidable injury
Countless people seek emergency care for back pain, muscle strains and similar injuries resulting from “moving wrong” during mundane, everyday tasks such as bending over to tie shoes, lifting objects or doing household chores.
Zach Bryan and girlfriend Brianna Chickenfry are 'happy and alive' after 'traumatizing' car accident
Zach Bryan and his girlfriend Brianna LaPaglia were involved in a scary car accident earlier this week, according to LaPaglia, who recalled the experience in a candid video posted to her TikTok page earlier this week.
Trudeau calls New Brunswick's Conservative government a 'disgrace' on women's rights
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assailed New Brunswick's premier and other conservative leaders on Thursday, calling out the provincial government's position on abortion, LGBTQ youth and climate change.