A ban on video games during team road trips is all in the name of bonding with teammates, a Vancouver Canucks alternate captain says.
The young team – which is in the middle of a rebuild – needs to bond and build chemistry as they try to identify who they are as a group.
So, in the interest of encouraging relatively new additions to get to know each other, players have decided to ban gaming while on the road.
The topic came up during an interview with TSN 1040, when alternate captain Bo Horvat was asked for trivia the public may not know about NHL rookie Elias Pettersson.
"I hear he likes Fortnite. We'll have to get him off that," he said.
Released last year, the game is one of the most popular in the world, and NHLers across Canada have confessed to being Fortnite fans.
"That's definitely a no-go on the road. No more Fortnite, no more bringing your video games on the road or anything. That is strictly team meals, team dinners and hanging out with the guys," Horvat said.
"In my opinion – obviously there's a lot of opinions out there – I think there's better ways to spend your time on the road, whether it's hanging out with the guys in the room or going to a movie with the guys or doing stuff outside your room," Horvat said.
"There's a lot of cool cities we visit and to be cooped up in your room all night not doing anything, playing Fortnite, I think is a waste of your time."
Finding time to connect without distractions is important for a number of reasons, UBC Thunderbirds head coach Sven Boutenschon said.
"If you're staying up until 2 and 3 in the morning, going down that wormhole, it can be addicting and you're not getting proper sleep," he explained to CTV News.
"Then also on the road it's a great time to bond with the guys and have conversations and get to know each other's families and each other."
Building those relationships off the ice can pay off in the arena, he said.
Canucks coach Travis Green has said he doesn't have an issue with off-ice play, but if players want to ban it, he supports their decision.
"My kid plays Fortnite and I have not banned it from him yet, and I have not banned it from anyone on our team. If the players want to make sure all the guys are at a team dinner, hey, that's the way it is in team sports," he said.
The players appear to be on board.
"It was just an idea for our group to be a tight-knit group. We want to change the culture," Horvat said.
Asked about the team's potential gaming problem Wednesday, forward Jake Virtanen said it hasn't been an issue so far.
Winnipeg Jets star Patrik Laine, who plays the game, took a shot at the team's poor season last year, saying the Fortnite ban was just an excuse.
"Whatever, I don't really care what he says," Virtanen said.
"I just think that where we want to go with our team, anything we can do to get better, that's a stepping stone."
He and Horvat offered a similar message: The team wants to have fun, but stay focused.
"Right now we're kind of in a rebuilding stage and we're kind of in a younger era, and with the Sedins being gone," Horvat said.
Canucks starting the season without a captain
Horvat is one of four alternate captains who'll be leading the team into the 2018-19 season in the wake of the Sedins' departure.
When asked by CTV News what he learned from the twins, he said he's learned a lot by watching their interactions with fans, the media and the city.
But moving forward, the team will be looking at leadership skills of those on the current roster as it rebuilds.
"I think not to have one guy take all the heat all the time, to have multiple voices in the room and to the media is going to be really beneficial to our team right now," Horvat told TSN.
The 23-year-old says he likely won't be the one giving inspirational locker room speeches between periods, but instead he'll try to praise and critique one-on-one.
While he'll be sharing the role with Alex Edler, Brandon Sutter and Chris Tanev, Horvat said wasn't disappointed about the decision.
"Even just to be wearing a letter on my jersey is a huge honour for me," he said.
"Whether it's a C or an A or even no letter, I was going to be the same person, same player, and just try to be a leader night in and night out."
He hopes to lead the team on the ice, playing hard and being consistent every night. During the off-season he worked on speed and breakaway scoring.
"Either you get faster or you get left behind," he said.
With files from CTV Vancouver's Christina Heydanus and Maria Weisgarber, TSN 1040 and The Canadian Press
Listen to the full interview, including how Horvat feels about the rest of the team, on TSN 1040.
