With a disappointing record, the Vancouver Canucks will be looking to turn their luck around with new Head Coach, Travis Green. We had the opportunity to sit down with Travis and ask him how he felt about the upcoming season.
LISTEN to the full interview:
Q. Well coach, first of all, congratulations on your appointment as coach of the Vancouver Canucks. The team has been down at the bottom of the standings the last couple of years. You’ve got a big challenge ahead of you and it looks like you’ve got some good young prospects to help you have some success.
A.Thanks for having me. It’s an honour to be the coach of the Canucks, obviously being from B.C. And we do have a challenge, there is no sense hiding it. The team has not done as well as it’s wanted the last few years and I’m looking forward to the challenge. We’ve got a lot of good young players in the organisation and now it’s our job to bring them along the right way and make this team start to climb back up the ladder.
Q.What do you see as the first thing you want to tackle? I’m sure you’ve already begun the process but where you do you want to dive in first?
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A.It’s funny you use the word ‘process’. I said when I took the job that the process started that day and for me personally it started by getting to know the people within the organization, not just the coaching staff that that existed, but the hands-on people that existed; the trainers, the equipment managers to strength coaches and dove head first that way. Obviously, we’ve put our coaching staff together and now we’re accumulating our videos as to how we want to play to get ready for training camp. Summertime is when people take vacations, but this is 24/7, 12-month job for coaches and for players nowadays, and I really believe that the summer is a vital time for our group as we get ready to start next season.
Q. You’ve got some good young players in the pipeline, some good draft picks. It sounds as though you’re in a position to really beef up the offensive side of the game. Is that what you’re thinking?
A. Well the way the game is being played nowadays, you’ve got to find a way to generate offense. It’s no secret that we didn’t score enough goals last year. But are we going to ask all these young guys to come in and be instant contributors? It doesn’t just happen this way, it’s rare when you see a young player in today’s game come in and have an immediate effect. There are always a few every year that seem to do that. Those are the guys that are drafted real high and you know we want to bring our young guys along the right way. We want to put pressure on them when the times right and we also got to alleviate pressure when the time is right as well. That’s where you’re going to need your veteran guys or your guys who have played in the league a few years to take responsibility and to take the onus on their game as well.
Q. What of the goaltending situation; Ryan Miller is not coming back, does that leave you in any kind of a bind at all?
A. Well, I don’t think it’s a bind. I think I look at it like we’ve got two young goalies and really with them pulling Bachman, you’ve got a group of goaltenders that are going to challenge and challenge each other. I know Markström and Nilsson are at that age. I’ve said it publicly that they’re ready to challenge for the number one spot. Ryan Miller was a really good goalie for our group. Markie has shown flashes of being able to be our number one goalie and Nilsson has also done it with other teams. We’re going to look for someone to grab the ball and run with it and you know I like internal competition. I think when you’re a team like ours that is looking to get better, not only do you want competition from the outside on the teams you plan, but you want it internally. I like it when your group is challenged, I like it when you’re challenged from within, and I like it when you have tough games, you learn a lot from your group.
Canucks head coach Travis Green is currently supporting the Moores Clothing for Men’s 8th annual Canadian Suit Drive. From July 1 to 31, Moores Clothing for Men will hold its Canadian Suit Drive that has collected to date close to 375,000 items of professional clothing. The donations give unemployed Canadians a chance to look their best as they transition back into the workforce.
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