Vancouver Canucks, Bo Horvat

Ex-Canucks Captain Horvat’s Beach Chat

Media day at the NHL All-Star weekend means answering some of the same questions multiple times, something former Canucks captain Bo Horvat is very familiar with. For the most part, aside from the nice little run under Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau last season, Horvat found himself talking about a lot of the same stuff these last three winters.

OK, and most of the winters prior.

More recently, Covid didn’t help the experience.

Thursday, just off a Florida beach, Horvat shared some enlightenment with the American NHL Network.

The New York Islander since Monday talked about the whirlwind adjustment he’s gone through, actually not done going through, since hearing about his trade from the Canucks while hanging out with his wife and children at Disney World.

“Ended up getting the call and couldn’t be happier to be a New York Islander right now,” Horvat told reporter Jamie Hersch. “Coming to the All-Star game and everything, it took me by surprise. I think everyone by surprise, but I think it’s almost better it happened now, it kind of gets to sink in a little bit longer and I get to spend a bit more time with the new team.”

For All-Star purposes, Horvat will represent the New York Islanders with the jersey he wears during skills and other events, but any points he produces will go to the Pacific Division total. In the All-Star game itself, Horvat will skate with the Pacific Division and former Canucks teammate Elias Pettersson.

Bye Bye Canucks

“I’m an Islander now and I think that’s the jersey I’ll be wearing tomorrow,” Horvat said, “and then obviously the All-Star jersey when we play, so … I’m still playing with the Pacific team because I think they’d be a man short if I didn’t, so it’ll be interesting, it’ll probably be a first.”

When the festivities in south Florida conclude Horvat will fly to meet his new teammates on Sunday. Monday he’ll lace up his skates for a back-to-back, in Philadelphia against the Flyers on Monday and at home against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday.

“I’m not going to have much time to think about it, I think that’s almost a good thing, just go and play and hopefully we get some wins,” he said.

As the schedule would have it, he meets the Vancouver Canucks for a game on Long Island on Thursday night.

It’ll be emotional of course, but with his new team two points out of a playoff spot, he’ll mostly be thinking about getting a very sweet win.

Rob Simpson

Rob Simpson has covered the NHL in five different decades. He’s authored 4 books on hockey and is a veteran TV and radio play-by-play man and reporter.