As Canucks approach full strength, Tocchet hopes adversity builds character

VANCOUVER – In a pre-emptive strike, Rick Tocchet began his press conference Wednesday by telling reporters what Elias Pettersson ate for breakfast. Defenceman Derek Forbort, however, quoted Forrest Gump.

“It sucks,” Forbort said of his season so far. “But sh-- happens.”

He could have been speaking about the Vancouver Canucks, who have dealt with a pile of biowaste in the opening third of the National Hockey League season.

Forbort, for instance, has played only four games since signing with the Canucks as a free agent on July 1. He missed six games due to the death of his father in Minnesota in October, and the last 17 games due to a lower-leg injury suffered in practice.

Goalie Thatcher Demko just made his season debut, on Dec. 10. Middle-six winger Dakota Joshua missed the first month of the season due to testicular cancer, and top winger Brock Boeser sat out seven games with a concussion. No. 1 centre J.T. Miller could play Thursday night against the Florida Panthers after missing the last 10 games on a leave of absence for mental-health reasons, and No. 2 defenceman Filip Hronek is two weeks into what is expected to be a two-month absence due to a shoulder injury.

That’s a lot of sh-- to fit on a T-shirt.

“I mean, there's a lot of stuff that's hit us,” Tocchet said after the Canucks practised at Rogers Arena. “I think sometimes it's a good thing. It builds scar tissue, it builds character, and it builds fight in your team. We're hanging in there. I mean, the record (14-8-5) is half decent.

“But obviously we've got to get better processing. I think we've got to get better at our team identity. Game management is something that I've really struggled with our team this year. You're on the ice for 30 or 40 seconds, I'm not sure of a high-risk play when a guy like (Robert) Thomas is on the ice or if (Nikita) Kucherov is on the ice. We have to get better at it. Last year, we were really good at it. This year, I think we've been a little bit loose on that.”

Thomas drove the St. Louis Blues to a 4-3 overtime win in Vancouver on Tuesday in a game that saw the Canucks dump five full or partial breakaways on Demko’s lap in the goalie’s first start since April 21.

Tocchet opened his media scrum Wednesday with Pettersson’s breakfast menu as a joke at himself after chiding reporters Tuesday night for constantly asking him about the mercurial Canucks star. Tocchet’s lament, “Petey, Petey, Petey,” is going to live a while on the internet.

Finally ready to play, Forbort is a player who should help the “process” and provide a little more defensive focus and awareness than the team displayed against the Blues.

“I've been doing so many rehab skates that my body feels like it's in January,” Forbort said. “They do a great job when you are hurt, like keeping it fun and making it exciting to come to the rink, even when the boys are on the road and you're kind of by yourself. It sucks, but sh-- happens.

“I'm sure it'll feel a little weird, like, getting in a game situation again. But as far as the day to day, I feel like I'm around these idiots so much. It feels like you're hanging with the boys no matter what.”

Asked what it has been like to watch the team since colliding with a teammate at practice in Anaheim on Nov. 4, Forbort said, “I've just been pretty proud of the guys. I mean, it's been a lot of adversity in here. You know, not having Demko, losing Millsy, Boes — that's a lot of really good players gone. It just seems like the guys have been grinding and doing everything they can to get points. It's been pretty fun to watch. Hopefully we can kind of, you know, get all those pieces back, and get everyone accustomed to each other again, and really get rolling.”

The Canucks have been treading water since they swept through California five weeks ago, neither winning nor losing more than two straight games since.

Forbort practised Wednesday with Mark Friedman, who was sent back to minor-league Abbotsford later in the day. But the 32-year-old who has played for five teams during his 500-game NHL career is expected to play against the Panthers.

"I feel like we haven't played with him at all this year,” defenceman Carson Soucy said. “His ability to close plays in the D-zone is underrated. Just adds that veteran presence of calmness, making plays. Forbs is fun to watch defensively because he's so smart. You notice in practice, in these small drills, he's kind of just always in the right place, he's always got a good stick on puck. He's really good at killing plays. And with the way our team goes, killing plays in the D-zone and moving that puck north is big.”

So is Forbort at six-foot-four and 216 pounds.

"I'm sure if you asked him, he'd say it just hasn't been a good year for him," Boeser said. "But he's such a good guy and has such a good attitude, so I'm just happy that he can get back in and contribute to our team. I'm sure he's ready to roll."

• Defenceman Tyler Myers had a maintenance day Wednesday. ...  Miller rotated in and out of drills, and did not speak to the media. He seems more likely to make his return Saturday against Boston than Thursday against Florida. ...  Tocchet was on his coach’s game with several honest observations:

On dealing with non-hockey issues like Forbort and Miller have experienced: “I think the communication and the relationship you have before that really helps. It's not always about Xs and Os in hockey and where you fit on the team. It's really about life sometimes. That's really what it's all about.”

On the Canucks’ struggles at Rogers Arena, where they are 4-6-4: “I can see some guys under pressure at home like, 'Oh my God, I've got to play good.' I think it has affected them. We've done some stuff in the room to loosen guys up. But I think as an individual ... it's a hockey game.”

And on the Canucks’ puppy Eddie, a service dog in training that Tocchet, with skates still on, was playing with after practice on the floor of the hallway outside the dressing room: “I wish we had more puppies. Yeah, I'm a dog lover. Maybe the pre-game speech, have the dog just run around.”