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Canucks: 5 Reasons to be Thankful

With Thanksgiving in Canada just around the corner, there is plenty to be grateful for if you are a Vancouver Canucks fan. From the young core that is emerging to the anointing of a new captain, the excitement has never been higher. So as we get set for another holiday with family and friends, let’s take a moment to give thanks for all the things that have been given to us as Canucks fans. So without further ado, here are five reasons to be thankful as we continue down the road of the 50th Anniversary season.

1. Captain Bo Horvat

Bo captain my captain! It is fitting that Thanksgiving lands on the heels of the Canucks naming Bo Horvat the 14th captain in franchise history. Everyone in Canucks Nation should be thankful that we have a captain so deserving of the letter embroidered on his sweater. Horvat exudes class and embodies all the qualities that make up a leader: hard work, perseverance and a presence that was evident even when he was in the Ontario Hockey League with the London Knights.

If you weren’t convinced already, Horvat drove the point home with a very personal letter addressed to the fans following his appointment as captain.

I still remember it like it was yesterday…almost 7 years ago, standing on stage and pulling this jersey over my head for the first time. I remember going to bed at night and never wanting to take it off.

Since that day, I have been lucky to learn what this jersey really means and stands for. Hard work, history, perseverance and the privilege to represent one of the world’s great cities, the province of BC and an incredible, diverse fanbase.

I’ve been so fortunate to learn first-hand from many other great leaders and players over the years and our group today is made up of many of them. As a team, we are looking forward to working towards our ultimate goal of bringing a championship to the great fans of Canucks Nation.

Thank you again for this honour. The best is yet to come.

Bo Horvat

We should count ourselves blessed to have yet another great captain to lead the Canucks into the next era. Following in the steps of legendary captains Orland Kurtenbach, Stan Smyl, Trevor Linden, Markus Naslund, Roberto Luongo, and Henrik Sedin, Horvat has the same qualities they all possessed. Character is something they all had in common, and he has that in spades.

The Canucks now enter the reign of Horvat and the magic of Pettersson, Boeser, and Hughes. It promises to be a time of greatness and excitement. Let’s roll the tape, and continue to be thankful that we can be part of yet another era of Canucks hockey.

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Matthew Zator

Matthew Zator

Matthew Zator is the HockeyPedia/Media Editor at THW and a writer who covers the Vancouver Canucks, the NHL Draft, and prospects in general. He loves talking about young players and their potential, and has been passionate hockey fan for the last 30 years.

Before joining The Hockey Writers, he was a contributor for Canuck Way and Last Word on Hockey and went to BCIT for their Sports Broadcasting course. He also has a BA from Trinity Western University minoring in teaching and psychology. He has been with The Hockey Writers since 2019.

Matthew also hosts The Hockey Writers Prospect Corner and various other NHL at-large shows on YouTube.

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