Canucks' New Elias Pettersson Is A Welcome Distraction From The Trade Drama

The Vancouver Canucks are undefeated in the Elias Pettersson era.

Yes, that refers to rookie call-up Elias Pettersson, the 20-year-old defenseman. After all the drama that has simmered in Vancouver this year, some on-ice success has been a welcome distraction from the seemingly endless trade rumors that have been swirling around the team.

And while the older superstar Elias Pettersson, with his $92.8-million contract, is presumed to be the player at the center of recent chatter from the Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres camps, all parties had best make sure they have the same guy in mind before any deals are consummated.

Marking just the second time in NHL history that two players with the same name dressed for the same team, the younger Pettersson made his NHL debut last Saturday, when the Canucks beat the top-ranked Washington Capitals 2-1.

Wearing fellow Swede Jacob Markstrom’s old No. 25, Pettersson played 10:37. With Washington pressing to tie the game in the late stages, his last shift ended with nine minutes to go in the third period.

The D-man finished as a plus-1, with two hits, a block and three giveaways.

Related: Ovechkin Didn't Score In Vancouver, But He's Not Alone As Capitals' Firepower Begins To Dim

Since the Canucks got the win, Rick Tocchet kept Pettersson in the lineup as the Canucks kicked off a three-game road trip in St. Louis on Monday.

It worked. With the Blues just two points behind them in the Western Conference standings, the Canucks won 5-2. 

The younger Pettersson’s ice time rose to 11:53, with three shot attempts, two hits and two giveaways. And since Vancouver was enjoying a larger lead, he played right through the third period — even after an unfortunate bounce off his leg eluded Kevin Lankinen for the Blues’ second goal.

The big Swede, who has been known locally as 'D-Petey' since he was drafted in the third round by the Canucks in 2022, hasn’t singlehandedly turned the team’s fortunes around. But since he stepped on the ice for his rookie lap on Saturday, the vibes around the Canucks have turned in a decidedly more positive direction.

Pettersson was already a feel-good story — a strong skater with good hockey sense who isn’t shy about deploying his body along the boards. After a pair of world junior appearances for his native Sweden, Pettersson joined the AHL Abbotsford Canucks at the end of last season, ready to start making the adjustment to the North American game.

His skill set translated well. After being a Black Ace during the playoffs, he earned his first call-up in mid-November but didn't see game action. Selected 80th overall, he’s now well ahead of his projected development curve as just the 14th defenseman from his 2022 draft class to make his NHL debut.

As for the name thing: the Canucks were able to pull from history when determining how to deal with their latest case of double vision.

The two Elias Petterssons hail from Sweden, but at least they play different positions. In March of 1989, the Canucks were forced to navigate through the addition of a second left winger named Greg Adams — with both players also hailing from British Columbia.

Officially, the later arrival went by Greg C. Adams. While the first Greg Adams was sidelined with an injury when the second one arrived, Hall of Fame broadcaster Jim Robson used his nickname, 'Gus,' when he returned to the lineup for the last two games of the regular season and the Canucks' notorious 1989 first-round playoff series against the Calgary Flames.

The WHL’s Vancouver Giants also dealt with a similar conundrum not long ago. In the 2022-23 season, there was overlap between Ty Thorpe, a center who’s now playing for UBC, and right winger Tyler Thorpe, who was drafted in the fifth round by the Montreal Canadiens in 2024.

Related: NHL Rumor Roundup: The Latest On Elias Pettersson And J.T. Miller

In the NHL, the two Sebastian Ahos have managed to avoid each other so far — and the former New York Islanders defender is playing in the AHL this year. Defensemen Justin Faulk and Justin Falk never played for the same team, either. And so far, Boston University senior Jack Hughes — the son of Canadiens’ GM Kent Hughes — looks poised to avoid his namesake in New Jersey: he’s a second-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings.

For the Elias Petterssons, broadcasters can differentiate them by the pronunciation of their first names. The original Pettersson prefers El-eee-us, like ‘I see us,’ while the newcomer goes by El-eye-us, like ‘I buy us.’

On their uniform name plates, the older Pettersson is status quo, with his last name only, while the new arrival is going by ‘E. Pettersson.’

After 17 years of calling the synchronized wizardry of Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Canucks fans are familiar with how a whole can be greater than the sum of its parts. With Vancouver's latest name game, two Elias Petterssons may also be better than one.

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