Former Canucks prospect leaves social media after onslaught of online harassment

Jonathan Dahlen is the latest professional athlete to fall victim to the perils of social media.

In an interview with Swedish publication HockeyNews, the former Vancouver Canucks prospect opened up about the online harassment he endured during his time with the organization and following his departure from it.

Things came to a boiling point after the 21-year-old was shipped to the San Jose Sharks at the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline. Dahlen was forced to shutdown his Twitter and Instagram accounts due to a constant slew of derogatory comments and “hateful” messages sent his way.

Dahlen explained, as translated by Brady Trettenero of Canucks Army, why his lack of presence in the media likely resulted in a misunderstanding amongst fans about who he is as a player and a person.

(Note: Translations may be slightly off, but the quotes provided give a fairly accurate sense of Dahlen’s feelings and perspective toward the matter.)

“I have not done many interviews, so I find it difficult to get messages from Vancouver fans. They have written very hateful messages and it ended with me removing both Twitter and Instagram. I have try to keep myself in the dark now and am focused on trying to feel a bit better.”

Dahlen’s development hasn’t been quite as accelerated or smooth as many Canucks fans would’ve liked, and he took the opportunity to defend his own work ethic while criticizing the mentoring, coaching style and resources he received while with the Canucks AHL affiliate in Utica.

“I have had a bit of toughness and measures like that. They have treated me in a way that does not bring out the best hockey player in me or developed me. They have had the wrong approach and that is what I have told the agent. That it is the wrong way to treat me if they want me to develop,” he said, per Canucks Army.

Dahlen further elaborated on his tumultuous tenure with the Comets:

“There are fantastic teammates and captains in the team, the guys are wonderful but that is the way they try to develop young players. It has had the opposite effect on me and it feels like I have been trampled rather than lifted.

“Instead of becoming a better hockey player, it has gone in the opposite direction. I have not been able to do anything offensive without being afraid of being benched if I make a mistake.”

It’s important to note that the messages Dahlen received came from a tiny but vocal fraction of the Canucks “fanbase,” and, needless to say, if you harass a dude to the point he has to delete his social media accounts because he’s not turning into an NHL hockey player as quick as you’d like, then you are probably scum.

Dahlen had 14 goals and 29 points for Utica before the trade to the Sharks, and has three points in three games since joining the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda.

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