The Keys To Kiefer: The Vancouver Canucks’ Hard-Hitter

On May 3, 2024, Kiefer Sherwood played his last game of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. His lone goal of the Nashville Predators’ six-game playoff run came in a 4–1 victory in game 2. Averaging 5.5 hits a game, Sherwood wrapped up the playoff campaign with 33 hits total — good for first on his team. A true nuisance to play against, his hard-hitting, forecheck-heavy play style was something that the Canucks knew they had to target in free agency.

Sherwood signed a two-year contract carrying a $1.5M yearly average on July 1. It was one of seven signings Vancouver made on the same day. In 28 games played with the Canucks, he’s scored eight goals, assisted on six others, and leads the entire NHL in hits with 160 on the season. He’s currently on pace to smash his career-high of 10 goals in one season, something that he set the year prior with the Predators.

Regardless of who his linemates are, or how they play, Sherwood’s season has been prosperous. He found himself on a line with Teddy Blueger and Danton Heinen, and later ended up alongside Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk. Despite his surrounding cast, Sherwood keeps his style of play consistent to what brings him success.

“When you play with different players, you sometimes try to play to their strengths,” he elaborated. “For me, it’s more-so like, ‘I’ve got to just play the same way.’ There’s a reason I’m playing with whoever.

“It’s more-so just understanding guys’ tendencies and where they’re going to be, and from there, it’s on me to play the same way and get pucks back no matter who I play with.”

Sherwood noted that, despite keeping his game the same, there are some nuances that he’s picked up on when playing with certain players. “With [Pettersson] and [DeBrusk], you’ve got to hold onto pucks more and create more possession for them,” he specified. “Teddy [Blueger] is a little bit simpler.”

Nashville visited Vancouver on November 17, marking the first time that Sherwood faced off against his former team. Though the game ended in a 5–3 defeat for the Canucks, Sherwood notched a goal and five hits. In exactly 100 regular season games with the Predators, Sherwood put up 17 goals and 23 assists, good for a .4 points per game percentage. At the same time, he made 337 hits, with 234 of those coming last season.

“Last year was last year. There was a lot of stuff that I was able to implement in my habits, and I think that’s partially why I’m able to fit in here,” he said. “[I] was building a lot of my identity.”

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While he grew his game in Nashville, it’s clear that Sherwood has taken a massive step since coming to Vancouver. He noted how there are “a lot of similarities” between Rick Tocchet and former Predators Head Coach Andrew Brunette’s coaching philosophies, which has helped him adjust to Vancouver’s systems quicker.

“[Tocchet] is someone who gives us a lot of freedom,” Sherwood discussed. “I haven’t had those opportunities earlier in my career. So when I get those, I want to play, and just give every ounce of energy I can, because I’m very grateful for those opportunities.”

The Canucks’ coaching staff is among some of the most respected in the league due to their on-ice contributions to hockey. With a crop of Hockey Hall of Famers behind the bench, it might be a bit daunting to ask them for advice — but if anything, Sherwood finds that their presence makes for a wellspring of “good advice.

“I was talking to [Sergei Gonchar] the other day about my shot [ . . . ] and then the Sedins gave me a couple of pointers last night on the power play,” he said. “It’s interesting to hear the high IQ guys and try to implement tidbits here and there.”

A topic that has come up often is Sherwood’s many allergies, whether they’re food based or material based. While it’s something that he “do[esn’t] really think about” nowadays, there are still some measures he and the staff have to take to ensure his safety.

“Our strength and conditioning staff is pretty good about giving special meals to me,” he addressed. “I’m kind of used to it.”

While he hasn’t been in Vancouver long, it’s clear that the city loves Sherwood, and he loves it back. He spoke on how his preliminary explorations of the city have impressed him, and how he “definitely wants to explore more.

“I love just driving into downtown with the mountains, and the water, and the buildings. It’s the scenery that always still gets you going, especially heading into the special energy I feel coming into a game,” he expressed. “There’s just a different vibe out west.”