All-Star Dog Dad: Brock Boeser And Dog "Coolie" Have Close Bond That Originated At 2018 All-Star Weekend

When Brock Boeser was selected to be the Vancouver Canucks’ representative at the All-Star Game in 2018, the weekend changed his life in more ways than he could have thought possible.

First, the then-20-year-old rookie bested the likes of Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos and Anze Kopitar to win the accuracy shooting event at the skills competition. Then, his three-point performance in the 3-on-3 tournament earned him MVP honors, a share of the winning Pacific Division’s million-dollar prize pot and a brand-new car.

The car went to his sister, Jessica. But he kept the nine-week-old puppy the Humane Society of Tampa Bay brought to a weekend adoption event for himself.

Coolie spent the late stages of that first season with Boeser’s parents, Duke and Laurie, back in the family’s home state of Minnesota, but he has been with Boeser full-time ever since. Now seven, the Australian Cattle Dog/Shepherd/Husky cross has tested his mettle on the ice at Rogers Arena in the club’s famed between-periods Top Dog races. He has also borne witness to the many highs and lows of Vancouver’s longest-tenured current player. “It does kind of show the time,” Boeser said. “I’ve been here a long time, and he’s been by my side through it all.”

Selected 23rd overall in the talent-rich 2015 draft, Boeser was taken one year after Thatcher Demko but made his NHL debut a year sooner. Excitement for Boeser’s arrival in Vancouver spiked during his freshman season at the University of North Dakota, most notably when he scored the game-winner in the Fighting Hawks’ 2016 victory over Quinnipiac in the NCAA title game at the Frozen Four.

On March 25, 2017, the day after his program’s title defense ended at the regional semifinal in Fargo, N.D., Boeser signed his entry-level deal with the Canucks. Mere hours later, he was on the ice in front of family and friends at the Xcel Energy Center in his hometown. He scored his first NHL goal, which proved to be the game-winner, in a 4-2 road win over the Minnesota Wild.

With pinpoint accuracy from high-danger areas and a heavy one-timer, Boeser has never had reason to question his scoring ability. But a severe back injury halted his rookie season at 29 goals in early March 2018 and bumped him to second place in the Calder Trophy race behind runaway winner Mathew Barzal. In subsequent seasons, other ailments kept him from realizing his full potential. At least until Vancouver’s magical 2023-24 campaign.

The first four-goal game of Boeser’s career came in the Canucks’ tone-setting 8-1 season-opening drubbing of the Edmonton Oilers. And it was fitting that he finally cracked the 30-goal plateau for the first time with a hat trick against the Columbus Blue Jackets in January – right before jetting to Toronto for his second All-Star Game appearance.

The second time around, he had plenty of company. Teammates Quinn Hughes, J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson and Demko as well as coach Rick Tocchet – plus the newly acquired Elias Lindholm – all joined Boeser in Toronto. It was an impressive manifestation of how far the Canucks had come since his rookie year. “That was definitely awesome and such a cool experience,” Boeser said. “We had almost everyone on the same team, so that was fun.”

"Whatever's going to happen is going to happen. After what we did last year, I think we're in such a good spot" – Brock Boeser

On April 8, 2024, Boeser became the 10th player in Canucks history to hit the 40-goal mark. And in his first NHL playoffs with fans in attendance (his only previous action was in the 2020 bubble), he led his team with seven goals before a blood clot forced him to the sidelines for the deciding Game 7 of the second-round series against the Oilers.

The Canucks came up one goal short. But when Boeser returned to Vancouver, another strong start made it clear the health scare hadn’t hindered his summer training. “It honestly didn’t affect much,” he said. “It only affected me on the ice. I couldn’t do physical contact for most of the summer. Other than that, my off-ice training was virtually the same as last year.”

Two years ago, agent Ben Hankinson was given permission to try to broker a trade for a then-underperforming Boeser as Vancouver’s management team worked to get its salary-cap situation under control. Thankfully for all parties, a deal never happened. Boeser has since more than made good on his $6.65-million-a-year deal, which expires at the end of this year.

Coolie and his four-year-old canine companion, Milo, are certainly grateful for their lives in Vancouver. Do they have any sense of how lucky they are? “I don’t know,” said Boeser with a laugh. “I think about that sometimes, too, running around Pacific Spirit Park. It’s awesome taking them there. You just see how happy they are, off-leash in the woods.”

With the perspective that comes with maturity, Boeser isn’t sweating the negotiation process. “I’m not too worried about it,” he said. “Whatever’s going to happen is going to happen. After what we did last year, I think we’re in such a good spot. I think we can do some special things.”

This article appeared in the Nov. 25, 2024, World Junior Championship issue of The Hockey News. In this edition, we feature wall-to-wall coverage of the 2025 World Junior Championship, complete with previews of all 10 teams plus some of the most prominent players involved. Also in this issue, we shine the spotlight on San Jose's Tyler Toffoli, Philadelphia's Travis Konecny and a team from Haida Gwaii that really goes the extra mile.

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