ELIAS PETTERSSON BACK ON ICE IN SWEDEN, LOOKING TO REBOUND AFTER TROUBLED SEASON
Elias Pettersson is skating again—and this time, with clarity and a renewed sense of purpose.
Just a couple of months removed from a season that tested him both physically and mentally, the Vancouver Canucks’ star forward has returned to the ice in his native Sweden. Pettersson was recently seen participating in his annual skills camp for kids and took part in a Bauer Hockey Europe event, both serving as visual confirmation that the 26-year-old is healthy and ready to move past a turbulent 2024-25 campaign.
A Rocky Road in Vancouver
The past season was anything but smooth for Pettersson. On paper, it was one of his least productive years, and the eye test didn’t do him any favors either. Pettersson struggled offensively throughout much of the year, looked visibly frustrated at times, and was at the center of an apparent feud with teammate J.T. Miller. As if that weren’t enough, a knee injury in March sidelined him for the remainder of the season—cutting short what was already shaping up to be a disappointing campaign.
It marked a steep decline from the player who had dazzled fans just a season earlier with point-per-game brilliance. The chemistry wasn’t right, the body wasn’t right, and neither was the mindset.
Back Where It All Began
Now, in the quiet of the Swedish summer, Pettersson is back where it all started—hosting his annual youth camp and skating without restriction. Footage from the event showed him actively engaging in scrimmages with the kids, smiling, skating freely, and—perhaps most importantly—healthy. For Canucks fans, this return to the ice in his homeland was a welcomed sight and a beacon of hope heading into the 2025-26 season.
One fan-run account summed up the collective sigh of relief:
“‼️ PETEY SIGN OF LIFE ‼️ at his annual skills camp for kids!” the @dailypetey account posted.
A Summer of Reflection and Recovery
Speaking to Sweden’s official NHL site, Pettersson was refreshingly honest about what went wrong last year.
“My game last season was obviously not at the level it was in the two seasons before that,” he admitted. “I had a knee injury last summer and that hindered a lot of my training. It was hard to really train 100 percent.”
That lingering knee issue, he explained, set the tone for a subpar season before the puck had even dropped. Without a proper offseason to get into game shape, the usually sharp and explosive center never found his rhythm.
But it wasn’t just the injury. Pettersson also acknowledged a shift in his mentality—one that came after signing a lucrative long-term contract.
“Maybe early in the season I had the wrong mindset,” he reflected. “I thought, ‘Now I’ve signed a big contract so I have to do more,’ instead of just being myself.”
That kind of pressure can weigh heavily on any player, especially one expected to carry a franchise desperate to claw its way back into postseason relevance. And in Pettersson’s case, that self-imposed burden only compounded the physical limitations he was already dealing with.
Fresh Start, No Restrictions
This offseason, however, tells a different story. With the knee issue behind him and a lesson learned about the perils of overthinking, Pettersson is training freely and with no physical limitations for the first time in over a year.
“Now I’m just trying to look forward,” he said—a simple statement, but one that marks a crucial turning point.
At just 26 years old, Pettersson still has plenty of elite hockey ahead of him. When healthy and confident, he’s one of the NHL’s most electrifying two-way centers. His 102-point breakout in the 2022-23 season proved what he’s capable of when everything clicks. And with a full, uninterrupted summer to sharpen his game and clear his mind, there’s a very real chance Pettersson could return to—or even exceed—that level.
What It Means for Vancouver
For a Canucks team that missed the playoffs for the fourth time in five years, Pettersson’s return to form could be the single most important development heading into 2025-26. Vancouver is a team with strong pieces—Quinn Hughes, Thatcher Demko, and J.T. Miller among them—but they need their No. 1 center firing on all cylinders if they’re going to compete in a crowded Western Conference.
Last year’s collapse wasn’t all on Pettersson, of course. The Canucks had depth issues, defensive breakdowns, and locker room tensions that bubbled up at the worst possible times. But a fully operational Petey would do a lot to steady the ship.
More than just his point production, Pettersson’s two-way play and leadership presence have become cornerstones of the Canucks’ identity. He leads by example, rarely taking shifts off, and when he’s playing with swagger and confidence, his energy is contagious.
Redemption Year Incoming?
Of course, no comeback is guaranteed. The NHL is a brutally competitive league, and Pettersson will face plenty of scrutiny from fans and analysts alike as he looks to reclaim his place among the game’s elite.
Still, the signs are encouraging.
He’s healthy.
He’s motivated.
And for the first time in more than a year, Elias Pettersson is focused solely on being himself—not on living up to a contract, not on pushing through injury, and not on internal drama.
If that version of Pettersson shows up in training camp—and stays consistent throughout the season—the Canucks may have their franchise cornerstone back just in time to lead them into a new era of playoff contention.
For now, all signs point to Pettersson quietly preparing for what could be a massive bounce-back year. And that might be the best news Canucks fans have heard all summer.
