Canucks forward Elias Pettersson tunes out social media to focus on hockey
Posted October 26, 2021 11:29 am.
Elias Pettersson says he’s staying away from social media, focusing his attention instead on his game and season ahead.
The Vancouver Canucks forward was candid on Sportsnet 650 Tuesday about his previous focus on social platforms early on in his career. It’s a take from someone who has been in the spotlight that you don’t hear too often.
“I was doing a lot before, last season. I put a lot of effort in it, a lot of time. I think I had a little too much focus on that and not focused on the right things, and I’m just being honest now about how I feel,” he told Mike Halford and Jason Brough.
Today on Halford and Brough, Elias Pettersson was candid about his focus on social media earlier in his career, and how now he has put all his attention on hockey.@MikeHalford604 | @SadClubCommish pic.twitter.com/8euDg4O9UP
— Sportsnet 650 (@Sportsnet650) October 26, 2021
“Social media, when I want to post something, I’ll post something,” he said, adding hockey now comes first.
Pettersson scored just three points in the team’s opening six-game road trip. There’s been much chatter online about the former Calder winner, some saying he seems “off.”
He was asked on Tuesday, ahead of Vancouver’s season home opener at Rogers Arena, whether he was privy to the chatter — off the ice — about him.
“I was, but then when had the bad start last season, I read an article and then never again,” he said, laughing. “No, I don’t read them.”
Related article: Canucks to play at home in front of thousands for the first time in nearly 600 days
The 22-year-old from Sweden was drafted by Vancouver fifth overall in 2017. He has a career total 156 points in 171 games played.
Tuesday’s home opener marks the first time Canucks fans will be back in the stands for a game at Rogers Arena since the pandemic forced lockdowns and restrictions on gathering across the province.
On Monday, Pettersson said he was looking forward to playing in front of the home crowd again.
“It’s like an extra player almost. Last year made me realize that fans play a big part of getting you going into a game,” he said.
