After being named Rookie of the Year for the Abbotsford Canucks, defenseman Sawyer Mainio is excited for the fall and the next phase of his hockey career.
The 21-year-old made changes to his offseason after playing his first full season as a pro. Mynio spent the summer in Kelowna skating and training with pros, including Canucks defenseman Luke Schenn.
His biggest takeaway from spending time with a large group of NHLers was the importance of showing up each day with a purpose.
“You show up in the morning and do your job on and off the ice. You take care of your body and respect every guy in the gym. It could take a lot from those guys, I was skating with Shenner, Kaedan Korczak, Shea Theodore and Tyler Myers. It was a great group to be around,” Mainio said.
Last season, Mignot found comfort early in his rookie year and then earned more and more confidence as the season progressed. He was happy to see Manny Malhotra and Jordan Smith step up to the NHL this summer and knows his relationship with both coaches will help him on his way to playing NHL games with the Vancouver Canucks.
“Smitty really helped me with my habits and my maturity. He was really big on it. He always made sure I was ready to go to every practice and every game. He talked about how you can’t stop practicing because it will affect your time in the next game. It’s great that he’s playing in the NHL now,” Mignot said.
The two-way defenseman is heading into his fourth training camp with the Canucks, and it was a bit of a shock in our conversation.
“It’s kind of crazy,” he said with a smile. “My first camp in Victoria was in 2023. This is completely different. I’m much more mature as a player. Manny and Smith really know my game and that can help me in the future.
He felt like his game was winding down last season, and his time in the offseason has given him more confidence entering this camp.
Playing games in the NHL is within Mynio’s reach this season, and he’s close with Kirill Kudryavtsev, who now has five NHL games over the past two seasons. Mynio saw firsthand how Kudryavtsev’s strong play in the AHL led to NHL opportunities, and he wants to follow a similar blueprint to get his chance.
“Kyril has a great relationship with the NHL guys and I know him very well as well. He played a few games last year and I hope to do the same. I build relationships and talk to everyone, I’m a friendly guy, I’m talkative and I get to know them all. It definitely helps,” Mignot said.
After an impressive rookie season, Mignot took his offseason training to another level, found guidance from veteran NHLers and enters the year with a calm but confident attitude.
He has experienced a lot in his hockey career and is still only 21 years old. Mynio is focused on continuing to develop his game and increase his confidence as a professional. Last year was a big step, but this year could see an even bigger step from the quarterback.
