Canucks Coffee: Why the fight in mighty mite Conor Garland matters more now

Conor Garland surrenders significant height and weight — but never his remarkable resolve — when the mighty mite defies physics and overwhelming odds in deciding to drop the mitts.

According to hockeyfights.com, the Vancouver Canucks right-winger has fought 14 times at the NHL level, including twice this season. He has never picked his spots in any bout, because at 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds, he won’t measure up statistically and often punches way above his stature.

The latest scrap occurred Monday in Seattle when Garland answered the challenge of Jared McCann after delivering a reverse elbow to the yob of the Kraken winger in first period of a 3-2 shootout triumph.

The spark that Garland provided by holding his own, despite giving up six inches and 25 pounds, was instantaneous. Linus Karlsson scored three seconds later to erase a 1-0 deficit.

“Asked him to go and he said: ‘Yeah,’” McCann recalled. “And that was the end of that.”

Why is all this significant?

Think of where the Canucks are in their approach to getting younger and eventually better. They have three new players from the Quinn Hughes blockbuster trade, a back end that’s so young you see skill, will and even acne. And the club is listening to trade offers on its unrestricted free agents.

Amid all the wild waves of uncertainty, somebody needs to steady the ship. Garland is so highly regarded as a calming influence that several teams have pondered acquiring the 29-year-old culture carrier and absorbing his six-year, US$36 million extension that kicks in next season.

None of this surprises Rick Tocchet.

The Philadelphia Flyers bench boss has a connection with Garland that dates back to Arizona and a cocky kid who thought he had it all figured out after his season in 2019-20 when he scored 22 goals.

“As a smaller guy, you never have a guarantee,” Garland once told this reporter. “I remember Tocc telling me you have to earn it every day and he’s spot on. I’ve learned from that.”

Tocchet became a confidant of Garland when it looked like he might be leaving Vancouver, but chose to fight the good fight.

Garland appeared expendable in the fall of 2023. He changed agents and pondered whether a change of scenery would help him — and the salary cap-challenged Canucks — find solutions. His cap hit was $4.95 million for three more seasons, and at the time, that was considerable for a third-line winger.

That’s when the competitive side of Garland took over.

Despite a glut of wingers vying for roster positions, he just played and seized every day. It wasn’t easy. He buckled down, and his 20-goal campaign helped drive the Canucks to a Pacific Division title and within a victory of the Western Conference final. And Tocchet deserved stick-taps for the support.

“He tried to block out the noise and keep me day to day,” Garland once recalled. “Those first six games were pretty tough — especially that first road trip. Any time I was in a tough spot, I could lean on him and guys in the room to understand the situation I was in.”

That’s a lot of fight. And speaking of fights, Tocchet wasn’t surprised what occurred Monday in Seattle.

“It was typical, you know,” Tocchet told Postmedia on Tuesday morning. “He gets in a fight. He’s gonna go down fighting and that’s the way he is. I mean the (other) thing. He just drives the play. If you turn on the TV most nights, you’re like who is this guy?

“He has a chip on his shoulder, and because of his size and stuff, that’s probably one of the best guys in the corner to come out of (there). You know, he wins battles. He’s definitely a guy who plays for the crest.”

At the outset of this month, Garland was having a nagging upper-body ailment evaluated to set a timeline for his return. He fought Darren Raddysh of the Lightning on Nov. 16 in Tampa Bay and suffered a “tweak”. He took exception to a cross-check to the back and went after the 6-foot-1, 202 pound defender.

Garland missed two games but then just played through whatever was bugging him.

That’s leadership stuff.

The Canucks have not named a captain in the departure of Hughes, and depending on how this season plays out, they could wait until next fall. Garland doesn’t need a letter to lend credence to his natural ability to encourage by example. It’s there every day in every way.

It even extended to the international stage where Garland won gold with Team USA at the world championship last May. It was the first time the country claimed the title in 92 years and Garland played a key role with 10 points (5-5) and was an alternate captain.

“I learned what it takes to win in a tough tournament like that where a lot has to go right.

In the end, we know this much about Garland.

For a hot-shot kid who didn’t make the bantam team at famed Shattuck-Saint Mary’s factory in Minnesota that produced NHL stars in Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews and Zach Parise —Garland was deemed too small — he’s making a big impact and wants to stay in the game.

“I want to coach more than anything. I love the game,” he told Postmedia. “It’s the only thing I know. I see it decently well. I coach tournaments in the summer and I enjoy it greatly.

“It’s younger kids and it’s rewarding. It’s fun to be behind the bench and see the game from a different view. I’d love to work my way all the way up. Hopefully, that’s 10 to 15 years away.”

bkuzma@postmedia.com