Building the Blues: Defenseman Elias Pettersson Gains Confidence on Penalty Kill as He Develops in AHL

Building his confidence has been something Abbotsford’s coaching staff has been working on for the first two months of the season. There is always pressure on young players to perform as they begin their professional careers in North America and Pettersson is given a lot of tough minutes but has thrived in his place in the Canucks defense.

“I think my confidence grew a lot during the season. I don’t think I’ll be more confident anytime soon. I will keep my feet on the ground and humble myself and continue to work every day – my confidence comes from that,” said Pettersson.

Something that helped boost Pettersson’s confidence was being called up to the NHL. Although he didn’t get into the game, the call was something that helped him realize how close he is to achieving his goal of becoming an NHL defenseman.

“The NHL is where I want to be, and it meant a lot to be called there. So, I was happy with that, and now I’m back here, so I’m going to continue working here in Abbotsford.”

The coaching staff sees great potential in Pettersson and wants to help him develop his game in the right direction. Relied on on the penalty kill, Malhotra feels his small five-on-five play is the most impressive part of his game.

“The fact that you don’t see him shows that he is positive. As a coach, we appreciate the many little things that allow big plays to happen. His ability to kill plays and move the puck forward with a great first pass of the game. It’s not a shiny thing. It’s not something that stands out during the game, but in the eyes of the coach, and as you watch the video, many games are organized by him making the right play at the right time,” said Malhotra.

“Anyone who understands the game and knows how to watch it realizes how important those little plays are during the game, and the fact that you do them consistently is a good thing.”

Malhotra also sees how the less snow in North America is good for Pettersson’s game. At 6’3” and close to 210 pounds, Pettersson still has a big frame and the fact that he is still growing into a man makes the future bright for the physical defender.

“He definitely has good size potential at this age, but he’s only going to get stronger,” Malhotra said. “It’s one thing to say you’re big and strong now, but understanding how to use that size is another thing, and that’s a learned behavior. The more he gets used to playing against bigger bodies over and over again, the stronger and more capable he will be. I don’t want to say that you are tall, and have the strength of a full man, right? The scary thing is that he is about to get stronger.”

In addition to his physical awareness and defensive awareness, the coaching staff likes the way Pettersson moves on the ice. Thanks to his strong skating and willingness to learn, Malhotra is not afraid of the rapid progress Pettersson has made during his time with the Abbotsford Canucks.

Malhotra also credits Pettersson with knowing the type of player he is now and realizing the type of player he wants to be. There is a high level of maturity from Pettersson, and he continues to impress in the early stages of his first full season in North America.