Brandon McMillan #22 of the Arizona Coyotes skates with the puck around goaltender Petr Mrazek #34 of the Detroit Red Wings during the first period of the NHL game at Gila River Arena on February 7, 2015 in Glendale, Arizona. Photograph by: Christian Petersen , Getty Images

VANCOUVER - He started the day as a Coyote, was worried he was about to become a Pirate and was delighted to learn he is now a Canuck.

Winger Brandon McMillan was claimed Thursday by the Vancouver Canucks, his home-town team, after the Arizona Coyotes put the 24-year-old on waivers with the intent of assigning him to their Portland Pirates AHL team in Maine.

McMillan, who grew up in South Delta and played his junior hockey with the Kelowna Rockets, is more than a little pleased to be returning home.

“Awesome situation for me going back home,” he hold reporters in Phoenix before heading north. “I grew up there. Grandparents, family, friends all live really close so honestly couldn’t be any happier right now.”

McMillan is expected to join the Canucks at Friday morning’s game-day skate, but may not play before he gets in a full practice with the team. Vancouver meets the Boston Bruins on Friday night at Rogers Arena.

“They’re a good team,” he said of the Canucks. “They’re in a playoff hunt and hopefully I can help them push it over the edge and get into a playoff spot.”

McMillan had one goal and two assists in 50 games this season with Arizona. He has 35 points and 60 penalty minutes in 163 NHL games

McMillan, who is 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, was selected 85th overall by Anaheim in the 2008 draft. McMillan's best NHL season came in 2010-11 when he had 10 goals and 21 points in 60 games with the Ducks.

So where does he fit?

The Canucks think McMillan could help their struggling penalty-kill. Vancouver gave up two power-play goals to the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night and has surrendered 10 in its last eight games. The Canucks’ penalty-kill is missing injured centres Brad Richardson and Nick Bonino.

General manager Jim Benning cited McMillan’s work ethic as among the reasons he made a claim on him.

“He is a guy with a relentless work ethic,” Benning said. “He comes and he shows up and he works and competes the same way every night. We have run into some injuries here going down the stretch. When we saw his name on the waiver wire we just felt he would be a good fit.

“He’s a good defensive player, he competes hard, he gets in on the forecheck, he hits and the attention to detail in his game is real good. He can also kill penalties. We just thought he’d be a valuable guy to us going down the stretch.”

Benning also likes McMillan’s versatility. He can play wing or centre and spent some time filling in on defence during his junior days in Kelowna. He also played under Vancouver coach Willie Desjardins on Canada’s World Junior team.

McMillan is on a one-year, two-way contract that pays him $625,000 US in the NHL and $100,000 in the minors.

Asked why things didn’t work out in Phoenix, McMillan said: “It’s a business and obviously with where they are in the standings, it’s just the way it goes. They’re going to be trying new things, and that’s just the way things happen. Can’t really blame anybody for that. That’s just the way it goes.”

ICE CHIPS: Benning also said Thursday he was unsure how long Bonino and Richardson will be out. Both are nursing foot injuries. He did say defenceman Frank Corrado has an upper-body injury and could be out for two to three weeks.

WHO'S NEXT: Bruins at Canucks

RECENT RUN

The Canucks have spent the last eight games alternating wins and losses. After a 5-4 overtime victory in Chicago on Wednesday, they’ll look to snap that string tonight against the Bruins. The Bruins have dropped two straight.

WHO’S HOT?

RW Radim Vrbata has points in seven straight games (2-6-8). That’s the longest current streak in the NHL ... LW Daniel Sedin has four goals in his last six games … Bruins C Patrice Bergeron has goals in three of his last four games

WHO’S NOT?

The Canucks’ penalty-kill is struggling without injured centre Brad Richardson. Vancouver surrendered two power play goals to the Blackhawks Wednesday and has allowed 10 in its last eight games … The Canuck and Boston power plays are both middle of the pack. Vancouver ranks 16th at 18.1 per cent, while the Bruins are 18th at 17.6

HEAD-TO-HEAD

This is the first of two meetings this season. The Canucks visit Boston on Feb. 24 as part of a five-game road trip. Tonight’s game is just the fourth between the teams since the Bruins beat the Canucks in seven games to win the Stanley Cup in June of 2011. The Canucks and Bruins split two meetings last season.

QUOTABLE

“I think they’re character-builders for teams. You learn a lot about yourself and your teammates and just as a group in general … It’s an important road trip for us with where we are in the standings. There will be a lot of good challenges throughout.” — Bruins defenceman Adam McQuaid on Boston’s five-game road trip, which starts in Vancouver and also includes stops in Calgary, Edmonton. St. Louis and Chicago.

bziemer@vancouversun.com; twitter.com/bradziemer