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There was excitement in the Horvat household in Rodney, Ont., this summer when news broke that the Vancouver Canucks had added Doug Jarvis to the coaching staff, although Tim Horvat had some work to do to bridge a generational gap, explaining to his son Bo just who Jarvis was, what he’d done during his distinguished NHL career, and how he’d be able to help the third-year centre with all facets of his game.

Jarvis, you see, had already been retired for seven years before Bo Horvat was born.

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“My dad knows more than I do and he told me about (Jarvis), and told me he was one of the best two-way guys and defensive centremen who won big faceoffs, and did whatever he could to help the team win,” the younger Horvat said after a recent workout at Rogers Arena.

“That’s something I didn’t know, but it’s great because that’s the kind of player I want to be. I want to be the guy they put out there in key situations.

“Doug had some pretty good offensive numbers. He was just a great all-round hockey player … and I’m happy to have him on the coaching staff now.”