The Vancouver Canucks have been one of the surprise stories in the NHL this season and the team’s first-year head coach Travis Green deserves much of the credit.

There is still plenty of hockey left to be played but it’s safe to say most people outside of the organization didn’t expect the 11-8-3 Canucks to be in the position they currently find themselves in—occupying the first wild card spot in the Western Conference.

“We put a plan in order of how we wanted to play as a group and so far the guys have bought in,” Green said during an appearance on Prime Time Sports Thursday.

Prime Time Sports We knew Boeser would be good, we just didn't know when November 23 2017 Your browser does not support the audio element.



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Green, who was named head coach of the Canucks in April after four years spent as bench boss of the AHL’s Utica Comets, played 970 career games in the NHL from 1992-2007. He retired in 2008 after one season spent with Zug in Switzerland’s National League before being hired as an assistant coach and assistant general manager by the Portland Winterhawks that same year.

He ended up spending five years with the Winterhawks learning the craft under Mike Johnston (of no relation to the author of this story).

“I had the opportunity to coach with Mike Johnston who’s a real career coach, a real teacher of the game and I learned a lot from him as far as the art of coaching,” Green explained. “I learned a lot from him over the five years and when I went to Utica I wanted to stay there for a while and be head coach in that league for a while.”

Green felt it was important to take his time and hone his coaching skills rather than jumping at the first NHL gig made available to him.

“When I retired it wasn’t something I took lightly as far as what I wanted to do and how I thought the best route to get to the NHL as a head coach would be,” Green said. “I played junior [for the Spokane Chiefs and Medicine Hat Tigers], had a lot of respect for the Western [Hockey] League and knew that it was a great breeding ground not just for players but for coaches and the same could be said about the American Hockey League.

“When you look at the NHL it’s really astonishing how many coaches have coached in the American Hockey League. … Until you coach in that league you don’t understand how it keeps you sharp as a coach and makes you a lot better and my time there was invaluable.”