Canucks Development Camp: How Riley Patterson got a leg up on demands of the game
The Colts have a solid core returning next season to take the next postseason step. They were swept in the Eastern Conference final this spring by the Oshawa Generals.
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'We had a great culture and were very close,' said Patterson. 'I improved in a lot of areas and got a better stride because the game is super-fast. My 200-foot game has also come a long way because of consistency throughout the season to compete every night.
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'I prefer the middle, but I'm adaptable because I'm coachable. It's big. Even in minor hockey, I was playing both. Centre is more responsibility and a lot of it is skating through the neutral zone and making plays. I'm at my best when my stick is on the puck.'
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Patterson would like to model his game after centre Gabriel Vilardi, 25, of the Winnipeg Jets. The 2017 first-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings is an imposing 6-foot-3, 216-pound presence who hit a career-high 27 goals this season.
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'He's a big right-handed shot who's good around the net and can play a 200-foot game,' assessed Patterson. 'Strong player with good vision and playmaking abilities.'
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One player who won't be back in Barrie this fall is winger Anthony Romani.
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The Canucks' sixth-round draft pick in 2024 is leaving for the NCAA and joining the Michigan State Spartans. He was limited to 35 regular-season games this season with the North Bay Battalion and the Colts because of injury, and had 35 points (21-14). He then amassed 24 points (12-12) in 16 playoff games.
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In 2023-24, Romani exploded for 58 goals and 111 points with the Battalion and piqued the Canucks' drafting interest.
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'It's huge on personal preference in what you and your family think is best for development,' Patterson reasoned of Romani's decision. 'I've loved my time with the organization.'
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Said Romani: 'I'm pumped. It's a really great school, and what I'm most excited about is the development they have there. Great facilities. Great coaches. I head there next week for summer training.'
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