VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Nothing was bigger than the media wall that awaited Bo Horvat at Rogers Arena one year ago Thursday, but you didn't have to look far to see a “C” stamped on the street. You can see sweaters with the number 53 on them around the Canucks' home arena.
“Sometimes I forget to sign No. 53 instead of No. 14,” Horvat joked Thursday morning before the Islanders beat the Canucks 5-2. “So I'm sorry if I did that to you.”
It's been 22 months since Horvat played for his home team here, but it's still strange to see him back.
However, Horvat was well aware that he would ultimately be leaving Vancouver from the start of the 2022-23 season, as the cap-strapped Canucks signed JT Miller to an eight-year extension. Ta. This is to re-sign him.
Atu Lati, who was part of the return package the Islanders sent back along with Anthony Beauvillier and a 2023 first-round pick, had no idea there would be any movement on Vancouver's fourth line Thursday night. .
“I think if you're not traded, you feel like it's not going to happen,” said Lati, who was considered the Isles' top prospect at the time. “Looking around the room, I don’t think there was much trade talk. None of my friends said anything about it.
“It was definitely a shock. I wasn't on the phone, I wasn't in the room, so I think I only found out after about three hours. It wasn't great.”
Latti, who spent last season in the AHL with the Canucks in Abbotsford, played against the Islanders for the first time on Thursday, which also happened to be his 22nd birthday.
“This was definitely on the calendar,” Lati joked.
That was clearly the case with Horvat, who flew down the ice, taking down multiple Canucks along the way, and fed Anders Lee for the Islanders' fourth goal of the night at 11:42 of the third. .
“I'm not as nervous as I was last year for so many reasons,” he said. “I think having that experience last year definitely helped me come in. It's still nerve-wracking, it's still weird. … It's fun to be back.”
Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said Wednesday's call-up of Travis Mitchell had nothing to do with anyone's performance and was simply intended to give the Islanders extra fitness while on the West Coast.
There's still a chance that Alexander Romanov, who has been dealing with an upper-body injury, will return to action at some point on the road, but No. 28 continued to wear a non-contact jersey for Thursday morning's skate. Ta.
