Brock Boeser Shines for the Canucks With Two-Goal Mother's Day Performance
Brock Boeser Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
If you ever find yourself in the bowels of Rogers Arena after a Canucks game, there's a good chance that you'll spot Brock Boeser chatting with someone.
When he joined the Canucks in 2017, he barely spoke above a whisper when the media was around. Now, he's got the swagger of a 40-goal scorer who can punish opponents while retaining his status as one of the most well-liked players in the NHL.
He consistently makes time to sign autographs, to chat with members of the visiting media and to catch up with the many rival players who, like him, hail from the close-knit State of Hockey, Minnesota.
He also has 27 points in 31 regular-season games against the Edmonton Oilers — the most of any team in the league.
On Sunday, Boeser got hats thrown onto the ice for him at Edmonton's Rogers Place — in a playoff game — after he put up what appeared to be a first-period natural hat trick in Vancouver's 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers.
His first goal was eventually credited to Elias Lindholm, who pulled off the power-play tip. But by tallying his sixth and seventh goals of the playoffs, Boeser earned first-star honors and pulled into a tie for third place in playoff goal-scoring with a big guy from the other side, Leon Draisaitl.
Since Boeser's only previous playoff experience came during the bubble in the summer of 2020, this is the first time he has ever played an NHL game on Mother's Day. But given how important his family and his mom, Laurie, have been in his hockey journey, it's not surprising that this is a night when he'd shine.
Family has been at the heart of Boeser's NHL journey. His mom went above and beyond as the breadwinner for her family. Brock's father, Duke, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2010, suffered a brain injury in a car accident in 2012, then also dealt with a cancer diagnosis. But Laurie was always there — supporting her husband and her children as Brock carved his path to becoming a first-round draft pick in 2015.
When Boeser made his NHL debut on the road against the Minnesota Wild on March 25, 2017, Duke and Laurie were invited into the Canucks dressing room to read the starting lineup.
After a stellar start to his career, when he finished as runner-up for the Calder Trophy and was named MVP of the 2018 All-Star Game as a rookie, Boeser dealt with some injuries. At times, he also wore the burden of his dad's struggles visibly.
Duke passed away on May 27, 2022, at age 61. At first, there was pain. But after a strong off-season of training and a renewed commitment to bring his best, Boeser lit the fuse for the Canucks' 109-point regular season with a four-goal outing on opening night, when the Canucks beat the Oilers 8-1 on their way to sweeping the 2023-24 regular-season series.
Heading into the playoffs, there was plenty of chatter about how the Canucks didn't have enough experience to handle a true playoff run in full buildings full of rabid fans.
But Boeser is thriving. In 2020, he had four goals and 11 points in 17 playoff games for Vancouver. This year, his seven goals in nine games is one of the best playoff starts of any Canucks player in franchise history.
If the Canucks eliminate the Oilers and advance to the Western Conference final, Boeser's name should be in the Conn Smythe Trophy conversation.
Game 4 goes Tuesday in Edmonton at 9:30 p.m. ET.