Vancouver Canucks to hold training camp in Victoria this fall

The Vancouver Canucks will hold their fall 2023 training camp in Victoria, the team announced Thursday.

The five-day camp will commence on Sept. 21 at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.

Jim Rutherford, the team's president of hockey operations, said the Canucks are "delighted" to be island-bound.

"The Vancouver Canucks have had a long history of holding training camp on Vancouver Island and throughout other parts of British Columbia," Rutherford said in a statement announcing the trip.

"Taking our team outside of Vancouver to start the year allows us to connect with our loyal fans from across the province. We look forward to utilizing Victoria's great facilities and beautiful surroundings to kick off the new season."

The Canucks will hold open practices and other free activities for fans ahead of the start of the regular NHL season.

The first time the Canucks held a training camp in Victoria was in 1974, while the last time was in 2019.

The team has held similar camps in Abbotsford, Whistler, Prince George, Penticton, Vernon, Kamloops, Courtenay, Powell River, Parksville, Duncan, and once in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2000.

"Victoria fans are passionate about their hockey," said Mike Strawn, vice-president of sports, media and entertainment at GSL Group, which owns the Victoria arena.

"We are thrilled to host the Canucks training camp at our facility and help bring this calibre of hockey to the community."

The team says more information about public access to the training camp will be announced through the Canucks' official social media channels.