The New York Islanders are in the Pacific Northwest as they continue their Canadian road swing, taking on the Vancouver Canucks from Rogers Arena in downtown Vancouver on Thursday night.
And it's a particularly special night for veteran forward Bo Horvat, who served as the captain of the Canucks before a blockbuster trade sent him to the Islanders in January of 2023 that sent shockwaves through both organizations.
Ahead of the matchup, Horvat spoke at length about his feelings about returning to the arena as a visitor that he once called home for so many years, saying that he had it marked on his calendar, via Yahoo Sports.
“Yeah, obviously, you circle it on your calendar,” Horvat said. “To go back to the city where it all started, it's always in the back of your mind.”
And while he still has some lingering thoughts about how his tenure with the Canucks ended, Horvat made it clear that he loves playing with the Islanders.
“When you're told one thing, and the opposite happens, and stuff like that. A lot of stuff that went on obviously didn't sit well,” Horvat said. “But it led me to here. And I couldn't be happier to be here. My family loves it here, and I love it here.”
The Islanders entered Thursday night's game coming off a tough overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
Bo Horvat served as Canucks captain before the major trade
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A native of London, Ontario, Horvat was selected by the Canucks with the ninth overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, and he began his career with the club starting in the 2014-15 season; he tallied 13 goals and 12 assists in 68 games as a rookie.
His numbers gradually began to rise to the point of becoming one of the key players in the lineup, and he was named team captain in October of 2019 following the retirement of franchise legend Henrik Sedin and his identical twin brother Daniel.
But Horvat's tenure in Vancouver came to a stunning end in January of 2023 when he was sent to the Islanders in exchange for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty, and a conditional first-round pick in 2023.
Horvat has played in 16 games this season, scoring five goals with seven assists; a pace of 62 points over 82 games.
