Elias Pettersson, Thatcher Demko & Head Coach Adam Foote Media Availabilities (Oct 14, 2025)

Elias Pettersson, Thatcher Demko & Head Coach Adam Foote Media Availabilities (Oct 14, 2025)

maybe just start taking a look at uh the game last night and your thoughts on it. Yeah. Um obviously don’t like the second period and we come back a little bit and they score right away, but think’s going to learn them and do better next game. What do you think you guys need to do to drive play a little bit more effectively both with your line and as a group? Yeah. Uh if it’s good, take care of the puck better, if better defense. Um, I think just all over the ice, small details to lead to big things. You got three shots on goal through three games. Do you feel like maybe you need to be a little more selfish in some situations with putting the puck on? Oh, for sure. I mean, I want um three shots a game or even more. Um, but maybe that’s a reflection that we we got to create a little more. I got to be better. And um but yeah. Have you seen stuff you guys can build on though, Elias? No. Yeah, for sure. I think we have uh I mean obviously um I think um along we’ve been creating some chances um but I don’t think it’s been there consistency all the time. Um but yeah, working on it. Fel we had a good practice today I felt. So yeah, power play looked pretty good in the preseason. It’s just not there yet. Is it just a matter of time? No, I think so. Um preseason great. haven’t been as good during the season though. Um but talent’s there with everyone everyone can score. So um yeah, keep working on it. I I believe in this and said that you are your own harshest critic. What is the thing that you feel you need to improve on the most through the first three games? Yeah, just um drive to play, drive offense. Um be uh two-way player and play good and um all over the rink. So, yeah. How about the challenge of this road trip starting with Dallas? Obviously a pretty good team. How important is it for you guys to, you know, get out on the road and and get things turned in the right direction? Yeah. Uh Dallas, great team. Um we got a lot of good players, but uh I like the group we have here. Um if we play where we’re supposed to play and follow structure and everything, I um it’s going to be good. So, um, good challenge for us and, um, excited for her. Yeah. Uh, it’s good. Um, we got to play better, I think. You know, I think, uh, last probably game and a half probably haven’t been up to our standard. Um, and yeah, I think we all know that we got to, you know, kind of step up our our intensity, our execution. Um, it’s a tough tough road trip travelwise. Kind of all over the map there. So, um, yeah, I think that focus level and and that intention going into each game is going to be really important for us. Tough road trip in terms of travel and the number of games, but good to get out on the road with the group where you can sort of focus on the things you need to focus on. Yeah, I mean, all the games are the same. Um, I think we’ve done a good job of kind of getting together as a group with the wives and and uh and the players and everyone here too. So, um, as far as like the bonding and stuff goes, I think we’ve been doing a good job with that. But um yeah, be a good test for us. First, you know, long road trip of the year. First, um obviously we played in Edmonton, but uh stringing together road games. Uh a little bit different than just a one-off. So, yeah, it’s a important road trip. A different perspective whether you’re in the net or on the bench as it was on Monday. What have you seen from this team through the first three games that maybe needs to take a step up? Um, I I’ve seen the the kind of the skeleton of of some really good things. Um, I think just the consistency level of of our execution maybe. Um, you know, I think that the positive thing for me is just the things that have been lacking are things that are super correctable. Um, and so I I think that, you know, that’s that’s going to come. Hopefully, you know, we can address those things and we have in video and things like that. But, um, yeah, those are easy things to fix and I mean, I think, you know, we had so so much momentum going for us in the the preseason games and I don’t think it’s going to take much to kind of get back to to that level and and having that swagger as a group. So, um, yeah, it’s good to watch the game from the bench. You know, you kind of pick up on some things and um, yeah, as a team, I don’t know, we’re three games in, 79 to go, but how big is the mental component at a time like this? Like a week ago, everything seemed to be aligned and guys felt great. I’m sure they don’t feel great about being one and two, but how important is it the mental aspect right now just to sort of be confident and and not get too down about how the the last couple of games? Um, yeah. I mean, I I think no one’s talking about it. I mean, I I think guys are fine. Um, If you guys Yeah, I mean, if you guys are chatting about it, maybe I don’t know. I mean, I don’t get that sense in the room to answer your question. Um, I don’t I don’t think there’s a panic level or or anything like that. Um, we know we have to address some things. We got to clean some things up for sure. U we’re not turning a blind eye to that, but um yeah, I mean I I think that we’re the same group we were a week ago, you know, and you know, you guys are ranting and raving about us. So, um, yeah, I feel good about our group and I think guys are excited to get on the road and, um, you know, another opportunity against a really good team in Dallas. So, um, yeah, be some fun games for sure. I know it’s a team game, but just curious to get your thoughts. I mean, how encouraged are you by your two performances so far? Um, yeah, I mean, I that’s my standard, you know. Um, anything kind of less than that I’m I’m not very happy with. Obviously, I want to win the game. You know, I needed one more save in Edmonton. So, that’s kind of where my mind’s at. Um, there’s a lot of hockey left. So, uh, it’s good it’s good to to kind of start the season that way. Um, felt pretty good about about both games just as far as my game went. Um, but yeah, there’s there’s a lot of work to be done. I know that. Um, so yeah, another another opportunity to kind of get back in the pipes and play. And just curious with your role as a leader, and we know that you’ve sort of taken on as part of this leadership group. Like the players, the skaters have talked about needing to drive play. I mean, as a goalie, you can’t do that, but what can you do from the leadership standpoint to sort of get this thing moving in the right direction? I think it is moving in the right direction, first of all. Um, it’s I think we’re fine. Again, we’re not already doing this. Um I yeah I think it’s a lot different for a goalie. You know it’s uh especially you know a game like yesterday where you know we’re trying to find a spark or something and I’m on the bench and I can really only bark at guys and you know try to bring some life to our group. But um you know I’m more of a guy that just wants to lead by my habits every day. Um showing up kind of even keel and and excited to see the guys regardless of kind of how the day went before. um and just kind of my work habits and obviously when the time calls you know hopefully you can uh keep the team in the game and you know make some big saves when they need it. So um yeah I think it’s more of just a demeanor than than anything as a goalie um in in the leadership group. Couple of guys back in non-cont jerseys. Uh where are they at in terms of their recovery and are they going on the trip? They’re going to go on the trip. Uh we’ll know more in the next day, day and a half where they’re at as far as availability. Well, you guys coming off that game just last night, what did you want that focus to be in this practice today? Well, just getting back to what we’re are, you know, we want to play fast hockey. You saw us do the rush drills. Um, and you know, I think closing out at the end of practice, we did a lot of one-on-one, two on two, three on two closing plays defensively early and and actually offensively hold on the puck. So, um, you know, we worked on that a little bit, but just getting feeling good. uh you know, we’ve had a couple minor lapses in games that have kind of put us in a tough spot and we just got to stick to uh our program. What about um like nobody would have questioned if you’d come back with a whole bunch of different line combinations uh early in the season from a coaching perspective? Like what’s the balance between trying to work it through with the guys that you’ve started the season with and going away from it? Yeah, I mean we’re still tweaking stuff and you know I’m not saying I don’t even not sure if the lines are going to be like that when we go into Dallas. We might we might uh move it around a little bit. We’ll see. Specifically to that, you switched up the top two lines in the last game, switching Person and Heedle. What did you see after that change? And is that something that we might see more of on the road trip? Yeah, I mean, right now I’m leaning more towards going PY with like Garly and maybe Kane. We’ll see. Um and Heedle with uh with Bess. And then you got speed with the breast. So, um, something I’m thinking about and, you know, moving forward, we’re, um, we’ll see what happens. I thought Ratty did well with Sherwood. So, uh, we’ll see if, you know, we might be able to Connor there as well. We’ll see. Is Coots also sticking with the team as you go on the road trip as well? Actually, we had a after practice, we had a discussion with the staff and um we’re going to reassign KSI to Seattle today. So, he will not be on the road trip with us, but we’re proud of what he’s done. It’s not been his play at all. He’s a smart hockey player. We just think it’s the right thing for his development. You know, this is going to be condensed, long, heavy season. He’s a guy that’s really good with touch pucks, uh touches with the puck and um you know, we have we have a young team. We have we have a young team that’s so it’s it’s hard to have a lot of support around him uh for for his age at this moment. So I think it’s the right thing for his development. How valuable was the experience he had with the group to this point do you think for him in his development? I think it was huge. I mean, he’s the type of person, guy, he’ll go down and do the right thing as far as his work ethic, and he’s got the world juniors to think about, but he’s so with it that I think he understands going down with his experience, how to bring it into that locker room um with a young group and uh still be, you know, such a good teammate. So, is Teddy that close to being ready or will you bring in Teddy’s close, but we’re going to bring up Assassin. Um, you know, and uh Teddy’s close, but I’m not sure he’ll make Dallas. We’ll find out the next day at half. So you so much energy especially before training camp uh you and your staff put into like bringing the group together and starting to you know build that leadership and and get guys all uh kind of in harmony. Y we’re only three games in but the last couple of results haven’t gone the way you want. Is now is a time where that gets tested a little bit. That’s where you you know make sure that the everyone’s everyone’s focusing on the right things. everyone’s positive things. I mean, yeah, it’s getting tested and and things aren’t perfect either. I mean, you bring a leadership group together or a group together off camp, you’re going to have, you know, you’re going to have sometimes a little blip and you just got to get back into it and and not get scattered. And um if that makes sense and that’s what we’ll continue to talk about and they’re aware of and and we’ll do. Only 82 games. I’m not sure that there’s uh many that you can’t or you don’t play with urgency, but is it does it feel like there’s a an urgency on this road trip? I think like you just said it, there’s urgency in every game. I mean, with a condensed season and how how stacked the West is, it’s just the way it is. With this upcoming road trip, there’s not going to be a ton of practice time just based off of the schedule. So, from uh you and your coaching staff’s perspective, how do you guys manage the next uh week or so while you’re on the road? Yeah, I mean you just said it. We’ll when we can practice, whether it is a morning skate, we’ll we’ll do a couple drills, get them going, but we’ll also have to use that time like I think most teams will Olympic year, everyone’s schedule’s going to be somewhere along the lines hectic or less practice time. use that time to uh go review a few things, a couple walkthroughs, and uh something we discussed with our group so they’re aware it could

Elias Pettersson, Thatcher Demko & Head Coach Adam Foote speak to the media after morning practice.

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