Canucks Coffee: How Aatu Raty learned survival art from Jarkko Ruutu

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The Canucks may have solved one riddle in the middle with steady emergence of Aatu Raty, a faceoff specialist who’s now finding the net.

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Published Dec 09, 2025 • 4 minute read

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alt text Vancouver Canucks centre Aatu Raty celebrates his goal against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on March 26 in Elmont, N.Y. Photo by Bruce Bennett /Getty ImagesArticle content

Aatu Raty would have been a formidable football special-teams player because he stays in his lane.

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The Vancouver Canucks centre is big, hits hard and knows not to stray. A direct approach has allowed the affable Finn to carve out an NHL niche to further his career, especially amid a crunch of club injuries at the pivot position.

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Raty’s feistiness on the forecheck, dominance in the faceoff circle, improved stride and roster realization, have brought promotion to the second line. And his second career two-goal game, plus first three-point outing Saturday in a 4-2 win over the Minnesota Wild, was further proof there’s more to his game.

Relentlessness and resolve are paying off for the 6-foot-2, 204 pound second round pick of the New York Islanders in 2021.

However, keeping it all in perspective matters the most. After all, Raty was just 16 when he scored his first pro goal in Finland in just his second game to tease of potential. Seven years later, the long journey to become and remain an NHL mainstay continues. Five points (2-3) in a three-game span before facing the Detroit Red Wings on Monday helps.

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Raty had four shots, five attempts, and won 62 per cent of his draws in a 4-0 loss in which he nearly scored by putting the puck between his legs.

“There are moments when you go a lot of games without points (eight) and thought you were doing the right things,” Raty said following the morning skate. “They make you think to still play the right way. Sometimes, you get the chances and they go in. But it’s really important to look at other stuff in that game (Saturday) too.

“Why did those things happen and go from there. But big for confidence. You need to see the puck go in sometimes.”

Aatu Raty celebrates his goal against the Wild with teammate Evander Kane on Saturday at Rogers Arena. Photo by ETHAN CAIRNS /THE CANADIAN PRESS

And sometimes you need a point of reference to understand the grind.

Jarkko Ruutu was a popular and pugnacious Canucks winger. The feisty Finn had more testosterone that talent, but found a way to stay in the game.

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In 267 regular-season games with Vancouver, he had 53 points (23-28) and 453 penalty minutes. He also played for Pittsburgh, Ottawa and Anaheim and his career log of 652 games, in which he amassed 142 points (58-84) and 1,078 minutes in the box, spoke to survival instinct.

Ruutu never scored more than a dozen goals, but his popularity in the room and on the ice as an agitator drew acclaim. He wrote about it in a biography title ‘The Divine Comedy’.

“I recently read his book for the second time,” said Raty. “I don’t know if it’s been translated to English, but it was just about the grind of making the NHL. He was never the most skilled guy, but it was his determination and also the mental side of it. He had a great career, but there were a lot of times when it could have looked a lot different.

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“He stayed with it.”

The pesky Jarkko Ruutu was never shy to give an opposition player a shove or a pop during NHL scrums. Photo by Steve Bosch /Vancouver Sun

Raty, 23, has become an avid reader and devoured a whole book the last road trip. He bought five new books on Sunday and listens to 50 audiobooks a year to gain a wider perspective of the world.

Maybe it’s a Finnish thing, an outgoing outlook on life to remain grateful and enjoy every day. Kevin Lankinen has it. So did Sami Salo and Ruutu. Maybe that’s why Finland often surprises on the international stage.

“That’s what we take pride in,” stressed Raty. “Even going from the national junior team to world championships, people really don’t think we have a chance. We had five guys get drafted at the U-20 level. We always had that underdog mentality and knowing we need to do things better that require no skill better because we don’t have as much.

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“That’s where it comes from. The effort and details are rewarded. We put a lot of effort into the little things.”

Canucks head coach Adam Foote will tell you Raty’s goals happened Saturday because of reads, reactions and 14-for-16 ownership of the circle. Especially on his first goal that spoke of feistiness and finish and led to his first plus-3 rating.

Raty did the grunt work behind his own net trying to pry a puck loose, and when Evander Kane nailed Jared Spurgeon on the side wall, Raty sped away with Kiefer Sherwood on an odd-man rush and picked the short side. Raty then bolted to behind the Wild net, and when goalie Jesper Wallstedt left the puck to be played, he stole it scored a wraparound goal.

“It’s confidence,” said Foote. “He’s got some offence in him for sure, we all know that. He build on it. But the nice part is he’s doing the stuff away from the puck really good right now.”

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Skating has always been a picking point with Raty from those who watch the game from above. His initial burst and stride have improved, and while 11 points (3-8) in 30 games seems nominal, he had the same amount of points in eight more games last season.

“I work on skating all the time and people kind of see what they want to see. I think it had too much negativity,” admitted Raty, who was acquired in the multi-asset swap for Bo Horvat.

A lot of skating is awareness. Young players often freeze up and overthink when they get the puck instead of moving their feet.

“With a lot of the skating, veterans guys might be slowing down a bit, but if you measure top speed, it doesn’t really show on the ice. Bhy they read the game so well and are in the right spots. They don’t put themselves in those foot races. I’m probably doing that a lot better.”

bkuzma@postmedia.com

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Canucks Coffee: How Aatu Raty learned survival art from Jarkko Ruutu

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