Rossi explains his unique role in the Vancouver Canucks locker room
The Vancouver Canucks know a thing or two about going through tough times. So does Marco Rossi.
However, the on-ice struggles of a professional hockey team don’t really compare to what Rossi has endured.
The Austrian centre had his entire draft plus-one season derailed by myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle. At the time it was discovered, doctors told him he could die if he played one more game.
After missing almost an entire year of hockey, Rossi managed to recover and prove his worth as an NHLer.
So, did the experience make him a better, more battle-tested hockey player?
“I don’t know about a better hockey player, but I think it made me a better person,” Rossi told Daily Hive.
“With everything I went through, you see everything different. My point of view in life just changed.”
“When you’re young, you don’t really appreciate as much when you’re healthy, but when you go through a lot, you appreciate the little things way more, and it gives you a different perspective of life.”
Rossi’s more appreciative viewpoint of the world around him has allowed him to bring a fresh perspective to the Canucks locker room.
It’s easy to forget that Rossi is still in just his third full NHL season, especially after listening to him talk about his role in the Canucks locker room.
“I mean, it’s such a great opportunity here,” he said. “You see so many young guys, and you can really trust and see that we can build something here, and that’s a lot of fun to be part of.”
“My role is just try to help the young guys as much as I can, because I know how they feel.”
Spoken like a grizzled vet.
At 24 years old, Rossi is still one of the younger guys on the team. But over the last few weeks, he’s been leading on the scoreboard for Vancouver, and he’s sounded like a leader when addressing the media postgame.
ROSSI GOALS IN 3ļøā£ STRAIGHT GAMES! š„ pic.twitter.com/Dbga5kfVc7
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) March 18, 2026
He recognizes that his spot on the team as a leader is unique among most of his Canucks teammates.
“I’m in between the young guys and the older guys, so I understand both sides. So, I think that’s important.”
His growing leadership role hasn’t gone unnoticed by head coach Adam Foote.
“I think Marco’s finally starting to understand how we’re going, and he’s getting a feel for it,” Foote said. “He’s feeling more comfortable around the guys and being a leader. And you see his character showing for sure, because it seems like he’s feeling more comfortable here as a Canuck.”
Although he’s still young by NHL standards, Rossi has been around good influences who have taught him about leadership.
“I played with a lot of good leaders,” he said. “Especially last year in Minnesota, there were some great leaders, like [Jared Spurgeon], [Mats] Zuccarello, [Marcus] Foligno.”
“There were a lot of good guys, and even [Marc-Andre] Fleury, like, he’s a goalie, but he talks so much, and he helps everyone.”
“For me, you just see and try to learn as much as you can.”
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He also had a special relationship with an ex-Canucks forward along the way.
“Growing up, it was always Thomas Vanek,” Rossi said. “I mean, he was, at that time, the best Austrian NHL player. So I always looked up to him, I saw he made it, and I said, I can make it too.”
Rossi actually lived with Vanek during his time in Minnesota, and he previously helped Rossi get through a slump in his rookie season.
The one-time Canucks winger didn’t give Rossi too much insight into his time in Vancouver.
“He’s so busy, but he always told me, just go out there, have fun, and everything will be fine.”
Thankfully for the Canucks, it does seem like they’re having a bit more fun of late.
Zeev Buium, Tom Willander and defenceman Elias Pettersson were spotted practice-fighting earlier this week. And at practice on Wednesday, Buium and Rossi got in a couple of friendly wrestling matches.
Rossi has a first-hand look at Buium’s potential in Minnesota, and believes that the talented young defenceman has learned a lot here in Vancouver so far.
“I think for him at first, it wasn’t easy. Especially when you lose, you think too much about it,” Rossi explained.
“But he understands the situation more and more, and you can see it out there. “Like, he doesn’t play with as much pressure anymore. He just goes out there to have fun, and he tries to learn.”
As this group of young Canucks continues to learn together, don’t be surprised if Rossi is one of the guys who helps usher in the new era.