In the hockey world, the unexpected twists and turns can lead players down unexpected paths. Kiefer Sherwood knows this all too well, as he finds himself now wearing a Vancouver Canucks jersey after spending last spring on the opposite side of the ice, pestering the very team he now calls his own.
The former Nashville Predators winger made a name for himself by chasing around the talented Quinn Hughes during the playoffs, causing frustration for the Canucks. But now, Sherwood has joined the team he once frustrated, ready to prove himself in training camp in Penticton, B.C.
Despite his past battles with the Canucks, Sherwood has been welcomed with open arms by his new teammates. Reflecting on his approach to the game, Sherwood shared, “I try to be hard to play against and try to hate the other team and play with that hate and that fire. But at the end of the day, it’s a business and it’s a game of respect. You’re not going after guys if you don’t respect them, right? So now that we’re teammates, it’s just respect.”
Sherwood’s journey to Vancouver was far from straightforward. The 29-year-old forward from Columbus, Ohio went undrafted but signed with the Anaheim Ducks as a free agent in 2018. Despite playing 50 games for the Ducks during the 2018-19 season, Sherwood struggled to solidify his spot in the NHL, moving between the minors and various teams like Anaheim, Nashville, and the Colorado Avalanche.
Realizing that he needed to find his niche in order to secure a permanent position in the league, Sherwood focused on developing his speed. “It’s definitely something that I had to learn and kind of ingrain in myself and train. I think the saying is adapt or die. At the end of the day, you can light up the minors all you want, but you want to be here in this league,” Sherwood explained.
As Sherwood continues to adjust to his new team and environment in Vancouver, he remains determined to make his mark and prove that he belongs in the NHL. And who knows, perhaps his past battles with the Canucks will now serve as a foundation for a successful future with the team he once challenged on the ice.
