Canucks practice scenes: Ethan Bear and Jack Studnicka join the team as Quinn Hughes returns

Happy Sunday Canucks fans!

The Vancouver Canucks won back-to-back games and defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night at home in what was by far their most comprehensive effort of the season.

Of course, you should definitely be cautiously optimistic about the Canucks, who went eight games just to record their first win of the season, but Friday night was definitely something this group could build on.

Additionally, the Canucks are getting reinforcements for their dismal defense corps, both in the form of their healthy blue line and in the form of their acquisition of Ethan Bear from the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday.

Bear took to the ice at Rogers Arena for the first time today as the Canucks practiced ahead of Tuesday night’s game against the New Jersey Devils.

Here’s what happened in practice today.

Today’s big news is that Quinn Hughes has returned after missing the last four games through injury.

Hughes was back on a pairing with Luke Schenn, as he was before heading to injured reserve.

Newcomer Ethan Bear skated on the Canucks’ “fourth pair” with Riley Stillman, who also returned to practice after the Canucks placed him on IR last week.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson was out of practice Sunday morning and head coach Bruce Boudreau called it a maintenance day.

It will certainly be interesting to see how head coach Bruce Boudreau goes about building his defensive pairs, as Ethan Bear hasn’t played much this season.

As for forward line combinations, Jack Studnicka replaced Sheldon Dries on the Canucks’ fourth line alongside Tanner Pearson and Nils Höglander, while Vasily Podkolzin found himself on the third line alongside Nils Aman and Dakota Joshua.

PRACTICE SCENES PRESENTED BY BETWAY

Bruce Boudreau talked about his two new players, Jack Studnicka and Ethan Bear.

“I mean, all he had to do was watch one or two of those center players and if he learned anything, it should really come in handy,” Boudreau said of what Studnicka may have. -be learned by playing in Boston.

Of Bear, Boudreau said, “He’s an NHL defenseman first and foremost. “He’s solid, he can skate and he can move the puck, that’s something we have in Quinn, but when he’s out of line…he’s more of a hard-nosed defensive body, and in today’s world you need those defensemen who move the puck to get it to the forwards so hopefully that’s what he brings in. I’m sure he’s going to be hungry , he hasn’t played a game this year, he’s been sitting and skating for most of the year, so he’s very excited to be here.

It’s true, Bear is very excited about the chance he will definitely have in Vancouver.

“It’s awesome” Ethan Bear told reporters during his first media appearance as a Canuck. “Vancouver is a team that I’ve seen grow a lot and yeah, it’s just a special feeling. My fiancée is from Kelowna, so it’s close to home, and honestly, it feels good to be back in Canada.

“It’s been a while since I played and you know, I skated and worked a lot. So it’s going to be really good to be able to honestly play a game and compete again, and that’s what I’m looking forward to the most,” Bear said of his new opportunity with the Canucks.

“I’m really excited, like this team is really good. Obviously that’s not the start they wanted but you know, with this training and the leaders that they have, I have a strong belief that we can easily turn things around by sticking to that and working together and honestly, I think with the character we have in this group, and from what I’ve seen in those early days, I think we could turn things around.