Photo via Yahoo Sports

‘That’s The Best Part About The NHL’: Canucks Defenceman Luke Schenn On The Importance of Team Bonding On Road Trips

Luke Schenn, a veteran defenseman with 1,126 NHL games under his belt, has maintained a steadfast tradition of skipping hotel room service during road trips—even as the Vancouver Canucks embark on one of their longest outings of the 2026–27 season. The Canucks’ upcoming stretch will span six games across less than two weeks, beginning with a matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes on October 8 before traveling to New Jersey and New York to face the Devils, Rangers, and Islanders.

The trip concludes with back-to-back games in Florida against the Panthers on October 15 and the Lightning on October 17. Schenn, who has played for 10 different NHL teams, has long been a key figure in organizing team dinners—a long-standing NHL custom for fostering camaraderie on the road.

He estimates he leads these gatherings about 70% of the time, leveraging his experience to rally teammates and create shared memories. While the league’s pace has shifted toward greater recovery-focused schedules, Schenn notes that the core idea of bonding remains, though modern players may meet up more casually for drinks in cities rather than formal dinners.

Up nextNHL· 54m ago

NHL's hockey romance-themed audiobooks disappear online after opening week of the season