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L to R: Doug Paterson, President Richmond Sockeyes, Danton Heinen, Vancouver Canucks, Will Kump, GM Richmond Sockeyes.
Photo courtesy Sophia Khatami
Sockeyes welcome Canucks’ Danton Heinen
Published 11:01 PDT, Wed October 23, 2024
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As quickly as summer turns to fall, rosters change on a day-to-day basis, which for the most part, is due to various reasons. These can be players away at WHL camps, injuries, or other undefined reasons. Regardless, it’s what the coaching staff are often faced with on a daily basis which often requires roster changes to the regular lineup.
As the Sockeyes entered the second month of the season, you could sense what the coaching staff, and the other fourteen teams, were forced to deal with.
One might question what coaches were often faced with, but regardless, they work as a team putting the best product on the ice, both home and away. Despite the changes, fans are entertained on a weekly basis continuing to support the Sockeyes win or lose and at times, travelling with the team.
Some games haven’t gone the way they wanted, but it clearly wasn’t for a lack of trying, playing a full sixty minutes, as they are focused on the end result—winning the PJHL Championship.
At press time, the Sockeyes sit at 18 points with 9 wins, 3 losses, 60 goals for and 29 against through 12 games.
In a pre-game Thanksgiving match-up, the Sockeyes welcomed home Alumni, Danton Heinen who began his career in the 2012-13 season finishing with 63 points helping the Sockeyes win the league championship.
Prior to the game, he spoke with the coaching staff, players, numerous volunteers, and even opened the doors for young Richmond players to meet him and answer various questions asked.
In conversation with Danton he mentioned “When you get a chance to return to where it all started, having the chance to talk with the young minor players, the team, ownership, and volunteers, for me it’s very rewarding giving back to where I got my start in junior hockey.”
Heinen was selected to the 2017 AHL All-Star roster while helping Providence qualify for the 2017 Calder Cup Playoffs recording 18 points in 17 games.
He made his NHL playoff debut in Game 1 of the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Toronto Maple Leafs but was scratched for Game 6.
In his fourth season with the Boston Bruins, he was traded to Anaheim on February 24, 2020 for Nick Ritchie before signing with Pittsburgh the following season to a one-year deal on July 29, 2021.
His next career move saw him sign a professional tryout (PTO) with Boston but would remain unsigned due to salary cap issues. Signing a one-year deal with the Bruins, Heinen would record his first career hat trick against the Montreal Canadiens on Jan. 20, 2024. Heading into the free agency, and to the delight of local fans, Heinen would sign a two-year deal with the Canucks on July 1.
It was clear to say that he was indeed a “fan favorite” at the Richmond Sockeyes game.
Welcome home Danton.
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