Calgary Canucks forward Harper LoLacher leading on and off the ice

The Calgary Canucks are back in action this weekend with a pair of games, and one of the team's 20-year-olds has been lighting up the scoreboard.

Calgary Canucks forward Harper LoLacher sits second in the Alberta Junior Hockey League in goals scored, with 15 in 18 games.

He’s seventh in the league in points, with 23.

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LoLacher says he was hoping to make an impact when he came to Calgary, and he’s happy things are working out.

“I’m not surprised, but just confident in my ability to put the puck in the back of the net,” he said.

“I’m just trying to be a good overall player and teammate, and I’m kind of excelling.”

WHL experience

The 20-year-old has plenty of hockey experience.

Prior to joining the Canucks, he played 97 games in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors and the Regina Pats.

He says he joined the Canucks for a variety of reasons.

“During the summer, I was thinking how I wanted to go to a place where it’s a big centre and there’s a lot of opportunity,” he said.

“I thought Calgary would be the best place for me after they won the Centennial Cup. And they’ve got a good history of winning, and I wanted to be on a winning team.”

Leadership

Canucks head coach Mat Robinson says LoLacher has fit in perfectly and has been a leader.

“We’ve had our eye on him for a couple of seasons, and we were lucky enough to get him to commit to the Canucks this year,” he said.

“He’s shown that he can play and that he can lead on this team as well – not just at one end of the ice, but both ends of it.”

Even though it’s a new team, LoLacher knew it was important to take on a leadership role and he embraced it.

“Showing [the younger players] what it takes and to guide them,” he said.

“And overall, teaching them to keep going even if something doesn’t work out.

“I just thought that coming here would help the younger guys and also help myself to grow as a person outside of hockey and inside of hockey as well.”

The Canucks have a pair of games this weekend.

They’ll play the Devon X-Treme on Saturday and the Whitecourt Wolverines on Sunday.