Volcan: building his game through speed and quickness

Anyone who closely followed the 2015-16 Seattle Thunderbirds could tell you that depth was one of the team’s biggest strengths. While NHL Draft picks Mathew Barzal (88 points), Ryan Gropp (70 points), Ethan Bear (65 points), and Keegan Kolesar (61 points) did most of the heavy lifting on offense, the T-Birds also got vital contributions from some of their more physical players, no matter their size.

Left winger Nolan Volcan stands at 5’9” and tips the scales at just over 190 pounds. He can often be found playing on the same line as forwards Scott Eansor and Donovan Neuls, both of whom are also less than six feet tall. What Volcan lacks in height, he makes up for with physicality. Described by Tim Pigulski of 710 ESPN Seattle as a “wrecking ball on the ice”, Volcan can often be seen finishing his checks and getting under the skin of his opponents. When asked if he watches some of the NHL’s best diminutive forwards in attempts to implement part of their skillsets into his own, Volcan quickly listed some of the guys he admires.

“Yeah for sure,” Volcan said. “I like [Brendan] Gallagher. I think he’s a tenacious player. I kind of like building my game off him. [Conor] Sheary in the playoffs, he had an unbelievable playoffs. I was watching him pretty closely. I’d watch the games and kind of see what he was doing and how he’d play. The one thing all those guys have is speed and quickness. That’s what I’m trying to really build my game around.”

In his second season playing in the WHL Volcan elevated his game to new heights. He skated in 59 games for Seattle, registering 16 goals and 15 assists for a total of 31 points. In addition, Volcan lit the lamp four times on Thunderbird power plays and knocked home three game-winning goals. With Volcan as a full time member of the roster, the T-Birds’ record has improved in each of the last two seasons. While Volcan has been an integral part of that, he says the system of head coach Steve Konowalchuk deserves a lot of the credit.

“I think everyone’s game is rounding out and guys are improving in areas where it helps the team a lot,” Volcan said. “When we really were playing our best hockey we were playing as a unit, playing in the system, and making things happen.”

During the 2016 WHL Playoffs, the Thunderbirds made lots of things happen. After breezing through the Prince George Cougars in the first round, a series that was clinched with Volcan’s overtime goal in Game 4, Seattle advanced past their archrival Everett Silvertips in the second round. Despite Everett winning Game 1 of that matchup, the Thunderbirds were able to rebound by winning eight straight games, besting Everett before sweeping the Kelowna Rockets in the Western Conference Finals.

When the season ended in the WHL Championship against a talented Brandon Wheat Kings squad, many people around the Thunderbirds organization were left with a feeling that they had unfinished business. Unfortunately, rather than lacing up the skates and playing another game days later, the team has to wait until September to hit the ice again. The loss to Brandon – among other things – should serve as a primary source of motivation for the 2016-17 Thunderbirds. Volcan understands that the march back to the WHL Championship will be a long one. However, that does not deter him from thinking about the future.

“Personally, I want to get back to where we were and try to finish the job this time,” Volcan said. “Obviously that’s a long way away and we got to focus on the preseason and the regular season. I think for us this season the expectations are the same. We want to get a championship.”

During summer, the ShoWare Center transitions from hockey hotbed to a host for graduations and concerts. After months of being rocked by rabid hockey fans, the building now awaits the return of its anchor tenants. The players, Volcan included, are eager to get back to the joint on James Street as well, and for good reason. The team has gone 49-16-5-2 at home during the last two seasons. While intangible and tough to quantify, Volcan says that the T-Bird faithful play a role in the team’s success.

“I think our fans really supported and really backed us up [over the last two years],” Volcan shared. “It’s nice, even when we’re down in games hearing them chant and stuff like that gave us a little more energy. Having a fan base like that behind you makes it a lot easier to kind of get going and get momentum.”

Entering his age-18 season, Volcan hopes to continue the upward trend that his scoring numbers have undergone. From 23 points in 2014-15 to 31 points in 2015-16, the young winger seems to get better with age. With line mates Eansor and Neuls scheduled to return to the team, Volcan could be a breakout candidate for the upcoming season. Hailed by Pigulski as the team’s “best defensive forward group”, that grouping will once again be asked to provide the depth that propelled the team to a division championship in 15-16.

Volcan is one of three players from Edmonton on Seattle’s current roster, along with Garan Magnes and Matthew Wedman. Although Edmonton is the sixth-biggest metropolitan area in Canada by population, most Americans are only familiar with the city’s NHL team and its world famous mall. The West Edmonton Mall, opened in 1981, is the largest shopping mall in all of North America. While the Westfield Southcenter Mall in nearby Tukwila is nothing to scoff at, Volcan, unsurprisingly, prefers the one in his hometown.

“We went to Southcenter quite a bit, and there was one [a mall] downtown,” Volcan revealed. “They were pretty cool. But yeah, I think West Edmonton Mall is definitely the biggest I’ve been too, and probably one of the coolest.”

Apart from shopping malls, Volcan also is quite fond of another staple of American culture: the 4^th of July. He was born on that date in 1998 and while it is not an official holiday in his homeland, Volcan still appreciates the day.

“I kind of like the 4^th of July,” Volcan said with a chuckle. “It’s kind of cool. I have an uncle that lives in the States actually. So we go down there quite a bit and see him. I think it’s kind of cool. Playing for Seattle too and having a 4^th of July birthday. I like it, wouldn’t change it.”

Between visiting Southcenter Mall, celebrating the 4^th of July, and playing in front of the frenzied fans at ShoWare Center, the tough-nosed Volcan is assimilating nicely to American culture. It certainly doesn’t hurt that in 2015-16 he played for the best American team in the Western Hockey League.