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Canucks closing in on agreement to build practice facility

Originally posted on Daily Faceoff | By Ben Steiner | Last updated Mar 11, 2026 4:27 PM ET

The Vancouver Canucks might finally have a practice facility, ending the years-long wait for a central training location that has put them behind other NHL clubs in player recruitment and other organizational aspects.

According to Daily Faceoff contributor Irfaan Gaffar, the Canucks and the City of Vancouver are closing in on a deal at the Britannia Rink site, just east of Downtown Vancouver, a roughly 10-minute drive from the club’s home rink at Rogers Arena.

The facility would include a state-of-the-art gym, an off-ice training facility, a lounge and locker room, and office space for the city. The arena’s ice underwent a significant upgrade in 2025 and has served as a key community rink since the 1970s. There has been no update regarding the potential community use of the site; however, many NHL practice facilities, including the nearby Seattle Kraken, have allowed community use.

Sounds like the Canucks and City of Vancouver are close to an agreement to build a practice facility at Britannia Rink. It will include a state of the art gym, off ice training facility, lounge and locker room. The build will also include office space for the city.
— Irfaan Gaffar (@irfgaffar) March 11, 2026

The site currently also has just one rink, while many NHL teams operate training facilities with multiple ice sheets.

Over the past several years, the Canucks leaned on Rogers Arena to practice when available. However, concerts and other bookings at the venue often force the team to use the University of British Columbia’s rinks. There, the Canucks lack a permanent locker room and priority on ice time, contending with UBC’s men’s and women’s teams, as well as youth hockey and the St. George’s School Hockey Academy, which has its own locker room.

Brittania Rink (Courtesy: City of Vancouver)

The lack of a practice facility has been a key gripe from many current and former Canucks players.

“I mean, practice rink, we didn’t have it back in Vancouver. We didn’t have it,” former Canucks goalie Arturs Silovs said shortly after joining the Pittsburgh Penguins. “We were skating at the university, UBC. “Here it’s like, there’s your own locker room, you don’t have to move your things all the time. You can skate and do your stuff to improve. I think it’s a huge bonus for the team.”

While there is no timeline for when the City and the Canucks may officially begin work on a practice facility, the reports of progress are a significant step in the right direction for the 32nd-place team in the NHL amid their rebuild.

This article first appeared on Daily Faceoff and was syndicated with permission.

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