Boeser’s 97-year-old grandma has an adorable ritual with the Canucks star

Brock Boeser is already a Vancouver Canucks fan favourite, but the story he told on After Hours Saturday night might make you love him even more.

Boeser is on pace to smash all his career highs this season, with 32 points (including 18 goals) already in just 28 games. It’s a truly remarkable turn of events, given how the last two seasons have gone for the 26-year-old star.

But a new summer training regimen, which began earlier than normal this offseason, seems to have helped. He’s no longer the subject of trade rumours, and he’s happy about that.

Speaking with Scott Oake and Dave Tomlinson following Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada game, Boeser admitted that he has thought about how happy he is that a trade never went down.

“Oh yeah, I did think about that,” Boeser said. “Even in the summer, I was kind of happy I never got traded.

“I think everything happens for a reason. I love Vancouver, I’ve made that known, and I love the fans, the community, and my teammates. So I’m really happy that I’m still here.”

Boeser scored four goals during the first game of the season, prompting a question from Oake about receiving messages from family and friends that night.

“I probably got more messages that night than all of last season,” said Boeser.

But it was the message from his 97-year-old grandmother that stood above the others.

Turns out, she calls him every game.

“My grandma always leaves me voicemails, especially before every game, ‘Good luck,’ and if I score a goal, one for every goal. She’s 97, so I’d say that’s probably the most special messages.”

That’s heartwarming stuff.

Boeser, of course, is no stranger to heartwarming stories. He was asked about Baylee, the North Dakota high school girl with Down syndrome he took to prom in 2016, prior to making his NHL debut with the Canucks a year later.

He says he still keeps in touch with Baylee’s family.

“Her mom reaches out once in a while. I haven’t been to North Dakota in probably three years, but every time I go back, we try to connect.”