Elite Finnish Goalie Coach Joins Vancouver Canucks Organization

Tuesday morning the Vancouver Canucks announced the hiring of Marko Torenius as the club’s Goaltending Development Coach and Goaltending Coach for the Abbotsford Canucks.

“Marko brings a wealth of experience to our group,” said Abbotsford general manager Ryan Johnson in the announcement. “He has worked with and developed some of the best goaltenders in the world, and we are ecstatic that he is bringing his talents to the Canucks organization.”

Torenius joins Ian Clark to form an elite duo in goaltending instruction for the Vancouver Canucks. Jacob Markstrom and Thatcher Demko are the latest personifications of Clark’s efforts. Clark spoke about Torenius with Vancouver Hockey Now during the recent Vancouver Canucks Development Camp for a story about Finnish goaltending prospect Aku Koskenvuo with whom Torenius has worked.

He also worked with Igor Shesterkin, Mikko Koskinen, and Magnus Hellberg during his time as goalie coach for SKA St. Petersburg in the Russian Kontinental Hockey League from 2014 to 2022. Torenius worked with Shesterkin, who’s since gone on to win the 2022 Vezina Trophy with the New York Rangers, for five full seasons.

St. Pete’ twice won the KHL Gagarin Cup championship during that time period. In his last season in the KHL, Shesterkin finished with a 1.11 Goals Against Average and a .953 save percentage. Torenius had continued to work with goalies from around the world during the off-seasons.

“We are very happy with the staff that has been assembled for the upcoming season,” said Vancouver Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin in the media release. “Ian Clark and Marko Torenius will be a great tandem in strengthening and developing our goaltending pool.”

45-year-old Torenius joins 56-year-old Clark, who re-joined the Canucks in 2019 after almost a decade with the club in the early 2000’s. Prior to his return to Vancouver, Clark spent eight seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets following a season in Finland.

Torenius previously worked for Sibir Novosibirsk in the KHL and for Espoo Blues in Finland’s top professional SM-liiga.