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Warm suits up for Canucks

Goalie serves as last-minute replacement
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Stretching out Whistler goalie Beck Warm makes a stop during the Vancouver Canucks Summer Showdown top prospects game on July 6. Photo courtesy of the Vancouver Canucks

Beck Warm's relaxing trip to the family cabin was upended last week, though it was for a pretty exciting reason.

The day before Vancouver Canucks development camp was set to begin at the University of British Columbia (UBC), the 18-year-old goalie received a call from his agent that it might be a good idea to head back to the city. Sure enough, the next day, the Canucks came calling as Beck became the second Warm to grace an NHL camp this summer. Twin brother Will, a defenceman, attended the Vegas Golden Knights camp in late June.

"There was supposed to be a different goalie going, but last minute, he got sick. I was up at my cabin at 70 Mile (House) and I got a call from my agent saying I should head back down to the city because there might be a spot at this camp," he said. "I left that night, my dad and I drove up to the city and we got a call the next morning around noon saying I needed to head out to UBC.

"Camp started that day and I got there just in time."

Upon arrival, Warm found himself trying to fend off shots from some of the Canucks' top up-and-comers, like recent first-round picks Elias Pettersson, taken fifth overall last month, and Brock Boeser, who scored four goals in nine NHL games after a late-season call-up.

While Warm said he was tested by the strong attack, he was pleased with how he performed at the camp, which was held from July 4 to 6.

"There were a lot of good players there. Everyone there was pretty much at the same level, consistently good," he said. "I think I definitely played to my fullest potential. There were no real regrets after camp. Everything went really well."

After practicing at UBC all week, the prospects got a taste of the big-time, heading downtown to Rogers Arena for the Summer Showdown top prospects game on July 6.

"It was pretty surreal. It was pretty cool to walk out for warm-up. I had to look around and take it all in," he said. "When the game started, I settled down and focused on what I had to do."

Since a number of players weren't from the area and had to disperse quickly, the team didn't hold exit interviews. Warm said the team would reach out to some players in the coming weeks about returning for rookie camp in September.

Regardless of what happens with the Canucks, Warm will return to the Western Hockey League's Tri-City Americans. After serving as the third option in the goalie carousel for much of 2016-17, he could see an expanded role this season, as it's possible both competing netminders could move on before the season begins.

"There's definitely a lot of opportunity there for me," Warm said.

Warm said he's committed to making improvements in his game over the summer, as he's in the gym five days a week and on the ice another three. In addition to toning up his fitness, he's working on his mental game as well.

"I'm trying to work on my patience and I'm trying to settle everything down in my game. It's really important when you get to the next level to be calm out there," he said.