Playing a key role on a hockey club in the thick of an NHL playoff race and weeks away from becoming a father for the first time, Vancouver Canucks centre Ryan Kesler is having the time of his life.

Last year at this time Kesler was with the hockey team, but his days were spent in the gym rehabbing from what most believed was season-ending hip surgery. The 24-year-old Livonia, Michigan, native had other ideas, though, and pushed himself to be ready for the Canucks’ playoff opener. It was a remarkable feat and spoke volumes about his commitment and dedication to the hockey club.

Kesler was, indeed, in uniform when the playoffs opened last year, but his return to action lasted less than one game before his postseason dreams were shattered along with his index finger. Three months after Kesler went under the knife for his hip injury, doctors inserted a pin in the finger he broke blocking a shot in that first game back. Almost as soon as they had started, the playoffs were over for Kesler, who was again reduced to being a spectator as his team outlasted Dallas in the opening round and advanced to face the eventual Stanley Cup–champion Anaheim Ducks in the second round.

Now in his fourth year with the Canucks, Kesler has suited up for more than 230 regular-season contests, but that one game—or part of one game—remains the lone entry in his NHL-playoff résumé. That’s why the team’s 2003 first-round draft pick is relishing the chance he’s getting now to ensure that he and the Canucks are part of the mix when the playoffs begin on April 9.

“It was tough last year,” Kesler recalled for the Georgia Straight in the Canucks’ locker room at G.M. Place after a recent practice. “I know a couple of years before that—when we missed the playoffs—was pretty devastating, because we were kind of on the outside looking in on the whole playoff race. So I got a little taste of it there, but last year it was something I really didn’t get a taste of, and now being a part of it and being in the middle of it, it’s pretty special.”

Kesler was a rookie and was on the playoff roster, but didn’t get to play when the Canucks fell to Calgary in seven games in 2004. And after the lockout year, he was part of a dysfunctional Canucks team that spiralled out of control down the stretch in 2005-06 and missed the playoffs, leading to an organizational overhaul with the departures of Marc Crawford, Todd Bertuzzi, Dan Cloutier, and Ed Jovanovski, among others.

Then came the double disappointment with the hip and finger injuries last year. So this time of the year hasn’t exactly been Kesler’s time to shine. But he’s hoping that is about to change, and if his performance in recent weeks is any indication, Kesler’s speed, skill, and determination can have a huge impact on the Canucks’ fortunes.

“I think I have a bigger role on this team now, and it’s something that every guy plays for,” he said. “And we’re right in the middle of it and we’re playing some really good hockey. Right now, I’m just sitting back and taking it all in. This is right where I want to be. I like the role I’m in right now, being a shutdown guy, and also getting the opportunity to chip in some goals is fun.”

Part of that enjoyment for Kesler comes from the confidence Canucks coach Alain Vigneault has shown in him. Kesler gets to play in all situations and at critical times in hockey games. Whether the Canucks are leading by a goal or trailing by one late in a hockey game, there’s a pretty good chance that Kesler will be on the ice. And this season, not only has he proven to be very effective in matching up against the other team’s best players, he’s demonstrated that he has some touch around the net by reaching the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career.

As fired up as Kesler is about what’s nearly at hand for him and his teammates, his real excitement is about becoming a father for the first time in mid to late May. Although he hopes to still be playing for the Stanley Cup by the time his wife, Andrea, gives birth, Kesler sounded content knowing that one way or the other he’s going to get his hands on a cherished prize in the next few months—and that makes his time at home as special as the time at the rink right now.

“It’s great to see all of the changes that she’s going through and experience all of the different emotions,” he said. “It’s a fun time in our household, for sure.”

And that excitement is bound to grow as Kesler moves closer to both the playoffs and the due date. He’ll leave the bulk of the birthing work to his wife, but he knows he’ll be counted on by the Canucks to help deliver postseason success to this city.

After years of waiting, Kesler figures he’s up to the challenge.

“I like playing playoff hockey. I’ve played in world juniors and world championships, and that’s a lot of fun, but that’s not playoff hockey. It’s important because it’s going for a medal, but it’s not the playoffs. In the playoffs, it’s always better hockey and everyone raises their game a notch. I got to experience it, and I think that helped a lot. The fans, the players—everybody picks it up a notch. And being upstairs in the press box and seeing it all unfold was pretty neat. So I know what’s just around the corner.”

Playoff hockey and parenthood: Kesler can’t wait to experience them both. It’s pretty easy to see why he’s having the time of his life.