The Canucks defenceman makes reading with his three a top priority when he’s home
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When you are a busy hockey dad, finding time with your kids can be a challenge.
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But Vancouver Canucks defenceman Luke Schenn knows the one time that’s just non-negotiable for him: If he’s not playing a game, if he’s not on the road during the season, if he’s at home, he’s all-in on book time with his kids at bed time.
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Schenn is fitting for our first Raise-a-Reader profile of 2026 as The Sun launches its annual weeklong Raise-a-Reader campaign. It was created by The Vancouver Sun nearly three decades ago and supported by the Vancouver Canucks. Postmedia directs all of your donations to Decoda Literacy Solutions, which uses the money to support family literacy programs in B.C. Over the years, the campaign has raised more than $24 million, including additional contributions from the provincial government.
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Book time as part of the bedtime routine is just something that developed as Schenn and his wife, Jeska, became parents with the birth of son Kingston nine years ago.
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“It just happened,” he recalled. It just made sense to them as parents. Now the bedtime routine is what happens in many homes: bath time, then a little snack, then some books to close the day.
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“It’s a time to connect and wind down and calm them down a little bit,” he said, relating a routine many parents are familiar with.
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“And for them, reading different books, they go talk with their friends about it at school. It’s just part of the routine that they really seem to enjoy. You cuddle in bed with them, or sit on a chair and read a book, and it’s that one-on-one time. It’s a special time of the day.”
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He and Jeska have three children: Kingston, 9, Weston, 6, and Romee, 3.
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Kingston, an avid Dogman reader, now takes the reins from his mom and dad from time to time and reads to his siblings. And some of the books that come out now have things to teach dad as well, Schenn says with a chuckle.
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“Sometimes I’m learning things as we go,” he says. “Sometimes they like different sort of books that give me some information too. So it’s been good.”
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Weston, for instance, has found a series of books called Fiercest Feuds that ask the really important questions. Luke credits Jeska for finding them.
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“He’s into who would win in a fight, like between different animals,” Schenn said, his smile still wide as can be. “So I read him a book the other day: Who would win in a fight, a python versus a crocodile? And it was the python, but they swore it would the crocodile. I thought that was a good read for both of us. See I’m learning, too! Kind of useless information, but also pretty cool at the same time.”
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Romee, he says, is very much the three-year-old.
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“And then with my daughter, I mean it’s typical princess books and bluey and all that sort of stuff,” he said.
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Schenn read a fair bit when he was young, then hockey took over his life. Nowadays, he admits, he doesn’t read as much, certainly not in season. Most of his reading is confined to catching up on the news, but he still finds time here and there.
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“When you’re on a three-hour plane ride is when I’ll pick up a book,” he said. He’s big into books on mental skills and recently finished off Beyond High Performance by Jason Jaggard, who leads an executive coaching firm in California.
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It’s fitting for Schenn, who has long been focused on how to keep himself at the top of his sport. And as he said, he’s always trying to learn, whether it’s at bed time, or before game time.
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Here are the ways you can donate:
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Raise-a-Reader
No. 980, 1125 Howe St.
Vancouver, B.C., V6Z 2K8
(Make cheques payable to Raise-a-Reader.)
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Or phone 604-681-4199, ext. 400.
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