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Abbotsford Canucks
City Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
League American Hockey League
ConferenceWestern
DivisionPacific
Founded1932
Home arena Abbotsford Centre
ColoursField green, Pacific blue, Fraser blue, valley fog grey, mountain white [1]
         
Owner(s) Canucks Sports & Entertainment
General manager Ryan Johnson [2]
Head coach Jeremy Colliton
Captain Chase Wouters
Affiliates Vancouver Canucks ( NHL)
Kalamazoo Wings ( ECHL)
Website abbotsford.canucks.com
Franchise history
1932–1935 Quebec Beavers
1935–1951 Springfield Indians
1951–1954 Syracuse Warriors
1954–1967 Springfield Indians
1967–1974 Springfield Kings
1974–1994 Springfield Indians
1994–2005 Worcester IceCats
2005–2013 Peoria Rivermen
2013–2021 Utica Comets
2021–presentAbbotsford Canucks
Current season

The Abbotsford Canucks are a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Abbotsford, British Columbia, and members of the American Hockey League (AHL). The team began play in the 2021–22 season with home games at Abbotsford Centre as the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks. The team is a relocation of the franchise owned by the Canucks and known as the Utica Comets from 2013 to 2021. This is the second AHL team to play in Abbotsford after the Calgary Flames affiliate Abbotsford Heat from 2009 until 2014.

History

The Abbotsford Canucks franchise is one of the oldest professional hockey franchises in existence, dating back to 1932, when the team was known as the Quebec Beavers. In 1935, the franchise moved to Springfield and became the Indians, reviving the name after the original Indians franchise ceased operations during the 1932–33 Canadian-American Hockey League season. In addition to the Indians, the team has been known as the Syracuse Warriors, Springfield Kings, Worcester IceCats, Peoria Rivermen, and Utica Comets.

On March 29, 2013, Canucks Sports & Entertainment (CS&E), owners of the National Hockey League's (NHL) Vancouver Canucks, was announced as purchasing the American Hockey League (AHL) franchise then playing as the Peoria Rivermen. The purchase was approved by the league on April 18. [3] After purchasing the franchise, CS&E intended to have the franchise located in a market close to Vancouver with their initial preference as Abbotsford, which at the time was home to the Calgary Flames AHL farm club, the Abbotsford Heat. The Heat had been rumored to be relocating to Utica, New York, at the time. [4] Negotiations between the Canucks and Abbotsford broke down by April 22 and the Heat remained in the city. [5]

After exploring options for having the team in Vancouver, [6] Seattle, [7] and Peoria, [8] CS&E came to a six-year operating agreement with Robert Esche to place the franchise in Utica and the city's soon-to-be-renovated Memorial Auditorium as the Utica Comets. [9] The Comets began play in the 2013–14 AHL season. The Heat lasted only one more season in Abbotsford before relocating to Glens Falls, New York, as the Adirondack Flames in 2014. Before the 2019–20 season, CS&E and Esche's operating contract was extended for up to an additional six years, with potential opt outs every two seasons. [10] [11]

In April 2021, a new trademark was filed for the brand " Utica Devils" by Robert Esche for a potential relocation of the Binghamton Devils. [12] On May 4, the Canucks announced that they planned to relocate the Comets' franchise to Abbotsford, pending final discussions with the city of Abbotsford and league approval, for the 2021–22 season. [13] On May 6, the league approved both the relocations of the Canucks owned Comets franchise to Abbotsford and the Devils franchise to Utica [14] with the Utica team remaining branded as the Comets. [15] The Canucks and the city of Abbotsford signed a five-year agreement on June 29 to host the team, with options for further renewal that could extend the deal for as long as twenty years. [16]

On July 14, the name, logo, and colours were released. [1] The Vancouver Canucks transferred both former Comets general manager Ryan Johnson [2] and head coach Trent Cull to Abbotsford. [17]

Season-by-season records

Regular season Playoffs
Season GP W L OTL SOL Pts PCT GF GA Standing Year Prelims 1st round 2nd round 3rd round Finals
2021–22 68 39 23 5 1 84 .618 230 200 5th, Pacific 2022 L, 0–2, BAK — — — —
2022–23 72 40 25 3 4 87 .604 229 203 4th, Pacific 2023 W, 2–0, BAK L, 1–3, CGY — — —

Players

Current roster

Updated April 13, 2024. [18]

Team roster
No. Nat Player Pos S/ G Age Acquired Birthplace Contract
50 Sweden Vilmer Alriksson ( ATO) LW L 19 2024 Enebyberg, Sweden Abbotsford
Canada Joe Arntsen ( ATO) D L 20 2024 Swift Current, Saskatchewan Abbotsford
9 Canada Arshdeep Bains LW L 23 2022 Surrey, British Columbia Vancouver
55 Canada Guillaume Brisebois D L 26 2021 Longueuil, Quebec Vancouver
59 Canada Nick Cicek D L 23 2023 Winnipeg, Manitoba Vancouver
15 United States Sheldon Dries ( A) C L 29 2021 Macomb Township, Michigan Vancouver
68 United States Christian Felton D R 24 2024 Medina, Ohio Vancouver
17 United States Marc Gatcomb RW R 24 2022 Woburn, Massachusetts Abbotsford
40 Canada Ty Glover C L 23 2023 Salford, England, Great Britain Vancouver
2 Canada Akito Hirose D L 25 2023 Calgary, Alberta Vancouver
52 Canada Matt Irwin ( A) D L 36 2023 Victoria, British Columbia Vancouver
48 Sweden Filip Johansson D R 24 2023 Västerås, Sweden Vancouver
41 Canada Alex Kannok Leipert D R 23 2021 Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand Abbotsford
94 Sweden Linus Karlsson C R 24 2022 Eksjö, Sweden Vancouver
46 Belarus Danila Klimovich C R 21 2021 Pinsk, Belarus Vancouver
44 Sweden Jonathan Lekkerimaki RW R 19 2024 Huddinge, Sweden Vancouver
32 Canada Jermaine Loewen LW L 26 2023 Mandeville, Jamaica Abbotsford
25 United States Aidan McDonough LW L 24 2023 Milton, Massachusetts Vancouver
48 United States Cole McWard D R 22 2023 Fenton, Missouri Vancouver
45 Canada Sawyer Mynio D L 18 2024 Kamloops, British Columbia Vancouver
84 Canada Tristen Nielsen C L 24 2021 Fort St. John, British Columbia Vancouver
26 Sweden Elias Pettersson D L 20 2024 Västerås, Sweden Vancouver
20 Finland Aatu Raty C L 21 2023 Oulunsalo, Finland Vancouver
27 United States Max Sasson C L 23 2023 Birmingham, Michigan Vancouver
36 Canada Zach Sawchenko G L 26 2023 Calgary, Alberta Vancouver
14 United States John Stevens ( A) C L 30 2021 Sea Isle City, New Jersey Abbotsford
60 Belarus Nikita Tolopilo G L 24 2023 Minsk, Belarus Vancouver
90 Canada Cooper Walker C R 21 2023 Cambridge, Ontario Abbotsford
86 United States Christian Wolanin D L 29 2022 Quebec City, Quebec Vancouver
4 Canada Jett Woo D R 23 2021 Winnipeg, Manitoba Vancouver
21 Canada Chase Wouters ( C) C R 24 2021 North Battleford, Saskatchewan Abbotsford
98 Russia Dmitri Zlodeyev C L 22 2023 Voronezh, Russia Abbotsford

Team captains

References

  1. ^ a b "AHL's Newest Franchise Named Abbotsford Canucks". Vancouver Canucks. July 14, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Ryan Johnson Confirmed as G.M. of Abbotsford Franchise". Vancouver Canucks. June 25, 2021.
  3. ^ "Report: Vancouver Canucks Purchase Rivermen; Move to Abbotsford?". Thecanuckway.com. March 29, 2013. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  4. ^ Kramer, Lindsay (February 26, 2013). "Possible AHL move to Utica stirs conflicting reports". The Post-Standard. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
  5. ^ McIntyre, Gordon (April 23, 2013). "Abbotsford Heat staying put for next season at least after Canucks talks break down". The Province. Archived from the original on May 17, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  6. ^ Dan Kinvig (April 13, 2013). "Heat's territorial rights limit Canucks' local AHL options - Abbotsford News". Abbotsford News. Archived from the original on May 1, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  7. ^ Mirtle, James (June 17, 2013). "Seattle on NHL's relocation radar yet again". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
  8. ^ Eminian, Dave (April 23, 2013). "Civic Center begins talks with NHL Vancouver over Rivermen". Peoria Journal-Star. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
  9. ^ Brough, Jason (June 6, 2013). "Report: Canucks moving AHL affiliate to Utica". NBC Sports. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  10. ^ "Canucks extend affiliate deal with the AHL's Utica Comets". The Province. December 29, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  11. ^ "Canucks extend AHL affiliate deal with Utica Comets". Vancouver Canucks. December 29, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  12. ^ "Potential move of AHL teams puts future of hockey in Binghamton in question". WBNG. April 16, 2021. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  13. ^ "Canucks to move American Hockey League affiliate to Abbotsford". The Province. May 4, 2021.
  14. ^ "Board of Governors Approves Franchise Relocations". AHL. May 6, 2021.
  15. ^ "NEW JERSEY DEVILS SIGN TEN-YEAR AFFILIATION DEAL WITH UTICA COMETS". Utica Comets. May 6, 2021.
  16. ^ "Canucks and City of Abbotsford make AHL deal official". The Province. June 29, 2021.
  17. ^ "Coaching and Training Staff for Abbotsford Canucks Announced". Vancouver Canucks. July 16, 2021.
  18. ^ "Abbotsford Canucks Team roster". eliteprospects.com. April 13, 2024. Retrieved April 13, 2024.

External links

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