Getting the crown is hard, but keeping it can often be even harder, which is something that the Abbotsford Canucks are about to experience as they continue to make moves in preparation for the 2025-26 season.
Coming off their first-ever win of the Calder Cup, the Canucks will have to bring their A-game come this fall if they hope to relive their glory from last season and win a second AHL championship.
They'll be pursuing this goal with a much different roster due to several major changes that have taken place this off-season, including the departure of Sammy Blais, Cole McWard, and assistant captain Phil Di Giuseppe.
All three of these former Canucks played a vital role on the team, with Blais finishing the 2024-25 regular season tied for the second-most points on the Abbotsford team, notching an additional six goals and 13 assists during the playoff run to the Calder Cup.
Thank you, Sammy Blais!
鈥� Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks)
Wishing you the best of luck in Montreal!
The squad's top netminder will also be absent next season after AHL playoffs MVP Artur Silovs was sent to the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this month in exchange for forward Chase Stillman and a 2027 fourth-round draft pick.
In response to these departures, the Canucks have been locking down or onboarding a lot of other talent.
The latest major move has been the addition of four new players, including NHL veteran defenceman Nikolai Knyzhov.
The 27-year-old made his pro hockey debut seven years ago and has hit the ice in 81 NHL games for the San Jose Sharks, where he has managed to put up 12 points, most of which came during the 2020-21 season.
In the most recent season, he bounced between the AHL and ECHL, playing 32 games across three teams. His best performance was as a member of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he notched six points in 14 games.
Another defender added to the roster was Derek Daschke, who is making his return to the Canucks after signing a one-year deal with the organization for the 2023-24 season. However, Daschke never donned a Canucks jersey during this time, spending the year playing for the Canucks' ECHL affiliate team, the Kalamazoo Wings.
Daschke's most recent season was spent with the Utah Grizzlies, where he had an impressive performance that put him at the top of the team's leaderboard with 56 points in 65 games.
To further bolster the defensive bench, the Canucks also signed B.C. native and former Langley Rivermen skater Jayden Lee.
During his pro hockey debut last season, Lee scored 32 points in 48 games with the ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays, making him the second-highest scoring defender on the team.
The fourth of these recent signings was forward Nolan Walker, who most recently played overseas in Sweden's second-tier hockey league.
As a member of the IK Oskarshamn, he put up 34 points in 51 regular-season games, followed by three more points in eight playoff matches.
All four of these players have been signed to a one-year AHL contract for the 2025-26 season.
A number of Abbotsford Canucks players have also had their contracts extended recently, including:
鈥� Ben Berard, LW (1 year)
鈥� Zach Okabe, RW (1 year)
鈥� Jonathan Lemieux, G (1 year)
鈥� Dino Kambeitz, RW (1 year)
鈥� Cooper Walker, C (2 years)
鈥� Joe Arntsen, D (2 years)
THEY鈥橰E BACK 鉁嶏笍
鈥� Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks)
Abbotsford Canucks General Manager, Ryan Johnson, announced today the following extensions.
- Dino Kambeitz to a one-year contract extension through the 2025-26 AHL season
- Cooper Walker to a two-year contract extension through the 2026-27 AHL season
- Joe鈥�
EXTENDED 鉁嶏笍
鈥� Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks)
Abbotsford Canucks General Manager, Ryan Johnson, announced today that the club has signed forwards Ben Berard and Zach Okabe, as well as goaltender Jonathan Lemieux to one-year contract extensions through the 2025-26 AHL season.
FULL DETAILS |鈥�
Abbotsford Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson said that the team will be well-positioned with the mix of new and veteran players for next season.
"We are excited to bring back some familiar faces for next season," Johnson said.
The 2025-26 AHL season begins in October, with Abbotsford having its first match on Friday, Oct. 10, on the road against the Henderson Silver Knights. The Canucks home opener takes place on Friday, Oct. 24, against the Ontario Reign.
