The Abbotsford Canucks have announced the club’s roster for the 2023-24 American Hockey League season, which opens for them today (Friday) against the Laval Rocket at 4 p.m.
The 28-man roster includes 16 forwards, nine defencemen and three goaltenders. Of those 28 players, 21 are returnees.
Sheldon Dries, Marc Gatcomb, Alex Kannok Leipert, Danila Klimovich, Tristen Nielsen, Vasily Podkolzin, Jack Rathbone, Artūrs Šilovs, John Stevens, Jett Woo and Chase Wouters represent the 11 players who will be joining the team for a third consecutive season.
Forwards Josh Bloom, Aidan McDonough and Max Sasson, defencemen Cole McWard and Chad Nychuk, and goaltender Nikita Tolopilo represent the six rookies to have made the team out of training camp.
The roster features at least one player of nine different nationalities (Canada, United States, Sweden, Belarus, Czechia, Finland, Jamaica, Latvia and Russia), including three players native to British Columbia.
The Abbotsford Canucks announced today the club’s 2023-24 AHL Opening Night roster.
— Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) October 13, 2023
The 28-man roster includes sixteen forwards, nine defencemen and three goaltenders.
PRESS RELEASE ⬇️
Goaltenders
- Zach Sawchenko, 25 years-old, 6-1/185 lbs. Hometown: Calgary, Alberta
- Artūrs Šilovs, 22 years-old, 6-4/217 lbs. Hometown: Riga, Latvia
- Nikita Tolopilo, 23 years-old, 6-6/229 lbs. Hometown: Minsk, Belarus
Defencemen
- Matt Irwin, 35 years-old, 6-2/190 lbs. Hometown: Victoria, British Columbia
- Filip Johansson, 23 years-old, 6-1/176 lbs. Hometown: Västerås, Sweden
- Alex Kannok Leipert, 23 years-old, 6-0/200 lbs. Hometown: Regina, Saskatchewan
- Cole McWard, 22 years-old, 6-1/192 lbs. Hometown: Fenton, Missouri
- Chad Nychuk, 22 years-old, 6-1/194 lbs. Hometown: Rossburn, Manitoba
- Jack Rathbone, 24 years-old, 5-10/177 lbs. Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
- Quinn Schmiemann, 22 years-old, 6-2/201 lbs. Hometown: Sundre, Alberta
- Christian Wolanin, 28 years-old, 6-2/190 lbs. Hometown: Detroit, Michigan
- Jett Woo, 23 years-old, 6-0/199 lbs. Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Forwards
- Nils Åman, 23 years-old, 6-2/179 lbs. Hometown: Avesta, Sweden
- Arshdeep Bains, 22 years-old, 6-0/184 lbs. Hometown: Surrey, British Columbia
- Josh Bloom, 20 years-old, 6-2/183 lbs. Hometown: Oakville, Ontario
- Sheldon Dries, 29 years-old, 5-9/180 lbs. Hometown: Macomb, Michigan
- Marc Gatcomb, 24 years-old, 6-2/194 lbs. Hometown: Woburn, Massachusetts
- Linus Karlsson, 23 years-old, 6-1/178 lbs. Hometown: Eksjö, Sweden
- Danila Klimovich, 20 years-old, 6-1/208 lbs. Hometown: Pinsk, Belarus
- Jermaine Loewen, 25 years-old, 6-4/220 lbs. Hometown: Mandeville, Jamaica
- Aidan McDonough, 23 years-old, 6-2/201 lbs. Hometown: Milton, Massachusetts
- Tristen Nielsen, 23 years-old, 5-10/185 lbs. Hometown: Fort St. John, British Columbia
- Karel Plasek, 23 years-old, 5-11/184 lbs. Hometown: Prerov, Czechia
- Vasily Podkolzin, 22 years-old, 6-0/191 lbs. Hometown: Moscow, Russia
- Aatu Räty, 20 years-old, 6-2/190 lbs. Hometown: Oulu, Finland
- Max Sasson, 23 years-old, 6-1/185 lbs. Hometown: Birmingham, Michigan
- John Stevens, 29 years-old, 6-3/204 lbs. Hometown: Sea Isle City, New Jersey
- Chase Wouters, 23 years-old, 6-0/186 lbs. Hometown: Lloydminster, Alberta
The Canucks and Rockets have met eight times, with Abbotsford winning six of those games.
It has been announced that Friday’s game is a sell-out at Laval’s Place Bell.
Le Rocket 🚀
— Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) October 13, 2023
Your Rocket! #GoRocket pic.twitter.com/cDLAd02uby
The starting goalie for the Rocket has been confirmed as rookie Jakub Dobes. The Czech Republic product spent last season with Ohio State University.
Gabriel Bourque was announced as Laval’s captain on Oct. 9. Lias Andersson is a Rocket player that will likely be familiar to Abbotsford Canucks fans. He spent the past few seasons with the Ontario Reign and last year recorded 59 points in 67 games.
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The team also features defenceman Logan Mailloux, who was drafted 31st overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 2021. Mailloux initially renounced himself from the draft after he was charged and paid a fine in Sweden for distributing a sexual photo without consent. Despite his renouncement, Montreal still decided to select him.
He later apologized for the incident and was NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly initially stated he was not eligible to play in the NHL. However, recent reports have said that he has received the green light now from the NHL and could be called up to Montreal this season.
Hearing from multiple sources that Logan Mailloux received the green light from the NHL to play for the @CanadiensMTL when his time will come. So this is the end of all speculations regarding his future.
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) August 22, 2023
The two teams also play on Saturday (Oct. 14) at noon. Both games are free to watch as part of a freeview weekend on AHLTV.
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The Canucks home opener is set for Oct. 20 when they welcome the Calgary Wranglers to the Abbotsford Centre.