2022.23 Player Signings
Chad Nychuk
Nychuk, 21, completed his overage major junior season with the WHL Brandon Wheat Kings in 2021-22, leading WHL defencemen with 21 goals and ranking third in points (71) while skating in 64 regular season games. Nychuk signed a one-year AHL contract ahead of the 2022-23 season on July 22nd, 2022.
Yushiroh Hirano
Hirano, 26, spent the majority of the 2021-22 season with Abbotsford, skating in 30 games for the Canucks. He scored his first career AHL goal on January 22nd against San Diego, making him the first Japanese-born player to score a goal in AHL history. He recorded 12 points (five goals, seven assists) with Abbotsford before being released on April 12. On July 9th, Hirano was signed to a one-year, two-way contract ahead of the 2022-23 season.
Chase Wouters
Wouters, 22, spent the entirety of his first professional campaign with Abbotsford in 2021-22, leading Canucks rookies in plus-minus (+16). On July 22, 2021, Wouters was acquired as a free agent after completing his overage major junior campaign with the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League, where he served as captain for three seasons from 2018-2021.
Quinn Schmiemann
Schmiemann, 20, completed his overage major junior season with Kamloops in 2021-22, serving as the team’s captain and leading the Blazers to their third consecutive British Columbia Division title. The 6-2, 200-pound defenceman skated in 201 regular season games during his major junior career, before signing a two-year AHL contract through the 2023-24 season.
Matt Alfaro
Alfaro, 25, split his second professional campaign between the American Hockey League and the ECHL, participating on three separate professional try out (PTO) agreements with three different AHL teams in 2021-22. The 6-2, 200-pound centre first joined the Canucks organization on March 23 when he signed a PTO with Abbotsford. He would go on to record seven points (four goals, three assists) in 13 regular season games with the Canucks, before signing a one-year contract ahead of the 2022-23 season.
Alex Kannok Leipert
Kannok Leipert, 21, was acquired as a free agent after completing his overage major junior campaign with the Vancouver Giants, where he served as captain for two seasons. Skating in 41 AHL regular season games, Kannok Leipert lead Abbotsford rookie defencemen in plus-minus, with a rating of +5 and recorded five points. The 6-0, 200-pound defenceman signed a one-year contract extension ahead of the 2022-23 season.
Marc Gatcomb
Gatcomb, 22, completed his senior collegiate season with the University of Connecticut (Hockey East). Over four NCAA seasons with U Conn, the 6-2, 194-pound winger recorded 46 points (22 goals, 24 assists) and 50 penalty minutes over 124 games. Gatcomb was previously signed to a professional try out (PTO) agreement with the Canucks, before signing a one-year AHL contract for the 2022-23 season.
Vincent Arseneau
Arseneau, 30, originally joined the Canucks organization when he signed a professional try out agreement with the Utica Comets on Dec. 22, 2017. Since then, Arseneau has played 149 games between the Comets and Canucks, while registering 38 points (27 goals, 11 assists). The 6-2, 220-pound winger is signed to a two-year contract extension through the end of the 2023-24 AHL season.