Abbotsford – Abbotsford Canucks General Manager Ryan Johnson announced that the club has signed forward Tristen Nielsen to a two-year AHL contract.
Nielsen, 21, collected 32 points (15-17-32) for the WHL’s Vancouver Giants last season, ranking first among all Giants skaters in goals (15), second in assists (17), and second in points (32). He also served as an alternate captain during the 2020.21 season.
Over parts of six WHL seasons split between the Calgary Hitmen and Vancouver Giants, Nielsen compiled 175 points (82-93-175) in 241 regular season games. The 5’10”, 192-pound forward was acquired by Vancouver during the 2018.19 season and helped the Giants reach game seven of the 2019 WHL Championship Series.
A product of Fort St. John, BC, Nielsen represented Canada White at the 2017 World U-17 Hockey Challenge.
Then the Baby Canucks looked at the blue line.
The club has signed defencemen Ashton Sautner to a one-year AHL contract.
Sautner, 27, was held off the scoresheet in two games played with the Manitoba Moose (loaned from VAN) in 2020.21 and spent most of the season on the Vancouver Canucks taxi squad.
In 242 career AHL games split between Utica (240 GP) and Manitoba (2 GP), Sautner has tallied 49 points (11-38-49) and 160 penalty minutes. He has also appeared in seven Calder Cup Playoff games with the Comets, registering four shots and four penalty minutes.
The 6’1”, 195-pound defenceman made his NHL debut with Vancouver on March 25, 2017 vs Dallas and recorded his first NHL point (assist) on March 31, 2017 vs Columbus. In 23 career NHL games, Sautner has three assists, four penalty minutes and a +2 rating.
A native of Flaxcombe, Saskatchewan, Sautner was originally signed by the Vancouver Canucks as a free agent on March 14, 2015.
