Abbotsford – Abbotsford Canucks General Manager, Ryan Johnson, announced that the club has signed major junior free agent defenceman Chad Nychuk to a one-year AHL contract ahead of the 2022-23 season. Nychuk joins Abbotsford from the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League.
Nychuk, 21, completed his overage major junior season with Brandon in 2021-22, leading the league’s defencemen with 21 goals and ranking third among WHL defencemen in points (71) while skating in 64 regular season games. He recorded five assists while skating in all six of his team’s playoff games and was named to the WHL’s East Division Second All-Star Team.
The Rossburn, Manitoba native participated in last week’s Vancouver Canucks Development Camp as an unsigned and undrafted invite. “Chad is a player we watched throughout his junior career,” said Abbotsford GM, Ryan Johnson. “After making a very good impression at development camp in Vancouver, we are excited to have him join our group in Abbotsford this season.”
The 6-1, 194-pound defenceman skated in 206 regular season games during his major junior career, all of which he played for Brandon. Nychuk is currently tied for 11th among all-time Wheat Kings defencemen in assists (108) and 13th among defencemen in goals (33) in franchise history.
