The Abbotsford Canucks continue to prepare for the 2024-25 AHL season by re-signing Cooper Walker and adding Lee Lapid and Ben Berard.
Since moving to Abbotsford in 2021, the Canucks have made the playoffs in three seasons. However, there is still a lot of work to be done, as the squad has yet to get past the first round since arriving from Utica, NY.
The hiring of Manny Malhotra to replace Jeremy Colliton as head coach was arguably the most significant decision of the summer thus far. Malhotra has previously played and coached in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks.
The Canucks have already made many roster additions as they seek to bolster the team for the 2024-25 AHL season. This involves adding new players including Dino Kambeitz, Layton Ahac, and Carsen Twarynski.
Along similar lines, the Canucks announced three more contracts this week, including an extension for Cooper Walker. They also announced the signing of Lee Lapid and Ben Berard, with all three forwards signing one-year AHL contracts.
Welcome back to Walker
Walker made his AHL debut with the Canucks this season, scoring once and appearing in 16 games (three of which were in the playoffs). Prior to this, he started the 2023-24 season with the Canucks’ ECHL club, the Kalamazoo Wings, scoring 13 points and accumulating 15 penalty minutes in 36 games.
Prior to this, the undrafted 22-year-old played in the OHL with the Guelph Storm from 2019-20 to 2022-23. His leadership eventually led to his being chosen captain, and he finished with 101 points and 56 penalty minutes in 202 games (including 23 playoff appearances).
The new additions
Turning to Lapid, he has yet to play in the AHL, having spent the majority of the previous two seasons with the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones. In 104 games (including 11 playoff appearances), he recorded 74 points, 40 penalty minutes, and a +48 rating.
The 26-year-old played in the NCAA for Canisius College for four seasons before turning professional. In 97 games, he scored 61 points and accumulated 87 penalty minutes.
Finally, Berard has 39 games of AHL experience (including seven playoff appearances), all with the Texas Stars. With all but two games played this season, he has five points, eight penalty minutes, and a rating of zero.
The 25-year-old Duncan, British Columbia native formerly played four seasons in the NCAA at Cornell University, where he recorded 68 points, 18 penalty minutes, and a +22 rating in 87 games. He formerly played in the BCHL, where he served as captain during his final season with the Powell River Kings in 2018-19.
