The Abbotsford Canucks have added another piece to their roster.

On Wednesday, the club announced that they have signed 22-year-old Bennett Schimek to a one-year AHL contract, and he will join the team immediately on a professional tryout (PTO).

A native of Minnesota, Schimek represents one of the top NCAA free agents from this year’s crop. Now a senior, he finished tied for third among available free agents in production, posting a career-high 43 points (13 goals, 30 assists) as captain of Arizona State University. Those totals sat as the seventh highest (tied) among all skaters nationally.

He wraps up his collegiate career with 117 points (47 goals, 70 assists) in 141 games, but enjoyed the bulk of that production over the past two seasons following a transfer from Providence College — where he was teammates with current Abbotsford Canucks forward Nick Poisson — to Arizona State. Since arriving with the Sun Devils, Schimek has been the team’s most productive player, recording 80 points (28 goals, 52 assists) in 70 games and earning Hobey Baker nominations in each of his two seasons.

While Schimek’s counting statistics stand out, it’s likely his work ethic and willingness to dig for pucks that made him particularly appealing to pro scouts. Standing 6-foot and 187 pounds, he’s not an overly imposing player physically, but he plays a hard, competitive game and finished fifth in the conference with 28 blocked shots.

Coaches also showed a high level of trust in him throughout the season. Schimek was Arizona State’s most-utilized skater and served as one of the team’s primary penalty killers. He blends soft hands, vision, and a quick release with a relentless motor. He was one of CanucksArmy’s main NCAA Free Agent targets on this year’s board.

Schimek becomes the second NCAA free agent to join the Vancouver Canucks’ AHL affiliate this week. On Tuesday, the club signed Austin Brimmer out of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) to a similar one-year contract while also bringing him in on a PTO for the remainder of the season. Both players have officially been added to Abbotsford’s roster, with Brimmer wearing No. 8 and Schimek No. 52.

The Canucks host the Manitoba Moose on Wednesday night for the second leg of a back-to-back at the Abbotsford Centre.