The Abbotsford Canucks have added North Vancouver’s Layton Ahac, signing him to a one-year AHL contract for the 2024-25 campaign.

Ahac, a 23-year-old left-shot defender, has spent his entire professional career with the Henderson Silver Knights. There, he played 148 games over four seasons, tallying 17 points (one goal, 16 assists) and 59 penalty minutes. He also contributed a single goal in three AHL playoff appearances.

The local product was selected in the third round (86th overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by the Vegas Golden Knights. Before being drafted, he spent two seasons with the Prince George Spruce Kings in the BCHL, amassing 61 points (10 goals, 51 assists) in 110 games. In his second and final year, he played a pivotal role in securing a BCHL championship, scoring at a point-per-game pace with 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in 17 games and earned himself BCHL Second Team All-Star honours.

Before signing an entry-level contract with Vegas, he played two NCAA seasons with Ohio State, where he recorded 12 points (one goal, 11 assists) and 46 penalty minutes in 63 collegiate games between 2019-2021.

In a 2019 interview with DailyFaceoff’s Steven Ellis, Ahac described his game as a strong two-way contributor, “I’d say I’m a big defender, I can skate well for my size. I play a good two-way game. I take care of my own end, but I also like to get up in the rush and help create scoring chances on offence. But I need to put on that strength that’s going to help me defend at the next level. I’ll be playing against guys up to 24 years old (in the NCAA) so that’s going to be a big key for me.”

With five left-shot defencemen already signed for the 2024-25 Abbotsford Canucks roster, Ahac’s role is yet to be determined. However, at 6’2 and 205 lbs, his size and experience make him a valuable addition, providing competition and potentially serving as a depth piece for the organization. At just 23, Ahac carries enough upside to warrant a closer look as he continues developing his AHL game.