Agent confirms that Ilya Safonov has left the Abbotsford Canucks

Russian forward Ilya Safonov has left the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks.

Safonov’s agent Dan Milstein confirmed that his client has indeed left the Vancouver Canucks’ farm team and is heading back to the KHL.

“Ilya valued his time with the Canucks organization and built strong relationships with the coaching and development staff in Abbotsford,” Milstein told Daily Faceoff Vancouver/CanucksArmy.com on Tuesday. “While he did not reach his goal of playing in the NHL, he leaves grateful for the opportunity and will always look back on his time in Vancouver fondly. He is returning to the KHL and looks forward to competing against top players from Russia, Canada, the United States and beyond, including former Canuck Evander Kane.”

Acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks in a trade in June 2025, Safonov attended his first Canucks training camp in 2026 after the Canucks signed him to a contract on June 2nd, 2026, following a season in which he put up 33 points in 68 games with Kazan Ak-Bars of the KHL. Safonov was assigned to the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks as part of a 15-player roster reduction on September 23rd. After arriving in Abbotsford, Safonov put up four assists through 12 games and is now exercising his opt-out clause.

Abbotsford takes on the Colorado Eagles in a midweek back-to-back from Rogers Forum on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Originally drafted in the sixth round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, the 25-year-old Safonov is a KHL veteran of six years and has appeared in 331 regular-season games, tallying 65 goals, 63 assists (128 points), 145 penalty minutes, and a cumulative +68 rating. His most productive regular season came in 2022-23, when he posted career highs of 19 goals and 37 points. Over 79 Gagarin Cup playoff games across six postseasons, Safonov has added 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) and 34 penalty minutes.