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Jonathan Lekkerimäki expected to rejoin Abbotsford Canucks lineup this weekend: report
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Photo credit: Abbotsford Canucks
Jeff Paterson
Jan 9, 2026, 16:44 ESTUpdated: Jan 9, 2026, 23:33 EST
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According to a report, one of the Vancouver Canucks top prospects could be returning to action this weekend in Abbotsford.
Jonathan Lekkerimäki has not played for the Canucks AHL farm team since December 20th. He has missed six games with an undisclosed injury. However, according to Donnie & Dhali’s Rick Dhaliwal, the 21-year-old right winger is nearing a return to the lineup.
“He skated Monday, skated yesterday, he’s getting close,” Dhaliwal told Sportsnet 650 on Friday morning. “I would not be surprised if he plays this weekend.”
Although he’s dressed for just nine AHL games this season, Lekkerimäki is tied for third in goal-scoring in Abbotsford and is tied for seventh in team scoring. He has six goals and 10 points on the season.
Lekkerimäki has also appeared in eight NHL games for the Vancouver Canucks, scoring once and setting up another goal. His goal came in the team’s season opener on October 9th against Calgary. 
With the big-league team floundering and with so many players struggling individually, Lekkerimäki could be in line for another NHL look. First, the club wants to ensure that he is fully healthy and gets some game action in the minors under his belt before being recalled by the parent club.
With the Canucks expected to ship out at least one winger before the trade deadline, Lekkerimäki stands to benefit. The club has signalled its intention to give younger players more opportunities over the second half of the season, and the 2022 first-rounder certainly fits that bill. In 32 NHL games over parts of two seasons, the Tullinge, Sweden native has four goals and four assists while averaging 12:06 of ice time.
Abbotsford is at home to the Calgary Wranglers on Saturday night and again on Sunday afternoon. The minor league Canucks will surely welcome Lekkerimäki back to the lineup. The team has lost six straight and has not won since he left the lineup prior to Christmas. Abbotsford is having a rough go this season, sitting 16th out of 17 teams in the AHL Western Conference with a record of 9-19-3-3. 

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