Not only are the
Vancouver Canucks struggling to stay healthy, but Abbotsford are dealing with a handful of injuries itself.
This has led
Abbotsford Canucks General Manager Ryan Johnson to sign a pair of defencemen to professional tryout contracts (PTOs).
On Monday, the team announced they had signed Jake Murray to a PTO. In the same move, the Canucks returned defenceman Jayden Lee to ECHL Kalamazoo.
Then on Tuesday morning, the team signed Phip Waugh to a PTO and released defenceman Robby Drazner from his PTO.
Murray, 23, is a 6’3″ 200-lb left-shot defenceman who spent the past three seasons playing in the ECHL, playing for the Idaho Steelheads (2023-24), Bloomington Bison (2024-25) and Greensville Swamp Rabbits (2025-26). He has scored seven goals and 41 assists for 48 points in 107 regular season games. With the Swamp Rabbits this season, Murray has tallied four assists in nine games and sits at an even rating.
The Mississauga, Ontario native appeared in 19 regular season games for the Texas Stars in 2023-24. Murray finished with zero points, logging eight penalty minutes and a minus-seven rating.
Waugh, 25, is a 6’4″ 220-lb left-shot defenceman who has played three seasons in the ECHL, playing for the Wheeling Nailers (2023-24 and 2024-25), and the Savannah Ghost Pirates (2025-26). Throughout his ECHL career, Waugh has appeared in 53 games, scoring five goals and nine assists for 14 points. With the Ghost Pirates this season, Waugh has registered two goals and two assists for four points, nine penalty minutes and a plus-one rating through nine games.
The McLean, Virginia native played three games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2024-25. Waugh picked up his first AHL point, registering an assist and a plus-one rating.
Lee signed an AHL contract with the Canucks organization in late July. After attending Vancouver Canucks training camp this past September, the defenceman has played just three games for Abbotsford, registering three shots on goal and a minus-two rating in his outings.
Abbotsford signed Drazner to a PTO late October. He appeared in two games for the Canucks, tallying one assist, six penalty minutes and two shots on goal with a minus-one rating in those games.
The Abbotsford Canucks are struggling right now. They are currently riding a 10-game losing streak after dropping their most recent two-game series against the Colorado Eagles. With their best players playing up in Vancouver amid injury troubles and their own ailments, Abbotsford has now iced 34 skaters just 12 games into their season. Murray and Waugh look to become 35 and 36 during their PTOs.
