The Abbotsford Canucks appear to be getting some reinforcements on the backend.

According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Vancouver Canucks have placed defenceman Jack Thompson on NHL waivers.

Then-Abbotsford general manager Ryan Johnson acquired Thompson last season in a defenceman swap with the San Jose Barracuda, sending Jett Woo to California. The right-shot defenceman had immediate success with his new team, scoring three goals and 13 points in 14 games. That bested his production in 42 games with the Barracuda, where he tallied three goals and 12 points.

The 24-year-old blueliner was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the third round (93rd overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft. After playing in Sweden during the COVID-19-cancelled 2020-21 CHL season, Thompson returned to the Ontario Hockey League and captained the Sudbury Wolves. He posted a respectable 23 points in 29 games before a mid-season trade saw him on the move to the Soo Greyhounds.

With the Greyhounds, Thompson continued his scoring pace, potting 13 goals and 34 points in 36 games. During that playoff run, Thompson added six goals and 14 points in nine postseason games before the Greyhounds were eliminated in the Western Conference semi-finals by the Flint Firebirds. That year, Thompson also earned a spot on Team Canada’s World Junior team, where he scored one goal and four points in seven games representing his country.

He then made his leap to professional hockey, where he has mainly played in the American League throughout his four-year career. In 217 AHL games, Thompson has tallied 23 goals and 104 points with a minus-two rating and 60 penalty minutes. He has appeared in 34 NHL games for both the Lightning and Sharks, with his best season coming in 2024-25, where he scored two goals and six points in 34 games with the Sharks.

Thompson suffered an injury prior to Canucks training camp this season, sidelining him from on-ice activities with the main group in Penticton. Now that the Canucks have placed him on waivers for an AHL assignment, it appears he is ready to make a return. He will assume a major role on the right side of Abbotsford’s blueline.