With the NHL’s regular season underway, we’re taking a look at some Vancouver Canucks prospects who made their appearances in the Young Stars Tournament, training camp, and preseason, as well as one who didn’t. Follow along as we recap where they’ve gone since spending time with the Canucks this September, as well as how they made their way to Vancouver.
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Riley Patterson
Forward
Barrie Colts, OHL
Round 4, #125 Overall in 2024
The youngest player on this list, Patterson was drafted by the Canucks this past June and reported to his first training camp last month. He scored a goal in the team’s final Young Stars Tournament matchup. While he didn’t take to the ice in any of the team’s preseason games, the 19-year-old will be looking to build off his experiences with Vancouver as he goes into his second year with the OHL’s Barrie Colts.
As of Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, Patterson has played in five games with the Colts, scoring three assists in this span of time. His previous season saw him score 29 goals in 68 games, the most of any rookie in the league that year. In total, he tallied 62 points. In Barrie’s playoff run last season, Patterson registered two goals and an assist in six games. Patterson and the Colts’ next game takes place on October 17 against the Owen Sound Attack.
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Ty Mueller
Forward
Abbotsford Canucks, AHL
Round 4, #105 Overall in 2023
Mueller was selected by the Canucks in the 2023 NHL Draft, signing his three-year entry-level contract with Vancouver this March. He took to the ice twice during Vancouver’s preseason, slotting into the lineup against the Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers. While he didn’t score any points, he demonstrated an impressive hustle and speed on the forecheck and registered two shots per game.
Related: Canucks Prospect Ty Mueller Excited To Make The Jump To The AHL This Season
The 21-year-old centre played three seasons with the University of Nebraska-Omaha before joining the Abbotsford Canucks this year. In his final season with the team, Mueller put up 26 points (11 goals and 15 assists) in 40 games. From the NCAA, he made the jump to the AHL, doing so after spending September with Vancouver. He made his AHL debut with the Abbotsford Canucks against the Calgary Wranglers and has played every game since (granted, they’ve only played twice so far this season).
Cole McWard
Defence
Abbotsford Canucks, AHL
Undrafted
McWard missed Vancouver’s 2024 Young Stars Tournament, training camp, and preseason due to an injury but recovered in time for Abbotsford’s start to the season. An undrafted defenceman and the oldest on this list at 23, McWard first joined the Canucks organization in the 2022–23 regular season. He played five games with the big club at this time, scoring a goal in his second career NHL game against the Calgary Flames.
The 2023–24 regular season was McWard’s first as part of the Abbotsford Canucks. While he slotted in for one game with Vancouver, he played 57 with their AHL affiliate, in which he scored 17 points (four goals and 13 assists). While McWard is more so known for his off-the-rush defensive play rather than his offensive point totals, his goal-scoring is something that the Canucks highlighted when signing him after his time with Ohio State University.
Ty Young
Goaltender
Kalamazoo Wings, ECHL
Round 5, #144 Overall in 2022
The second Ty to appear on this list, Young was picked by Vancouver in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Draft. Prior to being assigned to the ECHL, he found himself trapped in a goaltending depth chart bound to get deeper upon Thatcher Demko’s return to the lineup. With Nikita Tolopilo and Jiří Patera looking to take most of the starts for the Abbotsford Canucks, it made the most sense to send Young to a league where he can continue honing his craft. He’ll be joining fellow Canucks goaltending prospect Jonathan Lemieux as a member of the Kalamazoo Wings.
Young’s 2023–24 season saw him play his final year with the Prince George Cougars, a tenure that lasted since 2020. He played in 37 games and registered a career-high 2.79 GAA. His .903 SV% was uplifted by his 23 wins on the season. In the Canucks’ Young Stars Tournament matchup against the Winnipeg Jets, he made 28 saves on 30 shots, helping the team along to a 4–2 victory.
