Former Canucks fan fave Motte now on his sixth NHL team

It was only last March when Tyler Motte last skated for the Vancouver Canucks, but he’s certainly made the rounds across the NHL in the year-and-a-half ever since.

In a bit over a year since being traded away from the franchise, Motte’s already made his way to the New York Rangers, over to the Ottawa Senators, and back to New York once again midway through last season on another trade.

Having previously played for the Chicago Blackhawks (who drafted him in the fourth round in 2013) and Columbus Blue Jackets (as part of a trade centred around Brandon Saad in 2017) before coming to Vancouver, Motte’s quickly becoming part of the NHL “journeyman” club — and it appears that he’s not quite done yet.

On Saturday, Motte added a sixth NHL team to his list, signing a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The move came on the backheels of former Edmonton Oilers winger Josh Archibald terminating his own contract with the Lightning to take a hiatus from hockey.

Spending parts of five seasons in Vancouver, Motte racked up a total of 28 goals and 22 assists in 196 games for the Canucks from 2017-18 through 2021-22.

He was also a big part of the team’s run in the 2020 COVID-19-influenced “bubble” playoffs, where he scored four goals and added an assist in 17 postseason games. Though obviously not the most offensive talented forward on the roster, Motte clearly connected well with the local fanbase during his time with the franchise.

“Thank you to my Vancouver family, Canucks and teammates for an amazing 4 years! I am so grateful! Excited for what’s next,” Motte said in an Instagram post at the time of his departure, which fans were quick to leave plenty of heartfelt messages on.

Over the course of his seven seasons as a whole, Motte has put up 43 goals and 38 assists in 331 games.

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