Canucks reacquire failed Benning draft pick of the past
His name was immortalized in a meme that spread throughout Vancouver Canucks fans during the Jim Benning era: “Why isn’t anyone taking Kole Lind?”
Now the Canucks are bringing Lind back. Sort of.
Benning asked that very memeable question during the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft after teams kept passing on Lind. The Canucks drafted Lind 33rd overall in the second round and seemed to have a steal on their hands when Lind erupted for 95 points in just 58 WHL games in his post-draft year.
Lind was among the Canucks’ top prospects at that time, along with the likes of Olli Juolevi, Jonathan Dahlen, and Adam Gaudette.
Unfortunately, Lind’s development hit a plateau soon after. Though he played a handful of NHL games with the Canucks, then 24 more with the Seattle Kraken, he reached his ceiling as a solid AHL forward.
Lind hit a career high in 2022-23 when he scored 30 goals and 65 points with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, then had 31 points in 26 playoff games to lead the AHL playoffs in scoring.
Now the Canucks are hoping he can bring some of his scoring and veteran experience to a young Canucks team — in Abbotsford.
General Manager Richard Seeley announced today the Abbotsford Canucks have signed forwards Kole Lind and Sean Chisholm to one-year contracts ahead of the 2026.27 AHL season.
DETAILS | https://t.co/y0s8tuqmIH pic.twitter.com/hRS9ib1T18
— Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) October 2, 2026
Lind signed a one-year AHL contract with the Abbotsford Canucks on Friday, mere hours ahead of the start of the regular season.
The 27-year-old will be the oldest forward and second-oldest player on the team, behind only defenceman Jimmy Schuldt.