Vancouver Canucks sign son of NHL Hall of Famer to minor-league deal
The Vancouver Canucks busy offseason continues.
On Wednesday, new Abbotsford Canucks general manager Richard Seeley made a splash, signing five players to AHL contracts.
One of those players just happens to be the son of a Hall of Famer and current NHL head coach.
Ryan St. Louis, the son of Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis, is embarking on the first step of his pro hockey career with the Vancouver Canucks organization.
The eldest of St. Louis’ three kids was completely looked over during his draft eligible season, which he largely spent with the U.S. National Development Program. He did pop up on the NHL Draft radar during his last season of eligibility in 2023, with Drette Su’l Tape podcast reporting that he was expected to hear his name called in the sixth or seventh round.
Some Habs fans wondered if the Canadiens would take a flier on him, considering that his dad was head coach. Alas, he was passed over for a third time.
St. Louis then went to Brown University, where he spent the last three seasons. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound winger was on an upward trajectory there, leading the team with 29 points in 23 games during the 2024-25 season.
However, his production took a dip last season as Brown University lost several key players. The squad ended last season with a dreadful 5-24-2 record, going winless on the road (0-17-0).
Aside from the prominence of St. Louis name, there were a couple of other interesting fliers among the cohort of AHL signings.
Quinn Emerson was the other forward signed to an AHL deal. The 25-year-old winger was a Hobey Baker nominee last season after posting 33 points in 36 games for Kevin Bieksa’s alma matter, Bowling Green State University.
Seeley then signed the right-shot defenceman Tim Rego, who he was familiar with from the Los Angeles Kings organization. Rego also played university hockey with current Abbotsford Canucks forwards, Ben Berard and Matthew Stienberg.
Defenceman Gavin White (who ended last season with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers) and goaltender Mitchell Weeks were the other two players added to the Canucks organization on Wednesday.
While the Abbotsford Canucks roster is starting to take shape, the team still remains without a head coach following Manny Malhotra’s NHL promotion.