The Abbotsford Canucks have signed defenceman Ashton Sautner to a one-year contract.
The 27-year-old played two games with the American Hockey League’s Manitoba Moose last season and spent the majority of his time on the Vancouver Canucks taxi squad.
He’s played 23 games in the NHL with Vancouver and has recorded three assists. Sautner has suited up for 242 games with the Utica Comets, collecting 49 points and 160 penalty minutes.
The Saskatchewan native played four seasons with the Western Hockey League’s Edmonton Oil Kings and was the team’s captain in his final season in 2014-15. While in Edmonton he helped the team win one Memorial Cup (2014) and two WHL titles (2012 and 2014).
He originally signed with the Canucks back in 2015. Sautner is the 14th defenceman signed by the Canucks on a one-way or two-way contract.
The club also announced the signing of forward Tristan Nielsen to a two-year AHL contract.
Nielsen has spent the last three seasons with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants and put up impressive offensive numbers during his time at the Langley Events Centre.
He led the Giants in scoring in 2019-20, with 65 points in 61 games. This past season he was second on the team with 32 points in 22 games. He collected a total of 175 points in 241 games with the Giants and the Calgary Hitmen.
The 21-year-old Fort St. John native served as the Giants assistant captain in 2020-21. He did not get chosen when he was eligible in the NHL draft.
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