A former Vancouver Canuck has made his way back to the organization in free agency. Center Joseph LaBate signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Canucks on July 1, returning to the organization after seven years away.
LaBate was drafted by the Canucks in 2011, being picked 101st overall and in the fourth round. He spent four seasons at the University of Wisconsin and was named an assistant captain during his last year with the team (2014–25). LaBate scored 25 goals and 40 assists in 115 games played with Wisconsin before signing his entry-level contract with Vancouver and joining the Utica Comets for two games in 2015.
The Canucks draft pick made his NHL debut on November 23, 2016 against the Arizona Coyotes and played in 13 of the team’s games in the 2016–17 season. He spent two more seasons with the Comets before joining the Belville Senators of the AHL for three seasons. After, he played in one season with the Milwaukee Admirals and one with the Chicago Wolves, before heading overseas and spending one year with Barys Astana of the KHL.
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LaBate made his return to the NHL in the 2024–25 season, signing a one-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He played in six of their games and tallied one assist. During the rest of the season, he played with their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, scoring eight goals and 13 assists in 51 games.
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