Former Vancouver Canucks Prospect Finds New Home and Signs One-Year Contract

The 2025-26 season is officially underway across the globe, with North America's three professional leagues - NHL, AHL and ECHL, in the early stages of their respective campaigns.

For the most part, teams are done adding to their rosters at this stage of the season, unless you're the Abbotsford Canucks, who have brought in a pair of former NHLers in recent days to help shore up their group amid injury issues.

One Vancouver Canucks prospect, who began the year in the ECHL after being traded last Tuesday, has managed to ink a new contract for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.

In a press release on their official website, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, American Hockey League affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, announced that they've agreed to terms on a contract with former Vancouver Canucks prospect Connor Lockhart for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign.

The club also announced that for now, they've assigned the 22-year-old winger to their ECHL affiliate, the Wheeling Nailers, with whom he's already appeared in one game for.

Lockhart, a native of Kanata, Ontario, was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in the sixth round, 178th overall in 2021, but in June of 2023, the club opted not to sign him or fellow prospect Arvid Costmar, making them unrestricted free agents.

In his first of professional hockey, which was spent with the ECHL's Bloomington Bison, Lockhart impressed, registering 30 points (12 goals, 18 assists), 58 penalty minutes and was a minus-21 in 68 games.

Lockhart and the Wheeling Nailers will be back in action tomorrow night as they head out on the road to take on the Maine Mariners, ECHL affiliate of the Boston Bruins.

Source: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
PENGUINS INK FORWARD CONNOR LOCKHART