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Vancouver Canucks organization announces the sudden departure of 26-year-old winger
Photo credit: Abbotsford Canucks/AHL.
The Vancouver Canucks organization has announced the departure of a former National Hockey League forward after suiting up in nearly 20 games this season.
With injuries becoming an issue for the entire Vancouver Canucks organization early on in the 2025-26 campaign, the ECHL's Kalamazoo Wings and AHL's Abbotsford Canucks have been forced to bring in external help, with the latter bringing back Calder Cup champion & former NHLer Jujhar Khaira on a one-year deal.
Along with Khaira, the Abbotsford Canucks have also brought in another former National Hockey League forward - Arnaud Durandeau, who signed a professional tryout (PTO) with the club back on October 22nd.
"Abbotsford Canucks General Manager, Ryan Johnson, announced today that the club has signed forward Arnaud Durandeau to a professional try-out agreement." the Abbotsford Canucks said.
Vancouver Canucks organization announces departure of former NHL forward
It hasn't been an easy season for the Abbotsford Canucks, who sit 16th in the American Hockey League's Western Conference with an 8-15-2-3 record through 28 games and with the club starting to receive some players back from the NHL's Vancouver Canucks, along with some of their own recovering from their respective injuries, they had a difficult decision to make over the weekend.
In a post on social media on Sunday morning, the Abbotsford Canucks announced that former NHLer Arnaud Durandeau has been released from his professional tryout contract and is now an unrestricted free agent.
"The following transaction has occurred:
Abbotsford has released LW Arnaud Durandeau from his professional try-out agreement." the club said on X.
Abbotsford has released LW Arnaud Durandeau from his professional try-out agreement." the club said on X.
Durandeau, a native of Montreal, Quebec, appeared in 19 games during his stint with the Abbotsford Canucks, registering three assists along with eight penalty minutes and was a minus-seven.
The former New York Islanders forward is now left searching for his next landing spot, which could potentially be overseas, again, after spending the entire 2024-25 campaign in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) with Amur Khabarovsk, whose roster featured former NHLers Alex Galchenyuk and Alex Broadhurst.
It shouldn't be too long before Durandeau lands on his feet again and is back on the ice, and it's going to be very interesting to see if he's given another opportunity in the American Hockey League this season.