Canucks sign Christian Wolanin to two-way contract

The Vancouver Canucks have signed a defenceman. On late Thursday afternoon, the club announced that they have signed defenceman Christian Wolanin.

It is a one-year, two-way contract worth $750,000 a year according to CapFriendly

This is a depth signing for the Canucks. Wolanin will likely spend majority of the season with the Abbotsford Canucks but will be competing for a spot at training camp and the preseason. The 27-year-old is left handed and is 6’2″ and 190 pounds.

Wolanin spent last season with the Los Angeles Kings organization. He played eight games with Los Angeles last season and scored a goal and managed an assist. Wolanin spent majority of the year with the Kings AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign.

With the Reign, he scored a goal and managed 17 assists for 18 points in 37 AHL games. Wolanin also played five Calder Cup Playoff games with the Reign. He managed one goal and three assists in those games. Wolanin helped the Reign beat the San Diego Gulls in the first round in two games (in a best of three) but they fell to the Colorado Eagles in the second round in a three game sweep. (That series was a best of five.)

Wolanin was originally drafted in the fourth round, 107th overall by the Ottawa Senators in 2015. He made his NHL debut late in the 2017-18 season and split time between Ottawa and their AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators.

Wolanin was trade to the Kings on March 29, 2021 for Mike Amadio. On October 16, he was claimed by the Buffalo Sabres. Wolanin only played one game with the Sabres as he was claimed off waivers by LA on December 1. Imagine him moving across the country twice in a span of less than two months.

Wolanin was born in Quebec City but has dual citizenship with Canada and the United States. He represented US and participated in the World Championships in 2019 and 2021. Wolanin helped the Americans win Bronze at the 2021 tournament.

His father Craig played 695 games and won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996. Due to his father’s NHL career, Wolanin moved around a lot during his early childhood. The Wolanins went from Quebec City, to Denver, then Tampa Bay and finally Toronto before they settled in Rochester Michigan.

Wolanin was also a teammate of current Canucks Brock Boeser and Tucker Poolman at the University of North Dakota. He was there from 2015 to 2018 and was majoring in communications. (He graduated in 2021) Wolanin, Boeser and Poolman helped the Fighting Hawks win the National Championship in 2016.