Abbotsford Canucks stalwart Tristen Nielsen signs with AHL rival Colorado
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The 25-year-old forward inked a one-year contract as a free agent with the Colorado Eagles last week, ending a four-year run with Abbotsford, the Vancouver Canucks ' AHL farm team.
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The Eagles are a Colorado Avalanche affiliate. Abbotsford beat the Eagles in the third round of the AHL playoffs this past season on their way to winning the Calder Cup league championship.
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Nielsen had been on a two-year, two-way contract with Vancouver that he inked in July 2023. He never saw action with the big club during that time. The former Vancouver Giant from Fort St. John played his first two years in Abbotsford on an AHL deal.
Vancouver moved its farm team to Abbotsford before the 2021-22 campaign.
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Vancouver could have brought the 5-foot-10, 192-pound Nielsen back but they need to also open up ice time in Abbotsford for prospects, like possibly Vilmer Alriksson, 20, or Chase Stillman, 22.
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The scrappy, hard-nosed Nielsen was in Abbotsford's lineup for its first home game on Oct. 22, 2021, against the Henderson Silver Knights. He was a regular in their run to the Calder Cup this past spring, scoring five times and recording nine points in 24 post-season matchups.
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Nielsen put up 15 goals and 28 points in 67 regular season games with Abbotsford this past season. Over his four years, he had 52 goals and 115 points.
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Only centre and team captain Chase Wouters (268) and defenceman Jett Woo (239) have played more regular season games with Abbotsford than Nielsen (231).
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Wouters, 25, signed a two-year extension with Abbotsford in June 2024. Woo, 24, inked a one-year, two-way extension with Vancouver last month.
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Nielsen is one of several regulars from this past year's Abbotsford team who have moved to other squads. Winger Sammy Blais, 29, signed as a free agent with the Montreal Canadiens while defenceman Cole McWard agreed on a deal with the New York Islanders and winger Phil Di Giuseppe, 31, came to terms with the Winnipeg Jets. Blais got a one-way contract, while McWard and Di Giuseppe both signed two-way deals.
The biggest departure from Abbotsford, of course, is goaltender Artūrs Šilovs, 24, who Vancouver traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins last month for forward Stillman and a 2027 fourth-round draft pick. Šilovs was the AHL playoff most valuable player.
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Nielsen's teammates with the Eagles could include goaltender Trent Miner, 24. They were both part of the Giants' 2019 run to the WHL finals.
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Miner, who's an Avalanche 2019 seventh-round draft pick, was the Eagles' starting goalie in the playoffs this past season.
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