Plenty of former Vancouver Canucks have carved out successful careers around the world after leaving the organization. Whether playing for some of the best teams in Europe or excelling in non-traditional hockey markets, these one-time Canucks continue to apply their trade outside of North America. Today, we look at forward Josh Leivo, who spent the 2024-25 season with Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the KHL.
After spending the first part of his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Leivo was traded to Vancouver in December 2018 for Michael Carcone. He made his debut on December 4, 2018 and made an immediate impact by scoring against the Minnesota Wild. In total, Leivo played 49 games with the Canucks during the 2018-19 season, scoring 10 goals and recording 18 points.
Leivo played one more season with Vancouver before signing as a free agent with the Calgary Flames. In his final year with the Canucks, he scored seven goals and recorded 19 points in 36 games. In total, Leivo played 85 regular-season games with Vancouver, scoring 17 goals and recording 37 points.
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After a few more seasons split between the NHL and the AHL, Leivo moved to the KHL ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. He spent the last two seasons with Salavat Yulaev Ufa and was named regular-season MVP in 2024-25. Over the past two seasons, Leivo scored 64 goals and recorded 118 points in 102 games.
As for next season, Leivo will be returning to the KHL, but with a different team. He has signed a contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk, who lost in the Gagarin Cup Finals last year. Leivo will be one of a handful of North Americans on the roster next year, with Chris Driedger being the only other Canadian currently listed.
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