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 center Nic Petan, who recently started his first season in Switzerland.
Petan signed a two-way contract with Vancouver ahead of the 2021-22 season. The former WHL star had to wait a while before making his Canucks debut, but did finally hit the ice on March 15, 2022, against the New Jersey Devils. As for his first point, that came on March 30, 2022, in a 4-3 loss against the St. Louis Blues.
In the end, Petan's time with the organization was short as he signed with the Minnesota Wild during the 2022 off-season. During his one season with Vancouver, he played 18 NHL games in which he recorded two assists. As for his time with the Abbotsford Canucks, Petan played 37 games and finished third on the team with 44 points.
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Petan's departure from North America is recent, as his first year away was during the 2024-25 season. Last year, he played in the KHL for Ak Bars Kazan, recording 44 points in 47 games. During his time with Ak Bars Kazan, Petan had the chance to play with Canucks prospect Ilya Safonov, whom the organization acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks this off-season.
As for this season, Petan is playing in the NL for HC Ambrì-Piotta. His new team is located in Quinto, Switzerland and finished 10th in the NL last year. Petan has already made his debut with HC Ambrì-Piotta, which came in a 2-1 win over EHC Kloten.
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