Vancouver Canucks Organization Announces Signing of Two Players Ahead of 2025-26 Season
Photo credit: Vancouver Canucks/NHL
The Vancouver Canucks organization has announced the signing of two players, including a former NCAA goaltender, ahead of the start of the 2025-26 season.
As the month of September rolls along, the Vancouver Canucks’ training camp continues, with the club turning their attention to Wednesday’s game in Abbotsford against Calgary after losing to the Seattle Kraken last night.In the coming weeks, Vancouver’s American Hockey League and ECHL affiliates in Abbotsford, British Columbia and Kalamazoo, Michigan will be opening up their respective training camps, with the latter being quite active on the free agent market recently.
ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings announce signing of two players on Monday
On Monday morning, the Abbotsford Canucks announced that they’ve agreed to terms on a one-year deal with Antonio Venuto and have inked goaltender Zachary Borgiel to a professional tryout (PTO).
“The Kalamazoo Wings, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, announced Monday that forward Antonio Venuto has signed a Standard Player Contract (SPC) and goaltender Zachary Borgiel has signed a Player Tryout Contract (PTO) for the 2025-26 season.” the club said in a press release.
Venuto, 25, spent the last five seasons in the NCAA – four with Ferris State University & one with Merrimack College and wrapped up his collegiate career by registering 69 points in 156 games.
At the end of the 2024-25 season, the Whitmore Lake, Michigan native joined the Kalamazoo Wings for his first taste of professional hockey, appearing in six games for the club where he put up two assists.
“Glad to be back in Kalamazoo for my first full pro season. Can’t wait to get things rolling and play in front of all the K-Wings fans again.” Venuto said.
As for goaltender Zachary Borgiel, he too spent the last five years in the NCAA with Merrimack College and Providence College where he sported a 39-33-6 record in 83 games, along with four shutouts, a 2.78 goals against average and an .899 save percentage.
The Fort Gratiot Township, Michigan native will likely have a tough time landing a roster spot in Kalamazoo as he’ll be competing with Ty Young, Jonathan Lemieux and Hunter Vorva, and it appears that he may have a better shot at playing elsewhere in the ECHL if and when Kalamazoo releases him from his PTO.
Previously on CanucksDaily
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