Canucks assign prospect Riley Patterson to AHL Abbotsford

As CanucksArmy’s Dave Hall reported over the weekend, Patterson was expected to get the call to begin his pro career after his Niagara Ice Dogs were eliminated in the first round of the OHL Playoffs on Sunday.

All four of Abbotsford’s remaining games will be on the road. They’ll play the Calgary Wranglers on Friday and Saturday this week, then Abbotsford will wrap up their season with back-to-backs against Ontario and Coachella Valley on Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th, respectively.

Patterson, who turned 20 less than a month ago, concludes his final junior season with 40 goals and 44 assists through 60 games played with the Ice Dogs. He added four goals and four assists through Niagara’s five playoff games.

The Canucks signed Patterson to an entry-level contract back in September, opening the door for him to turn pro at the end of his junior season.

Patterson came in at number five on our mid-season Canucks prospect rankings. Here is some of what Dave Hall had to say about Patterson’s game in that write-up:

“It’s not just the sheer point totals that are impressive. It’s how he’s doing it that makes his season so interesting. The offence isn’t inflated by power-play padding. In fact, only 18 of his points have come with the man advantage. The bulk of his damage is happening at even strength, which matters far more when projecting to the pro game. His heavy and accurate shot remains his true calling card. But he’s also shown the ability to provide in a variety of ways — off the rush, curling into space, one-timing from the flank, or cleaning up around the net with soft hands in tight. It’s a mixed bag of production…”