Ex-Canuck defenceman Akito Hirose signs one-year deal in Germany

Hirose spent three years with the Canucks organization, making 10 appearances with Vancouver from 2022-2024, with three assists across that span. The Calgary, Alberta native spent the bulk of his time with the team’s AHL affiliate in Abbotsford. Across two seasons in the minor league, he played 67 games, tallying four goals and 10 assists for 14 total points. The 6’0″, 170 lb. blue liner played consistent minutes for Abbotsford in the playoffs earlier this year, appearing in 22 games with the team en route to their Calder Cup Championship.

The organization’s defensive pipeline is as deep as it has been in several seasons, with young defenders such as Elias Pettersson, Tom Willander, Victor Mancini, Kirill Kudryavtsev, and Sawyer Mynio all vying for spots in Vancouver and Abbotsford. So, after he became a free agent on July 1st, he remained unsigned through the summer. In Germany, Hirose will have the opportunity to play a more significant role, which could enhance his ability to mount a North American comeback in the future.

Hirose played junior hockey with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks from 2016-2020. Undrafted into the NHL, he began playing college hockey with Minnesota State University (Mankato). In 104 NCAA appearances across three seasons, he had seven goals and 61 assists. He signed with the Vancouver Canucks on an entry-level contract for the 2022-23 season, before extending with the team for two more years.

After making his Canucks debut, Hirose was considered a strong prospect with the possibility of transitioning into a role on Vancouver’s third pairing. He eventually went down to the minors, where he played out the rest of his contract. In the 2024 preseason, he suffered a concussion.

In Germany, Hirose will be coached by another former Canucks defenseman, Alexander Sulzer. Sulzer played 12 games with Vancouver in the 2011-12 season before being traded to the Buffalo Sabres at the deadline that year.