Canucks assign Virtanen, McCann to AHL's Utica Comets
The season continues for Jake Virtanen and Jared McCann.
The Vancouver Canucks assigned the first-round draft selections to the American Hockey League's Utica Comets following the end of their major-junior seasons with the Calgary Hitmen and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, respectively.
Virtanen scored 52 points and racked up 82 penalty minutes in 50 games for Calgary, also representing Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship. His Hitmen were eliminated by the Brandon Wheat Kings in five games.
McCann, who was selected 18 slots behind Virtanen in last year's first round, finished with 81 points in 56 games. The Greyhounds ran into the Connor McDavid buzzsaw in the OHL Western Conference Final, losing the series to the Erie Otters in six games.
Though the pair will be with Utica for the remainder of the season, their usage by head coach Travis Green has yet to be established.