Abbotsford Canucks defenceman Cole Clayton will return to the Canucks organization for the 2026-27 season.
Vancouver Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson announced that the defender has inked a one-year, two-day deal on Tuesday (June 16).
Clayton, nicknamed ‘Cowboy’ due to his Alberta roots, was acquired by the Canucks in a trade with the San Jose Sharks organization that saw Kiefer Sherwood head to California. The Canucks also got second round picks in 2026 and 2027 in that move.
He played 32 games for Abbotsford in 2025-26 and recorded six assists and 27 penalty minutes. Clayton also scored five points in 33 games for the San Jose Barracuda prior to arriving in Abbotsford.
The 2026-27 season will be Clayton’s sixth as a professional and he has played a total of 289 games in the AHL split between the Canucks, Barracuda and the Cleveland Monsters. His most productive season as a pro was 2023-24 when he scored 20 points in 59 games for Cleveland. Clayton was an assistant captain with the Monsters in 2024-25.
The Strathmore, Alta. product played four seasons with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL and served as an assistant captain for the team in 2020-21. He recorded 30 points in 23 games for the Tigers in that season.
Clayton was called up from Abbotsford to Vancouver in March, but did not suit up in NHL game action last season.
Clayton will now be an unrestricted free agent following the 2026-27 season. This signing now leaves UFA Guillaume Brisebois as the lone defenceman with an Abbotsford connection that is unsigned.