The Vancouver Canucks have ended their association with winger Vitali Kravtsov. General manager Patrik Allvin announced on Tuesday that the 25-year-old Russian forward was placed on unconditional waivers to terminate his contract.
Kravtsov attended the team’s training camp in Penticton, British Columbia, before being assigned to the Abbotsford Canucks, the club’s American Hockey League affiliate. There, he recorded one goal and three assists in 10 games.
The Canucks had acquired Kravtsov from the New York Rangers in February 2023. He spent most of the previous two seasons playing with Traktor Chelyabinsk in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
Standing six feet three inches tall and weighing 186 pounds, Kravtsov scored one goal and registered one assist across 16 games during the 2022–23 NHL season. In the 2024–25 KHL season, he tallied 27 goals and 31 assists in 66 games for Chelyabinsk.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in November.
Author’s summary: The Vancouver Canucks released Russian winger Vitali Kravtsov after placing him on waivers, concluding his short stint with the team and returning focus to his KHL success.