Canucks sign Aku Koskenvuo to two-year, entry-level contract

The Vancouver Canucks announced Tuesday that the club has signed goaltender Aku Koskenvuo to a two-year, entry-level contract.

Through 21 appearances this season with the NCAA’s Harvard Crimson, Koskenvuo went 8-9-1 with a .902 save percentage, 2.81 goals-against average, and one shutout. In all, through three seasons in the collegiate ranks, the 22-year-old Finnish-born netminder went 14-16-5 with a .905 save percentage, 2.91 goals-against average, and three shutouts.

Koskenvuo has also represented Finland in international competition, mostly recently at the 2023 World Juniors where through two appearances he posted an .842 save percentage with a 4.47 goals-against average. Koskenvuo also joined Finland at the 2021 IIHF Under-18 World Championship where in six outings he found the win column three times coupled with an .874 save percentage and 4.23 goals-against average with one shutout. For his efforts, Koskenvuo was recognized as a top-three player with Finland at the conclusion of the tournament.

Koskenvuo was originally chosen by Vancouver in the fifth round of the 2021 NHL Draft. In agreeing to terms with the Canucks, Koskenvuo becomes one of seven goaltenders under NHL contract, a list that also includes fellow netminders Thatcher Demko, Kevin Lankinen, and Arturs Silovs, all with the NHL squad, as well as Jiri Patera, Nikita Tolopilo, and Ty Young currently with the AHL affiliated Abbotsford Canucks.

For the Canucks, on the season the club sits 31-25-11 to hold down the final wildcard seed in the Western Conference with 73 points, just ahead of the St. Louis Blues due to the games played tiebreaker. Following a regulation loss to the Utah Hockey Club on Sunday, the Canucks will look to return to the win column Tuesday when the squad faces off against the NHL leading Winnipeg Jets. The Canucks have qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs once in the past four seasons.