Canucks prospect Jack Rathbone named to AHL All-Rookie team after star turn in Abbotsford

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Top Vancouver Canucks defense prospect Jack Rathbone has earned another accolade, as he was named to the American Hockey League’s all-rookie team on Wednesday.

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The second-year pro has scored 10 goals and added 30 assists in 40 games for the Abbotsford Canucks, helping to lead the farm team to the AHL playoffs.

Rathbone playing sparingly in nine National Hockey League games to start the year with the Vancouver Canucks, then struggled with injuries after being demoted to Abbotsford on Nov. 1.

But once healthy, he quickly found his game again, piloting the AHL Canucks’ power play — Abbotsford’s power play is the second best in the AHL at 23.8 per cent — and improving his defensive game as well.

He had a brief NHL cameo earlier this month as the injury-hit Canucks called him up on an emergency basis but he was never suited up for a game. The Canucks had hoped to get him into another NHL game or two before the season came to an end but injuries elsewhere in the lineup and the relative health of their NHL blue line meant there was never a window to do so and the team eventually burned through all four of its regular post-trade deadline recalls.

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Abbotsford has two more road games this week in Manitoba and then will start the AHL playoffs next week. If they pick up two points over the two games in Manitoba, they’ll secure third place in the AHL’s Pacific Division and a home playoff series vs. the Henderson Silver Knights. One point and they’ll be fourth and would face the Bakersfield Condors.

No points and they’re on the road in Bakersfield.

The Canucks drafted Rathbone in the fourth round (95th overall) 2017 NHL Entry Draft and the former Harvard University captain signed with the Canucks in the summer of 2020. While at Harvard he earned a scholarship in recognition of his work in the community and his efforts as a student. He was also named, in successive years, to the conference all-rookie and then all-star teams.

He was also selected to the USA Under-17 team while in high school.

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