On Monday, at exactly noon Pacific time, Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin announced that the club had signed forward prospects Riley Patterson and Gabriel Chiarot to three-year, entry-level contracts (ELCs). Allvin spoke about the two signings in a statement released by the Canucks.
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“We have been impressed by a number of our young players at both the showcase in Seattle and at Training Camp in Penticton,” said Allvin. “We are happy to sign two of them, Riley Patterson and Gabriel Chiarot. Riley is a right-shot centre prospect who has made strides working with our development group the past couple years, while Gabriel has good drive, work ethic, and tenacity, and also has a nose for the net.” This news is fantastic for these young men as they move closer to one day playing in the NHL, but this is also good news for Vancouver as they add two more young prospects to their forward depth.
Riley Patterson
Taken in the fourth round during a stacked 2024 draft class, Patterson has taken strides over the past season that earned him a contract in the NHL. He recorded 62 points in 68 games with the Barrie Colts during his draft season in 2024-25, which was also his first season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). This past season in 2024-25, his production dipped slightly as he recorded 59 points, but he came alive in the playoffs, with 12 points in 16 games. The Canucks newest signed prospect has a very good shot and good puck awareness in the offensive zone. It always seems like he is either in the correct position or he knows where to be for a good scoring chance.
This past month, when the Canucks played rookie games against the Seattle Kraken, Patterson impressed many with his skills against his peers. In their second game against Seattle, Patterson got bumped up to the top line in the absence of Braeden Cootes and thrived while playing with Vilmer Alriksson and Jonathan Lekkerimäki. He recorded two points, including the game-winning goal, helping Vancouver win their second game 3-2. Patterson will now have one final OHL season with a new team in Niagara this season, as he looks to develop his skills further.
Gabriel Chiarot
The signing of Chiarot shows how confident the Canucks are in his abilities and that they see an NHL player in him. As a sixth-round pick in this most recent draft, Chiarot was a long shot at getting a contract with the Canucks right out of camp since he was taken so low. He also only scored 21 goals and 14 assists for 35 points with the Brampton Steelheads of the OHL last season. But he came into camp this season and clearly impressed all of the Canucks management. Allvin was clearly impressed with his never-say-die attitude and his ability to go to the net and have his stick on the ice.
This season in Brampton, Chiarot will be taking on a different leadership role, as many players from last season, like Carson Rehkopf and Luke Misa, have graduated from the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). He will be looked upon in many different scenarios by Steelheads head coach, James Richmond. This season, a goal for him should be to improve his point total, as he will have many chances to score while playing in the Steelheads’ top six with other veteran players. I believe that in a bigger role, he can most definitely record more than 35 points.
Signing an ELC does not guarantee that a player will make the NHL, but it is a step in the right direction for these two young men. Both Patterson and Chiarot clearly impressed the Canucks staff and earned these two contracts. The hope is that after signing these commitments with Vancouver, they get even better than they already are.
