Former Canuck Aidan McDonough inks a new contract: He's on the move

PUBLICATION

Cooper Godin
July 5, 2024 (9:59)

SHARE THIS STORY

Former Vancouver Canucks forward Aidan McDonough has found a new home less than a week after leaving the organization as a free agent.

On Friday morning, the Charlotte Checkers, affiliate of the NHL's Florida Panthers, announced that they've agreed to terms on a one-year, AHL contract with Aidan McDonough for the 2024-25 season.

"Former Canuck Aidan McDonough has signed with the Florida Panthers farm team in Charlotte." Rick Dhaliwal said.

"Another forward is in the mix for Charlotte, as the Checkers have signed Aidan McDonough to a one-year AHL deal." The Charlotte Checkers said.

McDonough, 24, was a seventh-round pick by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and officially joined the organization at the end of the 2022-23 season after finishing his fourth year at Northeastern University. Once he signed his entry-level contract with Vancouver in March 2023, he joined the team right away and appeared in six games for them before the end of the season, scoring his first career NHL goal on March 31st against the Calgary Flames.

The Milton, Massachusetts native came into training camp ahead of the 2023-24 season hoping to make the Canucks' opening night roster, but that wasn't the case and he would go on to spend the entire year in the American Hockey League with Abbotsford. In 58 games for Abbotsford, McDonough put up 19 points (11 goals, eight assists), ten penalty minutes and was a plus-two. He also appeared in two games during the Calder Cup Playoffs, but didn't record any points.

Last weekend, the Patrik Allvin Canucks made the decision to not offer McDonough a qualifying offer, which made him an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. He was one of three players the Canucks didn't issue a qualifying offer to joining Nick Cicek and Filip Johansson.

"General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that the #Canucks have extended a qualifying offer to:
- Arturs Silovs

The club did not issue qualifying offers to:
- Aidan McDonough
- Filip Johansson
- Nick Cicek"

The 2024-25 season will only be the second-full year of McDonough's professional career and he's still trying to learn the ropes at this level. If he's able to have a big season for the Charlotte Checkers, then he could land himself an NHL contract for the 2025-26 campaign.