Canucks Agree to Terms with Matt Irwin & Zach Sawchenko on Two-Way Deals

Vancouver, B.C.- Vancouver Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that the club has agreed to terms defenceman Matt Irwin and goaltender Zach Sawchenko on one-year, two-way contracts.

"We are excited to bring both these players into our organization," said Allvin. "Matt is a BC boy and will provide us with more options on the blueline and improve our overall depth. Zach is a player our staff is looking forward to working with as he continues his pro hockey journey."

Irwin, 35, spent the 2022.23 season with the Washington Capitals, recording five points (2-3-5) and 36 penalty minutes in 61 games played. He also ranked second among Capitals defencemen in hits with 117.

The 6'2", 200-pound left-shot defenceman has appeared in 461 career regular season NHL games split between Washington, Buffalo, Anaheim, Nashville, Boston, and San Jose, recording 93 points (25-68-93) and 211 penalty minutes. He also has 47 games of NHL playoff experience under his belt, highlighted by a trip to the Stanley Cup Final with Nashville in 2017, during which he played 22 games and recorded two points (0-2-2).

Irwin is from Victoria, BC, and played his junior hockey with the BCHL's Nanaimo Clippers prior to attending college and turning professional.

Sawchenko, 25, spent last season with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League, posting a 17-18-3 record and one shutout to go along with a 3.10 goals-against average and .895 save percentage. The year prior, he split the season between the San Jose Sharks and AHL's San Jose Barracuda, registering a 1-2-1 record at the NHL level with a 3.35 goals-against average and .901 save percentage.

The 6'1", 185-pound netminder turned pro in 2019.20, splitting time between the Allen Americans (ECHL) and San Jose Barracuda. In 73 career AHL games, Sawchenko has a 28-35-5 record while he has posted a 13-4-3 record at the ECHL level.

A native of Calgary, Alberta, Sawchenko represented Canada at the 2015 IIHF World U18 Championship (bronze) and the 2014 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (gold).