"Jake has continued to make progress on his two-way game and remains a contributor offensively, using his speed and size to generate chances," said Benning. "We look forward to him taking additional steps in his growth this year to help our team be successful."
Virtanen, 24, registered 36 points (18-18-36) and 41 penalty minutes in 69 games in the 2019.20 season. Making his NHL playoff debut in 2020, he added three points (2-1-3) in 16 games. In 279 career games, all with Vancouver, Virtanen has tallied 95 points (50-45-95) and 178 penalty minutes.
On the international stage, Virtanen played for Team Canada at the 2015 IIHF World U20 Championship (gold), 2014 IIHF U18 Championship (bronze), and the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament (gold).
A native of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Virtanen was originally drafted by Vancouver in the first round, sixth overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
