Vancouver’s latest bet on a small-but-mighty winger comes with a familiar kind of intrigue.
The Canucks signed Trey Fix-Wolansky on July 1 to a one-year, $900,000 deal, and at 27, he’s at the point where every chance matters. The 5-foot-7, 190-pound forward has spent years trying to turn his production and motor into a permanent NHL job, and this summer may be his best shot yet.
There’s already a lane for that kind of player in Vancouver lore. Fans have gravitated toward undersized overachievers before, from Troy Stecher to Conor Garland to Nils Hoglander.
None of them are with the Canucks anymore, but the appetite for a player who scraps, creates and makes his size irrelevant is still there. Marco Rossi and Brendan Gallagher, both listed at 5-foot-9, could also fit that bill this season.
Fix-Wolansky, though, is the forgotten name with the clearest dark-horse appeal.
Brendan Gaunce, who played with him for four seasons with the Cleveland Monsters, sees the same thing in Fix-Wolansky that those former Canucks fan favourites brought to the ice.
“I think it’s very similar to those other guys you mentioned [Stecher, Garland and Hoglander],” Gaunce told Daily Hive. “It’s the chip on their shoulder.
It’s the ‘we won’t take no for an answer’ type mentality they all have. It’s what’s gotten them to where they are.
I think that’s their best quality, and it’s no different for Trey.”
Gaunce also believes Fix-Wolansky has the kind of game that can flip a shift in a hurry.
“Whether he’s in the NHL or the AHL, he’s going to score some goals that take you out of your seats. He can change the game on a dime. He truly just needs one shift, and he can score a massive goal.”
That scoring touch has shown up before. Fix-Wolansky has already gotten NHL looks with Columbus, and he scored in his first NHL game. Even so, after being recalled by the Blue Jackets in three straight seasons, he never managed to stick.
“The funny thing that I’ve seen over the years is that there are lots of players in the NHL that could play in the NHL,” Gaunce said. “It’s just a matter of timing, of opportunity, what’s given to you, if there are injuries or whatever it is, and the player he is, the way he can score. I just think it’s an opportunity thing for him.”
He’s not just a finisher, either. Fix-Wolansky brings some bite, and that part of his game was on display in 2024 when he went after Elmer Soderblom, who stands 6-foot-8, after a heavy hit and a scrum.
The Canucks have been short on that sort of edge in recent seasons, and Gaunce says Fix-Wolansky carries it naturally.
“He just loves hockey,” Gaunce said. “He loves being one of the guys.
He loves to score goals. He loves to celebrate.
He brings a lot of energy to the rink, and I think he just loves what he’s doing.”
Fix-Wolansky hasn’t appeared in the NHL since the 2023-24 season. Last year, he signed with the New York Rangers but spent the year with their AHL club, where he led the Hartford Wolfpack with 31 goals, the fifth-highest total among all AHL players.
Filip Chytil reportedly being healthy makes the opening night picture tighter, and Fix-Wolansky would likely need an injury or a strong camp push to beat out a player such as Paul Cotter or Max Sasson. Even so, there’s still a path for him as a 13th forward, and that role may suit the Canucks better than giving the spot to a younger player who needs more time in the AHL.
That’s the kind of opening Fix-Wolansky has chased his whole career. As a former seventh-round pick, he’s been overlooked before. If he gets the right chance in Vancouver, he might do it again.
“There’s no doubt in my mind he could play in the NHL,” Gaunce said. “Whether that’s on the second line or third line, who knows? That’s not my job, but he definitely has the qualities to play in the NHL.”
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