Russian forward Ilya Safonov is on the move again, with his agent confirming that he has left the Abbotsford Canucks and is heading back to the KHL.
Dan Milstein said Tuesday that Safonov’s time with the Vancouver Canucks’ AHL affiliate has come to an end after the 25-year-old exercised his opt-out clause.
“Ilya valued his time with the Canucks organization and built strong relationships with the coaching and development staff in Abbotsford,” Milstein told Daily Faceoff Vancouver/CanucksArmy.com on Tuesday. “While he did not reach his goal of playing in the NHL, he leaves grateful for the opportunity and will always look back on his time in Vancouver fondly. He is returning to the KHL and looks forward to competing against top players from Russia, Canada, the United States and beyond, including former Canuck Evander Kane.”
Safonov arrived in Abbotsford after being assigned there as part of a 15-player roster reduction on September 23rd. Since joining the club, he recorded four assists in 12 games.
His path to Vancouver started when the Canucks acquired him from the Chicago Blackhawks in a trade in June 2025. The team later signed him on June 2nd, 2026, after he put up 33 points in 68 games with Kazan Ak-Bars of the KHL during the previous season.
Originally selected in the sixth round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Safonov brings a long KHL résumé with him back overseas. He has played six seasons in the league, appearing in 331 regular-season games with 65 goals, 63 assists and 128 points, along with 145 penalty minutes and a plus-68 rating. His best regular season came in 2022-23, when he scored 19 goals and finished with 37 points.
In the playoffs, Safonov has logged 79 Gagarin Cup games over six postseasons, producing 26 points on 10 goals and 16 assists, plus 34 penalty minutes.
Abbotsford is set to face the Colorado Eagles in a midweek back-to-back at Rogers Forum on Tuesday and Wednesday.
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