Joseph LaBate Bio
Joseph LaBate is an American professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Selected 101st overall by the Canucks in the 2011 NHL entry draft, LaBate has skated professionally since 2015 across several organizations in North America and abroad. He is recognized as a versatile, two-way forward whose size and skating ability allow him to play in all three zones.
Early Life and Background
Joseph LaBate was born on April 16, 1993, in Eagan, Minnesota, in the United States. He grew up in Minnesota, a region widely regarded as one of the strongest breeding grounds for competitive hockey talent in North America. LaBate attended the Academy of Holy Angels, where he suited up for the school’s men’s ice hockey team. Across his high school career, he produced 58 points in 25 games, a scoring rate that helped establish him as a prospect to watch at the national level.
Standing 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighing approximately 210 pounds, LaBate developed the physical dimensions that have shaped his role as a centre. His combination of reach, strength, and skating skill became noticeable to scouts during his teenage years, and his production in Minnesota high school hockey laid the groundwork for his eventual selection in the NHL draft.
Path to Hockey
Following three seasons of high school hockey, LaBate committed to the University of Wisconsin, where he joined the Wisconsin Badgers of the NCAA. He spent four seasons developing his game in the collegiate ranks, gradually rounding into the type of pro prospect the Canucks envisioned when they drafted him. During his junior year at Wisconsin, LaBate shifted from wing to centre, a transition that required him to expand his responsibilities in the faceoff circle and on the defensive side of the puck.
As a senior with the Badgers, LaBate played all 37 games, registering a career-high 11 goals and 11 assists for 22 points, along with 22 penalty minutes. That season helped confirm his readiness for professional hockey, and he signed an entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks shortly after his college career concluded. The pathway from Minnesota youth hockey to NCAA competition with Wisconsin to an NHL contract reflected the conventional route for American prospects of his era.
Joseph LaBate Career
Early Career (2015–2018)
After completing his time at Wisconsin, LaBate began his professional career with the Utica Comets, the AHL affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks. He recorded his first professional goal against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in a game that also featured a notable fight with Samuel Morin. The 2015–16 season allowed LaBate to adjust to the pace and physicality of professional hockey while continuing to develop his two-way game.
LaBate participated in the Canucks’ 2016–17 preseason, scoring a goal before being returned to the Comets. On November 21, 2016, he received his first NHL recall, and two days later he made his NHL debut on November 23, 2016, logging 5:55 of ice time in a 4–1 win over the Arizona Coyotes. He went on to play 13 total games with Vancouver. Following the 2017–18 season, the Canucks did not tender him a qualifying offer, and LaBate became a free agent.
American Hockey League Years (2018–2023)
On August 20, 2018, LaBate signed a one-year AHL contract with the Belleville Senators, the affiliate of the Ottawa Senators, beginning a stretch of AHL hockey that would extend across several organizations. He spent three seasons with Belleville, serving in a depth and checking role. After the 2020–21 season, LaBate signed a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Admirals on July 29, 2021, where he added veteran presence to the forward group.
In 2021–22 with Milwaukee, LaBate recorded 5 goals and 12 points through 56 regular-season games and skated in a career-high 9 playoff games, contributing 2 points. As a free agent, he signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Wolves, the defending Calder Cup champions, on July 18, 2022, posting 22 points in 53 games. Across these seasons, LaBate built a reputation as a reliable, defensively responsible centre who could chip in offensively when given opportunities.
International Stint and Return to North America (2023–2025)
After eight professional seasons in North America, LaBate signed a one-year contract with Barys Astana of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) on July 4, 2023, expanding his career into a new league and country. He opened the season as Barys’ first-line centre and finished the year with 18 points in 49 regular-season contests, demonstrating that his game could translate to the larger international ice surface.
Returning to North America as a free agent, LaBate signed a professional tryout (PTO) with the Cleveland Monsters, the AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets, on October 8, 2024. Two months into the season, on November 29, 2024, the Blue Jackets signed him to a one-year, two-way NHL contract for the remainder of 2024–25. On July 1, 2025, LaBate signed a one-year, two-way contract that returned him to his original NHL organization, the Vancouver Canucks, bringing his career full circle.
Driving Style and Strengths
LaBate has described himself as a player in the middle of his identity, placing strong emphasis on becoming more physical and bringing an edge to his game. He has cited NHL forwards David Backes and Ryan Malone as stylistic references, players known for combining scoring touch with physical play. His size, left-handed shot, and willingness to engage physically make him a dependable matchup centre, while his skating allows him to keep pace in modern, fast-paced systems.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among LaBate’s most memorable moments was his NHL debut on November 23, 2016, in a Canucks victory over the Arizona Coyotes, marking the realization of a journey from Minnesota high school hockey to the world’s top league. His first professional goal with the Utica Comets and his career-high 9 playoff games with the Milwaukee Admirals stand as additional highlights in a career defined more by steady contribution than headline-grabbing numbers.
Joseph LaBate Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Joseph LaBate was raised in Eagan, Minnesota, a suburb of the Twin Cities known for producing hockey talent. Public details about his immediate family are limited, and he has generally kept his personal and family life private. His Minnesota roots and progression through the Academy of Holy Angels and the University of Wisconsin reflect the deep hockey culture of the region, which has shaped much of his development as a player.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 calendar year has been a period of transition and renewed opportunity for LaBate. After spending the 2024–25 season split between the Cleveland Monsters and the Columbus Blue Jackets on a one-year, two-way contract, he entered the summer as a free agent familiar with several organizations across the AHL and NHL. His late-season NHL stint with Columbus provided a reminder that he remained capable of stepping into a top-league role when needed.
On July 1, 2025, LaBate signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Vancouver Canucks, the team that originally drafted him in 2011. The deal represents a return to the organization where he made his NHL debut and allows him to slot in with the Abbotsford Canucks, Vancouver’s AHL affiliate. The arrangement gives him a clear opportunity to compete for NHL games while contributing to Abbotsford’s forward group.
Looking ahead through the remainder of 2025, LaBate is expected to provide veteran depth, faceoff reliability, and physicality for both the Canucks and Abbotsford Canucks. His familiarity with the Vancouver system’s expectations should help him integrate quickly. With playoff races tightening across both leagues, his steady, two-way style figures to remain in demand for a club seeking dependable centre depth.