When the Vancouver Canucks shipped defenseman Jett Woo to San Jose back in March, the move wasn’t exactly headline-grabbing. But the player they got in return, Jack Thompson, has quietly become one of the organization’s more intriguing depth pieces. Now, the Canucks have made sure he’s sticking around.
The team announced Friday that Thompson signed a one-year, two-way contract extension for the 2026-27 season, a deal that keeps him out of restricted free agency. Vancouver GM Ryan Johnson confirmed the signing, which locks in a 24-year-old defenseman whose trajectory has been steadily climbing since the trade.
Thompson didn’t waste time making an impression in Abbotsford. After joining the Canucks’ AHL affiliate post-trade, he racked up three goals and 10 assists — 13 points in just 14 games — while adding eight penalty minutes. He came out firing, too, posting two goals and three assists in his first two appearances with the team.
That hot start carried over from a solid stint in San Jose’s system. With the Sharks’ AHL affiliate, the Barracuda, Thompson played 42 games, logging three goals and nine assists (12 points) with a plus-13 rating. But it’s at the NHL level where he’s starting to build a real case for a permanent spot.
Thompson has skated in 34 career NHL games between San Jose and Tampa Bay, netting four goals and six assists for 10 points with a minus-9 rating while averaging nearly 16 minutes of ice time. This past season with the Sharks, he appeared in 31 games and put up four goals and six assists — not bad for a defenseman still finding his footing at the highest level.
His professional resume goes deeper. Across 217 AHL games with Syracuse, San Jose, and Abbotsford, Thompson has amassed 104 points (23 goals, 81 assists) and 60 penalty minutes. He’s also appeared in 11 Calder Cup playoff games, picking up two assists.
Originally selected 93rd overall by Tampa Bay in the 2020 NHL Draft, Thompson came up through the OHL with Sudbury and Soo before turning pro. He made his NHL debut in a single game with the Lightning in 2024 before getting traded to San Jose as part of the Anthony Duclair deal.
Internationally, the Whitby, Ontario native won gold with Canada at the 2022 World Junior Championship, tallying four points in seven games. He also represented his country at the 2018 World U17 Hockey Challenge.
The Thompson extension was Vancouver’s second move of the day, following a deal with forward Ilya Safonov. The Canucks appear to be methodically filling their depth chart with players who bring versatility — and Thompson fits that mold.
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