Canucks send Virtanen to AHL on conditioning assignment

Jake Virtanen scores his first career goal and the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Vancouver Canucks have sent forward Jake Virtanen to the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League on a conditioning assignment, the club announced via an official release Tuesday.

Virtanen has one goal and four points in 19 games with the Canucks this season.

The 19-year-old rookie was one of two players, along with Jared McCann, who the Canucks elected to keep in the National Hockey League beyond the 10-game threshold this season, starting the clock on their three-year entry-level deals.

Virtanen was selected sixth overall by the Canucks at the 2014 NHL Draft. The club took McCann with the 24th overall pick in the same draft.

Virtanen appeared in 10 post-season games with the Comets in its run to the Calder Cup final last season, recording one assist. The Comets fell to the Manchester Monarchs in five games.

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