Joseph LaBate

Joseph LaBate
Born	(1993-04-16) April 16, 1993 Eagan, Minnesota, U.S.
Occupation	Ice hockey centre
Years active	2015–present
Known for	Playing for the Vancouver Canucks and Abbotsford Canucks

Joseph LaBate (born April 16, 1993) is an American ice hockey centre currently playing for the Abbotsford Canucks in the American Hockey League (AHL), while under contract with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was chosen 101st overall by Vancouver during the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career

LaBate competed in high school hockey at the Academy of Holy Angels, where he amassed 58 points across 25 games. After three seasons there, he was drafted in the fourth round, 101st overall, by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He subsequently joined the Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey team in the NCAA, shifting from wing to centre during his junior year and participating in all 37 contests that season. LaBate achieved personal bests with 11 goals and 11 assists.

Upon completing four years at Wisconsin, LaBate inked a deal with Vancouver and was assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, where he netted his first professional goal. He took part in Vancouver's 2016–17 preseason, registering one goal before being sent back to Utica. On November 21, 2016, he was recalled by Vancouver and made his NHL debut two days later, playing in 13 games that season.

After spending three full seasons within the Canucks organization and reaching free agency following the 2017–18 campaign, LaBate signed a one-year AHL contract with the Belleville Senators, Ottawa's AHL affiliate, on August 20, 2018. He stayed with Belleville through the end of the 2020–21 season before agreeing to a one-year contract with the Milwaukee Admirals on July 29, 2021. During the 2021–22 season, LaBate contributed five goals and twelve points over 56 games and appeared in a career-high nine postseason games.

As a free agent once again, LaBate secured a one-year deal with the reigning Calder Cup champions, the Chicago Wolves, on July 18, 2022, tallying 22 points in 53 contests. After eight professional seasons in North America, he moved abroad by signing a one-year contract with Barys Astana of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) on July 4, 2023. Starting as Barys' top-line centre, he accumulated 18 points over 49 regular-season appearances.

Returning stateside as a free agent, LaBate agreed to a professional tryout contract (PTO) with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL on October 8, 2024. Subsequently, on November 29, 2024, he earned a one-year two-way NHL contract with their parent club, the Columbus Blue Jackets. On July 1, 2025, LaBate rejoined Vancouver by signing a one-year two-way contract with the Canucks.

Playing style

LaBate has characterized his approach as aiming to enhance his physicality on ice, drawing inspiration from players such as David Backes and Ryan Malone to incorporate a more robust element into his game.

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2009–10	Academy of Holy Angels	USHS		25	29	29	58	26		2	0	1	1	2
2010–11	Academy of Holy Angels	USHS		25	27	22	49	42		1	2	1	3	0
2011–12	University of Wisconsin	WCHA		37	5	15	20	24		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	University of Wisconsin	WCHA		41	9	14	23	51		—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	University of Wisconsin	B1G		37	11	11	22	22		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	University of Wisconsin	B1G		35	6	12	18	46		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Utica Comets	AHL		2	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
2015–16	Utica Comets	AHL		66	10	10	20	79		4	0	1	1	6
2016–17	Utica Comets	AHL		38	6	10	16	80		—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		13	0	0	0	21		—	—	—	—	—
2017–18	Utica Comets	AHL		39	6	5	11	87
2018–19	Belleville Senators	AHL		70	8	5	13	106
2019–20 AHL season	Belleville Senators	AHL		47	10	16	26	53
2020–21 AHL season	Belleville Senators	AHL		34	7	6	13	64
2021–22 AHL season	Milwaukee Admirals	AHL		56	5	7	12	121		9	1	1	2	8
2022–23 AHL season	Chicago Wolves	AHL		53	11	11	22	100
2023–24 KHL season	Barys Astana	Kontinental Hockey League		49	8	10	18	53
2024–25 AHL season	Cleveland Monsters	AHL		51	8	13	21	81		6	1	1	2	17
2024–25 NHL season	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL		6	0	1	1	10
NHL totals				19	0	1	1	31		—	—	—	—	—