Los Angeles will always be a special place for Abbotsford’s Jake Virtanen after Tuesday.
The 19-year-old made his NHL debut with the Vancouver Canucks in California, playing 9:18 and registering one shot in the first period.
Playing on a line with Derek Dorsett and Brandon Sutter, Virtanen also registered three hits and one blocked shot.
Virtanen’s parents, Abbotsford residents Rainer and Brigitte Virtanen, also made the trip to see his first time on the ice in the NHL.
The Canucks next host the St. Louis Blues on Friday. Vancouver can play Virtanen in up to nine NHL games before they must decide whether to activate the first year of his entry level contract or return him to the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League.