The Utica Comets are off to the second round of the American Hockey League playoffs and Vancouver Canucks prospects Jake Virtanen and Jared McCann are joining them for the remainder of their post-season ride.
The two 18-year-olds, both first-round picks of the Canucks last summer, are heading to Utica on Monday.
Virtanen, the Abbotsford native whose WHL season ended on Friday night when his Calgary Hitmen were eliminated in five games by the Brandon Wheat Kings, can’t wait to get his first taste of pro hockey.
“Obviously, it will be my first pro experience and I am looking forward to it,” Virtanen, who was selected sixth overall last summer, said Sunday.