Darren Archibald

Darren Archibald (born on February 9, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Utica Comets in the AHL. He has formerly played with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL).

He played major junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the Barrie Colts and Niagara IceDogs.

Undrafted out of junior, he signed with the Canucks as a free agent and played at multiple levels within the organization.

Amateur Playing Career
In his first year of junior hockey, Darren was cut from an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) try-out and played a season in junior A.

He played for the Stouffville Spirit in the Ontario Junior Hockey League recording 21 goals and 47 points in 48 games. The following season, he made the Barrie Colts in the OHL.

Darren recorded 25 goals and 49 points in 68 games. He added 7 point in 5 playoff games as Barrie lost in the first round to Mississauga St. Michael's Majors.

After going undrafted prior to the start of the 2009–10 OHL season Archibald was invited to the National Hockey League's (NHL) Columbus Blue Jackets development training camp as a free agent.

Upon returning to Barrie, Darren scored 26 goals and 59 points in 57 games.

In the playoffs, Barrie defeated the Sudbury Wolves, Brampton Battalion and the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors advancing to the OHL championship where they were swept by the Windsor Spitfires. In the playoffs, he added 5 goals and 10 points in 15 games.

In the off-season, Darren was again passed over in the NHL Entry Draft. He attended the Detroit Red Wings NHL conditioning prospect camp and played in the corresponding prospect tournament. He returned to the OHL for his over-age season where he scored 18 goals in 24 games for Barrie before being traded to the Niagara IceDogs.

Shortly after the trade, Darren signed an NHL entry level free agent contract with the Vancouver Canucks.

In Niagara, Darren added another 23 goals and 36 points in 37 games. In the opening game of the playoffs, he scored four goals in a 7–1 win over Brampton.

Niagara defeated the Battalion in four games and eliminated the Oshawa Generals in the second round. Following the second round victory, he was named the OHL player of the week.

The IceDogs were eventually eliminated in the Conference finals by Mississauga as Darren finished the playoffs with 10 goals and 14 points in 14 games.

Professional Playing Career
In the pre-season before the 2011–12 season, Darren represented the Canucks in the 2011 Young Stars Tournament where he scored 2 goals and added an assist to tie for the team lead.

After the tournament, he was invited to the Canucks main training camp, but failed to make the team and was reassigned to the American Hockey League's (AHL) Chicago Wolves.

Darren started the season with Chicago and scored a goal in the Wolves' season opener. Though he failed to score in the next 17 games and was sent down to the ECHL's Kalamazoo Wings.

In the ECHL, Darren scored 9 goals and 30 points in 36 games. His strong play earned a re-call to the Wolves.

Darren played two more games without scoring and was re-assigned back to the K-Wings.[12] He finished the year with 14 goals and 45 points in 49 games leading all Kalamazoo rookies in points.

In Darren's second professional season, the 2012–13 NHL lockout led to several younger Canucks' players to be sent to the American League.

With the increased depth in Chicago, Darren did not make the Wolves out of training camp and was assigned to Kalamazoo. While there, he posted 6 goals and 14 points in 18 games.

At the same time, Chicago sustained several injuries and had a struggling power play and as a result, Darren was recalled from the Wings. He scored in his second game with the Wolves and after playing eight games.

Darren was tied for third on the Wolves for goal scoring. When the lockout ended, he was one of 12 players called up for an abbreviated training camp in Vancouver.

Darren was returned to Chicago at the end of camp. He finished the season with the Wolves scoring 12 goals and 22 points in 55 games.

As the Wolves did not make the playoffs, Darren was called up to the Canucks as an extra player in case of emergency.

Following the end of the playoffs, he became a restricted free agent & he re-signed with the Canucks on a one-year two-way deal worth $600,000 at the NHL level.

DArren attended Canucks' training camp to start the 2013–14 season, but was sent down to the AHL, joining Vancouver's new affiliate the Utica Comets. He played four games for Utica, recording a goal and an assist.

While Darren was with the Comets, Vancouver suffered several injuries. Needing replacements, Vancouver called him up.

Darren made his NHL debut on October 25, 2013 in a 3–2 overtime win against the St. Louis Blues. He played eight minutes recording two shots and a hit.

Eight days later, he recorded his first career point, an assist, in a 4–0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Darren was reassigned to the Comets on November 12, 2013. He made another brief appearance with Vancouver in January 2014.

In March, Daniel Sedin suffered a leg injury and Darren was recalled to fill the roster spot.

During his third call-up, Darren scored his first career NHL goal against Joni Ortio of the Calgary Flames on March 8, 2014.