Joseph LaBate explained

Position:Center
Shoots:Left
Height Ft:6
Height In:5
Weight Lb:210
Team:Barys Astana
League:KHL
Former Teams:Vancouver Canucks
Birth Date:16 April 1993
Birth Place:Eagan, Minnesota, U.S.
Draft:101st overall
Draft Year:2011
Draft Team:Vancouver Canucks
Career Start:2015

Joseph LaBate (born April 16, 1993) is an American professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for Barys Astana of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).[1] He was selected 101st overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career

LaBate played for the Academy of Holy Angels's men's ice hockey team in high school, tallying 58 points in 25 games.[2]

After three seasons in high school hockey, the Vancouver Canucks used their fourth round pick, 101 overall, to select LaBate in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.[3] [4] He soon moved on to college hockey, playing for the Wisconsin Badgers in the NCAA. LaBate shifted from wing to center in his junior season at Wisconsin and skated in all 37 games for the Badgers.

He scored a career-high 11 goals with 11 assists and was -3 with 22 penalty minutes. After four seasons with the Wisconsin Badgers, he signed a contract with the Canucks. He was sent down to the Utica Comets and posted his first professional career goal against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms after a gruesome fight with Samuel Morin.[5] He participated in the Canucks 2016-17 preseason games, posting a goal, but was eventually sent down to the Comets.[6]

On November 21, he was recalled to the NHL for the first time in his career.[7] He made his NHL debut two days later, on November 23, 2016, logging 5:55 minutes of ice time in a 4–1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes.[8] He played 13 total games with the Canucks. Following the 2017–18 season, and after his third full season within the Canucks organization, LaBate became a free agent after he was not tendered a qualifying offer by the club. On August 20, 2018, LaBate secured a one-year AHL contract with the Belleville Senators, affiliate of the Ottawa Senators.[9]

Labate left the Belleville Senators following the 2020–21 season, his third year with the club, and continued his career in the AHL by signing a one-year contract with the Milwaukee Admirals on July 29, 2021.[10] In the following 2021–22 season, LaBate added a veteran presence to the Admirals forward group, adding 5 goals and 12 points through 56 regular season games. He appeared in a career-high 9 playoff games, adding 2 points.

As a free agent from the Admirals, LaBate was signed to a one-year contract with defending Calder Cup champions, the Chicago Wolves, on July 18, 2022, where he totaled 22 points in 53 games.[11]

After 8 professional seasons in North America, LaBate signed as a free agent to a one-year contract with Kazakh-based club, Barys Astana of the KHL on July 4, 2023.[12] He is currently a first line center for the club and has an impressive 12 points in 30 games with Barys.

Playing style

LaBate described himself as:[13]

I would say that I am somewhere in the middle at this point of my career. But I am honestly putting a large emphasis on becoming a more physical player. I am working on the physical aspect of the game, and watching David Backes [who I referred to as a player that he has been compared to] play, you can tell that he plays with a physical edge on the ice. That's something that I'm trying to incorporate into my game. I skated with Ryan Malone this past summer, and I have started watching more of his stuff as well.

Career statistics

Team League GP GPG A Pts PIM
2009–10 USHS25 29 29 58 262 0 1 1 2
2010–11 Academy of Holy Angels USHS25 27 22 49 421 2 1 3 0
WCHA37 5 15 20 24
University of Wisconsin WCHA41 9 14 23 51
University of Wisconsin B1G37 11 11 22 22
University of Wisconsin B1G35 6 12 18 46
AHL2 0 0 0 2
Utica Comets AHL66 10 10 20 794 0 1 1 6
Utica Comets AHL38 6 10 16 80
NHL13 0 0 0 21
Utica Comets AHL39 6 5 11 87
AHL70 8 5 13 106
Belleville Senators AHL47 10 16 26 53
Belleville Senators AHL34 7 6 13 64
AHL56 5 7 12 1219 1 1 2 8
AHL53 11 11 22 100
KHL49 8 10 18 53
NHL totals1300021

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Joseph LaBate Stats and News . NHL . November 5, 2016.
  2. Web site: Prospect: Joseph LaBate . Hockey's Future . November 5, 2016.
  3. Web site: Prospect Profile: #8 Joseph LaBate . CanucksArmy . November 5, 2016 . August 21, 2013 . November 5, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161105231342/http://canucksarmy.com/2013/8/21/prospect-profile-8-joseph-labate . dead .
  4. Web site: 2011 NHL draft profile: Joseph LaBate . ESPN . November 5, 2016 . November 5, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161105223938/http://insider.espn.com/nhldraft/results/players/_/id/3552/joseph-labate . dead .
  5. Web site: AHL fight provides season's most gruesome image to date . CBS Sports . November 26, 2015 . November 5, 2016 . Peters, Chris.
  6. Web site: LaBate scores after quick move . Canucks Media . November 5, 2016.
  7. Web site: Canucks recall LaBate . nhl.com . November 21, 2016 . November 21, 2016.
  8. Web site: Sven Baertschi sparks Canucks past Coyotes . nhl.com . November 23, 2016 . November 23, 2016.
  9. Web site: LaBate signs AHL pact with Belleville . . 2018-08-20 . 2018-08-20.
  10. Web site: Admirals sign forward LaBate . . July 29, 2021 . July 29, 2021.
  11. Web site: Wolves add two veteran forwards . . July 18, 2022 . July 18, 2022.
  12. Web site: Joseph LaBate moves to Barys . . July 4, 2023 . July 4, 2023 . Russian.
  13. Web site: Prospect Profile: #8 Joseph LaBate . CanucksArmy . November 5, 2016 . August 21, 2013 . November 5, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161105231342/http://canucksarmy.com/2013/8/21/prospect-profile-8-joseph-labate . dead .