{{Short description|American ice hockey player (born 1993)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2017}} {{Infobox ice hockey player | image = Joseph LaBate.jpg | image_size = 230 px | caption = LaBate in 2015 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|4|16}} | birth_place = Eagan, Minnesota, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 5 | weight_lb = 210 | position = Center | shoots = Left | league = NHL | team = Vancouver Canucks | prospect_league = AHL | prospect_team = Abbotsford Canucks | former_teams =Barys Astana<br>Columbus Blue Jackets | ntl_team = <!--Senior caps only--> | 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 centre for the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nhl.com/player/joseph-labate-8476425 | title=Joseph LaBate Stats and News | publisher=NHL | accessdate=November 5, 2016}}</ref> He was selected 101st overall by the 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.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/joseph_labate/ | title=Prospect: Joseph LaBate | publisher=Hockey's Future | accessdate=November 5, 2016}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://canucksarmy.com/2013/8/21/prospect-profile-8-joseph-labate | title=Prospect Profile: #8 Joseph LaBate | publisher=CanucksArmy | accessdate=November 5, 2016 | date=August 21, 2013 | archive-date=November 5, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105231342/http://canucksarmy.com/2013/8/21/prospect-profile-8-joseph-labate | url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://insider.espn.com/nhldraft/results/players/_/id/3552/joseph-labate | title=2011 NHL draft profile: Joseph LaBate | publisher=ESPN | accessdate=November 5, 2016 | archive-date=November 5, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105223938/http://insider.espn.com/nhldraft/results/players/_/id/3552/joseph-labate | url-status=dead}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/news/look-ahl-fight-provides-seasons-most-gruesome-image-to-date/ | title=AHL fight provides season's most gruesome image to date | work=CBS Sports | date=November 26, 2015 | accessdate=November 5, 2016 | author=Peters, Chris}}</ref> He participated in the Canucks 2016–17 preseason games, posting a goal, but was eventually sent down to the Comets.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nhl.com/video/labate-scores-after-quick-move/c-44936603 | title=LaBate scores after quick move | publisher=Canucks Media | accessdate=November 5, 2016}}</ref>
On November 21, he was recalled to the NHL for the first time in his career.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.nhl.com/canucks/news/labate-recalled/c-283954632 | title = Canucks recall LaBate | website = nhl.com | date = November 21, 2016 | accessdate = November 21, 2016}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.nhl.com/news/vancouver-canucks-arizona-coyotes-game-recap/c-284046542 | title = Sven Baertschi sparks Canucks past Coyotes | website = nhl.com | date = November 23, 2016 | accessdate = November 23, 2016}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://theahl.com/labate-signs-ahl-pact-with-belleville | title = LaBate signs AHL pact with Belleville | publisher = American Hockey League | date = August 20, 2018 | accessdate = August 20, 2018 | archive-date = August 20, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180820235224/https://theahl.com/labate-signs-ahl-pact-with-belleville | url-status = dead }}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://theahl.com/admirals-sign-forward-labate | title = Admirals sign forward LaBate | publisher = American Hockey League | date = July 29, 2021 | accessdate = July 29, 2021}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.chicagowolves.com/2022/07/18/wolves-add-two-veteran-forwards/ | title = Wolves add two veteran forwards | publisher = Chicago Wolves | date = July 18, 2022 | accessdate = July 18, 2022}}</ref>
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 Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) on July 4, 2023.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://hcbarys.kz/news/item/dzhozef-labejt-pereshyol-v-barys/ | title = Joseph LaBate moves to Barys | publisher = Barys Astana | date = July 4, 2023 | accessdate = July 4, 2023 | language = Russian}}</ref> Initially slotted as Barys first-line center, LaBate concluded the season notching 18 points through 49 regular season contests.
Returning to North America as a free agent, LaBate was belatedly signed to a PTO leading into the 2024–25 season, with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL, the primary affiliate to the Columbus Blue Jackets, on October 8, 2024.<ref>{{citeweb| url = https://www.clevelandmonsters.com/news/detail/monsters-sign-forwards-joseph-labate-chris-wilkie-to-pto-contracts | title = Monsters sign forwards Joseph LaBate and Chris Wilkie to PTO contracts | publisher = Cleveland Monsters | date = October 8, 2024 | accessdate = October 8, 2024}}</ref> Two months into the season on November 29, 2024, LaBate was signed to a one-year, two-way NHL for the remainder of the season with the Blue Jackets.<ref>{{citeweb| url = https://www.nhl.com/bluejackets/news/blue-jackets-sign-joseph-labate-to-two-way-contract | title = Blue Jackets sign Joseph LaBate to two-way contract | publisher = Columbus Blue Jackets | date = November 29, 2024 | accessdate = November 29, 2024}}</ref>
On July 1, 2025, Labate signed a one year, two-way contract returning to his original NHL club, the Vancouver Canucks.<ref>{{citeweb| url = https://www.nhl.com/canucks/news/canucks-agree-to-terms-with-mackenzie-maceachern-joseph-labate-jimmy-schuldt-on-two-way-contracts | title = Canucks agree to terms with MacEachern, LaBate and Schuldt | publisher = Vancouver Canucks | date = July 1, 2025 | accessdate = July 1, 2025 }}</ref>
==Playing style== LaBate described himself as:<ref>{{cite web | url=http://canucksarmy.com/2013/8/21/prospect-profile-8-joseph-labate | title=Prospect Profile: #8 Joseph LaBate | publisher=CanucksArmy | accessdate=November 5, 2016 | date=August 21, 2013 | archive-date=November 5, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105231342/http://canucksarmy.com/2013/8/21/prospect-profile-8-joseph-labate | url-status=dead}}</ref> <blockquote>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.</blockquote>
==Career statistics== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em" |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! rowspan="98" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="5" | Regular season ! rowspan="98" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="5" | Playoffs |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! 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 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 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 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2012–13 | University of Wisconsin | WCHA | 41 || 9 || 14 || 23 || 51 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 2013–14 | University of Wisconsin | B1G | 37 || 11 || 11 || 22 || 22 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2014–15 | University of Wisconsin | B1G | 35 || 6 || 12 || 18 || 46 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 2014–15 | Utica Comets | AHL | 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 2 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 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 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2016–17 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 13 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 21 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 2017–18 | Utica Comets | AHL | 39 || 6 || 5 || 11 || 87 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2018–19 | Belleville Senators | AHL | 70 || 8 || 5 || 13 || 106 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 2019–20 | Belleville Senators | AHL | 47 || 10 || 16 || 26 || 53 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2020–21 | Belleville Senators | AHL | 34 || 7 || 6 || 13 || 64 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 2021–22 | Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | 56 || 5 || 7 || 12 || 121 | 9 || 1 || 1 || 2 || 8 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2022–23 | Chicago Wolves | AHL | 53 || 11 || 11 || 22 || 100 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 2023–24 | Barys Astana | KHL | 49 || 8 || 10 || 18 || 53 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2024–25 | Cleveland Monsters | AHL | 51 || 8 || 13 || 21 || 81 | 6 || 1 || 1 || 2 || 17 |- | 2024–25 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 6 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 10 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2025–26 | Abbotsford Canucks | AHL | 23 || 6 || 4 || 10 || 64 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 2025–26 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | NHL totals ! 20 !! 0 !! 1 !! 1 !! 31 ! — !! — !! — !! — !! — |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{icehockeystats}} * {{Twitch|labate16}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:LaBate, Joseph}} Category:1993 births Category:Living people Category:Abbotsford Canucks players Category:American men's ice hockey centers Category:American Twitch (service) streamers Category:Barys Astana players Category:Belleville Senators players Category:Chicago Wolves players Category:Cleveland Monsters players Category:Columbus Blue Jackets players Category:Ice hockey people from Dakota County, Minnesota Category:Ice hockey players from Minnesota Category:Milwaukee Admirals players Category:Sportspeople from Eagan, Minnesota Category:Utica Comets players Category:Vancouver Canucks draft picks Category:Vancouver Canucks players Category:Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey players Category:21st-century American sportsmen