DENVER – The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the team has signed defenseman Christian Wolanin to a one-year contract for the 2026-27 season.
Wolanin, 31, skated in 53 games with the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League and totaled 31 points (7g/24a). He finished among Providence defensemen in scoring (2nd), assists (1st-tied), power-play goals (4, 1st) and game-winning markers (4, T-1st). The rearguard’s four tallies on the man advantage finished in a share for sixth among all AHL defensemen. Additionally, he added one point (0g/1a) in two Calder Cup playoff games.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound defenseman has seen 86 regular-season games of NHL action and posted 23 points (6g/17a) with the Vancouver Canucks (2022-23), Buffalo Sabres (2021-22), Los Angeles Kings (2020-22) and Ottawa Senators (2017-21). Wolanin set career-highs in games played (30), goals (4), assists (8), and points (12) with the Sens in 2018-19 to finish fifth on the blueline in scoring and tied for fourth among that cohort in goals. He made his NHL debut the season prior when he logged 17:09 on March 22, 2018 vs. Edmonton.
Born in Quebec City, Quebec, Wolanin has spent most of his pro career in the AHL from 2017-26 with Providence, Abbotsford Canucks, Ontario Reign and Belleville Senators, collecting 208 points (31g/177a) in 291 career regular-season contests .He saw a career-high in assists (49) and points (55) in 2022-23 when he was credited with the Eddie Shore Award for the AHL’s best defenseman and earned First All-Star Team honors after leading all league defensemen in both assists and points with Abbotsford. The blueliner has also appeared in 36 career AHL playoff outings, recording 23 points (6g/17a) and saw a personal-best 2g/8a scoring line across 17 games in 2024-25 with the Canucks to help them capture the Calder Cup.
Prior to turning pro, Wolanin spent three seasons at the University of North Dakota and posted a 22g/50a scoring line in 109 career NCAA contests from 2015-18. He earned NCHC Second All-Star Team honors as a junior in 2017-18 when he topped out at 35 points (12g/23a), and as a freshman collected 15 points (4g/11a) in 32 games to help North Dakota capture the 2016 NCAA Frozen Four Championship. The left-shot defenseman also put together a four-year United States Hockey League career with Green Bay (2012-14) and Muskegon (2013-15), registered 75 career points (20g/55a) in 165 games and was a 2014-15 Second All-Star Team selection.
Internationally, Wolanin represented his country at the IIHF World Championship twice (2019 & 2021), winning the bronze medal in 2021 when he paced the United States d-core in scoring (1g/5a) in 10 appearances.
Christian’s father, Craig, played 13 years in the NHL and was a member of the 1996 Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche. Of Craig's 695 career NHL games, 364 of them were with the Avalanche/Nordiques and he recorded 91 points (24g/67a) with them from 1989-96.
