Joseph LaBate

As a high school player at the Academy of Holy Angels, LaBate stood out offensively, piling up 58 points in 25 games and drawing NHL attention that culminated in Vancouver selecting him 101st overall in the 2011 draft. Rather than turning pro immediately, he chose the collegiate route and joined the Wisconsin Badgers to continue his development.

During four seasons with Wisconsin he converted from wing to centre in his junior year, skating in all 37 games that season and producing a career-high 11 goals and 11 assists. Those college years led to a first professional contract with the Canucks organization at the end of his NCAA tenure.

LaBate began his pro career largely in the AHL. After signing, he was assigned to the Utica Comets where he scored his first pro goal against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. A November 2016 recall resulted in his NHL debut on November 23, 2016, in a 4–1 win over Arizona; he played 13 games with Vancouver in that stint. Not tendered a qualifying offer following the 2017–18 season, he became a free agent and continued in the AHL with Belleville.

He remained in the AHL for several seasons, moving from Belleville to the Milwaukee Admirals—where in 2021–22 he contributed 5 goals and 12 points in 56 regular-season games and appeared in a career-high 9 playoff contests—then to the Chicago Wolves, posting 22 points in 53 games. After eight professional seasons in North America, LaBate signed in 2023 with Barys Astana of the KHL, where he was deployed as a first-line centre and recorded 18 points in 49 regular-season games.

LaBate profiles as a big, physical centre who has shifted his game toward more contact and defensive responsibility over time. Having played both wing and centre, he brings experience down the middle, size and a willingness to play a physical role that teams have used to add depth and veteran presence.