Panthers land Centennial Cup standout Lucas Vacca
Fresh off an OJHL championship and top defenceman honours at the Centennial Cup, Lucas Vacca is bringing his puck-moving game to UPEI for the 2026–27 season.
Vacca, a 21-year-old from Aurora, Ontario, joins the Panthers after three seasons in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound, left-shooting defenceman spent the 2023–24 season with the Haliburton County Huskies before playing the next two years with the Toronto Patriots.
In 103 games with Toronto, Vacca recorded 13 goals and 83 assists, establishing himself as one of the league’s most productive defencemen.
His final junior season was his most decorated. Serving as an assistant captain, Vacca helped lead the Patriots to the Buckland Cup as OJHL champions. He also led all OJHL blueliners with 44 assists, earned First Team All-Star honours, and capped the year by being named the top defenceman at the Centennial Cup.
A competitive two-way defenceman, Vacca prides himself on defending hard while using his strong skating skills and ability to move the puck to create offence.
His ability to impact the game at both ends of the ice caught the attention of the Panthers during the Centennial Cup in Summerside.
“Lucas popped on our radar during the Centennial Cup,” said head coach Forbes MacPherson. “He really stood out in the tournament and was eventually named top defenceman. We dug in a little more, and he brings a lot of what we’re looking for in a D-man.”
That interest quickly proved mutual, with Vacca seeing UPEI as the right place to continue his development.
“I decided to join UPEI because I felt it was the best place to further my development on and off the ice,” he said. “I also really liked the tight-knit community UPEI offers.”
