How Braeden Cootes Made The Vancouver Canucks’ Opening-Night Roster

On June 27, 2025, the Vancouver Canucks drafted center Braeden Cootes 15th overall. Not even half a year after, Cootes is preparing to make his NHL debut on Thursday night in Vancouver’s season-opener against the Calgary Flames. Having already passed the tests provided by the prospects showcase, training camp, and pre-season, Cootes is taking a low-stress approach to skating in his first NHL game. 

“I’m just trying to tell myself, ‘I’ve been playing this game for how long, it’s just hockey at the end of the day.’ So I’m just trying to do my best with it,” he told the media after practice on Tuesday. 

While there’s no doubt about Cootes’ skills, there weren’t many who thought the young center would make the team straight out of pre-season and training camp. However, a strong showing during his in-game performances as well as his strikingly mature mindset ultimately helped the forward earn his way onto Vancouver’s opening night roster. 

“I think we owe it to Braeden, obviously, that he earned his way to be here today and looking like he’s playing on Thursday, but I think we’ve got to be a little bit careful here and evaluate as we go along,” Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin said while discussing the decision to keep Cootes on the team’s opening-night roster. “No difference from what we have done since he earned his first game in Seattle and continues to earn another day. He’s young, but he’s playing a very, very mature game, so we’ll see here as we move along.”

“He got better. He’s smart, playing with good players,” Canucks head coach Adam Foote said about what he saw from Cootes during the pre-season. “He seems not to get confused, or he doesn’t slow down. Obviously, at times, there might be an adjustment for certain things, but he’s handled it well and wants to take it day to day.”

“Everything feels a bit more normal, so to speak,” Cootes added regarding what he has learned. “When you’re…