Canucks' Adam Novotny scores stunning goal at Prospect Showcase
Adam Novotny is making his case to play NHL games this season.
After the Vancouver Canucks selected Novotny late in the first round of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, there was buzz that he might be the most NHL-ready player in the Canucks’ draft class.
Novotny has the size and physicality to potentially hold his own against NHL competition, with a hard-forechecking style and responsible two-way game that should endear him to coaches.
“You have to come to the camp and do your best to get the chance, right?” said Novotny at Saturday’s Prospect Showcase in Abbotsford. “I just wanna leave everything I have here, and then we’ll see what’s gonna happen.”
But in order to get into NHL games, Novotny has to make an immediate impression. There are only four preseason games this year, meaning players on the bubble will have limited opportunities to prove themselves.
That made Saturday’s game between the Canucks and Seattle Kraken a vital one for someone like Novotny. He needed to stand out against his fellow prospects or he would have little chance of seeing preseason action.
Consider that box checked.
Novotny was the Canucks’ best player on Saturday, which isn’t the faint praise it might seem in a 7-3 loss. After a tentative first period, Novotny demanded the puck in the second and third, making plays with confidence as he drove the net to create chances for both himself and his teammates.
“[I want to show] that I’m not scared to make some plays, you know,” said Novotny, “That I’m confident and I can use my speed.”
Midway through the second period, Novotny got on the board, bulging the twine behind the Kraken keeper with a blistering wrist shot off a pass from Ty Mueller.
And that's Adam Novotný's first goal in a #Canucks jersey. 👏 pic.twitter.com/T9gI6qvXwg
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) September 13, 2026
“I came off the bench, and I saw my teammate with the puck,” said Novotny. “I was just screaming for the puck, I was wide open. As soon as I got the puck, I knew I was gonna shoot, and it worked out.”
Adam Novotný 🎯🎯🎯 pic.twitter.com/wbHwx0gZGW
— 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀 Faber 🔥🎙️ (@ChrisFaber39) September 13, 2026
It was a fantastic shot, beating Kraken goaltender Nikke Kokko cleanly past the glove. But that’s not all Novotny showed on Saturday.
As the Canucks looked to push back in the third period, it was Novotny’s drive around the net and quick shot that created the chaos leading to the Canucks’ third goal, with Sawyer Mynio finishing off a Mueller rebound.
Novotny also impressed with his play away from the puck and his physical involvement. At one point late in the second period, he threw a hit in the offensive zone to create a turnover, then drove to the net for a chance that led to a massive scrum around the net.
When asked what he wanted to see from Novotny, Abbotsford Canucks head coach Ryan Papaioannou said, “A lot of what he did today.”
“He drove some pucks wide and held some guys off,” said Papaioannou. “Obviously, the goal is the goal — it was a nice shot — but his game is about being involved with other players, it doesn’t all need to come off his stick.
“I think he presents himself well and we’ll get him with a couple different linemates tomorrow.”