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Vancouver Canucks send down Cootes and we should see him play at the World Juniors

Rob Williams
Rob Williams
|
Oct 14 2025, 8:41 pm
Vancouver Canucks send down Cootes and we should see him play at the World Juniors
Bob Frid/Imagn Images

When Braeden Cootes made the Vancouver Canucks out of training camp, many wondered if he would be around for just a nine-game stint.

Instead, he lasted only three games.

Cootes is heading back to junior, the Canucks announced on Tuesday.

The Sherwood Park, Alta., native was the first 18-year-old to play games for the Canucks in 35 years, and that’s a great sign for the future. But it became clear through three games that it’s too soon for the 2025 first-round pick.

Cootes averaged a team-low 10:47 of ice time through three games, and his line struggled greatly in the last two in particular.

The move could open the door for Max Sasson, who has two goals in two games with the Abbotsford Canucks. Teddy Blueger is also getting closer to returning, as he skated at practice on Tuesday in a non-contact jersey.

The Canucks begin a five-game road trip on Thursday, starting in Dallas.

Cootes will report to the Seattle Thunderbirds, where he was the team’s captain last season. He’ll visit the Lower Mainland on two occasions, as Seattle is scheduled to play the Vancouver Giants twice at the Langley Events Centre, on Feb. 16 and 27.

The 5-foot-11 centre will likely get a chance to star with Team Canada at the World Juniors, which begins Boxing Day in Minnesota.

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