Vancouver Canucks axe Young Stars and replace it with new prospects event
The Vancouver Canucks will not be going back to Penticton for their Young Stars tournament next summer.
The annual event, which featured top prospects from the Canucks organization facing off against those from the Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, and Edmonton Oilers, is not happening in 2025.
Instead, the Canucks prospects will travel down to Seattle for a two-game prospects showcase. The Kraken prospects will head north to Abbotsford for a similar two-game prospects event in 2026.
“The Vancouver Canucks organization would like to sincerely thank the city of Penticton for the incredible job of supporting and hosting the Young Stars Tournament,” said Jim Rutherford, president of hockey operations, in a press release.
“The staff at the Okanagan Events Centre, the fans who attended the games, and the local hockey community all contributed to the great success of these events. Unfortunately, we were unable to secure commitments from the other teams for next fall, so regrettably, we will not be hosting a Penticton Young Stars Tournament in 2025.”
While the Canucks won’t be heading to Penticton in 2025, that doesn’t mean that the team will never return. Rutherford made it clear in his statement that the club is still open to any future events that may arise in the area.
“The organization will explore other opportunities with the city and has not closed the door on participating in a Young Stars tournament in future years. Next September, we are excited to go to Seattle and start this series with the Kraken. We feel providing these types of competitive opportunities will only enhance the development of our players.”
The Canucks dominated the 2024 Young Stars tournament, finishing with a perfect 3-0 record. Some skaters from that team have already played NHL games this year, including Arshdeep Bains and Jonathan Lekkerimäki.
Several top NHL players from Western Canada, including Elias Pettersson, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nikolaj Ehlers, and others, played in the Young Stars tournament.