DeBrusk reveals special connection he has with Vancouver Canucks rookie Braeden Cootes
Talk about a full-circle moment.
The Vancouver Canucks have two players on their roster who were born in the Edmonton area. Apparently, they knew each other from years back before joining the Canucks.
Jake DeBrusk was born in Edmonton back in 1996 when his dad, Louie DeBrusk, played for the Edmonton Oilers.
Eleven years later, Canucks rookie Braeden Cootes was born in Sherwood Park, Alberta, which is located just east of Alberta’s capital.
We recently learned that the two had met each other previously in Alberta, back when DeBrusk was a member of the Boston Bruins.
The 28-year-old posted a photo of himself and Cootes, back when the Canucks rookie was skating for the Sherwood Park Athletic Club.
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Cootes skated for minor league teams in his hometown for most of his life, prior to joining the Seattle Thunderbirds full-time in the 2023-24 season.
He quickly ascended as a leader for the Thunderbirds, as Cootes was named captain in the 2024-25 season. That made him the youngest captain in the WHL. The Sherwood Park native also captained Team Canada at the U18 World Junior Hockey Championships in 2025, where he registered six goals and 12 points in seven games.
Cootes was then drafted 15th overall by the Canucks in 2025. Ten years prior, DeBrusk was drafted 14th overall by the Bruins, where he spent seven seasons before signing with the Canucks during the 2024 offseason.
Not many expected Cootes to make the Canucks before training camp, but both he and DeBrusk will be in the lineup for the Canucks on Saturday as they take on the Oilers.