Team Canada forward Braeden Cootes. That’s got a nice ring to it. With the World Juniors just a couple of days away, it sure is fitting that the Canucks’ selection of Braeden Cootes at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft comes in at number eight on our list of the top Canucks stories of 2025. Selected at 15th overall, Cootes arrived ahead of schedule when he knocked down the door and managed to make the Canucks’ NHL roster in the first training camp of his young career. Cootes stood out in both training camp and the preseason, and earned a quick three-game NHL cup of coffee before returning to the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds to further develop his game. But the surprises didn’t stop there. Originally thought of as a bit of a long shot or a fringe option to make Canada’s World Juniors squad (due mostly to his age), Cootes has made Team Canada’s roster for the tournament, and even got some time on PP1 during the exhibition games. In a redraft done today, Cootes likely doesn’t fall to 15th, and Canucks fans are happier for
