It appears that Braeden Cootes will not need to wait long to make his NHL debut. According to a post by John Shannon of the “100% Hockey” podcast, the 18-year-old will be in the opening night lineup when the Vancouver Canucks take on the Calgary Flames on October 9. Thursday’s game will also be the home opener, meaning Cootes’ first NHL game will occur at Rogers Arena.
When Cootes hits the ice on October 9, he will become the first 18-year-old to play a game for the Canucks since Petr Nedvěd in 1990. Like Nedvěd, Cootes was drafted in the first round after playing for the Seattle Thunderbirds. Nedvěd was the second-overall pick in 1990, while Cootes was selected 15th overall this past June.
Cootes has been one of Vancouver’s best players throughout the training camp and the pre-season. He was able to make an impact at both ends of the ice and finished the pre-season with four points in four games. Based on practice this past week, Cootes is most likely to start on a line with Evander Kane and Jonathan Lekkerimäki.
The Canucks kick off their 2025-26 regular season on October 9 against the Flames. This will be the second-straight year Vancouver has opened the season against Calgary, with the Canucks falling last year 6-5 in overtime. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT and will be broadcast on Sportsnet.
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