The Seattle Kraken and Vancouver Canucks are set to bring their future stars back together, with this preseason’s NHL Prospects Showcase scheduled for Abbotsford, B.C., on September 12th and 13th.
It’s the second year of the multi-year event the two neighboring franchises set up, and last year’s edition delivered exactly what you’d want from a prospects showcase: energy, offense, and a split result.
The first game was played at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, where a lively crowd watched Seattle’s prospects erase a deficit with a four-goal third period and pull out a 5-3 win. Afterward, Seattle prospect and Coachella Valley Firebirds AHL head coach Derek Laxdal said, “I thought we were trying to be a little bit too cute (in the first 40 minutes), a little bit too much perimeter play,”
That Seattle win was powered by 2024 1st-round NHL Draft pick Berkly Catton, who had a goal and an assist. Winger Jagger Firkus and defensemen Tyson Jugnauth and Blake Fiddler each finished with two assists.
The Canucks got their response the next night at the Kraken Community Iceplex, where their young players grabbed a 3-2 victory to even the set. Vancouver 2022 1st-rounder Jonathan Lekkerimäki scored, as did righty centerman Riley Patterson and undrafted former Vancouver Giants winger Aaron Obobaifo.
That second game also carried a note of concern for Vancouver when 2025 15th-overall draft pick Braeden Cootes left after two periods for ‘precautionary reasons’. The right-handed centerman later finished his junior career with the Seattle Thunderbirds and Prince Albert Raiders before playing three games for the NHL Canucks.
Tickets for the first night go on sale August 10th.
In Other News...
Ryan Lindgren Faces Pressure To Become The Krakens Reliable Anchor
Ryan Lindgren is heading into his second season with the Kraken carrying the kind of expectations that come with a four-year commitment and a $4.5 million annual cap hit. Seattle brought him in to be a steady defensive presence and an important penalty killer, the sort of player coaches lean on when the game gets heavy and details matter most. He has shown he can chip in offensively too, reaching a career-high 22 points in the 2024-25 season, but his value in Seattle has always been tied more to reliability than production.
The question now is whether he can match that role with consistency over a full year, something that has eluded him so far in his career. Lindgren still has to prove he can stay on the ice for a full 82-game season, and his point total dipped after his move to the Kraken, leaving a little more pressure on the rest of his game to justify the trust Seattle has placed in him. For a team that wants to tighten up defensively, his ability to settle in as a dependable anchor may end up being one of the quieter but more important storylines of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Matty Beniers Turned A Brutal Team USA Setback Into Gold
Matty Beniers came away from the 2025 IIHF World Championships with a gold medal, but the path there included a rough night Team USA wont forget soon. In the round-robin stage, the Americans were shut out 3-0 by Switzerland, a setback that stung in a tournament jointly hosted by Denmark and Sweden and featured several Kraken players on the roster.
Beniers described that loss as a difficult moment to absorb, especially with so much still ahead in the event. The bigger picture, though, flipped in the final, where Team USA met Switzerland again and edged out a 1-0 overtime win to claim gold, turning an early frustration into the kind of finish every national team dreams about. [Read more 🡒]