Braeden Cootes walked into Vancouver Canucks Development Camp looking like a player who’s already been around the block.
At 19, he was one of the “veterans” in Abbotsford, though he made sure to joke that he’s “still a younger guy”. The line drew a laugh, but the point landed: Cootes carries himself like someone well beyond his years, and the Canucks have seen that growth since taking him 15th overall in 2025.
The biggest shift, Cootes said, is comfort. A year into the process, everything feels less overwhelming and a lot more familiar.
“Being a second year, you’re a lot more comfortable here and knowing everyone, and obviously getting to know all the staff and stuff,” Cootes told the media. “It’s a lot easier this year than coming straight from the draft, and a million things are going through your head.”
That steadiness has been part of his evolution over the past season, and he pointed to his brief NHL stint as a key piece of it. Cootes made the opening night roster out of camp last year, played three games, then went back to the WHL. Even in that small sample, he said, the lessons were real.
“I think just in all areas, just more mature in my game, a little faster, a little stronger,” Cootes said before talking about his time with the Canucks. “Getting that experience with the guys last year playing those three games, [it] might just be three games, but it’s more the mental side of things that you gain from it.”
His production backed up that sense of progress. In 2025-26, Cootes matched his 63 points from the previous season even though he played 15 fewer games and split the year between two teams. When the Seattle Thunderbirds were out of the playoff picture, he was moved to the Prince Albert Raiders, and the late-season change brought a deep run.
Cootes put up 23 postseason points for Prince Albert before the Raiders lost to the Everett Silvertips in the WHL Championship.
“It was good. Obviously not what we wanted, but you know, it was a good run, still awesome,” Cootes said of his time in Prince Albert.
“Also special to be a part of that team, and get to go there. Had awesome billets, great coaches, that fan base is awesome, such a cool small hockey town.”
The playoff stretch clearly left a mark. Cootes called it the best kind of hockey to play, the kind that sharpens everything.
“That’s the best time to be playing hockey, Cootes said. “I think everybody would say that it’s just fun when you get to play in those high-intensity games, sold-out crowd, you know, everything’s on the line.
I mean, that’s what you want to play for. … [I] got a lot of confidence.”
Now the focus shifts to the next step. Cootes said he wants to make the NHL roster again, but this time with the goal of sticking.
“Obviously you want to make the team same as I did last year, and hopefully the goal is to stay,” Cootes said. “But I mean, same thing as last year, just gonna take it day-by-day, not worry too much.”
That calm, measured approach is exactly what stands out. And if that mindset carries into training camp, it could be a big part of what helps Cootes take the next step with the Canucks.
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