The Vancouver Canucks’ latest batch of CHL prospects wasted little time getting back into the swing of things after training camp cuts sent five of them down to start the season.
Adam Novotný was the headliner, and he looked every bit like it. The 24th overall pick piled up six points - three goals and three assists - across three games with the Peterborough Petes, beginning with a huge four-point outing against the Sarnia Sting. He scored twice and added two assists in that one, taking over the night.
Novotný came back down to earth a bit in his second game, going scoreless against the Brantford Bulldogs. But he answered right away in his third, putting up a goal and an assist against the Ottawa 67’s while flashing the one-timer that stood out during his development camp and prospects showcase.
Another Canucks prospect who made an immediate impression was the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Bryzgalov, who returned to the WHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers. He was held off the board in his first game back against the Red Deer Rebels, then broke out with two goals, five shots on goal and first-star honors in a 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oil Kings.
His first goal came the hard way, using his size to outmuscle two defenders and jam in a rebound at the crease. The second came on the power play, a one-timer from the right dot off a feed from Markus Ruck. It was the kind of start that fits the kind of season he’s chasing: his first WHL year over a point per game.
Brooks Rogowski also turned in a productive weekend with the Oshawa Generals, finishing with three assists in three games. The Canucks’ biggest draft pick from the 2026 draft, listed at 6-foot-7 and 236 pounds, showed both sides of his game.
He started with the little things in a 6-0 loss to the Guelph Storm, killing penalties, clearing pucks and using his reach to disrupt plays while Oshawa was shorthanded. Then his offense showed up against the Barrie Colts, where he set up two goals in a 4-2 win.
One assist came after he worked the puck well in front and found Onni Kalto in the slot on the power play. The other came late, when his slot shot was deflected by Harrisson Franssen to tie the game with the extra attacker.
Rogowski added one more assist in a 5-3 loss to the Brantford Bulldogs, stripping a defender in the offensive zone and setting up Mark Pape in the slot. It was a strong all-around weekend and a good reminder of why Vancouver took him 33rd overall.
Lucian Bernat quietly chipped in as well, collecting two assists in two games with the Owen Sound Attack. Both helpers came on the power play, a solid beginning for a player in his first North American season as he gets used to the pace and style of the game here.
Alexei Medvedev, the Canucks’ most experienced CHL prospect, did not play for the London Knights this weekend. His season debut should come sooner rather than later.
In Other News...
Canucks Home Opener Puts Their Oilers Game Plan To The Test
The Canucks return to Rogers Arena for their first home game of the season with the same opponent and, likely, the same look that worked the last time out. Vancouver is expected to stick with the lineup from its recent win, with Kevin Lankinen back in goal as the club tries to carry that road success into an early-season divisional test against Edmonton. It is the kind of matchup that can say a lot about where a team stands in October, especially when the other side is bringing a few changes of its own.
Edmonton will be without Zach Hyman and will turn to Devon Levi in net, giving this rematch a slightly different feel even before the puck drops. The game will air on Sportsnet Pacific, with Pierre Lambert and Michael Markovic scheduled to referee, but for Vancouver the bigger question is whether the same formula that worked once can hold up again in front of a home crowd now expecting a stronger start. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Fans Have A Fair Kevin Lankinen Scoring Debate
The season opener against Edmonton produced more than the usual early-year nerves for Vancouver, because one of the first goals on the Canucks board turned into a rules debate. Kevin Lankinen got a piece of the play when he deflected a shot that wound up on Paul Cotters goal, and Vancouver went looking for the goaltender to be credited for the setup. It was the kind of detail that only matters if you care about the fine print, but those are exactly the sorts of moments that can spark a useful conversation about how the NHL keeps score.
For skaters, assists can be awarded in a fairly straightforward chain of events, but goaltenders live under a different standard. In this case, the league did not agree with Vancouvers request, holding to the line that a goalie has to intend to pass the puck to receive an assist. It leaves the Canucks with an interesting edge-case to file away, and it also raises the broader question of whether the NHLs scoring rules ought to make a little more room for the way goaltenders actually help create offense. [Read more 🡒]
Former Canucks Defender Gets Another Chance After Rough Ending
Derek Forbort is getting another look in professional hockey after a difficult run with Vancouver, where the veteran defenceman spent parts of the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons working through injuries while still helping steady the penalty kill. The former Canucks blueliner has since moved on from that stretch and is trying to keep his career rolling after stops with several NHL teams since the Los Angeles Kings drafted him in 2010.
Now 34, Forbort is on a new path in the American Hockey League, where he will try to prove he still has something left to offer. For a player whose value has long come from defensive reliability and special-teams work, the next challenge is clear enough: show he can stay available and effective, then see whether the door back to the NHL opens again. [Read more 🡒]