Two of the Vancouver Canucks’ top young prospects are getting an early crack at Canada’s next World Junior picture.
Hockey Canada announced Friday afternoon that Caleb Malhotra and Braeden Cootes have been named to the National Junior Team Summer Showcase roster. The event runs from July 26 to August 1 at the WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ont., and it’s part of the early evaluation process for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton and Red Deer.
For Malhotra, it’s the first chance for Canucks fans to see him in a Canadian jersey since Vancouver took him third overall at the 2026 NHL Draft. The 18-year-old centre put together a huge one-and-done season with the Brantford Bulldogs, scoring 29 goals and 84 points in 67 games while setting a franchise rookie record for points.
He then added 26 points in 14 playoff games. Malhotra is headed to Boston University in the fall for the 2026-27 college hockey season.
He’s one of several 2026 first-round picks on the roster, alongside Keaton Verhoeff, Ethan Belchetz, and Tynan Lawrence.
Cootes is back in the national junior mix after helping Canada win bronze at the 2026 tournament. The Canucks’ 15th-overall pick in 2025 scored twice in seven games, including a goal in Canada’s 6-3 win over Finland in the bronze-medal game.
The 19-year-old also had a strong WHL season, finishing with 24 goals and 63 points in 45 games split between the Seattle Thunderbirds and Prince Albert Raiders. He was later named the WHL’s most sportsmanlike player.
Canada will open its three-game showcase schedule against Sweden on Wednesday, July 29, then play Finland the next night before wrapping up against the United States on Saturday, Aug. 1.
Finland, Sweden, and the U.S. are also part of the 10-game event. Canada’s final roster will be chosen later this year ahead of the World Juniors, which begin on December 26.
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