logo
CanucksArmy has no direct affiliation to the Vancouver Canucks, Canucks Sports & Entertainment, NHL, or NHLPA
Blackfish: Abbotsford goes back-to-back, World Junior roles take shape, and more
alt
Dave Hall
Dec 23, 2025, 17:07 ESTUpdated: Dec 23, 2025, 17:17 EST
Comments
Welcome back to Blackfish: our Vancouver Canucks prospect report.
Don’t look now, but the Abbotsford Canucks are quietly finding their footing. With back-to-back wins over the Tucson Roadrunners, the club has now earned points in four straight games (2-0-2-0) and, more importantly, looks far more engaged on a night-to-night basis. Then again, that’s often what happens when you finally have a roster populated with players capable of handling the level.
Elsewhere, World Junior rosters are solidifying, roles are becoming clearer, and one Canucks prospect continues to climb the OHL scoring charts at an eye-catching pace. Let’s get into it.

Abbotsford Canucks

Momentum has been building in Abbotsford, and this past weekend against Tucson felt like another step forward. The Canucks pushed their point streak to four games and, although the games were far from perfect, looked comfortable as a group with fresh troops like Arshdeep Bains.
Jonathan Lekkerimäki continued his torrid run in Game One of the weekend series, scoring his sixth AHL goal and extending his goal streak to five games. Lurking behind the play, he was spotted in the high slot before he unloaded his patented one-timer. He added an assist later in the game, springing Arshdeep Bains after a defensive-zone shot block.
His goal streak came to an end in Game Two, where he also matched a season-low two shots on goal. His play was fine, but not as explosive as he had been in previous series. We remain firm on the young sharpshooter sticking in Abbotsford as he continues to work on the peripheries of his game.
Those peripherals are where fellow Swede Vilmer Alriksson continues to shine. The offence hasn’t followed yet, but his physical engagement has become increasingly noticeable. It’s been a game-by-game progression, and the 20-year-old has impressed with his attention to detail, board work, and willingness to initiate contact.
While we hoped his transition would show a bit more offensive pop, we have been encouraged by the confident plays he has been making. On several occasions, he sent delicate thread passes to spring teammates, with one resulting in an assist on his stat sheet.
Ty Mueller returned to the lineup following a five-game absence with an undisclosed injury. He left on a hot streak — points in five straight games — and his return understandably came with some rust. The pace and touch will come back, but the timing wasn’t quite there yet.
On the blue line, Sawyer Mynio quietly broke an interesting streak. He recorded a plus rating in both games, snapping a nine-game run where he had finished even or worse. In fact, it marked the first time all season he’s posted back-to-back positive games. Plus/minus should always be treated carefully, but in this case, it was undoubtedly a stat that popped up for us.
Mynio also scored a goal, firing an unexpected snapshot that struck the goaltender’s mask and bounced in behind him. The point was just his second in his last 10 games, which is a notable cooldown after his strong start as the team’s “go-to” defender. He continues to run PP1, but with Kirill Kudryavtsev and Victor Mancini back in the fold, his minutes have come back down to earth. In all honesty, that’s precisely how it should look.

Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL)

Down in Kalamazoo, Ty Young extended his winning streak, stopping 23 of 25 shots to earn his third consecutive victory since being reassigned.
Meanwhile, Aku Koskenvuo started the second half of a doubleheader and turned aside 19 of 20 shots, picking up his first win since the move.
Just as both netminders began to settle into a rhythm, their ability to build on that momentum is now murky. According to a recent note from the PHPA, ECHL players have notified the league of their intent to strike, effective December 26.
In a statement released by the PHPA, players outlined several unresolved issues that remain sticking points in negotiations. As things stand, neither Young nor Koskenvuo would participate in games if the strike proceeds.
The short- and long-term implications remain unclear, but it is assumed that both goaltenders could be recalled to Abbotsford to resume practice. We hope to gain greater clarity as more information becomes available.

World Juniors

With the World Juniors now days away, Braeden Cootes’ status on Team Canada has been confirmed. Following reports that Berkley Catton will remain with the Seattle Kraken, Canada’s forward group is officially set, and, as many anticipated, Cootes’ spot is locked in.
While he enjoyed second-line and special-teams deployment in Canada’s tune-up opener, he was dropped to the fourth line and removed from special teams for Game Two and the skates following. Given the depth of Canada’s 19-year-old forward group, that wasn’t necessarily a shock.
Considering the type of game we know Cootes can play, we won’t be surprised to see him earn more ice time as the tournament goes on. But for now, he’s a bottom-six contributor.
He did find the scoresheet in Game Two against Sweden, finishing off a backdoor feed by dropping to a knee to channel his inner Conor Garland.
Canada’s schedule:
  • Friday, December 26 — Czechia vs Canada (5:30 pm PT)
  • Saturday, December 27 — Latvia vs Canada (1:30 pm PT)
  • Monday, December 29 — Canada vs Denmark (5:30 pm PT)
  • Wednesday, December 31 — Canada vs Finland (5:30 pm PT)
For Switzerland, Basile Sansonnens continues to see second-pair deployment, as projected. He should maintain that role throughout the tournament.
Switzerland’s schedule:
  • Saturday, December 27 — USA vs Switzerland (3:00 pm PT)
  • Sunday, December 28 — Sweden vs Switzerland (11:00 am PT)
  • Tuesday, December 30 — Switzerland vs Germany (11:00 am PT)
  • Wednesday, December 31 — Switzerland vs Slovakia (10:00 am PT)
Sweden is expected to make one final cut, leaving Wilson Björck’s status technically unsettled. He was a healthy scratch in Sweden’s second game against Canada, though that may have been to provide the coaching staff a closer look at another bubble candidate.
We will have their final word shortly.
Sweden’s schedule:
  • Friday, December 26 — Sweden vs Slovakia (10:00 am PT)
  • Sunday, December 28 — Sweden vs Switzerland (11:00 am PT)
  • Monday, December 29 — Germany vs Sweden (10:00 am PT)
  • Wednesday, December 31 — USA vs Sweden (3:00 pm PT)

CHL

Over in Niagara, Riley Patterson continues to be one of the hottest players in the entire OHL. With another six points in three games, including an overtime game-winner, he’s pushed his production into highly regarded territory.
Since November 22, when his current heater truly began, only one player has outpaced him league-wide:
  • Nathan Aspinall — 13 GP, 23 PTS
  • Riley Patterson — 11 GP, 21 PTS
  • Kieron Walton — 10 GP, 21 PTS
Patterson now sits with the seventh-highest point total in the OHL (41 points) and is scoring at a 90-point pace on the season. Not a bad way to roll into the New Year.
In London, Aleksei Medvedev returned to the win column, stopping 64 of 71 to string together two victories. That said, his overall numbers have dipped recently. Over his last 10 games, he’s posted a save percentage north of .900 just three times, one of which came this past week.
Offensive support hasn’t been there the way London teams typically provide it, but as a projected future goalie, this is a stretch he’ll need to bounce back from. Truthfully, we do expect him to.
In Kingston, Kieren Dervin missed all of the Frontenacs’ game this week, and according to the OHL’s injury list, he is considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Having finished his last game, we were unable to pinpoint the exact moment of the injury.

NCAA

The NCAA is currently on winter break.

Rest of the world

This is our final report before the Christmas holidays, so we’d like to wish all of our beloved Blackfish readers a Merry Christmas and happy holidays. Thank you for reading and keeping up with these Vancouver Canucks prospects.
Until next week, folks.
Sponsored by bet365

Editorials

Breaking News