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Scenes from practice: Canucks stick with same line rushes, but Foote hints at changes
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Photo credit: © Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Jeff Paterson
Oct 14, 2025, 17:08 EDT
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He didn’t know it at the time, but rookie Braeden Cootes got in his final skate with the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday morning.
Afterward, the club informed the 18-year-old centre that he was being reassigned to the Western Hockey League’s Seattle Thunderbirds. Cootes was a full participant in the Canucks hour-long workout at Rogers Arena. 

What we saw

While many fans may have been hoping to see head coach Adam Foote shuffle his line combinations in an attempt to jumpstart the team’s offence, the coach went with the lines he’s used to start all three games so far this season. He had Elias Pettersson between Jake DeBrusk and Brock Boeser while Filip Chytil centred Evander Kane and Conor Garland. Foote, however, suggest after practice that he liked Pettersson and Garland and thought he might lean that way to start Thursday’s road trip opener in Dallas.
Teddy Blueger and P-O Joseph, who have both missed the team’s first three games with injuries, participated in practice and will accompany the club on the road. It’s unlikely either will get into the game against the Stars. Both players were limited participants in the on-ice drills and both wore red non-contact jerseys. 
Veteran defenceman Derek Forbort did not take part in Tuesday’s workout after missing Monday’s game against St. Louis. 
The club will fly to Dallas on Wednesday before facing the Stars on Thursday night in the first half of a back-to-back set that will have the Canucks in Chicago on Friday.
Nils Höglander, injured in a preseason game in Abbotsford last month, was an interested observer and took in much of practice from the bench. Höglander is out until Decemeber as he recovers from surgery to repair an ankle injury. He was on crutches as he watched his teammates get put through their paces.

What we heard

Adam Foote on what he’s thinking about his top two lines heading out on the road: “We’re still tweaking stuff. We might move guys around a little bit. Right now, I’m leaning more toward Petey with Garly and maybe Kane, we’ll see, and Chytil with Boes and DeBrusk. We’ll see what happens.”
Thatcher Demko encouraged by his two early season starts: “That’s my standard. Anything less than that, I’m not very happy with. Obviously I want to win the game and needed one more save in Edmonton so that’s kind of where my mind is at. There is a lot of hockey left, but it’s good to start the season that way. Felt pretty good about both games as far as my game went, but there is a lot of work to be done. I know that.”
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