The Vancouver Canucks are challenging a trademark application from an Ontario-based youth hockey organization, the Castor River Canucks. Abbotsford News reporter Ben Lypka was the first to bring attention to the story:

According to the proceedings outlined in the Canadian Trademarks Database, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office initially approved the Castor River Canucks’ design application on March 4th, 2026, moving it to the formal advertising phase on May 27th. Following that approval, the Vancouver Canucks requested an extension to file a statement of opposition on July 27th, establishing a deadline of September 27 to submit their legal arguments for why the Castor River Canucks’ application shouldn’t be approved.

The Castor River Canucks’ design features the word “Canucks” and a beaver, with the beaver’s incisors shaping the “U” in Canucks.

According to their website, the Castor River Canucks are a Rep B organization, considered Tier 3 competitive hockey which is one step above house league and one step before AA. The Canucks teams are comprised of players from Metcalfe District Hockey Association and Russell Minor Hockey Association. They compete within the Ottawa B Minor Hockey League, fielding youth teams across divisions ranging from U10 to U18.

Under Canadian intellectual property law, trademark owners are tasked with enforcing their marks to retain their exclusive rights. Failing to challenge unauthorized registrations, even those filed by non-profit or, yes, minor sports groups, can weaken a brand’s legal standing and create precedents that complicate future enforcement against commercial infringers. The Canucks will likely contend that registering “Canucks” for things like clothing services (among other things outlined in the application, which lists Metcalfe & District Hockey Association as the applicant) creates a strong likelihood of consumer confusion, potentially misleading the public into assuming an official partnership or endorsement between the two parties.

This isn’t the first time the Canucks haven’t been thrilled about their name or logos being used by a youth sports team. Back in 2018, shortly after Canucks Sports and Entertainment purchased the NLL’s Vancouver Stealth, a local youth lacrosse association outfitted its team in jerseys featuring a slightly modified “Johnny Canuck” character holding a lacrosse stick, instead of a hockey stick.

As we know, the Canucks were gearing up to launch the Vancouver Warriors for the 2019 NLL season, so seeing a Johnny Canuck logo holding a lacrosse stick might actually have caused some confusion for the public. In fact, it did, as the jersey being posted online made some wonder if it was a leak of the new Vancouver NLL team’s look, given they were both owned by the Canucks. And of course, the Canucks would go on to make Johnny Canuck a big part of their branding for the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks just a couple of years later.

In that case, the Canucks asked the youth team to surrender custom jerseys after their tournament in Langley had come to a close. CSE clarified at the time that they were not taking legal action against the kids or the team, but rather required the commercial jersey manufacturer based in Port Coquitlam to stop producing and selling the unauthorized design.