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Canucks prospects Malhotra and Cootes named to Canada’s World Junior Summer Showcase roster

Photo credit: © Steven Ellis/The Nation Network

By Jeffrey Kennett

Jul 24, 2026, 15:00 EDT

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Two Vancouver Canucks first-round picks will be among the players competing to earn a place on Canada’s next World Junior squad.

Hockey Canada named Caleb Malhotra and Braeden Cootes to its National Junior Team Summer Showcase roster on Friday afternoon. The event runs from July 26th to August 1st at the WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ont., and serves as an early evaluation period ahead of the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton and Red Deer.

Malhotra was selected third overall by Vancouver at the 2026 NHL Draft after a standout one-and-done OHL season with the Brantford Bulldogs. The 18-year-old centre recorded 29 goals and 84 points in 67 games, setting a franchise rookie record for points, before adding 26 points in 14 playoff appearances. Malhotra is slated to join Boston University in the fall for the 2026-27 college hockey season.

The showcase provides Canucks fans with their first opportunity since the draft to watch Malhotra in a Canadian uniform. He is one of several 2026 first-round picks on the roster, joining players such as Keaton Verhoeff, Ethan Belchetz, and Tynan Lawrence.

Cootes returns to the national junior program after helping Canada capture bronze at the 2026 tournament. Vancouver’s 15th-overall selection in 2025 scored twice in seven games, including a goal in Canada’s 6-3 victory over Finland in the bronze-medal game.

The 19-year-old also produced 24 goals and 63 points in 45 WHL games last season between the Seattle Thunderbirds and Prince Albert Raiders. He was later named the WHL’s most sportsmanlike player.

Canada opens its three-game showcase schedule against Sweden on Wednesday, July 29. It will face Finland the following night before closing against the United States on Saturday, Aug. 1.

Finland, Sweden, and the U.S. will also participate in the 10-game event. Canada’s final roster will be selected later this year before the World Juniors begin on December 26th.

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