The Vancouver Canucks have signed prospect Braeden Cootes to an entry-level contract. The club made the announcement Wednesday afternoon.
The Canucks’ first round selection at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, Cootes got his first taste of Vancouver when he participated in his first development camp as a member of the organization earlier this month. According to Rick Dhaliwal, Cootes — selected at 15th overall — got $500,000 in schedule A bonuses on this contract.
“Braeden showed really well at our development camp, and we are happy to get him under contract,” said Canucks GM Patrik Allvin. “His compete level and desire to be one of the best players on the ice at UBC was apparent from the very first day. We liked his hard work and attention to detail, and we look forward to helping him improve as a hockey player.”
The plan as of now appears to be for Cootes to return to the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds next season and continue to develop there. He will almost certainly be among the early cuts at training camp in Penticton this September, but that’s normal for junior-aged players attending their first NHL camps. If he really impresses, the Canucks could always give him a taste of nine NHL games before sending him back to junior hockey, which would prevent his contract from kicking in and keep his ELC slide intact.
Cootes possesses some interesting tools that could make him a candidate to come in and be an NHL regular as soon as the 2026-27 season, which would certainly be a big boost for the Canucks. Here is what our prospect expert Dave Hall had to say about Cootes recently:
“Cootes is a prototypical “hate to play him, love to have him” type player. Defined by a never-stop motor, he treats every shift like it is his last and disrupts opponents with an incredible forecheck and continuous battle on the ice.
He hounds puck-carriers, disrupts breakouts, and wins battles in the corners, often emerging with possession through sheer determination… In 2024-25, he led Seattle with 63 points (26 goals, 37 assists) in 60 games, an impressive total on a struggling team. He added eight points in six playoff games.
While he’s not a particularly elite skill-driven player, he contributes on the scoresheet by outworking his opponents. Hounding puck carries, battling in the corners and on boards, digging for rebounds and getting into the paint. That said, he brings a good playmaking game and finds opponents with quick reads after he wins the 50/50 puck battle from the dirty area. While he’s no sniper, he can find the back of the net as well.”
You can read our full post-draft report on Cootes by clicking here!

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