Vancouver Canucks 2025 First-Rounder Braeden Cootes Sends Strong Message to the Edmonton Oilers

When it came time to reveal their first round pick for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, which was announced by former Canucks forward Mikael Samuelsson, Patrik Allvin selected centerman Braeden Cootes of the Western Hockey League's Seattle Thunderbirds.

Cootes was ranked 20th among North American skaters, so it was a small jump from where many believed he could've been selected, but the Vancouver Canucks really liked the player and they even took him out for dinner at the NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo, New York early in June.

Cootes was quite happy with being selected by the Vancouver Canucks and even said in an interview that his fandom with one of the team's biggest rivals has officially come to a close.

After being selected by the Canucks last Friday, Braeden Cootes told reporters that growing up he was a big fan of the Oilers, as he lived nearby in Sherwood Park, Alberta, however now that he's with the Vancouver organization his Edmonton fandom is now over.

Cootes had a solid year in the Western Hockey League with the Seattle Thunderbirds, serving as the team's captain in his second full season with the club and was teammates with fellow Vancouver Canucks prospect Sawyer Mynio.

In his draft year, Cootes led the Seattle Thunderbirds in points with 63 (26 goals, 37 assists), along with eight points in six postseason games, but unfortunately they were eliminated in the first round by projected 2027 first overall pick Landon DuPont and the Everett Silvertips.

Once the Thunderbirds were eliminated from the postseason, Cootes headed down south to Texas for the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship where he captained Canada to a gold medal while tallying a team-leading 12 points in six games.

The 18-year-old centerman is participating at this week's Development Camp in Vancouver and will certainly be back in September for Rookie Camp and Training Camp before returning to Seattle for his third season in the Western Hockey League where, if he starts off strong, could land an opportunity to play at the 2026 World Juniors for Canada.