Vancouver Canucks select Braeden Cootes with 15th pick in NHL draft

Joshua Clipperton · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 28, 2025 2:54 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

Braeden Cootes spent a twelvemonth surviving in Vancouver successful the past.

And the Canucks' opening-round prime astatine the 2025 NHL draught is hoping it's yet location for a agelong time.

The archetypal Canadian nine to marque a enactment Friday nighttime chose the centre from the Western Hockey League's Seattle Thunderbirds astatine No. 15.

"Honestly, I benignant of blacked retired for a second," Cootes said. "It was crazy. It was an unbelievable infinitesimal I'll ever remember." 

The 18-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alta., enactment up 26 goals and 37 assists for 63 points crossed 60 games arsenic Seattle's skipper successful 2024-25.

Cootes lived in Vancouver for a twelvemonth earlier successful his teens and is acquainted with the city.

"Went to rather a fewer Canucks games," said the five-foot-11, 183-pound forward. "This is unbelievable." 

Vancouver finished 10th successful the Western Conference past season, six points beneath the playoff cutline. 

"I emotion it retired west," Cootes said. "Couldn't beryllium happier." 

The Canucks person already been progressive this off-season, acquiring Evander Kane from the Edmonton Oilers connected Wednesday, portion chap winger Brock Boeser is acceptable to go an unrestricted escaped cause Tuesday.

The Montreal Canadiens owned the 16th and 17th picks, but dealt some to the New York Islanders on with guardant Emil Heineman for defenceman Noah Dobson successful a blockbuster swap.

The Calgary Flames were the adjacent Canadian nine connected the draught board, selecting centre Cole Reschny with the 18th wide pick.

The Senators chose defenceman Logan Hensler with No. 23 prime aft trading down from No. 21 successful a woody with the Nashville Predators that besides secured the 67th wide prime for Ottawa.

The Winnipeg Jets took Swedish defenceman Sascha Boumedienne astatine No. 28 earlier the Flames rounded retired the archetypal time of the draught by nabbing centre Cullen Potter astatine No. 32.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers antecedently traded their first-round picks. Rounds 2 done 7 spell Saturday.

'I can't hold to get started'

The 18-year-old Reschny registered 92 points (26 goals, 66 assists) successful 62 games with the WHL's Victoria Royals successful 2024-25. 

"Special conscionable getting this accidental to beryllium drafted by specified a large organization," said the merchandise of Macklin, Sask. "But it's besides a imagination travel true. It's thing I've worked towards my full beingness and my young hockey career. 

"I can't hold to get started with the Flames." 

Reschny added that increasing up successful a assemblage of 1,200 radical helped mould him connected and disconnected the ice.

"It's a blue-collar town," helium said of Macklin, which is adjacent to the borderline with Alberta. "We're lucky. We've got a bully rink there. We've got bully shot diamonds and a bully nine-hole play course."

Macklin said helium helped his dada and grandparents connected the workplace for many years.

"It conscionable shaped maine into the hard-working and competitory feline I americium today." 

Reschny didn't person a large commencement to his draft-eligible season, but came connected beardown successful the 2nd fractional of the docket and the playoffs.

"I'm precise confident," helium said. "I conscionable tried to enactment level-headed each passim the year. I knew it was a large twelvemonth for me. Getting this accidental to spell done this process was special. 

"It was conscionable sticking to it and having the close mindset of getting amended time successful and time out. That was the mindset I had, and it worked retired for me." 

The six-foot-two, 192-pound Hensler had 2 goals and 10 assists successful 32 games astatine the University of Wisconsin successful 2024-25.

The merchandise of Woodbury, Minn., was portion of the United States squad that won golden astatine the 2025 satellite inferior hockey title successful Ottawa backmost successful January.

"It's been a imagination of excavation ever since I was a kid to play successful the NHL," Hensler said. "All bully emotions … I'm ace excited."