| Braeden Cootes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | February 9, 2007 | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 183 lb (83 kg; 13 st 1 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team (P) Cur. team | Vancouver Canucks Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) | ||
| NHL draft | 15th overall, 2025 Vancouver Canucks | ||
| Playing career | 2025–present | ||
Braeden Cootes (born February 9, 2007) is a Canadian ice hockey player who is a centre for the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League (WHL) while under contract as a prospect to the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). [1] He was drafted fifteenth overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2025 NHL entry draft. [2]
Cootes was captain of the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2024–25, the youngest captain in the Western Hockey League, and scored 26 goals and 37 assists in 60 games. [3] It was speculated the Canucks would target Cootes leading up to the 2025 draft. [4] He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Canucks on July 10, 2025. [5]
On October 6, 2025, the Canucks announced that Cootes made their opening night roster. [6] Cootes was the first 18-year old to earn a spot on Vancouver's opening night roster since Petr Nedvěd in 1990. [7] He made his NHL debut on October 9, 2025, in a 5–1 victory over the Calgary Flames, logging 11 minutes and 14 seconds of ice time. [8] After going pointless in three games, he was returned to the Seattle Thunderbirds on October 14, 2025. [9]
Cootes captained Team Canada to a gold medal winning U18 world championship, scoring six goals and 12 points in seven games. [10] [11]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2022–23 | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 64 | 14 | 21 | 35 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 60 | 26 | 37 | 63 | 18 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 4 | ||
| WHL totals | 131 | 40 | 59 | 99 | 34 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 4 | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Canada | HG18 |  | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 27 | |
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