Latest news with #Canucks
Hamilton Spectator
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Canucks select Cootes with 15th pick at NHL draft; Flames snag Reschny at No. 18
LOS ANGELES - Braeden Cootes spent a year living in Vancouver. The Canucks' opening-round pick at the 2025 NHL draft is hoping it's eventually home for a long time. The first Canadian club to make a selection Friday night chose the centre from the Western Hockey League's Seattle Thunderbirds at No. 15. 'Honestly, kind of blacked out for a second,' Cootes said. 'It was crazy. It was an unbelievable moment I'll always remember.' The 18-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alta., put up 26 goals and 37 assists for 63 points across 60 games as Seattle's captain in 2024-25. Cootes lived in Vancouver for a year earlier in his teens and is familiar with the city. 'Went to quite a few Canucks games,' said the five-foot-11, 183-pound forward. 'This is unbelievable.' Vancouver finished 10th in the Western Conference last season, six points below the playoff cutline. 'I love it out west,' Cootes said. 'Couldn't be happier.' The Canucks have already been active this off-season, acquiring Evander Kane from the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday, while fellow winger Brock Boeser is set to become an unrestricted free agent Tuesday. The Montreal Canadiens owned the 16th and 17th picks, but dealt both to the New York Islanders along with forward Emil Heineman for defenceman Noah Dobson in a blockbuster swap. The Calgary Flames were the next Canadian club on the draft board, selecting centre Cole Reschny with the 18th overall pick. The Senators chose defenceman Logan Hensler with No. 23 pick after trading down from No. 21 in a deal with the Nashville Predators that also secured the 67th overall pick for Ottawa. The Winnipeg Jets took Swedish defenceman Sascha Boumedienne at No. 28 before the Flames rounded out the first day of the draft by nabbing centre Cullen Potter at No. 32. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers previously traded their first-round picks. Rounds two through seven go Saturday. The 18-year-old Reschny registered 92 points (26 goals, 66 assists) in 62 games with the WHL's Victoria Royals in 2024-25. 'Special just getting this opportunity to be drafted by such a great organization,' said the product of Macklin, Sask. 'But it's also a dream come true. It's something I've worked towards my whole life and my young hockey career. 'I can't wait to get started with the Flames.' Reschny added that growing up in a community of 1,200 people helped mould him on and off the ice. 'It's a blue-collar town,' he said of Macklin, which is close to the border with Alberta. 'We're lucky. We've got a nice rink there. We've got nice ball diamonds and a nice nine-hole golf course. I helped my grandparents on the farm for a lot of years, my dad on the farm. 'It just shaped me into the hard-working and competitive guy I am today.' Reschny didn't have a great start to his draft-eligible season, but came on strong in the second half of the schedule and the playoffs. 'I'm very confident,' he said. 'I just tried to stay level-headed all throughout the year. I knew it was a big year for me. Getting this opportunity to go through this process was special. 'It was just sticking to it and having the right mindset of getting better day in and day out. That was the mindset I had, and it worked out for me.' The six-foot-two, 192-pound Hensler had two goals and 10 assists in 32 games at the University of Wisconsin in 2024-25. The product of Woodbury, Minn., was part of the United States team that won gold at the 2025 world junior hockey championship in Ottawa back in January. 'It's been a dream of mine ever since I was a kid to play in the NHL,' Hensler said. 'All good emotions … I'm super excited.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Canucks select Cootes with 15th pick at NHL draft; Flames snag Reschny at No. 18
LOS ANGELES – Braeden Cootes spent a year living in Vancouver. The Canucks' opening-round pick at the 2025 NHL draft is hoping it's eventually home for a long time. The first Canadian club to make a selection Friday night chose the centre from the Western Hockey League's Seattle Thunderbirds at No. 15. 'Honestly, kind of blacked out for a second,' Cootes said. 'It was crazy. It was an unbelievable moment I'll always remember.' The 18-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alta., put up 26 goals and 37 assists for 63 points across 60 games as Seattle's captain in 2024-25. Cootes lived in Vancouver for a year earlier in his teens and is familiar with the city. 'Went to quite a few Canucks games,' said the five-foot-11, 183-pound forward. 'This is unbelievable.' Vancouver finished 10th in the Western Conference last season, six points below the playoff cutline. 'I love it out west,' Cootes said. 'Couldn't be happier.' The Canucks have already been active this off-season, acquiring Evander Kane from the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday, while fellow winger Brock Boeser is set to become an unrestricted free agent Tuesday. The Montreal Canadiens owned the 16th and 17th picks, but dealt both to the New York Islanders along with forward Emil Heineman for defenceman Noah Dobson in a blockbuster swap. The Calgary Flames were the next Canadian club on the draft board, selecting centre Cole Reschny with the 18th overall pick. The Senators chose defenceman Logan Hensler with No. 23 pick after trading down from No. 21 in a deal with the Nashville Predators that also secured the 67th overall pick for Ottawa. The Winnipeg Jets took Swedish defenceman Sascha Boumedienne at No. 28 before the Flames rounded out the first day of the draft by nabbing centre Cullen Potter at No. 32. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers previously traded their first-round picks. Rounds two through seven go Saturday. The 18-year-old Reschny registered 92 points (26 goals, 66 assists) in 62 games with the WHL's Victoria Royals in 2024-25. 'Special just getting this opportunity to be drafted by such a great organization,' said the product of Macklin, Sask. 'But it's also a dream come true. It's something I've worked towards my whole life and my young hockey career. 'I can't wait to get started with the Flames.' Reschny added that growing up in a community of 1,200 people helped mould him on and off the ice. 'It's a blue-collar town,' he said of Macklin, which is close to the border with Alberta. 'We're lucky. We've got a nice rink there. We've got nice ball diamonds and a nice nine-hole golf course. I helped my grandparents on the farm for a lot of years, my dad on the farm. 'It just shaped me into the hard-working and competitive guy I am today.' Reschny didn't have a great start to his draft-eligible season, but came on strong in the second half of the schedule and the playoffs. 'I'm very confident,' he said. 'I just tried to stay level-headed all throughout the year. I knew it was a big year for me. Getting this opportunity to go through this process was special. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'It was just sticking to it and having the right mindset of getting better day in and day out. That was the mindset I had, and it worked out for me.' The six-foot-two, 192-pound Hensler had two goals and 10 assists in 32 games at the University of Wisconsin in 2024-25. The product of Woodbury, Minn., was part of the United States team that won gold at the 2025 world junior hockey championship in Ottawa back in January. 'It's been a dream of mine ever since I was a kid to play in the NHL,' Hensler said. 'All good emotions … I'm super excited.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2025.
New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Vancouver Canucks NHL Draft guide: Picks, best fits and analysis
The Vancouver Canucks have six picks in the 2025 NHL Draft: Nos. 15, 47, 65, 143, 175, 207. Here's what to expect. The Canucks are motivated to sell the No. 15 pick in their hunt to find a top-six center capable of bolstering their forward group. If the club can find the right upgrade, the preference is to move this pick outright. Vancouver is prepared, however, to make the selection at 15, and there are several centers that would appear to fit the bill for its needs. However, there are also a couple of blueliners that the Canucks are high on. They would find it difficult to pass them up if they were still on the board with the 15th pick, despite the relative strength of Vancouver's prospect system on the back end. — Thomas Drance Advertisement Vancouver hasn't used a top-two round pick on a center since it took Elias Pettersson in 2017. The Canucks don't have a deep farm system, but center is far and away their biggest organizational need. In recent mock drafts, Corey Pronman has projected the following picks: 15. Jack Nesbitt, C 47. Semyon Frolov, G 65. Brandon Gorzynski, C 117. Viktor Klingsell, RW 143. Bruno Idzan, LW 175. Lukas Sawchyn, LW 207. Jan Skok, D (Photo of Canucks GM Patrik Allvin: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
National Post
2 days ago
- Business
- National Post
Canucks set to sign Conor Garland to $36 million deal: report
Count Conor Garland the latest person in Vancouver to say 'thank you Jim!' Article content The crafty winger is set to sign a six-year, $36-million contract extension with the Vancouver Canucks — whose president of hockey operations is Jim Rutherford, of course — CHEK-TV's Rick Dhaliwal reported Thursday evening. Dhaliwal's connections with agents and team sources is well-known so it's a safe bet his information is accurate. Article content Article content Article content Sounds like the Connor Garland extension in Vancouver could be 6 years and 36 million dollars. — Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) June 27, 2025 Article content The Canucks won't be able to officially report the deal until free agency opens on July 1 because he still has one year to go on his current deal, which carries a cap hit of $4.95 million for next season. Article content Garland's new deal will kick in for the 2026-27 season. Article content It's really the second time, or even third, Garland has been able to thank a James in charge of the Canucks, after Jim Benning first traded for Garland in the summer of 2021 and then again not long after when Benning signed Garland to his current deal. Article content Playing for the Canucks has proven to be an excellent experience for the Massachusetts native, who has tallied 197 points over his four seasons as a Canuck. His hustle and obvious desire to win night in night out has made him a fan favourite as well. A six-year deal will carry Garland until he's 36. He was set to be an unrestricted free agent after his current contract expired. Article content 'Thank you Jim' was first voiced by former Sportsnet 650 host James Cybulski who tried to rally some support towards Benning early in the disastrous 2020-21 season, saying that while the Canucks under Benning had often struggled, his efforts hadn't been all bad. Benning was fired as Canucks GM in December 2021. Article content
Edmonton Journal
2 days ago
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Canucks set to sign Conor Garland to $36 million deal: report
Article content Count Conor Garland the latest person in Vancouver to say 'thank you Jim!' The crafty winger is set to sign a six-year, $36-million contract extension with the Vancouver Canucks — whose president of hockey operations is Jim Rutherford, of course — CHEK-TV's Rick Dhaliwal reported Thursday evening. Dhaliwal's connections with agents and team sources is well-known so it's a safe bet his information is accurate. Article content Article content Sounds like the Connor Garland extension in Vancouver could be 6 years and 36 million dollars. — Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) June 27, 2025 The Canucks won't be able to officially report the deal until free agency opens on July 1 because he still has one year to go on his current deal, which carries a cap hit of $4.95 million for next season. Garland's new deal will kick in for the 2026-27 season. It's really the second time, or even third, Garland has been able to thank a James in charge of the Canucks, after Jim Benning first traded for Garland in the summer of 2021 and then again not long after when Benning signed Garland to his current deal. Playing for the Canucks has proven to be an excellent experience for the Massachusetts native, who has tallied 197 points over his four seasons as a Canuck. His hustle and obvious desire to win night in night out has made him a fan favourite as well. A six-year deal will carry Garland until he's 36. He was set to be an unrestricted free agent after his current contract expired. Article content Latest National Stories
