With the 15th overall selection in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, the Vancouver Canucks selected Braeden Cootes of the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL. Cootes is a 6’0 centre who served as Seattle’s captain for the 2024–25 season and has spent the past three years with the Thunderbirds. 

Cootes made his WHL debut in the 2022–23 season, playing in seven games and tallying one assist. In his first full year with Seattle, he scored 14 goals and 21 assists in 64 games played. He broke out offensively this season, posting 26 goals and 37 assists in 63 games. In six playoff games with the Thunderbirds this season, he potted two goals and six assists. 

Cootes served as Team Canada’s captain in the 2025 U18 IIHF World Junior Championship, putting up six goals and six assists in seven games in Canada’s gold medal win.   

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This is Vancouver’s third first-round selection in the past six years, as previously, the Canucks picked Jonathan Lekkerimäki 15th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft and Tom Willander 11th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft. Vancouver traded away their 2020, 2021, and 2024 first-round picks. 

Prior to Cootes’ selection, the New York Islanders used the first overall selection in the draft to pick defenceman Matthew Schaefer. Other picks include Carter Bear to the Detroit Red Wings, Roger McQueen to the Anaheim Ducks, and James Hagens to the Boston Bruins. 

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