The wait is finally over as the Vancouver Canucks kick off their 2025-26 regular season against the Calgary Flames. Vancouver will be opening up their season at home, while Calgary started their campaign on Wednesday. Last season, the two Pacific Division rivals split the season series, with each team going 2-1-1.
A key for the Canucks will be getting out to a quick start. As mentioned, this will be the second half of a back-to-back for the Flames, who battled the Edmonton Oilers on the road in their season opener. If Vancouver can hold offensive possession and test Calgary's goaltender early and often, it could provide an advantage later in the game.
The Canucks also need to ensure they build off the energy provided by the fans. Rogers Arena is going to be loud, which should provide a boost for Vancouver, especially early on. Ultimately, the Canucks cannot afford a similar situation to last year, where Vancouver gave up a 4-1 first-period lead before falling 6-5 in overtime to the Flames.
Players To Watch:
Braeden Cootes
Welcome to the NHL, Braeden Cootes. After an impressive training camp and pre-season, the 2025 first-round pick will make his NHL debut, becoming the first 18-year-old since Petr Nedvěd in 1990 to play for Vancouver. Projected to play on a line with Evander Kane and Jonathan Lekkerimäki, it will be a special moment for Cootes and his family when he hits the Rogers Arena ice for his solo rookie lap.
Matvei Gridin
Another teenager in this game will be 19-year-old Matvei Gridin. A first-round pick in 2024, the Russian forward was selected using the Canucks draft pick, which was sent to Calgary in the Elias Lindholm trade. Coming off a successful NHL debut where he scored and recorded five shots, Gridin could be a handful for Vancouver in this game.
Vancouver Canucks 2024-25 (38-30-14):
Points:
Quinn Hughes: 16–60–76
Brock Boeser: 25–25–50
Conor Garland: 19–31–50
Jake DeBrusk: 28–20–48
Pius Suter: 25–21–46
Goaltenders:
Kevin Lankinen: 25-15-10
Thatcher Demko: 10-8-3
Calgary Flames (1-0-0):
Points:
Matvei Gridin: 1-0-1
Connor Zary: 1-0-1
Blake Coleman: 1-0-1
Nazem Kadri: 0-1-1
Matt Coronato: 0-1-1
Goaltenders:
Dustin Wolf: 1-0-0
Game Information:
Start time: 7:00 pm PT
Venue: Rogers Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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