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Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks (Photo by Derek Cain/Getty Images)

Canucks News & Rumours: Pettersson, Hughes, Prospects Showcase & More

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Matthew Zator | Last updated Sep 11, 2025 10:55 AM ET

In this edition of the Vancouver Canucks News & Rumours, the first hockey of the 2025-26 season will be played in Everett and Seattle, WA, with the inaugural Prospects Showcase. Meanwhile, Elias Pettersson spoke with the media before the annual Jake Milford Charity Golf Tournament and discussed the results of his offseason training. Finally, Quinn Hughes reacted to his brother Jack’s recent comments about his future in Vancouver and possibly playing together on the same NHL team one day.

Canucks Announce Roster for Prospects Showcase vs. Kraken

On Tuesday, the Canucks announced their roster for the Prospects Showcase that will be held in Everett and Seattle on Sept. 13 and 14. Consisting of 23 players, it features first-round picks from the 2022, 2023 and 2025 Drafts and a few prospects that have recently graduated to the pros and even made their NHL debut. Here is the full roster:

Forwards (13): Vilmer Alriksson, Ben Berard, Josh Bloom, Braeden Cootes, Gabriel Chiarot, Kieren Dervin, Jackson Kunz, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Aaron Obobaifo, Jakob Oreskovic, Riley Patterson, Nick Poisson, Cooper Walker
Defencemen (8): Parker Alcos, Joe Arntsen, Kirill Kudryavtsev, Sawyer Mynio, Elias Pettersson, Zack Sandhu, Xander Velliaris, Tom Willander
Goaltenders (2): Aku Koskenvio, Aleksei Medvedev

Fans will obviously be watching blue-chippers Lekkerimaki, Willander, and Cootes, along with the NHL veteran of the group, Elias Pettersson, who will all feature prominently in training camp and the preseason when it gets going on Sept. 18. Other names to keep an eye on are Sawyer Mynio and Riley Patterson, the latter of whom was recently traded from the Barrie Colts to the Niagara IceDogs. Mynio will be making the jump to the American Hockey League (AHL) this season after a solid Western Hockey League (WHL) career, where he put up 39 goals and 140 points in 227 games split between the Seattle Thunderbirds and Calgary Hitmen, while Patterson will look to improve on his 59-point season in a new city.

As for invites, Obobaifo is an interesting one. The 5-foot-10 Calgary native was passed over in the 2025 Draft, but mostly because he was sidelined by an injury very early in the season. He had six goals and 10 points in his first nine games before suffering a shoulder injury that eventually derailed his draft year. He did return after a month on the sidelines, but was shut down for the season after only four games back.

Here is what the Elite Prospects Draft Guide had to say about him: “With non-stop changes of pace, hip pocket handling, and plenty of creativity, Obobaifo carves through opponents. He beats them in the neutral zone and especially off the wall, constantly looking to get inside and create a high-value play. A skilled shooter and even better passer, deceives opponents by threatening one and using the other and finds teammates across the slot.”

While Obobaifo will re-enter the draft this year, he could make an early good impression on scouts – maybe even the Canucks’ – for a mid-to-late round pick in 2026.

Elias Pettersson Reveals Results of Offseason Training & Confirms Marriage to Katelyn Byrd

In almost every exit interview with management and the coaching staff, the topic of Elias Pettersson came up. How was he going to approach the offseason after the worst season of his career? His training and preparation were called into question by both former head coach Rick Tocchet and president Jim Rutherford during their time with the media in April, as they wanted him to change how he approached both.

Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks (Bob Frid-Imagn Images)

Well, fans got their answer on Monday when Pettersson revealed that he added 13 pounds of lean bulk to his 6-foot-2 frame and feels confident that he’s done enough to return to elite centre status.

“Obviously, I feel good,” he said Monday of his preparation. “It’s been a long summer, so I just tried to add some muscles and be ready to be myself again out there. And I feel confidence that I will. I had a long summer of training, so it’s been good.”

Pettersson also confirmed that he got married to social media influencer Katelyn Byrd, calling it the highlight of his offseason and the best day of his life. Hopefully, his training and the happiness that comes from getting married translate to success on the ice and a return to the 102-point forward fans enjoyed watching in 2022-23.

Quinn Hughes Reacts to His Brother Jack’s Comments

It took a while, but the fallout of Rutherford’s off-the-cuff comments hit a fever pitch this week when the media finally got hold of Quinn and Jack Hughes. Jack was asked about it on Tuesday, and created waves that not only does he want to play with Quinn one day, but it might not be in New Jersey, the most talked-about destination for a possible Hughes reunion.

“Honestly, I’m not afraid to say it. Yeah, I would love for Quinn to — eventually I’d love to play with him. And whether that’s in New Jersey or at what time that takes, at some point I want to play with Quinn… But, yeah, that’s the question going around. They talk all day about it up in Vancouver, you know? But, yeah, I’d love to play with Quinn at some point.”

Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks and Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils (Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports)

In the same breath, though, Jack said that Hughes likes Vancouver and isn’t making noise about possibly leaving. “Quinn’s not the one making any noise. Quinn has one focus — and that’s go to Vancouver, play elite hockey and get in the playoffs.”

Quinn defended his brother’s comments the next day, saying, “I mean, he’s my brother. What’s he supposed to say, first of all? Like, ‘I don’t want to play with him,’ you know?” He then added, “I mean, we have contracts and whatnot. He’s on a different team. Would it be fun to play with those guys at some point? Of course. I think if you guys (reporters) have brothers, you guys would say the same thing. But we do have contracts. I’m excited to be in Vancouver, and I feel like last year was a little bit of failure. So I feel like I got things to do there. And I know Jack loves Jersey, and he’s got stuff to do also.”

Unfortunately, this story won’t go away until Quinn signs a long-term extension in Vancouver when he is eligible on July 1, 2026. Until then, every Canucks losing streak and Devils matchup will bring this discussion to the forefront.

What’s Next for the Canucks?

Following the mini rookie camp and Prospects Showcase, the Canucks will begin training camp on Sept. 18 in Penticton. After that, they will have six preseason games before the regular season kicks off on Oct. 9 against the Calgary Flames.