Diving into every player on the Canucks’ roster for prospect showdown in Seattle

The Vancouver Canucks have announced their official roster for the upcoming Prospect Showcase against the Seattle Kraken.

The event will feature a pair of games over the weekend:

Game 1: Saturday, September 13 at 6:00 p.m. PT at Angel of the Winds Arena (Everett, WA)

Game 2: Sunday, September 14 at 4:00 p.m. PT at the Kraken Community Iceplex (Seattle, WA)

Streaming details, if any, are still to be announced.

Leading up to the games, the Canucks will hold practice sessions in Abbotsford on Thursday, September 11, and Friday, September 12, both at 10:30 a.m. PT.

In total, 23 players will dress: 13 forwards, eight defencemen, and two goalies. Unlike past years, the Canucks are leaving some of their established AHL talent at home, opting instead for a younger lineup that mixes organizational prospects with AHL signees and amateur invites.

Let’s check in to see who they’ve invited out.

Forwards

Affiliated Prospects

Vilmer Alriksson

Team: Abbotsford Canucks | Position: LW | Height: 6’6 | Weight: 214 | Shoots: Left | Age: 20 | Hometown: Enebyberg, Sweden

The towering Swede is about to embark on his first professional campaign, fighting for a spot among the Abbotsford Canucks’ lineup. In addition to co-leading last year’s Young Stars event, Alriksson dropped the gloves in a Vancouver pre-season game to showcase his range as a young player. We’re anticipating much of the same buzz this time around.

Over two OHL seasons split between the Guelph Storm and Brampton Steelheads, he contributed 86 points (32 goals, 36 assists) and 68 penalty minutes across 110 games.

Josh Bloom

Team: Abbotsford Canucks | Position: LW | Height: 6’2 | Weight: 183 | Shoots: Left | Age: 22 | Hometown: Oakville, Ontario

After a bounce-back season, albeit in the ECHL, Josh Bloom will look to take this prospect showcase as an opportunity to stand out from the crowd and show that he’s worth an extended contract after this season.

He finished third on the Kalamazoo Wings last season with 39 points (20 goals, 19 assists) in 43 games.

Jonathan Lekkerimäki

Team: Abbotsford Canucks | Position: RW | Height: 5’11 | Weight: 172 | Shoots: Right | Age: 21 | Hometown: Tullinge, Sweden

One of the weekend’s main event forwards will take the ice to bolster the Canucks’ offensive pedigree. With a full season in North America under his belt and 19 goals as a rookie in the AHL, expectations are sky-high for him to be a standout among this group as a top-line performer.
The expectation is to drive the play throughout the weekend, and nothing less.

Braeden Cootes

Team: Seattle Thunderbirds | Position: C | Height: 5’11 | Weight: 183 | Shoots: Right | Age: 18 | Hometown: Sherwood Park, Alberta

Arguably, the player who will bring in the most anticipation as the club’s newest shiny toy is Braeden Cootes. He won’t have to go far to make his Canucks debut, either.

The Seattle Thunderbirds’ captain is looking to earn himself a nine-game NHL audition and should highlight the centre group as a potential 1C among this team.

He led the T-Birds with 63 points (26 goals, 37 assists) across 60 games, and we’re excited about the potential of him being lined up next to a bona fide scorer like Jonathan Lekkerimäki.

Gabriel Chiarot

Team: Brampton Steelheads | Position: RW | Height: 5’11 | Weight: 191 | Shoots: Right | Age: 18 | Hometown: Hamilton, Ontario

The club’s latest sixth-round pick enjoyed a strong pre-season slate with his Brampton Steelheads. With seven points (three goals, four assists), he co-leads the exhibition slate in points. While typically not known for his offensive pedigree, Chiarot should enjoy a significant bump in utilization this year, with many predicting him on the team’s top line.

He’s coming off a breakout sophomore season, where he bumped his offensive numbers from 10 to 35 from his rookie year.

Kieren Dervin

Team: Kingston Frontenacs | Position: C | Height: 6’2 | Weight: 183 | Shoots: Left | Age: 18 | Hometown: Gloucester, Ontario

Kieren Dervin is about to hit his first full season with the Kingston Frontenac after spending the bulk of his draft-eligible season at the high school level. This event will be a good gauge for where his development is before he jumps into his first NHL training camp.

Riley Patterson

Team: Niagara IceDogs | Position: C/RW | Height: 6’0 | Weight: 194 | Shoots: Right | Age: 19 | Hometown: Burlington, Ontario

Riley Patterson just got traded from the Barrie Colts to the Niagara IceDogs, a move that should elevate his minutes by a decent margin. Having struggled to maintain minutes up the middle, the change of scenery should allow him to slide back into his natural position as a centre, which is music to the ears of Canucks fans.

While he could play on the wing, we envision him seeing second-line minutes up the middle behind Braeden Cootes.

He’s produced at a near point-per-game clip through his 132-game OHL career, with 121 points split evenly with 54 goals and 67 assists.

AHL invites

Ben Berard

Team: Kalamazoo Wings | Position: RW/LW | Height: 6’0 | Weight: 192 | Shoots: Left | Age: 26 | Hometown: Duncan, BC

Signed to an AHL contract, Duncan, BC’s Ben Berard was one of Kalamazoo’s top producers last season. He finished just ahead of Josh Bloom with 40 points (20 goals, 20 assists) in 47 games.

Additionally, he spent four games with Abbotsford last year, and a full 30-game slate with the Texas Stars in the 2023-24 season.

He is the oldest player invited to the weekend and will look to push himself toward a full-time role in Abbotsfrod.

Jackson Kunz

Team: Abbotsford Canucks | Position: LW/RW | Height: 6’3 | Weight: 232 | Shoots: Left | Age: 23 | Hometown: Grand Forks, North Dakota

A former fourth-round (2020) draft pick of the Vancouver Canucks, Jackson Kunz had his NHL rights expire earlier this summer after the club failed to sign him to an ELC.

He stuck around in the organization, however, signing a one-year AHL deal with the Abbotsford Canucks. After a four-year NCAA tenure, this will be our first chance to see him in game action alongside his fellow draftees.

His huge frame makes him a nightmare presence at the netfront, and he will look to put that on display and earn a role with the Abbotsford Canucks this fall.

Cooper Walker

Team: Kalamazoo Wings | Position: C | Height: 6’0 | Weight: 174 | Shoots: Right | Age: 23 | Hometown: Cambridge, Ontario

Cooper Walker has kept himself in the Canucks’ organization conversation for a few seasons now, having earned various call-ups from Kalamazoo to Abbotsford since turning pro in the 2023-24 season.

He always displays good hustle and can play a solid depth role at the minor league level when asked. A former captain on the Guelph Storm (OHL), he put up 10 points in 34 games with Abbotsford last season.

Amateur invites

Aaron Obobaifo

Team: Vancouver Giants | Position: C | Height: 5’10 | Weight: 183 | Shoots: Left | Age: 18 | Hometown: Calgary, Alberta

A 2025 draft eligible skater, Aaron Obobaifo’s season was limited to just 13 games due to a shoulder issue.

Before the injury, he burst onto the scene with 10 points in his first nine games. Although he made a quick four game return, he was eventually shutdown for the year.

When healthy, he’s considered an energetic forward with a motor that doesn’t quit. He shows smooth hands for tight finishes, which helped him pile up 154 points in just 101 games through two years at Shattuck St. Mary before being drafted 19th overall in the prospects draft and transitioning to the WHL.

Skating close to home with the Vancouver Giants, the Calgary native will re-enter the draft for a second crack at the can as a healthy contributor.

Jakob Oreskovic

Team: Vancouver Giants | Position: F | Height: 6’0 | Weight: 175 | Shoots: Left | Age: 18 | Hometown: Langley, British Columbia

The second Vancouver Giant to grab an invitation is 18-year-old Jakob Oreskovic. The Langley native is known as a two-way player with a 200-foot game.

Previously developing with the Delta Hockey Academy, he recently put up seven goals and 21 points in his second season with the hometown Giants.

Nick Poisson

Team: Free Agent | Position: F | Height: 5’11 | Weight: 190 | Shoots: Left | Age: 24 | Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia

Now 24, the Burnaby Winter Club alumni recently completed his fifth year as captain of Providence College.

Having spent all five years with the same school, he compiled 109 points (42 goals, 67 assists) and 94 penalty minutes across 170 games.

He also won a BCHL Championship with the Prince George Spruce Kings during the 2018-19 campaign.

As an older player, he’ll be playing for a training camp invite and eventual contract.

Defence

Affiliated Prospects

Parker Alcos

Team: Edmonton Oil Kings | Position: RD | Height: 6’3 | Weight: 178 | Shoots: Right | Age: 19 | Hometown: Port Moody, British Columbia

The Port Moody native hasn’t put up many numbers through his 136-game WHL career (30 points), but the 2025-26 season should see him take on a much more potent role among the Oil Kings’ blueline.

Assuming all defenders play on their natural sides, Alcos could see top-4 minutes behind Tom Willander over the weekend.

Kirill Kudryavtsev

Team: Abbotsford Canucks | Position: LD | Height: 6’0 | Weight: 201 | Shoots: Left | Age: 21 | Hometown: Yaroslavl, Russia

Considered a fan-favourite, Kirill Kudryavtsev won over the hearts of the Canucks faithful after a strong transition to the pro game as a rookie in 2024-25.

Following a 26-point, plus-18 performance in the regular season, he doubled down with 10 points and a plus-18 rating in just 21 games to help the Abby Canucks take home a Calder Cup Championship.

He’s expected to play heavy minutes, and considering the number of left handed defender’s invited, may slide over to the right-side.

Sawyer Mynio

Team: Abbotsford Canucks | Position: LD | Height: 6’1 | Weight: 172 | Shoots: Left | Age: 20 | Hometown: Kamloops, British Columbia

After a potent WHL career that saw him put up 98 points over his last 112 regular-season games split between the Seattle Thunderbirds and Calgary Hitmen, Sawyer Mynio is set to test the pro ranks.

Although stuck behind two big names on the left side, Mynio could be a name to watch from the backend. His heavy one-timer could be a huge asset to the team’s powerplay, while a penalty killing unit with Mynio, Elias Petterson and Tom Willander is an incredible nightmare for opponents infront of the net.

All three are as aggressive as they come in the defensive end.

Elias Pettersson

Team: Vancouver Canucks | Position: LD | Height: 6’2 | Weight: 185 | Shoots: Left | Age: 21 | Hometown: Vasteras, Sweden

With an opportunity to make the Vancouver team out of training camp, many questioned whether Elias Pettersson (D-Petey) would make the cut for the weekend festivities.

With him there, expect some heavy hits throughout the weekend, much like we saw in his debut at the Young Stars tournament just one year ago.

Tom Willander

Team: Abbotsford/Vancouver Canucks | Position: RD | Height: 6’1 | Weight: 179 | Shoots: Right | Age: 20 | Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden

Finally able to take part in Vancouver events, all eyes will be on Tom Willander this weekend. Considered CanucksArmy’s top prospect, there is a real chance that the smooth-skating Swede pushes through and earns a roster spot in Vancouver out of camp.

After a two-year tenure with Boston University, he put up 49 points (six goals, 43 assists) across 77 games, while posting an impressive plus-47 rating as a top-4 presence.

No matter the situation, we’re expecting big things from the right-shot defender.

AHL invites

Joe Arntsen
Team: Abbotsford Canucks/Kalamazoo Wings | Position: LD | Height: 6’3 | Weight: 203 | Shoots: Left | Age: 22 | Hometown: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

We saw Joe Arntsen a few times in the 2024-25 season, and it was always met with truculence. He never looked out of place at the AHL level, and should be considered a go-to call-up option for the team in a pinch.

Amateur invites

Zach Sandhu

Team: Oshawa Generals | Position: LD | Height: 6’2 | Weight: 195 | Shoots: Left | Age: 19 | Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

Now with the Oshawa Generals after a trade from the Guelph Storm, Zach Sandhu enjoyed a breakout season in 2024-25. With a previous high of 10, the Ontario native posted 24 points and led the team with 92 penalty minutes through 64 games.

Known as a heavy hitting defensive defender, Sandhu clearly left an impression after being invited to the Canucks’ summer Development Camp.

Xander Velliaris

Team: Saginaw Spirit | Position: LD | Height: 6’3 | Weight: 205 | Shoots: Left | Age: 18 | Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

Also coming in as a previous Development Camp invitee is Xander Velliaris, who also plays in the OHL with the Saginaw Spirit. Considered to be a smooth skating defender, he brings a little ore offensive pedigree than Sandhu, and will look to make a lasting impression after being recently passed on at the 2025 entry-draft.

Goaltenders

With just two goaltenders seeing an invitation, we should see full game efforts from each netminder.

Aku Koskenvuo

Team: Kalamazoo Wings | Position: G | Height: 6’4 | Weight: 174 | Catches: Left | Age: 22 | Hometown: Espoo, Finland

Despite being in the system since 2021, his commitment to Harvard has kept him from participating in team events. This weekend, he should see one of the two games.

With a crowded crease in Abbotsford, we anticipate him to see the bulk of his starts in Kalamazoo, mimicking Ty Young’s deployment from the 2024-25 season.

He posted a 14-16-5 record, 2.91 goals against average, .905 save percentage and three shutouts across 39 games over the last three seasons.

Aleksei Medvedev

Team: London Knights | Position: G | Height: 6’2 | Weight: 178 | Catches: Left | Age: 18 | Hometown: St. Petersburg, Russia

The organization’s latest second-round draft pick, Aleksei Medvedev, enters his first team event with high expectations. The Russian netminder is expected to take the reins as the starter for the consistently strong London Knights and we’re hoping for a big game out of him this weekend.

He turned 18 on September 10th, the day of this writing, so the runway with his development is a long one.

From blue-chip names like Tom Willander and Jonathan Lekkerimäki to fresh junior talent in Braeden Cootes, Gabriel Chiarot, and Aleksei Medvedev, the weekend should provide ample entertainment to officially kick off the 2025-26 hockey season.

With a younger roster and fewer veteran AHLers, there’s an opportunity for prospects and invites to leave a strong impression as the next wave of Canucks talent continues to take shape.

We will have full coverage of the event here at CanucksArmy, so make sure to check back throughout the weekend.