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Scenes from practice: Cootes slides to 3C, Räty to the wing as Canucks skate at UBC

Originally posted on Canucksarmy | By Jeff Paterson | Last updated Oct 2, 2025 6:35 PM ET

There was plenty of line-up movement as the Vancouver Canucks practiced at UBC on Thursday morning. There may have been more than a few clues about what the team is thinking as it moves towards Monday’s 2pm PT deadline to set its season opening roster.

What we saw

After taking a personal day on Tuesday, Thatcher Demko was back on the ice with his teammates and was a full participant in the 40 minute workout. Derek Forbort, who saw just one shift in the third period of Wednesday’s 8-1 blowout win in Calgary, was given the day off as part of a load management plan for the veteran defenceman. Fellow blueliner P-O Joseph suffered a minor groin strain at practice on Tuesday and was not on the ice today. Nils Aman was shifted to defence to give the team eight blueliners for today’s practice.

Other developments included rookie Braeden Cootes moving to the team’s third line between Drew O’Connor and Kiefer Sherwood while Aatu Räty slid to left wing on a line with Teddy Blueger and Jonathan Lekkerimäki. The Abbotsford trio of Max Sasson, Arshdeep Bains and Linus Karlsson skated together on what appeared to be an extra line during drills.

Thursday #Canucks practice lines

DeBrusk. EP40. Boeser.
Kane. Chytil. Garland.
O’Connor. Cootes. Sherwood.
Räty. Blueger. Lekkerimäki.
Bains. Sasson. Karlsson.

Hughes. Hronek.
MP29. Myers.
EP25. Willander.
Åman. Mancini.

Demko.
Lankinen.
Tolopilo.@Sportsnet650 pic.twitter.com/LHLrNvcu4W

— Brendan Batchelor (@BatchHockey) October 2, 2025

The Canucks devoted a portion of practice to full ice three-on-three play which hasn’t been part of the program in recent years. Of course, the team struggled in three-on-three overtime last season going 7-12 in games decided in OT.

Following practice head coach Adam Foote said he planned to dress a fairly full NHL line-up for the team’s preseason finale on Friday against Edmonton. He said Forbort would not play in that game, but otherwise he suggested he’d be going with most of his veteran players. He also confirmed that Thatcher Demko would get the start in goal.

What we heard

Adam Foote on resting Derek Forbort late last night again today: “We’re managing him. I mean 8-1. He had some tweaks during training camp. My main concern for him is playing the home opener, right? He’s a great penalty killer. We don’t want to push that. He won’t play tomorrow night. We’ll make sure he gets extra days. I thought maybe in camp we brought him back one day too soon. I just want to make sure that he’s clear.

Adam Foote on P-O Joseph’s absence from practice: “He’s got a groin issue that happened in the previous practice late in the last drill. Just a tweak. He can’t go for us right now.”

Aatu Räty on how he evaluates his own play during NHL preseason: “Four games now, not having given up any goals against, I think that’s the big thing. Obviously trying to be solid in the D zone and trying not to give up anything against. (Offensively) you can have a bad game and then have a shot go in, so you can’t really be all about that. But it’s good to be scoring. I’ve had some good shots. But I think I’m most happy about not giving anything against.”

Elias Pettersson on finding his form with the one-timer power play goal in Calgary: “It felt good. Good set up by Quinn and Garly. When Quinn skates in like that, fakes, shoots and slides it over to me, I just pretty much have to hit the net. But it felt good.”