Canucks Register First Win In Final Game Of The 2026 Pre-Season, Defeating Seattle 4–3

The Vancouver Canucks concluded their 2026 pre-season with a 4–3 win over the Seattle Kraken, with the power play making a massive difference in the outcome. Brock Boeser and Zeev Buium scored on the man-advantage, while Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk found the back of the net at even-strength. Kevin Lankinen stopped 25 of 28 shots faced in the victory.  

Other than potentially slotting Aatu Räty in on the fourth-line, it appears that the lineup that skated for the Canucks tonight will be the same that will take to the ice on September 29 for Vancouver’s season-opener against the Edmonton Oilers. The only substitutions from Thursday’s game were the additions of Max Sasson, Tom Willander, and defenceman Elias Pettersson.  

While Vancouver had energy early, things got off to a rocky start after Linus Karlsson took a slashing call while battling for the puck with Kraken forward Jared McCann. With Seattle on the power-play, Brandon Montour fired a hefty shot past Lankinen from the blueline, whistling past both Paul Cotter and Luke Schenn. The Kraken scored their next goal a little over five minutes after their first. 

A holding call on Ryker Evans put Vancouver on their first power-play opportunity of the night. Despite a change to the unit’s personnel towards the end of Thursday’s game, with Buium swapping spots with Filip Hronek during the third period, Vancouver put their first-unit back together. The move paid off, as a blueline shot from Hronek bounced off the stick of Jake DeBrusk first, and then Boeser’s, before winding up behind Joey Daccord. 

The most notable change lineup-wise from Thursday was Jonathan Lekkerimäki being promoted to Vancouver’s top-line alongside Pettersson and DeBrusk, resulting in Karlsson winding up with Sasson and Drew O’Connor. 

This change-up paid off on both sides. Vancouver’s top-line scored their team’s second goal of the game off DeBrusk winning a board battle that got the puck to Lekkerimäki, who sent a pass through Kraken forward Freddie Gaudreau to Pettersson. Up in-tight on Daccord, Pettersson pulled off a slick deke to send the puck past the Kraken goaltender. 

On the third-line, Sasson, Karlsson, and O’Connor quickly established themselves as a possession machine. As a group, the trio played with a good sense of urgency, with Sasson’s speed being a notable factor in their efforts to bring the puck up-ice. Their forecheck also resulted in O’Connor drawing the penalty that ultimately led to Vancouver’s first goal of the game. This line also nearly scored what would have been the Canucks’ third goal of the game, with a shot from O’Connor beating Daccord but hitting the bar and coming out. 

Notably, the game got a little scrappy during the second period. Karlsson threw a hit on Kraken forward Matty Beniers, resulting in Jacob Melanson going after the Canuck. Defenceman Pettersson and Schenn both stepped in to defend their teammate in the ensuing chaos. On the next play, Adam Larsson knocked the glove off of Lankinen while skating past him, drawing a crowd consisting of Jamie Oleksiak and Paul Cotter to him behind Vancouver’s net. 

Vancouver’s second power-play opportunity of the game didn’t convert, but both units looked dangerous in their time on the ice. While the first unit remained the same, the Canucks’ second group featured Karlsson, Lekkerimäki, and Liam Öhgren, as well as both Willander and Buium. 

While Vancouver’s second-period effort was a strong one, Seattle still managed to retake the lead 90 seconds into the third period. By the midway point, however, momentum swung in Vancouver’s favour after back-to-back possession cycles that resulted in forward Pettersson drawing a penalty on Larsson. 

It was Vancouver’s second unit that cashed in on the third man-advantage. Buium started the play deep within the Canucks’ zone, passing it over to Willander, who spun quickly to shake the Kraken defender off before handing the puck over to Karlsson. With Buium already past the hashmarks, Karlsson sent the pass over to the defenceman, who tucked it past Daccord to tie the game. 

Tonight’s game also featured a fight. Defenceman Pettersson spilled Shane Wirght while heading back into the D-zone, after which Ryan Winterton challenged the Canuck in retaliation. Pettersson managed to take Winterton down in the ensuing fight, with Seattle ending up taking a roughing penalty on top of the fighting major and giving Vancouver their fourth man-advantage of the game. 

Vancouver’s power play continued their run of dominance into their fourth opportunity, spending an extended period of time in Seattle’s zone while moving the puck around with sharp urgency. While they ultimately didn’t score their fourth goal while on the power play, the play that led to the goal was created while the Canucks were on the man-advantage. 

At the end of the day, regardless of the result on the scoreboard, tonight's effort was an ideal one for Vancouver. Not only did the Canucks play with urgency, they also managed to generate offence and convert on their chances. 

1st Period: 

2:13 - SEA: Brandon Montour (2) from Matty Beniers and Kaapo Kakko (PPG) 

7:51 - SEA: Bobby McMann (2) from Cale Fleury and Brandon Montour 

11:15 - VAN: Brock Boeser (1) from Jake DeBrusk and Filip Hronek (PPG) 

2nd Period: 

2:31 - VAN: Elias Pettersson (1) from Jonathan Lekkerimäki and Jake DeBrusk 

3rd Period: 

1:29 - SEA: Berkly Catton (1) from Ryan Winterton and Shane Wright 

11:05 - VAN: Zeev Buium (1) from Linus Karlsson and Tom Willander (PPG) 

18:23 - VAN: Jake DeBrusk (1) from Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson  

Up Next: 

Vancouver’s next game is none-other than their 2026–27 season-opener, taking place in Edmonton against the Oilers on September 29. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT. 

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