After a rigorous Grouse Grind experience on Wednesday, the Vancouver Canucks prospects were back on the ice for the third and final day of Development Camp. The day started out with a split practice that lasted around an hour, followed by a combined scrimmage between the two teams. 2025 Draft picks Braeden Cootes, Kieren Dervin, and Aleksei Medvedev were on the blue team, while Wilson Björck, Gabriel Chiarot, and Matthew Lansing were on team white. 

“So many good guys to work with,” Canucks development coach Mikael Samuelsson said of the effort during the scrimmage. “It was definitely a good effort, and they tried their best. It’s good to see.” 

Vancouver’s fifth-round selection in 2025, Björck, described camp and the scrimmage as “a lot of fun,” noting that he learned a lot of new stuff throughout. Being a recent draftee from this year, this was Björck’s first prospect camp, meaning that a lot of the things they did were new experiences for him. 

“I didn’t get to forecheck a lot,” he joked about the scrimmage. “But a lot of skill sessions, new stuff, and the Sedins taught me a lot. So everybody felt it was useful.” 

Another semi-new thing about prospect camp for Björck was the rink size. International ice differs from the standard North American-sized rink, as those used in the NHL are more compact in terms of width when skating up ice. Despite playing on a North American-sized rink with Sweden earlier in the year, Björck insists that the size is still “very new” to him.   

This season’s prospect camp was run by a crop of talented former NHLers who have now stepped into development roles with the Canucks organization. Players such as Daniel and Henrik Sedin headlined the star-studded list of coaches. As a fan, and now as a player, Björck noted that having them as mentors this week was “super cool.

“The Sedins have always been idols for me, so to be close to them and get some feedback from them has been super cool.” 

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Swedish players have been a constant within the organization, with each prominent Canucks era including at least one or two big names. Vancouver has selected at least one Swedish player in every NHL Entry Draft since 2019, with names such as Nils Höglander, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, and Tom Willander being some of the most prominent. Being named to an organization with such a rich history of Swedish players is something that isn’t lost on Björck, who was the team’s only Swede drafted in 2025. 

“Again, super cool. To be a part of something that has a long history, and to be a part of something that a lot of Swedes have gone through, just super cool, and I’m super excited.” 

Following the trend of Swedish influence on the organization is Samuelsson who, along with his status as a coach, is also a former Canuck. As one of the key mentors in this week’s camp, he got a front-row seat to how each prospect plays. 

“It’s like a new excitement, I would say. And I really think that coming in, I can have hands on and be so close to all the guys and try to develop them,” he said after Thursday’s scrimmage. “It’s just a glimpse of details and what you can teach them in a short amount of time. But it’s so exciting to be a part of.” 

This year’s group of prospects was a mix of newly-drafted players, first-time camp invitees, and prospects who have been with the organization for a couple of seasons. Despite some of the players having gone through the process already, Samuelsson noted that he can tell the difference in how the more senior players interact. 

“They’re coming in and being more into the groove a little bit, and know what to expect. You can see that on there, they’re a little more relaxed, little more laughs. They’re taking steps on the mental side of it too.” 

The end of the Canucks’ prospect camp marks the start of the 2025 off-season, with the team’s main players having been signed to contracts and members heading out of town for a two-month break. Vancouver’s prospects will reconvene at the end of the off-season and at the start of their prospect showcase at the start of September. 

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