The Canucks switched up their line combinations and defensive pairings on their final day of 2026 Training Camp.
PENTICTON — The Vancouver Canucks’ 2026 Training Camp has officially concluded.
A total of 57 players were invited to Vancouver’s camp, with this weekend’s roster ranging from Canucks newcomers to freshly-drafted prospects.
Only a handful of players weren’t able to fully participate in the practices throughout the duration of camp, with those being goaltender Thatcher Demko, forwards Akil Thomas and Lucian Bernat, and defenceman Jack Thompson. This group primarily took part in some early skates on a different sheet of ice prior to Vancouver’s main practices, with Bernat joining Group B on the final day of camp.
Also missing from Vancouver’s training camp roster was Mackenzie MacEachern, who did not skate due to a prior injury.
The final day of camp saw the Canucks take part in a shorter skate than those they participated in during Days 1 and 2. The first group to take the ice was the group of players that stayed in Penticton on Saturday and participated in their annual scrimmage. This featured some of the team’s more veteran players such as Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, and Jake DeBrusk.
Group A’s skate began with some passing practice before transitioning into some line drills.
Of note is the fact that Brock Boeser, who had previously skated with Paul Cotter and Filip Chytil during the first two days of camp, wound up reunited with his end-of-the 2025–26-season linemates Marco Rossi and Liam Öhgren. As a result, Chytil and Cotter were paired with Brendan Gallagher, while Drew O’Connor skated with Ty Mueller and Ben Berard. This could partially be due to the fact that Max Sasson, who centered the line of himself, O’Connor, and Gallagher, played in last night’s game and was subsequently placed in Group B today.
The defence pairings also got a change-up today, with Group A featuring the following pairings: Filip Hronek and Zeev Buium, Tom Willander and Jamie Oleksiak, Elias Pettersson (D) and Luke Schenn, and Victor Mancini and Guillaume Brisebois. After Group A’s practice, Willander shared his initial thoughts of playing with Oleksiak.
“I love his game. I think he’s very skilled defensively. He’s got some moves too, but I think he’s very good at closing. Just first impressions, I think we complement each other pretty well.”
Group B hit the ice next, with this consisting of the players that travelled to Seattle to take on the Kraken in the team’s first pre-season game on Saturday. Arshdeep Bains, Braeden Cootes, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, and more made up this group.
While Group A saw a fair number of changes to their lines and D-pairings, Group B stuck to the same forward units that were iced during Saturday’s pre-season game. The only difference was the addition of the line of Brooks Rogowski, Austin Brimmer, and Garbiel Chiarot, with Bernat alternating between the three while on the wing.
Vancouver Canucks 2026 Training Camp at the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton. (Photo Credit: Adam Kierszenblat - THN)Like Group A, Group B’s defensive pairings saw a bit of change-up from the day before. Today’s D-pairings resembled what may be closer to Abbotsford’s D-core come the start of the regular season, featuring the pairs of Sawyer Mynio and Kirill Kudryavtsev, Tim Rego and Jimmy Schuldt, Joe Arntsen and Cole Clayton, and Isaac Belliveau and Gavin White.
Aside from some forward substitutions between Group A and Group B, Vancouver’s opening-night roster looks as though it’s beginning to take shape to cap off an efficient four days of camp in Penticton. Canucks General Manager Ryan Johnson noted that Vancouver will be making decisions with their junior players, in regards to roster cuts, shortly.
"Those are decisions I've got to sit with our staff [with]. I think I've got an idea of of what we're going to do with even the next game coming up, but still some decisions and things to talk to."
With another training camp officially in the books, the Canucks will now work to make their first rounds of roster cuts. They will also take part in their second pre-season game of the year on Tuesday, September 22, when they face the Calgary Flames.
“I think [it’s been] just a good four days,” Willander added. “Just kind of get it going, get a feel for everything, touching the systems a bit, get into that. I think it’s been very productive.”
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