With the 2026 World Juniors less than a week away, teams are starting to finalize their rosters for the tournament. The Vancouver Canucks should have a few representatives at the event, which included 2025 first-round pick Braeden Cootes. While the Canadians have not officially name their roster, Cootes survived the round of cuts and will most likely be part of the squad this year. Based on practice lines, Cootes is set to play in Canada's bottom-six at the 2026 World Juniors [http://thn.com/international]. On Friday, he was seen centering a line with Liam Greentree and Sam O'Reilly. During Canada's first pre-tournament game, Cootes played on the wing and was also featured on the first power play unit. Once his selection becomes official, Cootes will be the 45th Canucks draft pick to play for Canada at the World Juniors. The last player to represent Canada was Cootes' former Seattle Thunderbirds [http://thn.com/whl] teammate Sawyer Mynio, who played in the 2025 tournament. Other Vancouver draft picks to make the team over the last 20 years include Michael DiPietro, Jonah Gadjovich, Jake Virtanen, Bo Horvat, Cody Hodgson and Luc Bourdon. Cootes has had a strong start to the season. Since being sent back to the WHL, the 18-year-old has 10 goals and 23 points in 17 games. Cootes has also won 56.9 while wearing the "C" for Seattle. Oct 9, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Braeden Cootes (80) during a stop in play against the Calgary Flames in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/62a06afd-91a8-44f5-94f8-4dd130059545.jpeg] Oct 9, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Braeden Cootes (80) during a stop in play against the Calgary Flames in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images Canada will kick off the 2026 World Juniors on December 26 against Czechia. Cootes will not play face fellow Canucks prospects Basile Sansonnens (Switzerland) or Wilson Björck (Sweden) in the preliminary stage. All games of the tournament will be broadcast by TSN. Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwr-DfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks]. Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks/]: Two Timelines, One Organization: What Age Data Reveals About the Canucks’ Present and Future [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks/players/two-timelines-one-organization-what-age-data-reveals-about-the-canucks-present-and-future] 31 Special Theme Nights Coming To Vancouver And Abbotsford In 2026 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks/latest-news/31-special-theme-nights-coming-to-vancouver-and-abbotsford-in-2026] Canucks Closing In On 2025-26 Holiday Roster Freeze [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks/latest-news/canucks-closing-in-on-2025-26-holiday-roster-freeze] For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription?_gl=1*2wkl6c*_ga*MTk0NDM0Mzk0OS4xNzQ2MjQ0ODA2*_ga_ZET34ZFCGX*czE3NjYwMTY0NTkkbzg5MiRnMSR0MTc2NjAxNzY0NiRqNDIkbDAkaDA.]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum. The Hockey News [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/eb30d230-47fc-41a6-b8e3-32b638021ea3.jpeg] The Hockey News
