Braeden Cootes is on his way back to the WHL. The Seattle Thunderbirds captain was reassigned by the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. Cootes will most likely make his season debut on October 17th when Seattle welcomes the Prince George Cougars to the accesso ShoWare Center.

Cootes played three NHL games before being assigned to the WHL. The 2025 first-rounder averaged 10:47 of ice time while recording three hits and a blocked shot. Cootes was a standout for Vancouver during training camp and the pre-season, which is why he was on the Canucks 2025-26 opening night roster. 

Last season, Cootes stepped up at both the WHL and international level. He recorded 63 points in 60 regular-season games before posting eight during his six playoff performances. After his campaign was complete, Cootes represented Canada at the U18s, where he captured a Gold Medal while wearing the "C".

Make sure you bookmark THN's WHL site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.   

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