“Cootes skated for minor league teams in his hometown for most of his life, prior to joining the Seattle Thunderbirds full-time in the 2023-24 season. He quickly ascended as a leader for the Thunderbirds, as Cootes was named captain in the 2024-25 season. That made him the youngest captain in the WHL. The Sherwood Park native also captained Team Canada at the U18 World Junior Hockey Championships in 2025, where he registered six goals and 12 points in seven games.
It’s good to see that Cootes ended up playing with someone he looked up to in Debrusk. Cootes wasn’t expected to make the team in his first year after being drafted, but the 18 year old made history being the first of his age to play for the Canucks in over 30 years.