Photo credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Braeden Cootes just gave Adam Foote and the Canucks another reason to watch Friday night in Prince Albert.
The Vancouver first-rounder isn’t tiptoeing into these playoffs. He said Prince Albert wants «to win it all,» and that tells you exactly where this story starts.
That kind of line lands because the Raiders backed it up all season. They finished 52-10-5-1 and grabbed the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
Prince Albert opens Friday at home against Red Deer, and the gap on paper is massive. The Rebels went 26-36-4-2 and finished 52 points behind the Raiders.
Still, this matchup isn’t as clean as the standings make it look. Red Deer split the 4 regular-season meetings and took the last 2, including a 4-3 win in Prince Albert on March 3.
That’s why Cootes’ quote matters. It isn’t empty playoff talk when the other side already showed it can drag this series into a trench game.
Prince Albert also knows what this road can look like. The franchise swept Red Deer in the opening round in 2019 and rode that spring all the way to a WHL title.
Cootes gives Prince Albert the edge it chased
Cootes was the final swing. Prince Albert paid a steep price before the January 8 deadline to get him from Seattle, and the move was made for moments exactly like this.
Since the trade, he has given them 14 goals and 40 points in 28 games. He also closed the regular season with 12 points in his last 5, which is the kind of heater that changes a series fast.
The bigger detail is how complete the fit looks. Curtis Hunt said Cootes makes a big difference in the lineup, and that tracks with the player Vancouver saw at camp and in his 3 NHL games.
Prince Albert wasn’t shopping for help just to fill out its top six. This team already scored 310 goals and allowed only 165, so the push for Cootes was about adding another driver who can handle pressure.
That’s where his edge shows up. He wore the captain’s C in Seattle, captained Canada at the 2025 Under-18 worlds, and now walks into the playoffs talking like a player who expects the room to follow.
He also missed 3 games earlier this month with an undisclosed injury, then came back rolling. Hunt even suggested the time off may have helped reset him before the puck drops on Round 1.
For the Canucks, this is the development track you want to see. Foote’s staff can watch a first-round pick step into a loaded contender, embrace the heat, and make sure the standard in Prince Albert stays sky high.
Previously on Vancouver Hockey Daily
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Canucks prospect Braeden Cootes sends strong title message before Raiders opener
Will Braeden Cootes lead Prince Albert to the WHL final ?