Canucks: Who will prospect Braeden Cootes play with in the AHL?

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It looks like Vancouver Canucks prized prospect Braeden Cootes will start his AHL season between veteran Ben Berard and college free agent Bennett Schimek.

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Forward lines are always a work in progress, but that’s a trio that Abbotsford Canucks coach Ryan Papaioannou watched during practice this week in preparation for Friday’s season opener on the road versus the Calgary Wranglers.

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Abbotsford is also at Calgary on Saturday. They visit the Colorado Eagles 9-10. October and then the home opener is October 17 when they face the Coachella Valley Firebirds at Rogers Forum.

Abbotsford is expected to announce its season-opening roster Friday morning. Check out their website for ticket information.

Cootes, 19, was Vancouver’s first-round pick (No. 15 overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft. Vancouver transferred the right shooting center to Abbotsford last week. New rules allow Cootes to be a full-time regular in the AHL this season. Before this year, players under the age of 20 who did not make it to their NHL club had to be transferred to their junior team.

Cootes, originally from Sherwood Park, Alta., played in three games with Vancouver last season before being sent back to the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds.

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Berard, 27, is entering his fifth season in the minors. The Duncan native signed a one-year extension with Abbotsford last April, coming off a campaign where he led the team in goals (20) and finished second in points (37).

Schimek, 23, signed a one-year deal for 2026-2027 with Abbotsford last March after completing his senior season with the Arizona State Sun Devils, then played the rest of the campaign with Abbotsford on a professional tryout. The Mendota Heights, Minn., product had five goals and 11 points in those 13 games with Abbotsford.

Vancouver general manager Ryan Johnson has preached patience since taking over this summer. He made it clear with the announcement that Cootes was going to Abbotsford that he wants him to focus on his development this season, that he doesn’t want him bouncing back and forth between the NHL and the AHL.

“My conversation with Braeden was very complimentary of everything — how he approached it mentally, physically, how he handled everything,” Johnson told reporters. “Braeden will go to Abbotsford and — you’re going to hate me for this — but there’s no timeline.

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“For him to be able to fight through some tough situations in the American Hockey League, when you come back to a more structured and predictable NHL, you’re so much better for it. He’s 19 years old. I gave him a bunch of examples of players a year older than him who went (to the minors), had success, never got back.

Cootes didn’t record a point in his three games in Vancouver last season. Seattle dealt him to the Prince Albert Raiders at the WHL trade deadline, and he finished with 24 goals and 63 points in 45 regular season games with both teams. He added seven goals and 23 points in 24 playoff meetings with the Raiders, who lost in five games in the league finals to the Everett Silvertips.

Cootes also represented Canada at the World Junior Tournament in Minnesota, and he had two goals in seven games there.

It will be interesting to see if Vancouver loans him to Hockey Canada for this year’s tournament, which is hosted by Edmonton and Red Deer and begins on Boxing Day. Cootes attended Canada’s summer development camp in Windsor.

@SteveEwen

SEwen@postmedia.com

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