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The Vancouver Canucks are starting to build a strong prospect pool. Whether through the draft, trade or free agency, there are quite a few prospects who could make an impact at the NHL level sooner rather than later. Here is a look at the top ten prospects in Vancouver's system heading into the 2025-26 season

*Note: To qualify for this list, players must be 23 or under and have played fewer than 25 combined NHL regular-season and postseason games. Players are ranked based on age, position, potential, and overall performance during the 2024-25 season.

Honourable Mention: Riley Patterson- Niagara IceDogs, OHL

C, 6'0", 192 lbs- 125th Overall in 2024

After two seasons with the Barrie Colts, Riley Patterson was traded to the Niagara IceDogs in search of a new start. The trade is already looking like it will benefit the 19-year-old, as he will get an opportunity to play more at center rather than on the wing. With Patterson projected also to get significant time on the power play, it is possible that he records his first point-per-game season in the OHL this year. 

10. Anthony Romani- Michigan State University, NCAA

C, 6'0", 185 lbs- 162nd Overall in 2024

Anthony Romani is headed to the NCAA next season to join Michigan State. With a stacked roster, it is unclear what the 20-year-old's ice time will look like, which means he could be a bottom-six player for the majority of the year. The hope is that playing against older competition will help Romani's development and make it an easier transition when he eventually moves to the AHL. 

9. Wilson Björck- Colorado College, NCAA

C, 6'0", 165 lbs- 143rd Overall in 2025

The first player from the 2025 NHL Entry Draft featured on this list is Wilson Björck. The 19-year-old was a standout at Canucks development camp and is on the radar for Sweden's 2026 World Juniors team. Björck's development this season will be something to keep an eye on, as he is leaving the J20 Nationell and joining the NCAA. 

8. Ty Mueller, Abbotsford Canucks, AHL

C, 5'11", 185 lbs- 105th Overall in 2023

Ty Mueller is one of Vancouver's more intriguing prospects for the 2025-26 season. The 22-year-old made his NHL debut in 2024-25 and was a key member of the Abbotsford Canucks Calder Cup championship last year. If Mueller has a strong start to the season, he could be one of the first players called up if injuries occur. 

Vancouver Canucks Top 10 Prospects: Pre-2025 NHL Entry Draft EditionThe Vancouver Canucks are starting to build a strong prospect pool. Whether through the draft, trade or free agency, there are quite a few prospects who could make an impact at the NHL level sooner rather than later. Here is a look at the top ten prospects in Vancouver's system heading into the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. 

7. Sawyer Mynio- Abbotsford Canucks, AHL

LD, 6'1", 173 lbs- 89th Overall in 2023

After a successful WHL career, Sawyer Mynio looks ready to make the jump to the AHL. Based on Abbotsford's 2025-26 roster, the 20-year-old may play most of the season lower down the lineup, but should get some time on the penalty kill. Mynio should also get some games in the pre-season, as it is clear the Canucks have big plans for him in the future.  

6. Alexei Medvedev- London Knights, OHL

G, 6'2", 178 lbs- 47th Overall in 2025

At the 2025 draft, Vancouver jumped at the opportunity to select goaltender Alexei Medvedev of the London Knights. The 17-year-old had a strong regular season, posting a 22-8-2 record with three shutouts as a backup. Now that Medvedev is the starter, the question is, can he lead London back to the Memorial Cup for the third straight year? 

5. Ty Young- Abbotsford Canucks, AHL

G, 6'3", 181 lbs- 144th Overall in 2022

After a strong rookie campaign, Ty Young enters the year as the projected backup for Abbotsford. The 20-year-old looked strong in limited action at the AHL level last season, and could get extended time as a starter if injuries occur in Vancouver. Ultimately, Young will be a player to watch at training camp and should get some game action in this year's pre-season. 

4. Kirill Kudryavtsev- Abbotsford Canucks, AHL

LD, 5'11", 200 lbs- 208th Overall in 2022

Kirill Kudryavtsev has developed into a draft-day steal for the Canucks. The 21-year-old made his NHL debut last season and was one of Abbotsford's most-used defensemen in the playoffs. While the Canucks do have some depth on the blue line, it would be shocking if Kudryavtsev does not receive a call-up sometime during the year. 

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3. Braeden Cootes- Seattle Thunderbirds, WHL

C, 5'11", 183 lbs- 15th Overall in 2025

With their first-round pick in the 2025 draft, Vancouver selected Seattle Thunderbirds captain Braden Cootes. The 18-year-old is a two-way center who is also one of the most completive players in the WHL. If Cootes can continue to develop as he did last year, it shouldn't be long before he finds himself a permanent spot in the Canucks middle-six.  

2. Jonathan Lekkerimäki- Vancouver Canucks, NHL

RW, 5'11", 172 lbs- 15th Overall in 2022

All eyes will be on Jonathan Lekkerimäki this year as he looks to secure a full-time spot in Vancouver. The 21-year-old did play 24 games in the NHL last season, but spent part of the year being called up and sent down to the AHL. Ultimately, training camp and the pre-season will be crucial for Lekkerimäki as he will be competing with a handful of other players for spots on the main roster. 

1. Tom Willander- Vancouver Canucks, NHL

RD, 6'1", 180 lbs- 11th Overall in 2023

After a successful career in the NCAA, Tom Willander is ready to make the jump to the NHL. While he may start the year in the AHL, the 20-year-old has the potential to be a top-four defenceman at the NHL level. Regardless of where he starts the season, it will not be surprising if Willander is a full-time NHLer heading into the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News 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.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have 37 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #37. 

Let's take a look.

Mattias Timander - 2001-02 - Timander was drafted in the 9th round of the 1992 NHL Draft by the Boston Bruins. 

Timander was taken by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft. After playing for the Jackets during their first two years of existence, he was traded to the New York Islanders in 2002. He finished his CBJ career by playing in 154 games and totaling 22 points. 

When the lock out of 2004-05 happened, Timander left for his home country of Sweden, where he played until he retired in May of 2013. 

Darrel Scoville - 2003-04 - Scoville was undrafted out of Swift Current, Saskatchewan.

Scoville played in 10 games as a Blue Jacket during the 03-04 season and had 1 point. He spent the majority of his time playing for the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. 

He left for Europe in 2005 and played the next five seasons in Poland. He then left and played a single season in Italy before retiring in 2011. 

Joe Motzko - 2006-07 - Motzko was undrafted out of Bemidji, Minnesota.

After playing four years at St. Cloud St. University, the Columbus Blue Jackets signed Motzko. He would go on to play a total of 11 games for Columbus and total one point. He spent the majority of his time playing for the Syracuse Crunch, where he had back-to-back 60-point-plus seasons. 

On January 26, 2007, He was traded by the Blue Jackets along with Mark Hartigan to the Anaheim Ducks for Curtis Glencross and Zenon Konopka. 

In 2009, he would leave for Europe and play six seasons before retiring in 2016. He played in Germany, Poland, and Italy. 

Darcy Campbell - 2007 - Campbell was undrafted out of Airdrie, Alberta.

Campbell was signed as a free agent with the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 19, 2007, and made his NHL debut on March 30th. That would be the only NHL game Campbell would play in. 

On January 22, 2008, Campbell was traded to the Colorado Avalanche for Mark Rycroft. He would never play in another NHL game after leaving Columbus. From there, he would play in the AHL, ECHL, CHL, Finland, Czechia, Germany, and Italy. 

He retired in 2014. 

Sean Collins - 2015 - Collins was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets 7th round of the 2008 NHL Draft. 

After Collins left Cornell University, he would spend the next three seasons playing for the AHL's Springfield Falcons. He got called up by Columbus a few times, totaling 19 games and three points. 

On July 1, 2015, Collins left the Blue Jackets as a free agent and signed a one-year contract with the Washington Capitals. 

In 2016, Collins left for Europe, where he's played ever since. He's played in the KHL, DEL, LIIGA, Switzerland, and the last three seasons in Austria. He is signed on to play his third season for Black Wings Linz in the ICEHL in Austria. 

Markus Hännikäinen - 2018-19 - Hännikäinen was undrafted out of Helsinki, Finland. 

Hännikäinen had signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 20, 2015. Over parts of four seasons, he played in 91 games for Columbus and had 15 points, which included 8 goals. He spent most of his time playing for the Lake Erie/Cleveland Monsters.

In February of 2020, Hännikäinen was traded by Blue Jackets to the Arizona Coyotes, ending his time with Columbus. 

Hännikäinen left for his native Finland when the COVID pandemic hit and never returned. He's played in the KHL(Finland), DEL, SHL, and is signed with HC Litvínov in Czechia for 2025-26. 

Cameron Butler - 2024 - Butler was undrafted out of Ottawa, Ontario. 

Butler signed an ATO with the Cleveland Monsters late in the season of 22-23. On March 16, 2023, he signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

He played in one career NHL game for the CBJ. In that game, he only played 54 seconds due to him arriving at the game just minutes before the start of the game after being called up from Cleveland due to a late Boone Jenner scratch. 

He spent most of his time playing for the Monsters. After playing 37 games in 2024-25, Butler was traded to the Minnesota Wild on June 26, 2025, for ex-Monster Brendan Guance. 

With 37 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena, the anticipation for the season is in full swing. Take a look at the schedule of events below.

Blue Jackets Participate in 2025 Prospects Challenge in Buffalo

The Blue Jackets will take part in the Prospects Challenge in Buffalo from Thursday, Sept. 11 to Sunday, Sept. 14. They’ll play three games and have one day off.

The schedule looks like this:

Thursday, Sept. 11 7 p.m. vs. New Jersey Devils

Friday, Sept. 12 `No Game Scheduled

Saturday, Sept. 13 7 p.m. at Buffalo Sabres

Sunday, Sept. 14 3:30 p.m. at Pittsburgh Penguins

This will be the second year Columbus has participated in the Prospects Challenge. Before that, they played in the NHL Prospect Tournament in Traverse City. As for the roster, it won’t be released until closer to the tournament.

Blue Jackets’ 2025-26 Training Camp and Pre-Season

Next up is training camp, which kicks off on Wednesday, Sept. 18. Camp will run until the pre-season begins and then transition directly into the full pre-season schedule. Here’s what the Blue Jackets have lined up so far.

After the first few days of camp, most rookies who received an invite will be cut and sent back to their junior teams. From there, the cuts will come more often as pre-season play gets underway.

The pre-season schedule is as follows:

Sunday, Sept. 21 vs. St. Louis Blues, 5 p.m. ET

Monday, Sept. 22 vs. Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m. ET

Tuesday, Sept. 23 at Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m. ET

Wednesday, Sept. 24 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m. ET

Saturday, Sept. 27 at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m. ET

Tuesday, Sept. 30 vs. Washington Capitals, 7 p.m. ET

Saturday, Oct. 4 at Washington Capitals, 7 p.m. ET

* Games in bold are home games * 

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Podcast Makes Pledge To Donate To Gaudreau Family 5KFans around the world are trying to make sure that after one year later, the legacies of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau continue to live on.  Columbus Clippers Wear Special Blue Jackets Jersey In Triple-A Baseball GameLast night, the Cleveland Guardians' Triple-A affiliate, the Columbus Clippers, wore special Columbus Blue Jackets jerseys for a special CBJ Season Ticket Holder Event.  Blue Jackets Announce Fan Events For 25th Anniversary SeasonThe Columbus Blue Jackets have announced a series of fan events and community givebacks as part of their 25th anniversary season.

Nobody was shocked Friday afternoon when the Montreal Canadiens announced they had traded Carey Price’s contract and a fifth-round pick to the San Jose Sharks for right-shot defenseman Gannon Laroque. Price was expected to move after the final signing bonus of his eight-year, $10.5 M AAV contract was paid off on September 1.

Despite GM Kent Hughes saying the Habs didn’t need to trade the winningest goaltender in franchise history, it was only a matter of time before he pulled the trigger. The Canadiens had to get compliant before the start of the season, and while putting the netminder on LTIR would have done the trick, it wouldn’t have been excellent cap management.

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By getting rid of the legendary goaltender’s contract, Hughes gave himself some room under the cap, the Canadiens now have just over $4.5 M to spend. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they will, but they do have the option.

The Habs brass made no secret of the fact that they would have liked to find a second-line center on the trade market this offseason, and obviously, it didn’t happen. As we’ve heard so many times in the Marc Bergevin era, trading for a center is hard. Hughes has done it a few times already, acquiring Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook, but neither has panned out at a pivot yet.

The truth of the matter is, they will not get an impact second-line center with that kind of cap hit. In fact, former Hab Christian Dvorak had a $4.45 M cap hit, and he was never a second-line center for Montreal. Of course, if they find a trade partner who’s looking for wingers or defensemen, a trade could be done that would result in having more cap to dedicate to the center.

It’s impossible not to state at this point that Mason McTavish remains unsigned in Anaheim, and if the situation carries on for much longer, perhaps Ducks GM Pat Verbeek will be looking for a trade partner.

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Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.  

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The hockey world is mourning a hockey legend as former Montreal Canadiens goaltender Ken Dryden has passed away at age 78 following a battle with cancer.

The Canadiens revealed the news in a press release late Friday. Dryden’s entire hockey-playing NHL career spanned from 1971-1979, helping lead the franchise to six Stanley Cups. The goaltender also played a pivotal role for Canada in net against the USSR in the 1972 Summit Series.

"Ken Dryden was an exceptional athlete, but he was also an exceptional man. Behind the mask, he was larger than life. We mourn today not only the loss of the cornerstone of one of hockey’s greatest dynasties but also a family man, a thoughtful citizen, and a gentleman who deeply impacted our lives and communities across generations. He was one of the true legends that helped shape this Club into what it is today”, Geoff Molson, Owner and President of the Montreal Canadiens said in a statement. “Ken embodied the best of everything the Montreal Canadiens are about, and his legacy within our society transcends our sport. On behalf of the Molson family and our entire organization, I would like to extend my most heartfelt condolences to his family, his friends, and all who had the privilege to cross his path and know him on a personal level.”

Dryden served as President of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1997-2004 in what has been seen as their most successful period of hockey in recent times. During that period, he hired Pat Quinn to coach the club. He also spearheaded Toronto’s move to the Eastern Conference in 1999.

Beyond hockey, Dryden pursued a law degree from McGill University. He became a best-selling author, writing several books, including ‘The Game’. And served as a Member of Parliament from 2004-2011 in the federal government.

In the release, the Canadiens state that the Dryden family is requesting privacy at this time. At their suggestion, those wishing to honor Ken’s memory are encouraged to make a donation to the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, or the Concussion Legacy Foundation.

We at The Hockey News Toronto extend our condolences to Ken’s family and friends at this time.

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On a day when the Montreal Canadiens’ fan base was reminded that nothing is eternal when GM Kent Hughes traded Carey Price (or his contract), the face of the franchise for much of the 21st century, the organization also had to announce the passing of another goaltender, the legendary Ken Dryden, after a battle with cancer.

As good and dominant as the Canadiens were in the 1970s, that dynasty wouldn’t have happened without Dryden. The 6-foot-4 netminder was a giant both literally and figuratively on the ice; his poise and unflappable demeanor drove opponents crazy. Always in control, Dryden used to wait out stoppage in play by leaning on his stick like a farmer enjoying a fresh breeze leaning on his pitchfork in a field. That's just how calm and relaxed he looked on the ice.

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A Boston Bruins draft pick at the 1964 draft, Dryden was traded to the Canadiens alongside Alex Campbell for Guy Allen and Paul Reid, two players who never made the NHL. While the Hamilton, Ontario native made the Habs wait before turning pro, opting to play three seasons with Cornell University (posting a 76-4-1 record with save percentages of .945, .938, and .936), he was very much worth the wait.

He took the league by storm when he joined the Sainte-Flanelle. After just six regular-season games, he was named the starter for the playoffs and backstopped the Canadiens to a surprise Stanley Cup in 1970-71, earning the Conn Smythe trophy in the process. The following year, he was awarded the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year, the last Montreal player to claim the title before Lane Hutson’s win last season.

After two complete seasons and another Stanley Cup, Dryden is stuck in a contractual dispute and elects to leave hockey for the first time to work in a Toronto law firm. The hiatus will only last one year before he is signed to a contract worth $150,000 per year, and he rejoins the fold. He went on to play five more seasons, winning the Cup in his last four.

At just 31 years old, the goaltender shocks the hockey world by retiring. While some enjoy being at the top of their game and dominating a sport for years, Dryden was craving a new challenge and decided he had played enough. He retired with a 258-57-74 record, a 2.24 goals-against average, and a .922 SV. Although very short, his career was simply remarkable, getting 258 wins in just 397 games is already quite an achievement, but winning six Stanley Cups and a myriad of other Trophies in just seven complete seasons is extraordinary.

After hanging up his pads, he worked in various fields, commentating on hockey at the 1980, 1984, and 1988 Olympics. He was the color commentator when Team USA accomplished its “Miracle on Ice” in 1980. He also wrote numerous books, including The Game, which is widely recognized as the best hockey book ever written. Through his books, he also became an advocate for change in the game in light of the seriousness of head injuries; his book Game Change: The Life and Death of Steve Montador and the Future of Hockey is a masterpiece that must be read at least once.

In 1997, he was named president of the Toronto Maple Leafs, but the role was eventually abolished, and he departed his new functions to enter politics. A Liberal party MP, he was eventually named Minister of Social Development and stayed on until he was unseated at the 2011 federal elections.

A great athlete and an even greater mind, Dryden will remain in our memories as a man who loved to excel in all aspects of life and will forever be an inspiration to those who crave to make an impact in more than just one field. I was honoured to speak to him last season when the Canadiens paid tribute to their dominant '70s team, and I experienced firsthand just how imposing a presence he was. Thank you for inspiring us all to aim for greatness, Mr. Dryden. You will be sorely missed.

Former Canadiens Dryden On Head Injuries And The PreseasonThere was hockey royalty at the Bell Centre tonight as members of the Montreal Canadiens’ dynasty from the 1970s were in attendance for a pre-game ceremony and I had the opportunity to speak to Ken Dryden.

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Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.  

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.

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