PHOTOS: Vancouver Canucks draftees get first taste of action at Abbotsford camp

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The public got its first look at the new class of Vancouver Canucks in action on Thursday (July 2) as the team held a three-on-three scrimmage at Rogers Forum.

The mini tournament capped off a development camp in Abbotsford, which included 25 players hoping to skate for the Canucks in the upcoming season.

Included among the group was the third overall pick of the 2026 NHL Draft, Caleb Malhotra, who is also the son of new Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra.

In addition to running various shooting, skating, and puck-handling drills, the players also got to participate in some teambuilding exercises, such as white-water rafting and hiking the Grouse Grind.

After the three-on-three tournament, Caleb Malhotra said he found the entire week to be a very enjoyable experience both on and off the ice.

“It’s been a lot of fun meeting a lot of new guys and talking with them about their journeys and learning about them,” said Malhotra.

The 18-year-old forward has already managed to make an impression with the team, netting two goals in the tournament, which were met with enthusiastic applause from the several hundred fans in attendance.

Fellow first-round draft pick, Adam Novotný, also found the back of the net in the scrimmage, despite some impressive performances from the three goalies in attendance.

But one of the biggest stars on the ice on Thursday was Braeden Cootes, who was a first-round pick in last year’s draft and put his skills on display by scoring four goals in the scrimmage.

While the Canucks have now wrapped up their development camp, general manager Ryan Johnson said there’s still a lot of stuff to do in order to get the team ready for the new season.

“By no means am I content that we’ve done this and this is enough. That’s certainly not the case,” said Johnson.

“I will continue to listen, continue to look at opportunities and options, but I’m happy for the staff and people who did a lot of work. I said it would be a quick sprint when I took over, and we haven’t stopped running and don’t plan on doing that anytime soon.”