The Vancouver Canucks open the season tonight against the same opponent as last season, the Calgary Flames. They ended up losing that game 6-5 in overtime after blowing a 4-1 lead and will look to get this season off to a better start.
Setting the Stage – Flames (1-0-0) vs. Canucks (0-0-0)
The Canucks will ice a very young team to start the season. With an average age of 26.84 years old, they open with the fifth-youngest roster in the NHL (according to Elite Prospects); Braeden Cootes is the youngest at 18, and Tyler Myers is the oldest at 35. Overall, they have 19 players under the age of 30, making this one of the youngest rosters to open a season in a very long time.
Related: Vancouver Canucks Announce 2025-26 Opening-Night Roster
This game will feature a lot of young talent, as the Flames also boast a youthful roster, with Zayne Parekh and Matvei Gridin leading the way at 19 years old and matching the Canucks’ 19 players under 30. As a result, we should see a fast, exciting 60 minutes (or more) with a lot of energy from both sides.
Last Game for the Flames: 4-3 Shootout Win Over the Oilers
The Flames are coming off an impressive comeback win over the Edmonton Oilers yesterday that saw them rally from a 3-0 deficit and prevail in the shootout thanks to Nazem Kadri’s winner. That means we likely won’t see Dustin Wolf, but Devin Cooley instead. He has never faced the Canucks in the regular season in his career, but allowed three goals on seven shots in the Flames’ 8-1 loss on Oct. 1 when he came in relief of Ivan Prosvetov.
Sickbay and Lineup News
Unfortunately, the Canucks and Flames will both open the season with injuries to some key players. The Flames won’t have Jonathan Huberdeau and Martin Pospisil in the lineup, while the Canucks will be missing Nils Hoglander, Teddy Blueger and Pierre-Olivier Joseph.
3 Storylines to Watch
Braeden Cootes & Jonathan Lekkerimaki Lead a Youthful 3rd Line
The Canucks’ youth will be featured prominently on their third line, centred by Cootes (18) and flanked by Evander Kane (34) and Jonathan Lekkerimaki (21). It’s basically a “kid line” chaperoned by their dad, Kane. The trio was very effective in the preseason, especially when it comes to the underlying stats. According to Natural Stat Trick, they out-chanced their opponent 9-4 and had a whopping 6-0 advantage in high-danger chances in 21:30 of five-on-five ice time. They also had an expected goals for percentage of 76.44.
While it’s unrealistic to expect that type of dominance in the regular season, it could also be a sign of things to come. Regardless, this line and Cootes debut in general will be one of the biggest storylines heading into tonight’s game.
Thatcher Demko Starts His First Season Opener Since 2023-24
Thatcher Demko hasn’t started a season opener since Oct. 11, 2023, when the Canucks dismantled the Edmonton Oilers 8-1. He was sidelined to start 2024-25 and didn’t return until Dec. 10 against the St. Louis Blues, but is coming in healthy this season. There was no point during training camp or the preseason where fans were concerned about his health. He looked like his old self, making highlight-reel saves and showing flashes of the Demko that was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy in 2023-24.
Just having Demko in the crease is a huge change from this time last year, when they faced this same Flames team with Arturs Silovs as the starter. No disrespect to the former Canucks goaltender, who is already off to a great start in Pittsburgh, but Demko is in another tier in the NHL. Having him ready to go for Game 1 already has the Canucks miles ahead of last season’s roster, and could be the difference between a win and a loss tonight.
Quinn Hughes Can Become Canucks’ All-Time Leader in Points By a Defenceman
Quinn Hughes is still sitting on 409 career points, tied with Alex Edler atop the leaderboard for points by a Canucks defenceman. If the preseason is any indication, he will stand alone on the summit by tomorrow morning. He needs a single point to surge ahead of him, which he should do early against the Flames – at least fans hope so. The Canucks captain appears to be in mid-season form already and believes he and his team are in a better place than last year, which could spell trouble for the rest of the league.
“I think that everyone just came with a fresh mentality, positive and happy to be here…I’d say we’re in a different place than we were last year, probably more at peace. It’s enjoyable to come to the rink right now.”
That journey starts against the Flames, a team Hughes has had a lot of success against in his career, with three goals and 22 points in 28 games.
They Said It
“As a coaching staff, we certainly feel like this group is ready…It’s not just the work ethic, it’s their attitude. They’re happy and working hard and enjoying their time at the rink. You can feel the energy and the excitement of the players on the ice. It’s palpable.” – Assistant coach Scott Young
“Thursday’s the real test. We know that it’s different from the preseason, but he’s such a mature kid off and on the ice. I think he’s level-headed; I think he doesn’t get too far ahead; I believe he’s preparing himself for the next day. It’s more about load management, [and] matchups. Those are the things that come into the coach’s decision in how to play him. In terms of skill set and how he fits in with the group, he’s been impressive up to this point.” – GM Patrik Allvin on Cootes making the team
Canucks Will Win If…
The Canucks will come away with two points if they play with the speed and determination they showed throughout the preseason. They will have to be wary about the Flames’ ability to come back in games, though. Just ask the Oilers. The Canucks have recent experience with that, too, as they only have to go back to last year’s season opener when the Flames came back from a 4-1 deficit to beat them in overtime, 6-5.
What’s Next for the Canucks?
The Canucks will head to Edmonton to face Connor McDavid and the Oilers on Saturday for the first nightcap of Hockey Night in Canada. They are, of course, licking their wounds after losing to their rivals, the Flames, in their home opener on Wednesday.