Canucks fall 4–2 to Kraken in opening of 2026 pre-season at Climate Pledge Arena

The Story

The Vancouver Canucks kicked off their 2026 pre-season campaign with a 4–2 loss to the Seattle Kraken in a meeting that reflected the early, experimental stage of training camp. Played at Climate Pledge Arena, the game saw the Canucks dress a lineup built heavily around youth, and while Vancouver had stretches of pressure—particularly late in the third period—it ultimately couldn’t close the gap against a Seattle side that capitalized on moments in transition and special teams.

Braeden Cootes and Arshdeep Bains provided the goals for Vancouver. Cootes scored twice, including the Canucks’ first goal after a long scoreless stretch, while Bains added the team’s other tally. Jonathan Lekkerimäki, one of the Canucks’ young offensive options, recorded two assists in the loss, highlighting how Vancouver’s top prospects were tasked with generating offence in a game that moved at pre-season pace and featured frequent line and role changes.

In goal, Nikita Tolopilo started for the Canucks and made 25 saves on 29 shots. The workload was a steady one throughout the night, with Seattle creating enough attempts to maintain pressure even when the Kraken weren’t scoring. Tolopilo’s save total, combined with Vancouver’s ability to keep the deficit from widening early in the third period, provided the basis for what eventually became a late push for the Canucks.

The Canucks’ roster construction was a defining feature of the opening game. Vancouver included 2025 first-round pick Cootes, 2026 first-round pick Adam Novotný, and scoring winger Lekkerimäki, while also distributing leadership letters among more experienced players. Max Sasson, Guillaume Brisebois and Bains wore the “A” for Vancouver, while the “A” also appeared on the game sheet for players viewed as key voices and stabilizers as the younger group learned roles.

Seattle struck first in the game’s early moments after Vancouver struggled to settle into execution. Jani Nyman scored the Kraken’s opening goal on the power play during the team’s second man-advantage of the contest. The goal came following a turnover from Victor Mancini that allowed Seattle to regain possession in a power-play situation and finish off the rush—an example of how quickly the Kraken were able to convert when the Canucks were caught in transition.

Just before the first period ended, Seattle extended the lead again. With only four seconds remaining in the opening frame, the Kraken took advantage of a defensive misstep by Vancouver’s unit to make it 2–0. That sequence helped set the rhythm for the remainder of the night, since Vancouver had to spend more of the second and early third periods trying to generate offence rather than controlling the game from start to finish.

In the second period, neither team managed to establish consistent scoring momentum, even as Vancouver received a power-play opportunity. Vancouver’s second power-play unit—including Sasson, Novotný, Trey Fix-Wolansky, Matthew Stienburg and Sawyer Mynio—created some notable looks, but the Canucks remained without a goal through the first two periods. Seattle also failed to score on its two-man-advantage opportunities during that span, keeping the matchup from turning into a runaway.

Seattle added to its lead less than a minute into the third period when Elias Pettersson was called for high-sticking at the end of the second. On the subsequent power play, the Kraken converted to make it 3–0, with Logan Morrison scoring. Vancouver responded by leaning harder into pressure and earned a pair of crucial opportunities, but the Canucks still had to overcome the fact that they were playing from behind for the majority of the night.

More than 50 minutes into the game, the Canucks finally found the net. Braeden Cootes scored after accepting a feed from Bains and redirecting the puck past Nikke Kokko’s shoulder. Vancouver’s next chance to change the complexion of the score came when Tolopilo was pulled at the same time Seattle received a delay-of-game penalty, setting up a 5-on-3 for just under a minute. The setup worked quickly: Cootes slid the puck over to a waiting Bains near the back door for what became Cootes’ and Vancouver’s second score.

The comeback attempt didn’t fully develop, however, because Seattle answered before the Canucks could tie the game. Jake O’Brien scored for the Kraken at 17:25, finishing off a goal off strong forechecking pressure from Seattle. Late in the third, Vancouver was unable to break out of its zone in the final minute, sealing the Kraken win by a two-goal margin.

A number of individual performances stood out in the game’s physical and development-focused context. Abbotsford Canucks captain Chase Wouters played in Vancouver’s fourth-line role with Stienburg and Vilmer Alriksson and was described as providing energy and a high-forechecking presence in limited minutes. Aatu Räty also drew attention for battling along the boards, re-taking possession and turning plays into offence; he also drew a penalty in the second period that led to one of Vancouver’s stronger sequences and won 66.7% of his faceoffs (with the team noting Ilya Safonov won 10 of 13 draws overall).

The Canucks also injected physicality in the kind of game that often doubles as a test of identity early in the season. Six players logged three or more hits: Pettersson (4), Novotný (4), Alriksson (4), Wouters (4), Ilya Safonov (4) and Riley Patterson (3). Pettersson’s body-on-opponent play was identified as a key turning point because it helped Vancouver collect the puck and break out of its zone, which ultimately led to Cootes’ first goal.

For readers tracking what this loss says about the Canucks heading into the next phase of camp, the immediate takeaway is that Vancouver’s young group showed it could generate structure and special-teams looks, even if the score sheet didn’t reflect sustained finishing. The scoring summary underscores the way Seattle created and Vancouver responded: Jani Nyman and Ty Nelson scored for Seattle in the first period, Logan Morrison and then Jake O’Brien added goals after Vancouver’s two third-period strikes by Cootes and Bains.

Looking ahead, Vancouver’s next pre-season game is scheduled after the team returns to Penticton for one more day of training camp on Sunday. The Canucks then head to Calgary on Tuesday, September 22 to face the Flames, with puck drop set for 6:00 pm PT. For local fans in Vancouver, that matters because it sets a quick turnaround from the opening test against Seattle to a new matchup on the road—an opportunity to see whether the Canucks can turn their late-game improvements into more consistent offence earlier in games.

The Canucks’ lineup details also suggest how much importance the team is placing on development at this stage. The game’s notes indicate only three players in the Canucks lineup were born before 2000—Trey Fix-Wolansky, Jimmy Schuldt and Guillaume Brisebois—reinforcing that Vancouver is using the early pre-season to evaluate young players in prominent minutes. Stienburg finished with a team-high five shots on goal, while the rest of the roster’s blend of physical play and special-teams chances will likely be watched closely as the pre-season schedule continues.