WINDSOR, ONT. — Braeden Cootes and Cole Reschny have emerged as the leading contenders to serve as Team Canada’s captain at the 2027 World Juniors.
Cootes, a first-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks in 2025, wore the ‘C’ during Canada’s opening game of the World Junior Summer Showcase against Sweden on Wednesday.
“Any time you have that on, especially a Canadian jersey, it’s such an honour and very proud of that,” said the centre, who split last season between the Seattle Thunderbirds and Prince Albert Raiders. “It was a really cool honour.”
Reschny, a Calgary Flames first-round selection in 2025, wore the ‘C’ during Thursday’s win over Finland at the WFCU Centre in Windsor.
“It meant a lot,” the University of North Dakota centre said. “It’s huge. I want to be a leader on this team ... It’s very humbling that the coaches and staff see that of me and to wear that is very special and an honour.”
Cootes and Reschny are among the eight players at the summer camp who also played for Canada at the 2026 World Juniors in Minnesota. Canada settled for bronze at that event after losing a heartbreaker in the semifinals against Czechia.
Hockey Canada’s staff is looking to Cootes and Reschny to help set the tone as the country aims to get back to the top of the podium at the World Juniors for the first time since 2023 in Halifax.
Cootes previously captained Canada to a gold medal at the 2025 under-18 World Championship.
“He’s got a lot of respect in our room,” said Team Canada head coach Misha Donskov, who was an assistant on last year’s staff. “He’s a guy that’s a consistent every dayer and that’s a big part of what we’re trying to instil throughout the course of our lineup with the rest of the guys.”
Cootes served as captain of the Thunderbirds before being traded to the Raiders last season. He helped Prince Albert advance to the Western Hockey League final.
“Lead by example is my way of leading,” Cootes said. “Just through how I carry myself as a person and also vocally with saying the right things.”
Cootes already has professional experience, having played three games with the Canucks at the start of last season.
“He leads by example, so I just watch what he’s doing,” said centre Caleb Malhotra, who recently roomed with Cootes at Canucks development camp after being selected third overall in June’s draft. “He’s very pro with his routines and taking care of himself off the ice.”
Reschny, who served as an alternate captain with the Victoria Royals before making the move to the NCAA for the 2025-26 season, showed off his leadership ability in Thursday’s game. With Canada trailing 3-0, Reschny assisted on three straight goals to spark a 5-3 comeback win.
“I liked a lot of parts of his game,” said Donskov. “I liked his game away from the puck. I liked his game with the puck. He really had a massive impact every time he jumped the boards. He’s a leader for us and he showed it on the ice.”
“He can lead by example, but he’s also an outspoken guy,” said Saginaw Spirit winger Dima Zhilkin, who scored Canada’s first two goals. “When things weren’t going our way, he was pumping up the boys and I think that helped a ton.”
Canada will wrap up the four-nation exhibition event with a game against the United States on Saturday. Between the games this week, Cootes and Reschny have been passing on the lessons learned from last year’s World Juniors.
“Just how hard it is to win,” Cootes said of his big takeaway. “Everybody’s so good now. The margins are so little. You never know what little play could make the difference. You got to come together as a group and you gotta play for each other not for yourself and that’s, ultimately, what helps you win.”
What did Reschny learn last year?
“Just how tough it is to come together in a short-term competition and be at your best every day,” he said. “But it’s what you gotta do to win.”
One advantage Canada will have this year is home ice with the tournament returning to Edmonton and Red Deer. Cootes is from just outside Edmonton.
“It doesn’t get much better than that,” the native of Sherwood Park, Alta. said. “To wear the ‘C’ and play on home soil and be in front of [the stands] where I grew up watching Oilers games would be very special.”
Edmonton is also close to home for Reschny, who grew up an Oilers fan in Macklin, Sask.
“Just being on our home turf and in our country will be very special,” he said. “Obviously, our fans are great and everyone is passionate, but to be in Edmonton, I was lucky enough to play at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup there and it’s just unreal.”
