The spotlight has found Aatu Raty at the world hockey championship. Not that the Vancouver Canucks' grinding centre was seeking it—that has never been his style because he works best in the shadows. However, it is hard to ignore three goals and six points in the first six outings for his native Finland. Raty had an assist Sunday as Finland defeated Austria 5-2 to move to 6-0 in the tournament. This surprising chapter comes from a player whose book of work is making the most of measured NHL minutes.
The fourth-liner understands the credo of being hard to play against, not getting scored on, and avoiding penalties. Even though he finished fourth in league faceoff percentage at 60.5 efficiency, he was also scratched 16 times. That is quite the gut punch. However, with Manny Malhotra expected to soon be named the Canucks' new head coach, it may bode well for Raty.
Connective Tissue Between Raty and Malhotra
There is connective tissue between Raty and Malhotra. Both are grinding NHL centres, excellent in the faceoff dot, with ample drive and career challenges. Malhotra also guided Raty for 49 AHL games in Abbotsford during the 2024-25 season, in which Raty managed 38 points (17-23) in 43 games. Raty was then injured early in the playoffs on the club's march to the Calder Cup title.
The affable Finn has an attitude of everyday gratefulness, evident before, during, and after practices, as he works to gain a stronger, consistent stride that will take his game to another level. His rationale is that playing more than 66 games this season will result in more than 14 points (4-10) next fall.
Late-Season Surge
Late in the 2024-25 season, Raty looked good between Dakota Joshua and Kiefer Sherwood. He was quicker, more engaged, and had a spurt of five goals in seven games. Was that a hint of future potential or just a mirage? In a torturous 2025-26 campaign, the last-place Canucks used seven centres and failed to solve riddles in the middle. They lost Filip Chytil and Teddy Blueger to long-term injuries on Oct. 19. Trade plays for Lukas Reichel and David Kampf failed miserably and were moved at the deadline. Marco Rossi struggled early with injury and indifferent play after arriving in the Quinn Hughes blockbuster trade. The middle was a mess.
One of Raty's best traits is understanding that you play like you practise. Cut corners and it will show. It is why he uses a restraining apparatus while skating before practices to improve and produce continuous speed.
"For a guy in my position, you have got to show it every day and practices are huge," the 6-foot-2, 204-pound pivot told Postmedia. "You have got to show that you are improving and that you belong here. It is just as big as any game. I am proud of what I have done to improve, but it is hard. I love this stuff so much. It is so rare that it is a grind for me. If it was up to me, I would be out there for three hours. It is like my first day every day. I appreciate everything."
Inspiration from Jarkko Ruutu
If Raty needs extra incentive, there is plenty in former Canucks winger Jarkko Ruutu, who has turned author. The pugnacious and popular Finn got by more on testosterone than talent but found a way to survive. In 267 regular-season games with Vancouver, he had 53 points (23-28) and 453 penalty minutes. He also played for Pittsburgh, Ottawa, and Anaheim, and his career log of 652 games included 142 points (58-84) and 1,078 penalty minutes. Ruutu never scored more than a dozen goals, but his popularity as an agitator drew acclaim. He wrote about it in a biography titled "The Divine Comedy." Raty read it twice.
"It was his determination and also the mental side," said Raty. "He had a great career, but there were a lot of times when it could have looked a lot different. He stayed with it."
Contract and Future Outlook
Raty, 23, has a year remaining on his contract at US$850,000 before becoming a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. How he fits long term in the roster rebuild is uncertain because there are lots of pieces and potential problems. It starts with Elias Pettersson's training approach this off-season and how he is perceived by general manager Ryan Johnson and Malhotra. Can they reach him on some level? Is he trade bait? Co-president of hockey operations Henrik Sedin was blunt about it all: "It is up to him now. We have all been here to help him, but in the end, this is professional sports."
How Chytil, 26, rebounds from a history of concussions amid the danger of the next one ending his career is of obvious concern. He has a year left at $4.44 million in annual value, and when healthy, he drives play through the neutral zone and has an offensive-zone presence with size and strength on pucks. Teddy Blueger, 31, is an unrestricted free agent, a top-pairing penalty kill staple, and a culture carrier. He called out a lack of decorum and wants to stay, but how much the Canucks increase his expiring cap hit of $1.8 million is not as vital as term.
Top prospect Braden Cootes, 19, had a productive WHL season split between Seattle and Prince Albert. He piled up 63 regular-season points (24-39) and added an impressive 23 points (7-16) in 20 playoff games. Can he crack the Canucks lineup? Cootes did log three early NHL games in 2025-26, and his roster status will depend on readiness and if there are departures at centre.
