Canucks Prospect Braeden Cootes Honored with WHL's Most Sportsmanlike Player Award
Vancouver Canucks top prospect Braeden Cootes has added another prestigious accolade to his growing hockey resume. The young forward was named the winner of the Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy as the Western Hockey League's most sportsmanlike player on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
Exceptional Performance with Minimal Penalties
Cootes, a right-shot center who was Vancouver's first-round pick (15th overall) in the previous summer's draft, demonstrated remarkable discipline throughout the WHL regular season. Playing 45 games split between the Prince Albert Raiders and Seattle Thunderbirds, he accumulated 24 goals and 63 points while spending just eight minutes in the penalty box.
What makes this achievement particularly impressive is that Cootes is known for his aggressive, two-way playing style and constant presence around the puck. Despite this high-energy approach, he received only four minor penalties throughout the entire season: a broken stick minor on October 18, interference minors on January 9 and February 6, and an unsportsmanlike conduct minor on March 20.
The prospect did receive a 10-minute misconduct penalty at the end of the second period in a January 23 game, but WHL rules exclude misconduct penalties from player penalty totals.
Organization Praise and Playoff Performance
Prince Albert Raiders general manager Curtis Hunt expressed his organization's pride in Cootes' achievement. "Our organization is proud and happy for him to win this award," Hunt stated via text message. "He is a player that plays with relentless and dogged pursuit. He plays a 200-foot game the way the game is supposed to be played. It's a great combination of skill, tenacity, and sportsmanship."
Hunt, a former Canucks defensive prospect himself, acquired Cootes in a significant trade with Seattle at the WHL trade deadline in January. The move has paid dividends as Cootes continues to excel in the playoffs.
The Raiders (52-10-5-1) and Medicine Hat Tigers (50-10-5-3) finished as the top two teams in the Eastern Conference and are set to face off in the best-of-seven conference final beginning Friday in Prince Albert. Cootes has been instrumental in the Raiders' playoff run, contributing five goals and 11 points in nine postseason games as his team defeated the Red Deer Rebels in five games and swept the Saskatoon Blades to reach the conference final.
Award Significance and Other Finalists
The Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy recognizes players who best combine talent, desire, and sportsmanlike attitude—qualities exemplified by Brad Hornung during his WHL career with the Regina Pats. The award was renamed in Hornung's memory in 2022 following his passing at age 52. Hornung's playing career ended tragically when he was paralyzed from the waist down following a hit during a game on March 1, 1987.
Other finalists for this year's award included:
- Markus Ruck of the Medicine Hat Tigers
- Ryden Evers of the Penticton Vees
- Jordan Gavin of the Brandon Wheat Kings
- Matias Vanhanen of the Everett Silvertips
- Alex Weiermair of the Portland Winterhawks
The award is determined through voting by WHL general managers and media members, making Cootes' selection particularly meaningful as it comes from those who closely follow and evaluate WHL talent throughout the season.
Cootes began the current season with three games for the Vancouver Canucks before being assigned to the WHL, where he has continued to develop his game while maintaining the discipline and sportsmanship that have now been formally recognized by the league.
