PENTICTON - Braeden Cootes is getting used to living out of a suitcase.
asserted
Cootes → get → suitcase
The 19-year-old centre knows it’s up to him to prove that he deserves a spot in the Vancouver Canucks’ lineup.
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he → know → lineup
And until the team makes a decision on where he’ll play this season, Cootes will be calling a hotel near Rogers Arena home.
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Cootes → make → Arena
He’s taking the living situation day by day, but has unpacked his clothes, knowing his stay could be lengthy.
uncertain
stay → take → clothes
“I don’t like to get things too wrinkled,” he said.
asserted
he → like → ?
“I’m not a very good folder or anything like that.
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I → ’m → that
So I do put it in the closet.
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I → put → closet
I try to be clean.”
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I → try → ?
The opportunity to earn a place on an NHL roster is worth an extended hotel stay, Cootes added.
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Cootes → earn → roster
“There’s no place I’d rather be, that’s for sure,” he said.
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he → ’ → ?
“I’m not complaining.”
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I → complain → ?
The Canucks are turning to their young talent as they launch into a rebuild this season.
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they → turn → rebuild
Cootes is one of 12 players 21 years old and younger that the team brought to training camp in Penticton, B.C., this week.
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team → bring → Penticton
Vancouver has other prospects in the system, too, including Caleb Malhotra, who the team selected third overall in June’s draft.
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team → have → draft
The 18-year-old centre isn’t at training camp as he starts his freshman year at Boston University.
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he → start → University
Head coach Manny Malhotra — Caleb’s dad — knows many of the up-and-coming players in camp this week are eager to impress, and cautioned that he and his staff don’t want to get “star struck” by a short-term performance.
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he → know → performance
“Obviously, with the quality of players around them, they’re going to do a lot of good things,” he said.
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he → go → things
“But the mindset being, it’s not about just right now and making a team.
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it → ’ → team
We’re looking towards the future.
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We → look → future
What’s that player look like in two or three or four years?
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player → look → years
And where are they best suited to develop that game to be ready in that time frame?”
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they → suit → frame
The Canucks want to be patient with their prospects, with general manager Ryan Johnson telling reporters on Wednesday that he doesn’t want to see players yo-yoing between the American Hockey League and NHL.
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players → want → League
Malhotra has said players will dictate which team they end up on by showing what they can do in training camp — a philosophy Cootes agrees with.
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Cootes → say → camp
“That’s how it always should be,” he said.
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he → ’ → ?
“I mean, at the end of the day, if I’m ready, I’m ready, if I’m not, I’m not.
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I → mean → day
It’s up to me to make that happen.
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that → ’ → me
It doesn’t just get gifted to you.
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It → gift → you
So if I go out and play well, I’m sure I’ll have a shot.
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I → go → shot
But that’s on me.
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that → ’ → me
After getting action in three NHL games last season, Cootes returned to the Western Hockey League, putting up 10 goals and 13 assists over 17 games with the Seattle Thunderbirds before getting dealt to the Prince Albert Raiders.
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Cootes → get → Raiders
In Saskatchewan, he tallied another 14 goals and 26 assists over 28 regular-season contests, and added seven goals and 16 assists across 20 playoff games.
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he → tally → games
Now the five-foot-11, 183-pound forward from Sherwood Park, Alta., believes he’s ready to cement his spot in the Canucks’ lineup.
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he → believe → lineup
“I’ve obviously got to play well,” Cootes said.
asserted
Cootes → get → ?
“I learned it’s a hard league.
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it → learn → ?
It’s not easy.
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It → ’ → ?
So I’m gonna take things day by day, try to get better, and not have too high of expectations.
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I → go → expectations
At the end of the day, I’ll just be myself and just play my game and see what happens ultimately.”
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what → play → game
Vancouver has also brought in some veteran talent to help guide their up-and-coming players, signing feisty forward Brendan Gallagher and bruising defenceman Luke Schenn in free agency.
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Vancouver → bring → agency
For Schenn, showing the next generation how to play in the NHL is simply a continuation of the kindness he received early in his career.
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he → show → career
“When I was a young guy, I had a great mentors and guys who I played with,” he said.
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he → have → who
…and 17 more, not listed.
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