The Vancouver Canucks have released their 25-man roster for the 2024 Young Stars Classic, a competition that pits the best prospects from the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Winnipeg Jets against those from Vancouver. Taking place in Penticton from September 13th to 16th, the tournament will feature six games, three of which the Canucks prospects will be playing in. With a prospect pool filled with players aiming to prove something, as well as those who could impress early on, here are 10 Canucks Young Stars to look out for this year.
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Abbotsford Canucks, AHL
Undrafted
Bains put up 16 goals and 39 assists in 59 games during the 2023-2024 AHL regular season. These efforts brought him to the 2024 AHL All-Star Game, where he was named MVP. He earned himself an eight-game stint with the big Canucks, in which he debuted on a line with J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser. In the Calder Cup Playoffs, he scored two goals and two assists in six games.
While he’s one of the older prospects taking part in the 2024 Young Stars Tournament, Bains can still provide this team of prospects with NHL-level experience. He’s one of two players on this list with experience playing in the NHL, the other being Aatu Räty, who played three games back in early 2023. Expect him to bring this knowledge to Penticton and put up a performance that will have the Canucks organization making tough decisions during training camp.
Josh Bloom (F)
Saginaw Spirit, OHL
2021 Round 3, 95th OVR — Buffalo Sabres
The 2023-2024 season was made up of movement for Josh Bloom. Initially, the 21-year-old forward started his season with the Abbotsford Canucks, putting up one assist in 14 games before heading to the Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL for eight games. He later decided to return to his OHL team, the Saginaw Spirit, where things made a drastic turn for the better. He scored 17 goals and 23 assists in 34 regular season games and followed this up with 11 points in 17 playoff games. His Memorial Cup-winning goal came with 21.7 seconds left in Saginaw’s game against the London Knights.
With a season filled with so much movement and excitement, it’ll be interesting to see what Bloom will follow it up with. He’ll be returning to Abbotsford, this time with championship experience and a better idea of what play is like in the AHL. Bloom has something to prove, and what better stage to do that on than the 2024 Young Stars Tournament?
Abbotsford Canucks,…