Showcasing and Seizing Opportunity

ABBOTSFORD, BC – The Kraken organization rolled out a star-studded starting lineup Saturday afternoon at the 2026 Prospects Showcase, pitting Seattle’s youth against those of the Vancouver Canucks. Two of the Seattle stars were named to the American Hockey League All-Rookie Team in their respective first seasons for Coachella Valley: Goaltender Nikke Kokko (2024-25) and defenseman Tyson Jugnauth (2025-26).

Saturday’s starting center Julius Miettinen was honored as Most Valuable Player in last spring’s Western Hockey League playoffs. Right wing Jagger Firkus was Canadian Hockey League Player of the Year in 2024 and was the second-leading scorer for the AHL Firebirds, while his 2022 draft classmate Ty Nelson elevated to a top-pair defenseman for Coachella Valley in 2025-26. Left winger Jani Nyman appeared in 28 games for the Kraken last season and 14 the year before that. 

But it was 2021 seventh rounder Justin Janicke who opened the scoring and completed the Kraken scoring in 7-3 win Saturday. Janicke was not scheduled to be part of the showcase but was added to the Seattle roster Thursday night when 2024 first-rounder Jake O’Brien was held out of the weekend games as a precautionary step. 

Janicke scored the Showcase’s first goal on a head-turning stretch pass from defenseman 2023 third-round draft pick Caden Price, who skated 42 games for AHL Coachella Valley in his first pro season but hadn’t played since last February, when he was placed on the injury list.  Janicke deftly bladed the crisp pass and went forehead fake and backhand score quickly yet long enough to freeze Vancouver goalie Aleksei Medvedev.

“It was a beautiful play,” said Janicke, smiling post-game. “I don’t know how I was that open. He saw me right away and was right on the money. There wasn’t anyone near me.”

Much later in this 7-3 shellacking, Janicke scored the Kraken’s final goal unassisted after winning a board battle at the blue lined. 

Ten Players with Points, Five Goal Scorers
In the game, the starting five up front provided solid contributions, and Nikke Kokko delivered a solid night. Five different Seattle prospects scored goals and 10 players finished with points. Five Kraken players racked up multiple points: Price (one goal, one assist), Andrei Loshko (two goals), David Goyette (one goal, one assist), Justin Janicke (two goals) and Ty Nelson (two assists). 

Kokko faced 30 shots, blanking the Vancouver prospects in both the first and third periods, with the only damage a Canucks three-goal middle period when the Finland-born goaltender was peppered with 16 shots on net. 

Janicke signed an American Hockey League contract with the Kraken this past summer. After an NCAA Division I career at Notre Dame with a breakout season (team high 15 goals and 34 points in 38 games), in his senior year, he split his time between ECHL affiliate  Kansas City and Coachella Valley. Janicke, who totaled 15 goals and 19 points for 34 points during the ECHL regular season, was a key contributor (four goals, seven assists) in Kansas City’s deep postseason run that ended just short of a title, but in a finals so close, Kansas City dropped three games in overtime. 

Price Keeps Pace

Price wasn’t done with his point total on the night. He tallied the Kraken’s second goal less than two minutes after Vancouver tied the score at one goal apiece. Center Ryden Evers (signed to a three-year entry-level contract last spring as an undrafted free agent) started the scoring sequence, sending the puck to D-pair partner Kaden Hammell at the top of the slot. Hammell then fed the other ‘Caden' to take a 2-1 lead on the first of three response goals (scored with two minutes of the previous goal) in the middle period.

“It's been a long time coming,” said Price outside the Seattle locker room. “I haven't seen games in a while. It took a couple first shifts to get into it, but I felt good. Since the middle of March, I’ve been doing summer training since then, in the gym and doing skill skates ... I've been looking forward to this one.”

Opportunities Knock Saturday and Sunday

Coachella Valley head coach Derek Laxdal conceded there is work to do and systems of play to clean up after watching Saturday’s game film. Yet he was pleased with the victory and happy for his players, some whom he has coached and others new to the lineup.

“I talked about opportunity before the game and what-ifs,” said Laxdal.  “You look at a guy like J.J. [Janicke] ... he gets a chance, gets an opportunity. Scores two goals tonight. You look at Caden Price, who hadn't played since February. He was solid tonight for us. For all our guys here, it's about expecting to be a little bit better tomorrow, taking advantage of each shift that you get. You know you're being evaluated every time you step on the ice, trying to make an impression not only on your teammates but on the organization.”

Laxdal said Sunday’s 1 p.m. rematch will allow the team to work on “a lot of areas our players need to work on” and represents “a chance for guys to kind of dip their toes and get ready for training camp” when it opens with Kraken veterans Thursday.

Revving up in Second Period
 Seattle went up 3-1 on a goal scored by Kraken 2026 fifth-round pick Finn Kearns, who played Canadian high school hockey last year along with 15 games for Ontario Hockey League Sudbury. The aforementioned Firkus triggered the play with a hard in-close shot that ricocheted out to Kearns, who was listed at fourth-line wing but is a defenseman prospect for the Kraken. He played a little of both Saturday.

The 18-year-old Kearns’ eventful night continued later in the second period when he squared off for an extended bout with 23-year-old Vancouver defenseman Joe Arntsen, who totaled 92 penalty minutes in 64 AHL games last season. 

“I had a chat with him before the game,” said Laxdal, grinning. “I said, ‘Hey, listen, we're going to go 11 forwards and seven defensemen tonight. You might play some forward.’ He was really excited about that. You see what he brings. He brings that physical element ... Give him a lot of credit. That's exciting, to score a goal and to get in a fight.  It's pretty special. Those are the moments where you build confidence. We’re looking forward to seeing what he does in juniors [OHL Sudbury] this year.”

Loshko Scores Game-Winner and More

Vancouver scored the next response goal to make it 3-2.  Seattle’s Andrei Loshko, a 2023 fourth-rounder heading into his second pro season, notched the third response goal of the frame. His score, ultimately the game-winner, afforded the Kraken to regain a two-goal advantage at 4-2. The scoring chance was set up on a skilled, rapid-fire feed from David Goyette behind the Vancouver goal line. 

Goyette, one of four second-round picks in 2022, looked sharp in Friday’s opening practice of rookie camp. Saturday, he scored the Kraken’s sixth, a power play strike started by Ty Nelson, who moved the puck to Jani Nyman at the right faceoff circle. Goyette collected the rebound on Nyman’s hard shot, busting a strong move at the crease to make it a two-point night. Goyette is no doubt looking for a breakout year of his own this season in Coachella Valley. 

Loshko battled through injuries last year. He was happy to get 2026-27 started with a two-goal night. Loshko added a second goal six minutes into the third period to make it a 5-3 game. This time he tallied on a pretty inside move to the Vancouver right goal post. Seattle captain Ty Nelson provided the pass to net front after D-man Tyson Jugnauth started the play. 

“I wanted to show I had a good summer,” said Loshko, born in Belarus. “I think I worked harder every day [in the gym] and improved on the ice as well. I am working, and I want to get better every day.

Laxdal said he knew Loshko was locked in when the 21-year-old won four of five face-offs in the first period.

“When you start a game [with faceoff wins], it gives you a little bit extra confidence,” said Loshko. “I started feeling more comfortable, and that's a good thing.”

Loshko was happy to score twice but proved modest about the slick move on the second of his two goals: “I like to go with the flow ... Nelly, it was a good pass. I felt he was going to shoot, but he faked and passed to me. I was all alone; I just gotta go to the net, that’s where good things happen.”