The Vancouver Canucks have signed one of their first-round picks in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft to an entry-level contract.
Adam Novotný, who was selected 24th-overall by Vancouver in the 2026 Draft, has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Canucks. He is the first Canucks prospect selected in the 2026 NHL Draft to sign their ELC.
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“Character, compete, and a winning mentality, those are three of the things we really appreciate about Adam’s DNA,” Canucks General Manager Ryan Johnson said in a press release. “It was a small sample size, but he showed us a lot at our development camp last month in Abbotsford. Besides his strong skating, puck control, and quick release, Adam was relentless in his pursuit of the puck and battled very hard in each drill. A coachable and honest player, his leadership qualities were also noticeable, and you could tell right away how committed he is to try to do things the right way. We are very excited to have Adam sign his ELC and we look forward to working with him in the years to come.”
The 18-year-old winger played in his first season of hockey in North America during 2025-26, having previously skated for Mountfield HK in Czechia. Skating with the Peterborough Petes of the OHL, Novotný scored 34 goals and 31 assists in 58 games, leading his team in both goals and points.
Canucks Are Getting A Bona-Fide Competitor In First-Round Pick Adam Novotný
Canucks Are Getting A Bona-Fide Competitor In First-Round Pick Adam NovotnýThe 24th-overall pick in this year’s draft has drawn comparisons to St. Louis Blues forward Mason McTavish.
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Novotný has also represented Czechia at both the U-18 and U-20 World Junior Championships, most recently putting up three assists in seven games during his team’s Silver-Medal campaign at the 2026 tournament. He was also named a Top-3 Player on Czechia at the U-18s in 2024-25 and won Bronze with Czechia’s U-20 Team in 2024-25.
Photo Credit: Kaja Antic-THN
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