Manny Malhotra has been named the Vancouver Canucks’ new head coach, extending a front-office and bench overhaul after a last-place season.
Manny Malhotra has been named the Vancouver Canucks’ new head coach, becoming the 23rd person to lead the NHL franchise behind the bench.
The team announced the hiring Monday night, according to CBC News. Malhotra, a former Canucks player, moves into the role after working with general manager Ryan Johnson in the American Hockey League with the Abbotsford Canucks, who won the Calder Cup championship during the 2024-25 season.
The appointment is another major step in a broad Vancouver reset after the Canucks finished last in the league with a 25-49-8 record. The organization has replaced general manager Patrik Allvin, president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford and head coach Adam Foote since the end of the season.
Johnson said in a statement that he knows from experience Malhotra is a strong teacher, leader and person. The two worked together in Abbotsford before Johnson became Vancouver’s general manager.
Malhotra had quickly become the leading candidate after Foote was dismissed May 19 following one season as head coach. His hiring also reunites him with former Canucks teammates Daniel and Henrik Sedin, who were named co-presidents of hockey operations last month.
For Vancouver, the move links the NHL club’s next phase to a coach with recent success inside its own development system. Malhotra now steps from a championship run in Abbotsford into a Canucks job defined by roster questions, new leadership and the urgency of rebounding from the bottom of the standings.
Comments (0)