Canucks, Manny Malhotra Agree to HC Contract After Adam Foote Firing

Manny Malhotra is taking the jump from leading the Vancouver Canucks' AHL affiliate to coaching the NHL team through their upcoming rebuild.

Malhotra was announced as the 23rd head coach in Canucks history on Monday.

Malhotra most recently spent two seasons as head coach of the AHL's Abbotsford Canucks, which he led to a Calder Cup championship in 2025.

Prior to joining the Canucks organization, he worked as an assistant coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2020 to 2023.

Malhotra skated 16 seasons the NHL and went to the Stanley Cup Final as a player for the Canucks in 2011.

He will now return to Vancouver as successor to Adam Foote, who was fired in May alongside three assistants after just one season in their respective roles.

General manager Ryan Johnson said in a statement Foote's dismissal was about offering his team a fresh start after an NHL-worst 25-49-8 finish to the season.

"It was a challenging year on several fronts and truthfully, Adam and his staff were dealt a very difficult hand," Johnson said in May. "That said, as we head into a rebuild, our group feels new coaching voices are needed to chart the path forward."

The former coach's dismissal came as part of complete front office turnover in Vancouver that resulted in Johnson taking over as GM while Henrik and Daniel Sedin stepped into a shared role as president of hockey operations.

Foote, a former NHL defenseman and Canucks assistant coach, was a first-time NHL head coach when he took over for Rick Tocchet last offseason.

Tocchet had led the Canucks within one win of the 2024 Western Conference Final, but was dismissed the following season after missing the playoffs following a tumultuous 2024-25 campaign.

Tocchet's final season with the franchise was marred by reported internal tension that resulted in star forward J.T. Miller being traded to the New York Rangers in January 2025.

Foote, tasked with changing the Canucks' downward trajectory the following season, was unable to do so.

Eleven months after the Miller trade, the Canucks signaled an upcoming roster teardown by trading captain Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild following an 11-17-3 start to the season.

The Canucks went on to finish the 2025-26 campaign with the franchise's lowest points percentage since 1999.

Foote was also unable to repair the flaws in the Canucks' locker room. Former president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford, who has since stepped down from his position, said in April the team's chemistry and culture had been "really bad" prior to the trade deadline.

As Johnson reworks the roster this offseason, Malhotra will likely be tasked with leading what could be a younger Canucks team into the franchise's next era.

The Canucks slid down two spots in the 2026 lottery to end up with the No. 3 selection in the upcoming draft, but the franchise still holds four picks in the first two rounds.

Malhotra has past experience developing some players on the current Canucks player through his time in the AHL.

Depending on who Johnson lands on with those picks, Malhotra could now be tasked with developing any rookies that make a quick jump to the NHL in his first season at the helm.