HIGHLIGHTS
- Vancouver named Manny Malhotra the 23rd head coach in franchise history
- The hire reunites Malhotra with new GM Ryan Johnson after their Calder Cup run
- Read below for more on the Canucks’ coaching reset
The Canucks have a new bench boss after a season they’d rather forget.
Vancouver named Manny Malhotra the 23rd head coach in franchise history on Monday, with new GM Ryan Johnson handing him the keys to a roster that just finished dead last in the NHL. Malhotra replaces Adam Foote, who was fired May 19 after his crew went 25-49-8 — 14 points behind the next-worst team in the league.
WELCOME COACH MANNY!
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) June 2, 2026
General Manager Ryan Johnson announced today that the #Canucks have hired Manny Malhotra as the 23rd Head Coach in franchise history.
DETAILS | https://t.co/JJyyPHeb09
This is a reunion on multiple levels. Malhotra and Johnson built the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks into a Calder Cup champion in 2024-25, with Malhotra running the bench and Johnson serving as the affiliate’s GM. Now they get to try the same act one level up.
He also has roots with the parent club, having played for the Canucks during the Sedin twins’ prime and later returning as an assistant under Travis Green. Daniel and Henrik are now co-presidents of hockey operations, so the Vancouver alumni reunion upstairs is essentially complete.
Hard to miss the fit. Foote’s lone season ended with a roster that looked disjointed from puck drop and a coaching staff that never figured out how to get the most out of Elias Pettersson or Quinn Hughes. Promoting the guy who just won a championship with the prospects flowing into that lineup was the path of least resistance — and probably the right one.
Plenty of front-office turnover led to this hire. Patrik Allvin was let go as GM in April, Johnson took over on May 14, and the Sedins were named co-presidents shortly after. Naming Malhotra closes the loop on an overhaul that’s been months in the making.
Now comes the hard part: dragging the Canucks back into the playoff race after a 57-loss season. The pieces aren’t bad. Malhotra knows the building, the prospects, and the bosses upstairs, which is more than most new head coaches can say on day one.
