9 assistant coaches Vancouver Canucks could hire to complement Foote's style
The Vancouver Canucks have their new head coach and now must fill out the rest of their staff.
Adam Foote has been hired, but he’s relatively inexperienced, having never been a head coach at the professional level. That won’t be an issue if the Canucks hire the right assistants around him.
The club needs assistant coaches with NHL experience to help support Foote. It would also be great if they had a history of offensive success and could help this team score more goals.
Here are nine coaches the Canucks could hire, the majority of who have connections to Foote already and could work well with him.
1. Tony Granato
- Coaching career highlights: Team USA coach for the 2018 Winter Olympics, 215 NHL games as a head coach
Tony Granato fits many of the Canucks’ needs. He got his first NHL coaching job in 2022. He’s spent over 200 games as a head coach and over 10 years as an assistant.
Granato was both an assistant and a head coach with the Colorado Avalanche when Foote played on the team.
Tony’s younger sister is Cammi Granato, an assistant general manager for the Canucks. That’s another connection that could help Tony get the job.
2. Alex Tanguay
- Coaching career highlights: Four seasons as an assistant with the Detroit Red Wings
Alex Tanguay had a lengthy playing career and has spent the past six years as a professional coach. He was a scoring forward who could potentially provide a nice counterbalance to Foote’s defensive style.
Tanguay played with Foote on the Avalanche in the early 2000s, winning a Stanley Cup in 2001. As a coach, Tanguay ran the Detroit Red Wings’ power play last season, which converted at an excellent 27 per cent.
Todd McLellan took over as Red Wings head coach in December and might want his own assistants for next season. If that happens, Tanguay could hit the market and potentially make his way to Vancouver.
3. Alex Burrows
- Coaching career highlights: Four seasons as an assistant with the Montreal Canadiens
Alex Burrows is a legendary Canuck the fanbase would surely welcome back with open arms. He has some coaching experience, working in the Montreal Canadiens organization following his playing days.
Burrows did step down from his coaching role this past season to spend more time with his family and it’s unlikely he’d want to jump back into a busy schedule. However, if there’s any team that could convince him, it would likely be the Canucks.
4. Ian Laperrière
- Coaching career highlights: Nine seasons as an assistant with the Philadelphia Flyers and four years as an AHL head coach
Ian Laperrière played two seasons on the Avalanche with Foote from 2007 to 2009. After retiring, he spent nine seasons as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers and has spent the past four years as the head coach of the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
The Phantoms have made the playoffs in three of the four seasons Laperrière has been the head coach.
Laperrière played more than 1,000 NHL games, and with nearly a decade as an assistant coach, he’s not lacking in experience. He could be a good option to help Foote.
5. Sylvain Lefebvre
- Coaching career highlights: Stanley Cup champion as an assistant coach with the Florida Panthers last year
Sylvain Lefebvre won a Stanley Cup with Foote in 1996 with the Avalanche. Lefebvre has gone on to have a solid coaching career in his post-playing days, winning another Stanley Cup as an assistant with the Panthers last year.
He has six years of head coaching experience at the AHL level and another six years as an assistant in the NHL.
While Lefebvre was also a defenceman and thus might not bring the offensive spark this team is looking for, he has a strong resume with tons of experience as a coach and player.
6. Mike Peca
- Coaching career highlights: Two years as an assistant coach with the New York Rangers
Mike Peca started his NHL playing career with the Canucks and could return as a coach this summer. He scored nearly 500 points as a forward and would bring some more offensive thinking to a coaching staff that needs it.
Peca played with Foote on the Blue Jackets for part of the 2007-08 season.
The 51-year-old spent the past two seasons as an assistant with the New York Rangers under Peter Laviolette. The Rangers fired Laviolette, and thus, there’s no guarantee Peca will be back next season. If he breaks free, the Canucks could be a natural landing spot.
7. Joe Sacco
- Coaching career highlights: 294 NHL games of head coaching experience and over a decade as an assistant
Joe Sacco has spent the past 11 years with the Boston Bruins organization, finally taking over as interim head coach this year. However, it appears the team could be going in another direction, and thus, Sacco might be looking for work soon.
Sacco replaced Granato as head coach for the Avalanche when Foote was still playing.
8. Trevor Letowski
- Coaching career highlights: Four years as an assistant coach with the Montreal Canadiens
Trevor Letowski played parts of two seasons with the Vancouver Canucks and could return as a coach. He played with Foote on the 2005-06 Columbus Blue Jackets, so the two are familiar with each other.
Letwoski spent a lot of time coaching in the OHL, splitting 10 years between the Sarnia Sting and Windsor Spitfires. He’s spent the past four years as an assistant with the Canadiens, getting valuable professional experience.
9. Marc Crawford
- Coaching career highlights: 1995 Jack Adams Award winner, 1996 Stanley Cup Champion
If you’re looking for experience, you can’t do much better than Marc Crawford. He’s won the Jack Adams, a Stanley Cup, and has coached more 1,000 NHL games, including parts of seven seasons with the Canucks.
Crawford coached Foote for four seasons with the Quebec Nordiques and Colorado Avalanche. It’s hard to find a more accomplished coach on the open market.
However, Crawford has also come under fire for physical and verbal abuse of players he once coached. He apologized and has spent the past few years coaching in Switzerland, winning a championship with Zurich SC.
Crawford resigned from his job with Zurich SC in December 2024, citing mental health reasons. He has not indicated whether he wants to return to coaching.