Adam Foote could join Tocchet's coaching staff on Canucks: report

Jan 22 2023, 2:54 pm

The Vancouver Canucks are nearly through their extended awkward breakup era with Bruce Boudreau.

As per multiple reports, former Tampa Bay Lightning and Rick Tocchet is expected to officially replace Boudreau as head coach on Monday, with the new sheriff in town expected to give the rest of the team’s coaching department a makeover as well.

Sergei Gonchar and Richard Matvichuk are two names that Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman floated as potential assistant coaching candidates for Tocchet earlier this week.

On Saturday, Friedman added a well-known former NHLer into the mix as a possible coaching hire for the Canucks: longtime defenceman Adam Foote.

“We’ve been talking the last few days about Sergei Gonchar potentially joining the team as a part time basis or a consulting basis as an assistant coach, we expect that to happen. I think also another name you’re going to hear is going to be Adam Foote,” Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts segment of Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcast. “I think it’s possible he’s going to be joining the staff too.”

Foote played 19 seasons for the Avalanche, Quebec Nordiques and Columbus Blue Jackets. He had 66 goals, 242 assists and a plus-minus of +99 in 1,154 games. He won a pair of Stanley Cups in Colorado in 1996 and 2001, as well as the 2002 Olympic gold medal as a member of Team Canada at the Salt Lake City Winter Games.

Foote, a Toronto native, does not have any professional coaching experience. He served as the Kelowna Rockets’ head coach in 2019-20 for one season, finishing with a 29-28-0-6 record.

On Saturday night, Boudreau coached what appeared to be his final game with Vancouver after just over 13 months in charge, a 4-2 home defeat to the Edmonton Oilers.

Jason King, Trent Cull, and Mike Yeo currently serve as the Canucks’ assistants, with no reports yet about the future of their roles with the organization.

Adam LaskarisAdam Laskaris

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