Vancouver Canucks GM Allvin details why he picked Foote to take over from Tocchet
The Vancouver Canucks have hired Adam Foote to be their next head coach.
Foote has been an assistant with the Canucks since January 2023 and will now get the chance to lead an NHL bench for the first time.
The 53-year-old was head coach for the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets for parts of two seasons, finishing below .500. Despite that relative lack of experience, Foote beat out the competition for the job.
While he might not have years of experience behind the bench, Foote has several qualities that made him attractive to the Canucks. He’s impressed with the team so far and has helped many blueliners on the roster play some of their best hockey.
“Adam is a strong leader, good teacher and person who knows what it takes to build a great culture and winning attitude,” said Canucks GM Patrik Allvin in a press release. “His past experiences on the ice have translated nicely into a coaching style that fits our organization’s goals and vision.”
“He has worked extremely hard the past few years, gaining our players’ respect and trust for his strong communication and honest straightforward opinion.”
Foote will be the Canucks’ fourth head coach in the past four years. That’s a lot of turnover for the group, but at least there is some continuity in the fact that Foote has been an assistant with the team.
Under Foote and Rick Tocchet, the Canucks became a strong defence-first group. They showed an ability to lock down opponents, although it often resulted in sacrificing their offensive pop. Foote’s job will be to unlock more scoring from this team while staying strong defensively.
“He knows this group better than anyone else we interviewed and has inside knowledge and understanding of what it will take to get us back to where we want to be,” continued Allvin in his statement.
“Adam brings structure, accountability, and a detail-oriented approach to his coaching, a process that will send a clear message to our group about the way we want to compete, practice, and play hockey. We are very happy to have him take over as the new Head Coach of the Vancouver Canucks.”
The Canucks will need to make additional hires to fill out the staff around Foote. They were already looking at adding another coach if Tocchet returned, and with Foote’s promotion, they’ll likely now sign two.
Sergei Gonchar, who was working as a part-time assistant, is not expected to return next season. This leaves just Foote and Yogi Svejkovsky, who was named an assistant last season, moving forward.
A coach who can help this team unleash more offence should be at the top of the list. Foote is defensive-minded, and this team needs to score more goals.
Someone with experience, preferably as a head coach, would also be nice. The Canucks coaching staff is looking very green and could use someone to help them navigate the long NHL season.
What about Manny Malhotra?
Abbotsford Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra was a finalist for the job. Other names, such as Washington Capitals assistant Mitch Love, also were given long looks per multiple reports.
Just because Malhotra didn’t get this job, doesn’t mean he will leave for another NHL job during this hiring cycle. He still has another year, plus an additional season as a club option on his contract, per TSN’s Farhan Lalji.
This means Malhotra is still under Canucks control for a few years longer. He’s got the Abbotsford Canucks in the thick of a deep AHL playoff run and is collecting valuable experience during his first year as a professional head coach.