Vancouver Canucks coach search down to two in-house candidates: report
It looks like the Vancouver Canucks’ search for a new head coach is down to two options.
And they’re both in-house candidates.
Patrick Johnston of Postmedia is reporting that Manny Malhotra and Adam Foote are the two remaining candidates, with Malhotra the “slight favourite.”
Echoing and extending on what Dhali and Drancer have put together: sounds like Canucks’ head coaching job is coming down to Adam Foote or Manny Malhtora, with Malhotra the slight favourite.
— Patrick Johnston 🇨🇦 (@risingaction.bsky.social) May 13, 2025 at 11:20 AM
This follows a report from CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal and Thomas Drance of The Athletic, who said Foote is “very much in the mix” for the job.
The news seemingly means that Marco Sturm, who was rumoured to be in the running, will not get the job.
Both Malhotra and Foote would be first-time NHL head coaches.
A veteran of 991 NHL games, which included a memorable 159-game stint with the Canucks, Malhotra has eight years of pro experience as a coach. He spent seven years as an assistant coach — three with the Canucks and four with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The knock against Malhotra is that he has just one year of experience as a head coach, albeit an excellent season this year with the Abbotsford Canucks. The 44-year-old has been a smash hit as a bench boss, leading Abbotsford to a 44-24-4 record and a trip to at least the third round of the AHL Playoffs.
Foote has even less experience behind the bench than Malhotra. The 53-year-old former NHL blueliner worked alongside Rick Tocchet the past three years in Vancouver.
Prior to joining the Canucks, Foote had just one year behind the bench — an underwhelming stint with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets in 2019-20, with a record of 29-28-6.
If Malhotra is their man, the announcement could be delayed, depending on how long Abbotsford’s season goes.
Abbotsford begins a best-of-five series against the Colorado Eagles in the Pacific Division Finals on Friday. Abbotsford could still play two more best-of-seven series.