Vancouver Canucks hire new AHL head coach to replace Malhotra
The Vancouver Canucks search for an AHL bench boss came with a bit of drama, but it looks like they’ve found their guy.
Shortly after it was reported that the Canucks AHL head coaching job offer was rejected by Jussi Ahokas, the club announced on Friday that they had hired Ryan Papaioannou as the newest bench boss in Abbotsford.
“We are very excited to welcome Ryan to the Canucks, as we know this hire will help shape the foundation for the development of our prospects,” Abbotsford Canucks general manager Richard Seeley said in a press release.Ā
“Ryan has a unique talent for teaching and relating with players. His reputation as a communicator and someone who holds individuals and teams to high standards are the exact qualities we are looking for in the leader of our team.”
Papaioannou was linked to the Canucks last month by CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal. And on Thursday, after Ahokas reportedly turned down the role, Ben Lypka of the Abbotsford News said he was hearing that Vancouver circled back on Papaioannou.
The 45-year-old made a name for himself in the AJHL, where he was one of the most successful coaches in league history. During his 14 years as head coach and general manager of the Brooks Bandits, he led the franchise to four championships.
Most notably, Papaioannou coached Cale Makar, who has since turned into arguably the NHL’s best defenceman.
After 14 years in the AJHL, Papaioannou made the jump to coaching pro players in 2025-26. Last offseason, he was named head coach of the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers, which was a minor-league affiliate for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
During his first year on the job, he led the Nailers to a Conference Finals berth. It was the first time in 10 years that they made it that far in the playoffs; their 46 regular-season wins represented their best campaign since 2003-04.
While the Calgary, Alta., native has shown he can be a successful head coach, Ahokas’ rejection story doesn’t paint the Canucks in a favourable light.
Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston reported on Friday that Ahokas turned down the role with Abbotsford over money, as the AHL head coaching offer was “substantially less” than what he was making in the OHL.
Regardless, the Papaioannou signing checks off the last big box for the Canucks, in what’s been an incredibly busy and largely successful offseason.