Malhotra surprises Canucks players by outracing them in bag skate
Near the end of the first day of Vancouver Canucks training camp, the players lined up at both ends of the rink for everyone’s least favourite camp activity: the bag skate.
The players were caught off-guard, however, when head coach Manny Malhotra and the rest of the Canucks coaching staff lined up alongside them to take part in the bag skate themselves.
“That might be a first for me,” said Luke Schenn, a veteran participating in the 19th NHL training camp of his career. “I heard he had done that in Abbotsford; he came as advertised.”
The #Canucks coaching staff is participating in the end-of-practice bag skate. pic.twitter.com/Azh5RGFWRH
— Daniel Wagner (@passittobulis) September 17, 2026
“It was impressive,” said Filip Chytil. “I was pretty surprised that they were skating with us, but that’s saying a lot about them. They try to push as much as they can […] It was cool.”
The coaches weren’t taking it easy out there either, as there were some reps where Malhotra was leading the way for his line.
“That would be a first where you’re getting toasted in a bag skate by your head coach,” said Schenn.
“You see Manny and [Ryan Johnson] and [Jason Krog] and the whole staff — I mean, they’re probably in better shape than half of us,” said Zeev Buium with a laugh. “That’s a credit to them, but that also pushes us. They’re setting the tone for what it needs to be, and it sends a message to the whole group: ‘We’re in this with you guys.'”
“We love to see it, and it makes you go a little bit harder because you don’t want to lose to them.”
Malhotra explained why he and his staff put themselves through the bag skate, and it’s exactly the message that Buium received.
“It’s that mindset of: ‘Don’t ask others what you’re not willing to do yourself,'” said Malhotra. “Our mentality as a coaching staff is that we’re all in this together. It’s not you guys and us — you guys do the work, and we’ll tell you what to do — it’s we are part of doing the work and building something.”
Schenn said that message has been clear right from the start of training camp.
“It’s not like they have to get on the line and bag skate to know that they’re in it with us,” said Schenn. “I think we all felt that beforehand. These guys are former players, and they’ve been in the grind and in the fire themselves, and understand what it’s like to be in your shoes. It’s not like you expect your coach to do a bag skate with you.”
Malhotra also said that this won’t be the last time the coaching staff joins in on bag skates this season, though he made it clear that doesn’t mean there will be fewer bag skates.
“Absolutely,” he said. “It’s much easier than getting in the gym to make you sweat.”
Schenn insinuated that Malhotra might have been a little bit underhanded with when he started the bag skate.
“They caught us at a vulnerable time right after a battle drill,” said Schenn. “All of a sudden, they turn the jets on, and we look like the slow ones out there.”
Malhotra flat-out admitted it, saying he timed the bag skate when the players would be more tired so that he could participate.
“I’m the guy with the whistle,” said Malhotra with a grin. “I choose when to go!”