Malhotra hired as Canucks coach, replaces Foote

VANCOUVER -- Manny Malhotra was hired as coach of the Vancouver Canucks on Monday, continuing his relationship with new general manager Ryan Johnson.

The 46-year-old replaces Adam Foote, who was fired after one season on May 19, five days after Johnson was hired as GM as part of a regime change that also saw Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin become co-presidents of hockey operations.

The Sedin twins played 17 seasons here, including time with Johnson and Malhotra as teammates. Johnson and Malhotra never played together but were with the organization from 2016-2020 -- Malhotra as a development and assistant coach and Johnson working in player development and as GM of Abbotsford of the American Hockey League -- before Johnson first hired Malhotra to coach Abbotsford two years ago.

Johnson has now turned to Malhotra to help the Canucks through a rebuild. 

“We know how tough this is going to be; we know there's going to be some hard days,” Johnson said on Tuesday. “I think maybe because you guys see a connection between Daniel and Henrik and myself and Manny, that hey, a bunch of buddies getting together – (but) that's not the case here. 

“This is this is more of a mission, something that we see an amazing opportunity to change a franchise, to build it the right way, to get it sustainable.”

Johnson has always kept a book with a “running list of coaches that are interesting to me, or coaches you meet along the way that just have a presence or something to them,” and Malhotra has been in it since working as an assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs for four seasons from 2020-24. He hired Malhotra to coach AHL Abbotsford in 2024 and promptly went 44-24-2-2 in their first season together, guiding the team to its first Calder Cup championship. But Johnson said his belief was deepened by this season, when the team went 28-37-4-3 amid a myriad of injuries and NHL promotions, and did not qualify for the AHL playoffs.

“Manny was one of a few I had really been keeping an eye on, and when I knew I needed a head coach in Abbotsford, I was very vindicated that he could do a heck of a job there,” Johnson said. “After winning a championship, was that when the 'a-ha' moment was? No, it was moments throughout this past season that we navigated injuries and adversity and never really saw a team together. But when I saw Manny and his staff be able to deliver that consistency, that was exactly the same as it was through a championship season, that's where I felt, into a rebuild, and where you're going to have some adversity with some young players that need consistency and support, that coming into this that he was the guy.”

Malhotra was the No. 7 pick by the New York Rangers at the 1998 NHL Draft and played 16 NHL seasons from 1998-2015, including three with Vancouver (2010-13). He developed into a solid two-way center and had 295 points (116 goals, 179 assists) in 991 regular-season games with the Rangers, Dallas Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks, Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens. He scored two goals in 35 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

He will guide a Canucks team that finished last in the NHL (25-49-8) this season, averaged 2.56 goals per game (tied for 30th) and was last in goals against (3.83) with a League-worst minus-100 goal differential. The penalty kill was also last in the NHL (71.5 percent).

“I want him to implement what I know he does well, and that's structure within a game in three zones,” Johnson said when asked how Malhotra will be judged. “Absolute certainty from players, what's expected of them, the structure that they're going to play in.”

Malhotra will also be tasked with continuing to repair a locker room and culture that outgoing president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford called “really bad.” Vancouver finished last in the NHL two seasons after going 50-23-9 to win the Pacific Division and advance to the Western Conference Second Round, a seven-game loss to the Edmonton Oilers. 

Center J.T. Miller was traded to the Rangers on Jan. 31, 2025, amid reports of tension with top center Elias Pettersson, and defenseman and captain Quinn Hughes was traded to the Minnesota Wild on Dec. 12. Forwards Kiefer Sherwood (Sharks) and Conor Garland (Blue Jackets), and defenseman Tyler Myers (Stars) were traded for draft picks and prospects prior to the NHL Trade Deadline on March 6.

“It's not the 7 p.m. on Friday nights, it's the 8 a.m. on Monday and the focus and attention on that -- Manny and I both feel extremely strong about that,” Johnson said. “We're going to ask these players to get uncomfortable at the 8 a.m. and the wins and losses, all that other stuff, will take care of itself … the ability to get the players that are here to understand that and deliver it, and the players that don't will make it very clear that they're not interested in being here, and we will bring in players we know are ready to change that first.

“… We will have the patience within the wins and losses, but with the structure, how we're going to treat each other, and then the competitiveness that we will expect at 8 a.m., that will bleed into the to the 7 p.m., and slowly in time the results will come.” 

The Canucks were the first team eliminated from playoff contention this season (March 22) and will have the No. 3 pick in the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft. That could mean they select Malhotra’s son, Caleb, the top-ranked center in this year’s draft after a breakout season with Brampton of the Ontario Hockey league. Caleb had 84 points (29 goals, 55 assists) in 67 games in the regular season and 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists) in 15 playoff games.

Johnson discussed the possibility with Malhotra before hiring him. 

“I felt I owed him that to have that conversation,” Johnson said. “I wanted to make sure he had time to talk with his wife and family, understanding that would be a possible scenario, and that there was no hesitation on him moving forward and taking this position.”