The Canucks have announced Manny Malhotra as their new head coach. This is Malhotra's first NHL head-coaching job. He worked for the franchise before as a development coach in 2016 and an assistant coach from 2017 to 2020. He also spent three seasons with the Canucks near the tail end of his 16-season NHL career.
Malhotra, 46, had been the head coach of the Abbottsford Canucks, the team's AHL affiliate, winning the Calder Cup after the 2024-25 season, his first season as a head coach at any level. The team missed the playoffs this season.
Prior to his time in Abbotsford, Malhotra was an assistant coach for the Maple Leafs for four years.
My take: The Canucks are keeping things in-house, previously hiring the Sedin twins as co-presidents and former player Ryan Johnson as general manager. Malhotra does not have a lot of head-coaching experience — just Abbotsford — but makes sense for a re-tooling franchise that looks to have young roster.
THE ASYLUM
Malhotra named Canucks coach
The Canucks have announced Manny Malhotra as their new head coach. This is Malhotra's first NHL head-coaching job. He worked for the franchise before as a development coach in 2016 and an assistant coach from 2017 to 2020. He also spent three seasons with the Canucks near the tail end of his 16-season NHL career.
Malhotra, 46, had been the head coach of the Abbottsford Canucks, the team's AHL affiliate, winning the Calder Cup after the 2024-25 season, his first season as a head coach at any level. The team missed the playoffs this season.
Prior to his time in Abbotsford, Malhotra was an assistant coach for the Maple Leafs for four years.
My take: The Canucks are keeping things in-house, previously hiring the Sedin twins as co-presidents and former player Ryan Johnson as general manager. Malhotra does not have a lot of head-coaching experience — just Abbotsford — but makes sense for a re-tooling franchise that looks to have young roster.
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