The Vancouver Canucks have found their new bench boss, naming Manny Malhotra as the 23rd head coach in franchise history on Monday night.
Malhotra, 46, has served as head coach of Vancouver’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, for the past two seasons.
“Manny and I have been in the battle together before, so I know firsthand what a good teacher, leader, and quality person he is,” said newly named general manager Ryan Johnson. “Connection, consistency and putting in place the proper foundation will be key for our group moving forward. Manny is a great coach who has the right skillset and mentality to help players develop and get better each day. We both believe that pressure is a privilege, and learning to become a good pro takes patience, dedication, and a ‘be better than yesterday’ mindset. He loves the game and getting to know what makes his players tick and I am very confident Manny will help us ice a competitive and hard-working team that our fans will be proud of moving forward.”
Vancouver needed a new head coach after firing Adam Foote following just a single season on the job in which the Canucks finished last in the NHL with 58 points and a 25-49-8 record.
Malhotra isn’t the only major change in Vancouver this off-season after Ryan Johnson took over for general manager Patrik Allvin while Canucks legends Daniel and Henrik Sedin were named co-presidents of hockey operations in mid-May.
A native of Mississauga, Ont., Malhotra was previously an assistant coach on the Canucks’ staff for a number of seasons following his retirement from the NHL in 2016.
Malhotra joined the coaching staff of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2020 before being named head coach of Abbotsford in 2024, and won the Calder Cup in his first season on the job.
Abbotsford missed the AHL playoffs this past season, winning just 28 games in the 72-game season.
Malhotra played nearly 1,000 games in the NHL, including three seasons with the Canucks from 2010 to 2013. He missed considerable time during his last campaign in Vancouver with a significant eye injury.
Selected by the Rangers seventh overall in the 1998 NHL Draft, Malhotra tallied 116 goals and 179 assists over 991 career games with New York, Dallas Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks, Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens.
He added two goals over 35 playoff games, including 11 games with Vancouver.
The Canucks have missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
