VANCOUVER — Another former Vancouver Canucks player has been promoted as the NHL team begins its rebuild.
General manager Ryan Johnson announced Monday night that the Canucks have named Manny Malhotra the 23rd head coach in franchise history.
“Manny and I have been in the battle together before, so I know firsthand what a good teacher, leader, and quality person he is,” Johnson said in a statement.
The pair previously worked together with the American Hockey League's Abbotsford Canucks.
“Manny is a great coach who has the right skill set and mentality to help players develop and get better each day," Johnson said. "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 takes over from Adam Foote, who was fired on May 19 after serving a single season as bench boss. The Canucks finished the season last in the league with a 25-49-8 record.
Malhotra immediately emerged as the prime candidate to replace him, with Johnson saying he would sit down with the 46-year-old former NHL forward and "talk about the future."
Malhotra previously served as a development coach and an assistant coach for the NHL's Canucks, then spent four seasons as an assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs before taking on head coaching duties in Abbotsford.
There, the 46-year-old former NHL forward, guided the AHL's Canucks to a Calder Cup championship in the 2024-25 campaign. The team went on to miss the playoffs last season as several players dealt with long-term injuries.
It was the way Malhotra led Abbotsford through a challenging year that showed exactly the kind of coach and person he is, Johnson said.
“To see that when you can rely on the foundation of the consistent environment and the coaching through the worst of times and really continue to propel players forward, even though the wins and losses aren't there, it tells you a lot about him," he said.
"That entire staff showed that they're champions based off of not the year before, but of what they did last year, and what people around them took out of a pretty tough season.”
The promotion will see Malhotra reunited with former teammates Daniel and Henrik Sedin who were named Vancouver's co-presidents of hockey operations on May 14.
Hailing from Mississauga, Ont., Malhotra spent 16 seasons playing in the NHL after getting drafted by the Rangers in 1998.
He tallied 116 goals and 295 points over 991 regular-season games, spending time with Vancouver, New York, the Dallas Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks, Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes.
Malhotra took a puck to the face while playing for the Canucks in March 2011, an injury that left him with limited vision in his left eye. He missed much of the team's run to the Stanley Cup final that year, and was given a reduced role the following season.
"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," Johnson said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2026.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
